Seattle: Travel guide, prices and free housing · 2026

ANAziz Nadjimutdinovanadjimutdinov · Jun 26, 2017Read

The train from Seattle to Montana takes about 14 hours, assuming there are no delays (which Amtrak often has), but it arrives by 8 a.m., so you can get a really good nap. Last year, things didn't go well with Amanda, the new manager, starting from the moment she forgot to pick me up from the train station. (I don't remember if I told this story or not). I waited for about 40 minutes or so. She knew my number, but I didn't know hers. I sat there, waited, and then started walking. The station is at the entrance to West Glacier—the very town where everyone headed for a second job, as well as for groceries or a drink after work. It was about a 10-minute bike ride from Apgar to West Glacier. Or about 3-4 km, if I'm not mistaken. I walked to the park entrance and explained the situation to the rangers. They let me through, even though visitors usually pay for park entry (but not employees). The rangers at the entrance already recognize the employees by face, and they have a special sticker on their cars. Anyway, when I reached the shortcut through the woods where there was a sign saying 1.6 miles left to Apgar, Amanda called and told me to stay where I was. I texted her that I had already passed the park entrance. Amanda arrived and picked me up. By that moment, of course, I was slightly angry at her because she had overslept, damn it. This year, I texted her several times saying I was arriving at such and such time. You won't forget, right? I arrived, and she wasn't there again. I sat and waited. I was thinking about walking again, but as soon as I texted, Tim, the brother of Brian (the restaurant owner), arrived. By the way, I told Mihaela that I was arriving only the next morning, so after the traditional selfie at the dorm, I rushed to the second floor and unceremoniously burst into her room to surprise her, just like she did last year. Friends, it's worth living for moments like these! When you meet those you've wanted to see for so long, and then you just grab her and drag her all over the place to reminisce about everything. What has changed? Of course, you immediately feel a certain emptiness in your soul because there is almost no one here—or rather, only Mihaela, Mike, Shanice, Fabian, and Kedisha from last year are here. The latter three are guys from Jamaica (I don't remember if I talked about them last year). Last summer, I returned here and only Carlos was here, who was later fired (as it turned out later), and Weldon, who was also fired, while the others arrived gradually. Mihaela, who finished her studies earlier, was already here. And together we waited for the Turner sisters, as well as anyone else who could somehow dilute the boredom at the beginning of the season. The kitchen in the restaurant has changed a lot. Mike, with whom we had friction last year, arrived here much earlier and made changes to the layout of the tables and shelves, which were now where they were supposed to be (well, in the places I was used to since the 1st season). And even before that, the management invested funds and installed a new hood with shelves, which made the kitchen look completely different: This is how the kitchen looked before 2016. And this is how it looked in 2016: I was given the same room as last year, at the beginning of the year. Let me remind you that at the end of last season, I moved to the second floor to 211 and lived right across from my original room from the first season, but at the beginning of the 2nd season, just like this summer, I was placed in 115. By the way, that was a little story. As soon as I got my visa, I immediately wrote to Amanda and asked her to put me in room 211, where I spent the rest of the 2015 season, since this room is similar to that very "my favorite" one from the first season, and in general, it is large, spacious, and comfortable. In short, I got used to it. As for 115, it is smaller because the bathroom there is 2.5 times larger than in other rooms, as it is supposedly for people wit

ANAziz Nadjimutdinovanadjimutdinov · Dec 23, 2015Read

Well, actually, once we reached Seattle itself, we started hitting the sights. First of all, Kelsey, of course, took me to the Gum Wall. It's a famous wall completely covered in chewing gum, and she had already shared some gum with me beforehand. When you walk up to this alley, you're speechless. It's a truly cool sight. Yes, many say it's pointless, but it brought so many people from all over the world together, didn't it? Yes, it's a bit gross, but it looks cool. Although, some news came out quite recently. About a month or a month and a half ago, the wall was completely cleaned. You can check it out here. Although, of course, people have already started filling it up again, but now it will take a very, very long time to repeat 20 years of history. And my gum was removed too... In the same place, or rather up the stairs, is the famous Public Market, which is a gathering place for all tourists and locals at one market. Here, in a huge crowd, many very interesting and unique things, seafood, souvenirs, and just everyday junk are sold. You can wander there endlessly, as well as spend money, although at that moment I was already trying to keep my wallet closed tight. In the same place is the world's first Starbucks, which is also a must-visit for all fans of both just coffee and this brand. After that, we headed to the Fremont Troll statue, which is located under the George Washington Memorial Bridge. There used to be a terrible dump at this spot, and the government announced a competition for the best project to clean up this bridge. Among the finalists was this Troll, which received funding. By the way, he has a real Mini Cooper in his hand. And he himself came from Scandinavian fairy tales. In general, during my stay in Seattle, I noticed that there are really a lot of statues, monuments, and the like in this city. The locals are free in their creativity and are always ready to let their imagination fly, so at every step you can meet a sculpture on any topic that will have some deep meaning, or just remind you of some events. There is even a statue of Lenin here. Just like that. By the way, I'll say a word. If there are people reading me from Uzbekistan, I will very quickly remind you that Seattle has been a sister city to Tashkent for over 30 years. And there is even a Tashkent Park, but unfortunately, I didn't make it there. After the Troll, we headed to perhaps the most popular attraction in the city - the Space Needle. In essence, there is nothing supernatural about it, except that it offers an excellent view of the city from all sides. The ticket itself costs $22 without any options to go even higher (as it was at the Empire State Building), and the height of the ascent is 158.5 meters or 520 feet. But the view is still excellent. Yes, by the way, I forgot to mention that not far from that Market there are wonderful piers, where the main entertainment is feeding seagulls with french fries. At first, it seems dangerous, but then you realize that they are absolutely harmless, and just come up and ask for food, like kittens. It's actually quite fun. Another entertainment for tourists. And finally, she showed me a very cool place where, by the way, the movie "10 Things I Hate About You" was once filmed, and in general, there was also an excellent view of the city: And then Kelsey had to go to class, so she dropped me off near my bank so I could get money, and she left. After the bank, I still had to wander around for a while, so I managed to eat and walk through several shops. One of them turned out to be a gorgeous kitchen knife shop, where you could find any modern brand, both expensive and cheap, both American and Japanese. For a chef, it's a little paradise. That's where I spent about 30 minutes, just chatting with the seller and discussing different models. If you are chefs, you will understand my thrill of being in this store. Although I had already managed to buy knives at that moment. Besides this, I managed to get i

ANAziz Nadjimutdinovanadjimutdinov · Dec 23, 2015Read

The road to Seattle turned out to be much faster by car than by train. While the train wouldn't have arrived until morning, we arrived by car in the middle of the night and even managed to get some sleep. On the way, we drove through Idaho, stopped at a few isolated stores to refuel, grab some food, drinks, and cigarettes for the road. We took turns sleeping during the trip. Yes, as I already mentioned, I wasted $77, but I got the pleasure of traveling from state to state by car for the first time in my life. It's worth it, by the way. After all, you can see some interesting places along the way. And it's just a good, fun experience. By the way, here is one of the interesting stores on the way: Once we reached Seattle, we decided to get some sleep first. To be precise, we didn't quite reach Seattle, but Kirkland - a city located about 20 minutes from downtown Seattle. Kelsey and her 3 friends rent an apartment there. In the morning, we had to get to another city - Poulsbo, where her parents and sister with her husband work. It's very interesting and terribly confusing in this regard. It turns out that Seattle is surrounded by several small, roughly speaking, provincial towns, and this creates a huge territory. You can work in Seattle but live, for example, in Kirkland. You just need to have plenty of time for your commute to work. Ouch. So, we had to visit her friend, whose car we arrived in, since his car was left in Glacier. Last time, when he was visiting us, they hit a deer, and his car had to be left for repairs in Montana. And they left in the sisters' car. Confusing, right? And now Kelsey returned that guy's car. After meeting him, we had to meet her mom, and she works... at an elementary school. My God. I've never been to American schools. And it was a unique experience. Not just a visit, but an interactive one! Taking advantage of the unique opportunity, Kelsey's mom sat all the children in front of me and asked me (as usual, of course): -Remind me, where are you from? -Uzbekistan. -Um.. -Uz-Bek-I-Stan. And turning to the children, she announced that we have a guest from a distant country, a friend of her daughter, who can tell us about... (turns to me). -Uz-Bek-I-Stan... -Yes, exactly! Well, the kids sat and listened carefully as I told them that I came from Central Asia. Worked as a cook, etc. It took a couple of minutes, but I had a mountain of impressions. Honestly. After that, we got to their house, where we had to change cars again, since before that we were driven by one of Kelsey's sisters, whom you don't know. (She wasn't in that post). Although during my stay in Glacier, I met almost the entire Turner family, there were mom, dad, and all the sisters, friends, etc. They are very sociable and hospitable. After that, we visited a wonderful bakery in Poulsbo, "Sluys' Bakery". If you are in Seattle, you must visit it! It's just an incredible establishment. And on my favorite topic of incredible people in America. While we were choosing (well, more precisely, I was choosing, Kelsey has been getting the same thing for about 10 years, as she says), a nice man of about 60 started a conversation with us, who said that gingerbread men are a unique thing when we both chose them. We chatted a bit, and then he also chose a man and paid for our purchase. It was incredibly pleasant. Just like the very tasty man. In general, look at how wonderful the streets look in this town. Some kind of peace and quiet. A real provincial town. Considering that the territories between the cities are huge, or rather it is water, there are piers created there that can take you from port to port to Seattle and back. That's where we headed so as not to drive around. Although in fact, although it saves time, you still have to travel quite a bit on the ferry. About an hour. For convenience, the first floor is made specifically for cars, and the others are equipped with seats where you can sit and relax. We even managed to sleep. You can also go

ANAziz Nadjimutdinovanadjimutdinov · Dec 16, 2015Read

Unfortunately, my early birthday was my last night here, so I managed to celebrate it to the fullest, but I had to leave the next day. I didn't have any shifts left, although Amanda offered to let me work the morning. I had another job—saying goodbye to everything dear to my heart. You see, this year I was leaving in a completely different way. If a year ago I had to leave an empty dormitory (only 3 people left) along with 8 Romanians, now I am leaving a place full of life. I am leaving a flow of events that will continue to run, but... without me? Can such a thing be? Imagine, yes. Mihaela took the day off, and my girlfriend only had an evening shift, so we could spend time together in peace. Evgeni, unfortunately, had already left by that time, although, of course, I would have loved for him to be there too. We had a difficult farewell with him, after which Mihaela and I had to recover for almost a week leading up to the wedding. But at least we now have memorable nazar amulets that I brought them as souvenirs and gave as a token of our friendship. The whole day was, of course, very difficult. Everyone looks at you like a target. As if you are disappearing. I understand, of course, that I won't be here tomorrow, but why remind me of it? Besides the last little things like paperwork, returning the uniform, and the remaining tips, I also did a little shopping, buying some extra souvenirs. But the most important thing was the places. Just walking somewhere in silence and standing there. No need for extra words. And why? At some point, I realize that all this struggle with management and the boss for better conditions, better pay—it's worth nothing. Personally for me. I just want to be here. One of our American waiters, who quit in the middle of the season along with his Czech girlfriend, was terribly angry at the company because his girlfriend had to go back. Otherwise, our company would have filed for the cancellation of her visa. So he wrote that he would never wish any of us to return here, although he himself had been to our branches for the second time. I understand his anger, but I realize that I don't care about all that. If I return to America, I will still return to this place. I am head over heels in love with this lake, this dorm, that restaurant, and this kitchen. People, of course, play no less a role, but after this difficult year, 90% of them are guaranteed not to return. Although I would really like to see them again. This brings the realization of a difficult farewell. I spent $77 on a train ticket, buying the cheapest fare to Seattle. And then it turned out that Kelsey, who will host me in Seattle, came to visit us just on the days when I had to leave. And we decided that I could leave with her and her friend. Spend 77 bucks, get there faster, more reliably (well, that's a question. Last time they hit a deer), and have more fun. Why not? And so, all day, while I was waiting for Kelsey to arrive from her friend's place, I had a lump in my throat because I felt like I couldn't say goodbye yet, but I already had to. And I just tried to spend this day as easily as possible with Mihaela and Eliza. Having lunch at the restaurant for the last time, for example. Checking what's going on in the kitchen. And God knows what's going on there... And naturally, a few souvenirs for the road :) Oh yes.. And how could I forget the traditional dorm selfie..? So you ask... What kind of heresy am I spouting, right? Few people will actually understand the value of these words. Those who have already found a second home through this program will understand, for example. Or you will have time to understand if it becomes difficult for you to leave a place that will one day become valuable to you, as it is to me now. Then you will remember my words. People who know me well will understand me. Perhaps even those who have been reading me since last year. Why? Because people who know me are aware that I am an introvert and a sociopath. A

ANAziz Nadjimutdinovanadjimutdinov · Dec 13, 2015Read

Actually, my birthday is on September 25th. So, I'm a Libra. My mom always says that my zodiac sign has played an unreal role in my personality. For instance, I've changed my tickets home twice during my two trips to America. Last year, I changed them because I decided to go to San Francisco, and this year, I just wanted to stay with my friends a bit longer. But unfortunately, the tickets I needed were already gone, and the only option was to fly out of New York on September 24th. That means arriving home on my birthday. Honestly, I didn't mind, as the day turned out to be unique. Arriving home on my birthday, of all days. According to the plan, on September 21st, I was supposed to take a train to Seattle and stay a couple of nights with Kelsey, one of the Turner sisters. On the 20th, I had my last shift. Well, you know how it is. Sadness and even a bit of loneliness. I don't know why. I was sitting at the entrance of the dorm, and everyone had disappeared somewhere. Then I went to continue packing my things, and my girlfriend came to me. She asked me to put on my Batman pajamas. She wouldn't answer my questions, just made me change and follow her. When I went downstairs, of course, a surprise was waiting for me that left me speechless. It's not that it surprised me that much (after all, they congratulated me the same way last year), but these people prepared so much for me, and it was incredibly sweet. Well, as you've already guessed, they decided to congratulate me in advance. And throw me a farewell party, which had become a tradition for us. The party turned out to be themed. A costume party. So everyone was dressed up in some way. It looked like a show of fools, but it was just too cute. All of this was accompanied by the typical laughter, fun, alcohol, and dancing for such events. And, of course, unforgettable moments: How can you not love these idiots, right?

ANAziz Nadjimutdinovanadjimutdinov · Dec 7, 2015Read

Last year, I discovered a new and, dare I say, unique hobby for myself called hiking. It consisted, if you recall, of long treks into the mountains and forests in a specific direction to see a truly epic view at the end. American mountain regions are impossible without hiking. Honestly, there's nothing else to do here. People often say exactly that about our park. And you really have to take advantage of such an opportunity. Not only is it a unique way to keep yourself in shape, but it's also a chance to see such incredible landscapes. This season, everything moved to a slightly different level. Although I didn't have much time for hiking, I still tried to get out somewhere periodically. Plus, something new appeared. More on that later. Apgar Lookout My first route was to an observation point that offers a unique view of the local scenery. About 35,000 steps, 24 kilometers round trip, and 6 hours of time. Perhaps a bit too much after a long break. Apgar Lookout is a small cabin in the middle of the mountains with a view of the area where I've been spending my second summer in a row. Essentially, the trail itself is only 6.8 km one way, but you still have to walk to it from the dorm, and then get back from the final point. In short, by the end, I was exhausted and dreaming of the pizza I had planned for my day off. You can drive to the trail itself, but I went on foot. I got lost twice because I didn't know the exact path. I asked for directions from some horse riders in the forest, but I still reached my destinations. Fish Lake This is a whole story. I rode my bike up the mountain. An hour one way. An hour back. The total walking distance was about 14 km round trip, where I was bitten by mosquitoes that gave me some small ailment similar to an allergy, and I broke out in a rash. I had to take a break from hiking while I was getting treated. I even went to a doctor, and she prescribed treatment. So, as you can see, I had some fun there. But the beauty is something else. Apicuni Waterfall Then those fires started, and for a long time, I didn't go anywhere at all. Finally, in August, we went as a large group on a short hike to a small but very beautiful waterfall. The total round trip is about 3.2 km with a 200-meter elevation gain. But we got immense pleasure from the whole process. Usually, I hike alone, which, by the way, is very dangerous. My family and friends are ready to kill me for it, but I used to prefer going alone. After this experience, however, I started enjoying the company more. The drive of the long and fun preparation, the trip in three cars, and a short hike with laughter, music, and a bunch of photos. And most importantly - the unique view at the end of the trail. We had to return in the dark with headlamps. New experiences. And after the hike, we went and got pizza, enjoying it in nature. Also with headlamps on. P.S. Is it worth mentioning that after this and a couple of other shots, I slipped and fell into the water up to my waist? Piegan Pass Trail This hike also turned out not to be very long, but very beautiful in its own right. The most interesting thing is that a couple of days before this, a friend of the Turner sisters from Seattle arrived with his dog, who was also keen on hiking. And you know what? He brought his dog with him! Yes! This route of about 14 km round trip with an elevation gain of 560 meters, and we have a little dog with us. Yes, she stops periodically and gets tired faster than others, but it was just incredible. Mt. Brown Lookout And the last hike of the season was completed right at the end of August, on the very day Evgeni left. This hike turned out to be the most difficult, as it had a tough 1300-meter ascent that, at the time, seemed like it would never end. We were so tired that we practically ran back because we wanted to get home as soon as possible, and it was starting to get dark. Moreover, it turned out that upon arriving home, I had to unexpectedly close the restaurant. Th

ANAziz Nadjimutdinovanadjimutdinov · Feb 1, 2015Read

We flew to the disco-style city via Seattle and arrived on the afternoon of October 1st. None of us had been here before. Who are we? 1 Uzbek and 8 Romanians. What do we have? A hostel somewhere in the middle of the city. How to get there? ? Well, I guess I downloaded apps on my phone with the city's transport system. The main system to get from the airport to the city is BART, which costs $2.25 for a ticket. By the way, tickets for many systems are shared, so one ticket can be used on other vehicles as well. And it is valid for 90 minutes. We barely made it to our motel, argued 100 times because no one believed in my ability to read Google Maps. Oh yeah, and we managed to lose two girls at the subway exit. So, the journey was unique. From there, it was a 2 km walk with suitcases. Absolutely great. We barely made it and got our rooms. So. The hostel. I think you understand the point. If not, I'll explain. It's a place where you don't even really want to sleep. Usually, these are the most budget-friendly options for those who don't want to sit in the room but want to see the city. For example, in a small room, there will be 6 beds. Basically a dormitory, roughly speaking. And it turned out that I had to live for 3 days with 5 girls, and our other 3 guys were in a room with 4 beds. There were three of them and someone else. But for some reason, they were put in a room with 6 beds, where there were three of them and three, quote, "scary freaks." I didn't see them myself, but in the end, it turned out that 9 of us were sleeping on 6 beds. Cute, isn't it? Well, I don't really care. I wanted to see the city. For $75 for 3 nights in San Francisco, I think it was fine. Anyway, we left our things and went for a walk. From there, we, of course, headed straight to the Golden Gate Bridge, which is perhaps the most famous landmark of the city. And, considering that we were not yet fully familiar with public transport here, the idea arose to walk from downtown. If you believe Google Maps, it's about 11 km of travel + we constantly turned off the road to see something else along the way. Standing right in front of it, I was speechless. These emotions are simply impossible to describe. On the way, we really turned in different directions a lot, so we arrived at the bridge by the very evening. In addition to the cherished goal, we managed to see the Palace of Fine Arts, about which I will say something more on the last, bonus page. On the way back, we were terribly tired but had no idea how to get home. We walked almost blindly, using my logic, and constantly arguing, and then accidentally stumbled upon a bus that had already finished its shift. A kind woman took us to the nearest station and explained how to get home. Having arrived, we found ourselves a new mission: how to take a shower for 9 people in a hostel with 6 bathrooms. Even though we are not the only ones who want to take a shower. Therefore, after all these adventures, we didn't really care where we would sleep and how. The main thing was to lie down somewhere and fall asleep, which we, in fact, did. October 2nd. Day 2. In the morning, there was no electricity in the whole area. Such things happen in America too, can you imagine? After leaving the house and having breakfast, we used another transport system - MUNI, which is more focused on transporting passengers within the city. And we immediately went to Ocean Beach, where we spent the whole morning until lunch. The trip to this beach became one of the brightest events of the whole summer for me. If you compare NY and SF in this regard, California is definitely a step ahead. The beach is huge, and everyone around is having fun, everyone is happy. You can't drink here, but no one really cares, not even the patrol officer who drives along the beach every 5-10 minutes. Ocean, beer, new American friends - this was our daytime entertainment today. What I also really liked - the beach is perfectly clean. And there are many dogs around

SSanSIDORSSR · Nov 10, 2009Read

Following our intuition, we headed straight for the coast in Washington state. We wanted to meet the ocean in Seattle, the northeasternmost of America's major cities. But at the same time, we couldn't help but visit the Rocky Mountain National Park on our way. But first, a little about Washington state itself. Washington's nickname is the "Evergreen State." Entering it from the east for the first time, you're unlikely to feel that. Moreover, you're unlikely to see anything green at all. Absolutely bare and flat steppe, almost a desert with scorched, yellow-gray grass is the maximum you can count on. There are almost no modest villages on the way, but signs like "Next gas station 100 miles" are the norm in these parts. The only attraction I would name is the constellation of wind farms located on every hill. From afar, they seem like miniature fans capable of generating energy for at most one shed, but getting closer, you feel like an ant in front of a tree. Just one blade of such a unit can be about 40 meters long. And the entire structure of the station exceeds the height bar of 120-150 meters. Further on, the steppe begins to sway, forming smooth hills and wide gorges for quiet rivers. The amplitude of these swings increases until high mountains covered with forests and snow appear outside the window. Those are the Rocky Mountains, perhaps the highest part of the Cordillera in continental America (naturally, not counting Alaska). They are impressive, very picturesque, and reminded me of the Alps from the picture on the Alpen Gold chocolate bar that I had in my childhood. But after everything we had already seen, after the wonders of nature that the national parks of the last 6 days were for us, the Rocky Mountains seemed like something standard, ordinary, academic. In my opinion, this is exactly how mountains should look. Having agreed on this opinion, we simply crossed the park in about 20 minutes. Now, finally, we left the land of small towns, which I would call the Midwest and the mountain region, and drove onto Highway 5. A wide road, towns flowing into one another, and developed infrastructure amazed us again. We were so unaccustomed, so wild from all the benefits of civilization after the last week spent wandering through the fields and mountains of the West. Seattle greeted us with excellent weather, which is rare for the extreme northwest of the USA. It rains here almost every other day; huge traffic jams and urban traffic, which was so difficult for us. It was even funny when we first spent an hour looking for a legal parking space somewhere near the city center, and then gave up on everything and decided to brazenly park under a sign that said "For store customers only." In a big city, where the problem of a lack of free parking spaces is especially acute, this, in my opinion, is the most harmless and least risky way. After all, you must agree, no one will track where you went: to this very store or just in the other direction for your own business. Running ahead, I will say that, unaccustomed to such a flow of cars, we managed to break the rules a dozen times: at least twice we drove into the oncoming lane of a one-way street and at least three times we parked where we were not supposed to. Seattle is the most laid-back city in the states; there are more freaks here than anywhere else. The atmosphere, lifestyle, and way of life characteristic of the West Coast are very vividly represented here. The cities are significantly larger in area and are designed for universal car use, especially since the width of the streets also contributes to this. Secondly, the changed ethnic composition of the population—after all, it is closer from China to the West Coast than to the East. Asian diasporas are the oldest and have the greatest influence not only in the city but also in all nearby states. The headquarters of "new," "modern" enterprises are located here, be it Amazon or the sensational MicroSoft. Novelty is present in e