We're all hoping that 2022 will become more normal in terms of social gatherings, coronavirus will recede, and we'll be able to get back to doing the things we enjoy, like attending an audio fest or a live concert performance.
For those of us living in the Pacific Northwest of the USA, the Pacific Audio Fest we were looking forward to in 2021 was cancelled due to coronavirus concerns, like a lot of events in 2021.
The plan now is that the Pacific Audio Fest 2022 will take place July 29 - 31, 2022, in Seattle, Washington, at the Doubletree Hilton in Sea-Tac Washington (more HERE). Hooray!
One of the things I enjoy is travel. Often I end up being the guy doing the travel itinerary when traveling with friends.
I thought given my travel experience over the years, I might mention a couple of tips to you on how to get the most out of your travel experience to Pacific Audio Fest 2022, and of course these same tips also apply to any other audio fest trip you might travel to in the future.
Tip One - Start Your Planning by Putting the Dates on Your Calendar
The Pacific Audio Fest 2022 will take place July 29 - 31, 2022, in Seattle, Washington, so put that on your calendar as your planning placeholder.
Personally, when I travel I like to add days before and after the event for a little sightseeing fun and games.
I like to get out and eat in good restaurants, check out breweries and distilleries, attend a jazz concert or opera, see the significant local sights, get a sense for the local culture, visit a museum or art gallery, and maybe plan in a side-trip of interest.
In Seattle there are a lot of good restaurants to eat at, and they are popular, so book reservations in advance.
One of my favorite restaurants in Seattle is Matt's In The Market, which as the name suggests is located in the heart of Seattle's Pikes Place Market.
Walking around in the Pike Place Market area gives you a nice sense of the local culture, and there's lots to see.
Pikes Place Market, photo by Daniel Schwen, shared under the Wikipedia Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
A couple of other recommendations for fine dining are Spinasse, Tilikum Place Cafe, and the El Gaucho steakhouse (favored by friend Santos), and of course there are many other fine Seattle restaurant recommendations you can find with a quick internet search, and restaurant food tours are also a lot of fun if you want to get in a lot of bites in a short amount of time.
Fremont Brewing Urban Beer Garden
There's a big craft brewery culture in Seattle, and I recommend you consider a brewery tour for those interested in the craft beer scene.
The Fremont Brewing Urban Beer Garden is a must visit, and offers a great glimpse into the Seattle craft beer culture.
Freemont Brewing Urban Beer Garden
For those who like to sip a little good whiskey, check out the The Whiskey Bar, which is just a mere 7 minute walk from Pikes Place Market.
If you want to get out and listen to some live jazz, check out Dimitriou's Jazz Alley, or if you'd like to take in an opera, check out the Seattle Opera. Book tickets early if you want good seats.
The Bob James Quartet live at Jazz Alley in Seattle.
To get a feel for the local cultural scene, stop by the historic Space Needle, the Museum of Pop Culture, or Chihuly Garden and Glass, or the many other iconic Seattle sights.
MoPOP guitars!
There's lots of little side-trips that can be planned in, like a visit to the San Juan Islands, or Mount Rainier National Park.
Arriving a few days early before the Pacific Audio Fest, or staying a few days after, gives you the opportunity to do a little adventuring that will add gusto to your visit.
Now that you have solidified a few extra things to do while in Seattle, adjust your calendar dates appropriately.
Tip Two - Buy Your Pacific Audio Fest Tickets
Now that you have an idea of what your itinerary will look like, my second tip is to buy your Pacific Audio Fest tickets (HERE), guaranteeing you'll be able to attend.
Tip Three - Getting To Seattle
The best deals are to be had if you buy your airline tickets four months to three weeks before the flight, which means that for the Pacific Audio Fest dates of July 29 - 31, 2022, you should book your tickets in the March timeframe, or if you are a last minute sort of person, the first week of July.
Tip Four - Book Your Room
Book your room at the Doubletree Hilton Sea-Tac Washington (more HERE). It's where the Pacific Audio Fest will be held, and is minutes from the Sea-Tac airport, and the SeaTac Airport Light Rail Station which you can take into downtown Seattle to do a little exploring.
Tip Five - Get Travel Insurance
Its chaotic times, or even in non-chaotic times, I like to buy travel insurance to protect my travel investment. I usually buy from Travel Guard, and they have bailed me out of a very bad travel situation with excellent customer service. Recommended!
Tip Six - Getting Around In Seattle
As I mentioned above, the SeaTac Airport Light Rail Station can take you into downtown Seattle to do a little exploring. Once you are in downtown Seattle there's lots within walking distance, so take a map, and for longer stretches an Uber or Lyft ride makes life easy.
Tip Seven - Double Check and Done!
That's the basics of visiting Seattle for the Pacific Audio Fest. Double check that you've bought your Fest tickets, booked your airline flights, booked your hotel room, booked any restaurant reservations, concert tickets, and your travel insurance.
Note that at this time you will need to be fully vaccinated for coronavirus and present your completed vaccine card to get into any of the local Seattle restaurants, museums, craft breweries, bars, and other Seattle attractions. You'll also need to be masked to enter most facilities, so take a couple of extra N95 masks with you, and a small bottle of hand sanitizer if you want to be extra-safe.
Seattle is very proactive about staying safe during the pandemic, but as the dates get closer things may relax a little.
You're ready to go!
Part 2 - Getting the Most Out of Your Pacific Audio Fest Adventure!
I'll be doing a Part 2 follow-up post as the dates get closer, and give you some ideas on how to get the most out visiting the exhibit rooms during your Pacific Audio Fest adventure.
I'll give you some ideas on how to get the most out of the audio show/demo experience, what to listen for, and share some ideas with you about what I've learned about evaluating audio equipment and rooms over the years.
I know a lot of you want to go to the show to get some ideas about buying a new audio system, or buying some new components for your existing system, so I'll offer some suggestions on how to make gear choices to match your tastes and audio system goals.
I hope I see you there!
For breaking news about the Pacific Audio Fest you can read my Part 2 article HERE.
