About Susan J
Susan J., budget traveler extraordinaire, inherited her Yankee frugality from her mother and it has served her well on trips across the US and the UK. Whether scoping out the nightlife scene or searching for that perfect pair of shoes, Susan loves writing and travel. She has lived outside of Seattle, Washington, and in Boston, Massachusetts and Albuquerque, New Mexico. She recently returned from a trip to Hawaii, where she made full use of her Go Oahu Card!
Blog posts written by Susan J
May 1st, 2008 by susan j
Avenue Q cast photo courtesy of
Puppets singing about politics, racism, and life in the city. It’s an improbable combination, but somehow it works. I’ve seen Avenue Q twice and listened to the cast album countless more times, but I still can’t get enough of this infectious musical comedy. It’s the type of show that charms even people say they don’t like musicals.
Seattle’s Paramount Theatre will present Avenue Q June 10-22, and I highly recommend checking it out. The story centers on Princeton, an eager graduate with a “BA in English” and no career prospects, Kate Monster, the adorable monster next door, and their neighbors (a lovable cast of monsters, people, and puppets). Tickets are available now through Ticketmaster.
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April 16th, 2008 by susan j
Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.
~John Ruskin
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April 11th, 2008 by susan j
Bumbershoot 2007 in Seattle Photo uploaded by
If you’re planning a trip to Seattle, WA during Labor Day weekend, then you’ll definitely want to check out , which is an annual music and arts festival that attracts over 125,000 visitors to Seattle Center each year.
Running August 30 to September 1, 2008, this year’s Bumbershoot will feature performances by Beck, Stone Temple Pilots, Lucinda Williams, Neko Case, Ingrid Michaelson, Del Tha Funky Homosapien, and other bands and solo artists to be announced. The festival will also feature literary programs, visual art, dance performances, and a film festival curated by the Seattle International Film Festival.
While at Bumbershoot, you might check out other popular Seattle attractions like the Space Needle, Pacific Science Center, and the Experience Music Project (EMP). All are within the Seattle Center area.
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January 22nd, 2008 by susan j
Southwest Airlines’ Boeing 737-7h4 Photo uploaded by
Thanks to a tip-off from the , we’ve caught wind of the fact that is increasing the number of daily flights to Seattle-Tacoma Airport. The airline currently has three daily flights between Seattle and Chicago’s Midway Airport (MDW), but starting March 10, 2008, that number will increase to four. This is great news for travelers, because it means more options and (hopefully) lower fares.
Washington state is a major hub for airplane production and you can learn more about this exciting industry at the Museum of Flight or Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour.
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Seattle?
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January 7th, 2008 by susan j
Jazz photo uploaded by
Attention, jazz lovers! Add January 17-20 to your calendars, because Seattle’s Experience Music Project (EMP) is celebrating America’s jazz legacy with , a series of concerts by some of jazz music’s biggest name musicians.
Jazz in January performers include Jerry Gonzalez and the Fort Apache Band, Esperanza Spalding, Michael Shrieve, the Jovino Santos Neto Quinteto, Joe Santiago Afro-Cuban Jazz Ensemble, JazzReach, the Roosevelt and Garfield High School jazz bands, jazz film historian Mark Cantor, and others. Since the EMP is in the midst of American Sabor, an exhibit about Latin jazz, many of the performances will explore this genre of jazz music.
Planning a trip to
Seattle?
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January 4th, 2008 by susan j
Space Needle photo uploaded by
Blog reader Jill asks: We are coming to Seattle the end of January 2008 and will be there for 3 weeks. My husband is there on business. Is it safe for me to explore the city without him during the day? What would you suggest is THE BEST to see while there? He will be able to explore the city with me on weekends.
Go Seattle Card answers: First off, as a fellow female traveler, I want to assure you that I feel very safe walking around Seattle during the day. In fact, several sources include Seattle as one of the safest cities in the US. See and for more details on safety rankings. Now, onto the fun stuff…
I looked up TripAdvisor’s and was surprised to discover that the Space Needle is #20. I’m surprised, because that is probably the most iconic piece of Seattle’s skyline and the views are just incredible up there! Here’s what I’d consider my personal favorite things to do in Seattle.
- Space Needle features 360 degree views of beautiful Puget Sound. It takes only 41 seconds to reach the Observation Deck 520 feet above ground.
- Pike Place Market recently celebrated their 100th anniversary and the market still maintains much of its old-fashioned charm (though, unfortunately, not the 1907 prices). Watch out for flying fish!
- is a new fixture to the Seattle Center area, and already it’s become a favorite among visitors of all ages for its interactive exhibits exploring (mostly) contemporary music.
- Pacific Science Center is near the EMP and the Space Needle and boasts over 300 hands-on science exhibits for all ages (full disclosure: this was also the site of my senior prom. A little nerdy, but true).
- Museum of Flight chronicles the history of aviation, from the Wright Brothers and beyond. Boeing’s major airplane plant is located north of Seattle, so planes are a big part of the local economy.
- Pioneer Square was Seattle’s first neighborhood. It was the site of the original Starbucks and includes .
- Argosy Harbor Cruises offer an hour long cruise around Elliott Bay with views of major landmarks like the Space Needle and Seattle Center.
- hosts tons of performances, festivals, sporting events, and more, so check their before you go.
For more tips on visiting Seattle, check out Shannon’s Weekend in Seattle.
Have a travel question? Leave a comment and let us know!
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January 2nd, 2008 by susan j
Airport photo uploaded by
I don’t know about you, but one of the things I really enjoy about flying is being able to kick back with my copy of Marie Claire or whatever book I happen to be reading and loose myself without the distracting buzz of email or IM. Turns out those days of flying sans internet may be numbered, because several airlines are introducing in-flight internet service.
The Seattle Times recently published an interesting . Since passengers are in such close proximity, should content be filtered for appropriateness? What about restricting use one Skype and other internet phone services? Hmm… some very thorny questions indeed. If you have an opinion about this topic (and we know you do), leave a comment and share your side of this story!
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December 25th, 2007 by susan j
Pike Place Market photo uploaded by
Wherever you are, we wish you a very happy holiday from the team at Go Seattle Card!
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Seattle?
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December 10th, 2007 by susan j
Photo uploaded by Shannon Bullard for Go Card USA
Now through January 6, 2008, the Pacific Science Center has an exciting new exhibit called . This exhibit features dinosaurs discovered in China, as well as real dinosaur eggs and embryos, nests, and skeletons. There’s also a Dinosaurs Alive! 3D IMAX film playing as a companion to the exhibit.
Read more about Colossal Fossils on these blogs and news sites:
Planning a trip to
Seattle?
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December 4th, 2007 by susan j
Huge thank you to Kristie over at for including Shannon’s Weekend in Seattle post in the . This week features some great blog posts from around the world, so I encourage you to !
Planning a trip to
Seattle?
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Go Seattle Card.
