Where's Johnny Jet? Taking it to the Airwaves in Seattle

Greetings from the Pacific Northwest. This week we travel up the west coast to Seattle, Washington to visit friends and be a guest on Rick Steves' radio show. The weather was nothing less than spectacular and so was the entire two-day trip. If you're up for some not-so-sleepless nights and take in some sightseeing, then hurry up and join in the fun.

Escort Pass

Last week when we left off, we were at the Manhattan Beach Open; it's the Wimbledon of beach volleyball. My dad was visiting and we had so much fun. Instead of just dropping Frank the Bank off at the curb, I decided to see if I could escort him to the gate. My dad is hard of hearing so I used that as an excuse. So if you have a loved one who needs special care don't be afraid to ask the airline check-in agent for a pass to get you through security -- it shouldn't be a problem.

Sir Richard Branson

Last year around this time, I was invited to go on the inaugural LAX-JFK Virgin America (VA) flight but I couldn't swing it because I'd already committed to attend MAXjet's (now defunct) LAX to London inaugural flight on the same day. However, VA still treated me to a tour of their aircraft by the main man himself, Sir Richard Branson. Yes, I was surprised too when he came strolling down the deserted aisle and said, "You must be Johnny." Virgin America is based in San Francisco and they fly to New York's JFK, Washington D.C., Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Diego. From LAX, they fly to all of the destinations above except for San Diego and Vegas. To make it easier, here's their route map for a visual reference.

Virgin America

Currently, Virgin America flies out of the dilapidated Terminal 6 but they are supposedly moving to Terminal 3 at the end of October (I don't think that's much better). However, VA does its best to spruce up the gate area by having a sleek check-in counter with fresh flowers. My experience began when I printed the boarding pass the night before on VirginAmerica.com. Not surprisingly, their website is pretty cool and user-friendly. Lucky me, there were plenty of empty seats in coach there was no need to spend the extra $15 for an exit row or $100 for an upgrade. Those options cost more when flying across the country (Duh!). TIP: If the security line at Terminal 6 is too long like the day I was there, then walk a few steps to United's Terminal 7 checkpoint. The agent warned me it's a long walk by going this route but it was okay because I not only needed the exercise but it saved me a lot of time and frustration. Besides, who likes to stand around and do nothing? BTW: Is it just me or have you noticed that the TSA agents have really started to check IDs closely? They now use this special flashlight to see if the state seal is on your license or not.

LAX to Seattle

Now to the good stuff. When I boarded the plane, there was a bin to grab either a pair of traditional disposable headsets or ear buds. This was free going up to Seattle but I guess they instituted a $2 charge during my two-day trip, because it was no longer free on the way down. When I stepped on to the plane, I forgot how cool the interior is. It's a totally different feel than any other and with the black leather seats, white hard shell seatbacks, purple and pink mood lighting, it has a classy pimp's smoothness to it. The plane was so empty, everyone was able to spread out and grab their own row. Score. However, the armrests don’t go all the way up. The female pilot got on the PA and said that flight time would be two hours and 10 minutes and the 11:35am flight was airborne by 11:39am. Gotta love that!

The Best Entertainment System

The cool part about VA is that they fly brand new Airbus A320s and in each of the seatbacks is a nine-inch video touch screen with the most advanced in-flight entertainment system of any domestic airline. They come with a handheld remote to turn on the 24 live channels of satellite TV (CNN, ESPN, Cartoon Network, BBC …), a variety of video games, 30 free music videos, MP3 music files and 25 pay-per-view, on-demand movies. They also offer 50 premium TV shows like The Office, Simpsons, South Park, Monk and Two and a Half Men for 99 cents an episode. On the flip side of the remote is a keypad so passengers can type; either messages to fellow passengers and soon to surf the net when Wi-Fi is installed. As a frequent flier, I really appreciate this and the 110-volt power ports each seat has so you'll never run out of juice. As if that weren't enough, (is Branson ever satisfied?) passengers can view flight progress and order food/drinks from their seat. That's an industry first. Hungry passengers just choose what they want. There are 30 choices of drinks: beer, wine and hard alcohol go for $6, while water and soft drinks are free. There are six snack choices (Chex Party Mix, Pringles, cookies … starting at $2.50) and two meal choices: Monterey beef wrap and a fruit and cheese plate, both $8.99. They don't take cash so have the plastic ready. It's really genius, isn't it? FYI: The flight attendants still come down the aisle with the drink/food cart and then set up a water bar in the back near the bathrooms so passengers can grab a free bottle of water. Why can't all the airlines do this? FYI: Check out the Virgin Airlines deals on Travelocity.com.

Arctic Club Hotel

A friend who frequently visits Seattle suggested I check out the newly reopened and furnished Arctic Club Hotel downtown at Cherry and 3rd Avenues. I asked my local friends about it and none of them had even heard of it so I didn't really know what to expect. It turns out it has some history. The few adventurers who found their fortune in the Alaska gold rush established the original Arctic Club in 1908 and since Seattle is a jumping off point to the last frontier, they formed a men's club in Seattle. Like their website boasts the hotel really does combine the history and grandeur of an early 20th century men's club with contemporary design and first-class amenities for business and leisure travelers. It also doesn't hurt to have the building listed on the National Register of Historic Places -- it was designed by one of Seattle's most prominent architects, A. Warren Gould and has 27 molded walrus heads wrapping around the third floor exterior.

My Room

I pulled up to the valet and at $44 a day it just destroyed my budget … ouch. But I did spot a parking lot right next door when I was leaving and I believe it was much cheaper but it's not open all night. The foyer of the hotel is lined with Alaskan marble and there are framed pictures all over the walls of who I believe are the club's original members. Inside the lobby and the room are artifacts inspired by the Alaska-Yukon Pacific Exposition and original art. The hotel has 120 guestrooms and suites and my room came with a whirlpool tub. The room was large, with high ceilings and a really comfy wood framed bed that had a brown wool bedspread at the bottom of it. The huge working desk had a faux croc ice tray and bucket and there was free wireless, which made me partially forgive the $44 a day parking. On the dresser was an enormous flat screen TV in the middle of the room so it can be swiveled whichever way you like. The bathroom must have been designed by a woman with its flower wallpaper and tiled flower floor. It also came with swanky Kiehl's amenities -- woo hoo. At night, the maids tidied up nicely, replenished the stolen Kiehl's products and left a packet of flower seeds (for growing) on the pillow. If I had one complaint, it's that I could hear some traffic below but it didn't bother me nor did the ongoing construction in the hotel. Rates begin at $199. Arctic Club Hotel, 700 3rd Ave, Seattle, WA; tel.: 800-600-7775.

Pike Place Market

I wasn't in Seattle to go sightseeing but what would a trip here be without catching a few sights? I met up with my childhood friend Matt and we went down to the Pike Place Market which is one of the premier farmers' market in the U.S. They have the usual fresh flowers, fruits and vegetables but here, the specialty is seafood. The main attraction is watching the fishermen do the famous fish toss (see this video). For more information, surf to the Pike Place Market website to learn about their 100-year history. Hours of operation: Monday through Saturday, 10am to 6pm; Sunday, 11am to 5pm. FYI: Directly across the street is the very first Starbucks, which opened in 1971.

The Space Needle

Seattle has an incredible art and music scene and one fascinating place to learn more about it is the Experience Music Project. The funky building was designed by Frank Gehry and founded and funded by billionaire Paul Allen. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to take a tour but I did manage to go next door and enjoy Seattle's main attraction, The Space Needle. The Space Needle is one of the most recognizable structures in the country and it was built in 1962 for the World's Fair. At the time, it was the tallest structure west of the Mississippi River but these days it's not even the tallest building in Seattle; it's the seventh. It's 605 feet (184 meters) high and the elevator takes 42 seconds to whisk you to the top. There's an indoor and outdoor observation desk and one floor below is a restaurant that spins. You can't just go for drinks as it's a full-service restaurant. Admission rates at The Space Needle are: $16 for adults, youths (ages 4-13) $8, and $14 for seniors (ages 65+). Being up there sure reminded me a lot of the Macau Tower.

Dining in Seattle

I wasn't even going to mention the places where I ate because they don't reflect the incredible food the city has to offer. But just so you can get a feel for the experience, I'll give you a few details. I dined at a variety of places. One was Palace Kitchen (2030 Fifth Ave, Tel: 206-448-2001), which was about a 15 block walk from the Arctic Club Hotel. I had fried corn on the cob pieces served with chili, lime butter and Parmesan butter ($8).

Next I had a Romaine lettuce and Parmesan dressing salad with an enormous garlic crouton ($8). For lunch one afternoon, I ate three blocks away at the Cherry Street Coffee House. It's a little shop that serves tasty, inexpensive sandwiches. I had the fresh mozzarella with Roma tomatoes ($6.45). Tutto Bella (4411 Stone Way North, Tel: 206-633-3800) near the University of Washington. It's about a 15-minute drive from downtown and it's a large, family eatery that serves creative and surprisingly authentic, fire-roasted Napoli-style pizzas. I went with my cousins and their friends/family and we split a bunch of pies. The Salad Pizza (salad on flat bread, $10) was filling enough. But I had to try the Margherita ($10.50) and the Giovanni (Extra virgin olive oil, fresh mozzarella, cherry tomato halves, prosciutto di Parma, fresh arugula, shaved parmigiano reggiano, Grana Padano!) They even have the Neapolitan pizzaiolis Seal of Authenticity.

Kerry Park

After dinner, we cruise over to Kerry Park in Queen Anne for the best view of Seattle -- especially on a clear night. The site is just spectacular and afterwards, we indulge at Simply Desserts (3421 Fremont Ave North, Tel: 206-633-2671). It's small – kind of a hole in the wall as well, but a slice of cake ($4) or a brownie ($2.10) will hit the spot.

Vashon Island

My buddy Matt talked me into going out to see his summerhouse on Vashon Island. I'm glad I spent the time to take the 30-minute car ferry (here's the Vashon Ferry website) over the Pugent Sound to the island. It costs $18.50 to bring a car and $5.20 for passengers. The good news is that there's no fee leaving the island so you just pay once. BTW: I took the passenger ferry, which takes you right to downtown, about a five-minute walk from the Arctic Club Hotel. Matt will be writing a story about Vashon for JohnnyJet.com so for now, I'll just tell you that there really is something magical about being on this island that's approximately 13 miles long and eight miles at its widest point. There's 45 miles of shoreline and the year-round population is roughly 11,000. The pace is slower, the people friendlier, there's an abundance of fruit. I picked the most delicious apples from his trees as well as plums and blackberries. We took a walk down to the beach, that had clear, clean water and the vistas of Mount Rainier were just breathtaking.

Did You Know? Mount Rainier is 14,411 feet high and is located 54 miles (87 kilometers) southeast of Seattle.

Rick Steves

My colleague Rick Steves (you know, the Europe travel guru who's all over public television?) invited me to be on his weekly radio show which he does out of his amazing Travel Center in Edmonds, Washington. Edmonds is a quaint little town that's about a 25-minute drive from Seattle and reminded me of Solvang, though not as touristy. I'm glad we didn't do the show over the phone because there's no real flow that way. It's difficult to get a feel for the show or anticipate whose turn it is to talk. Overall, I think the show went well and instead of just taping one segment, we ended up doing a few that will create a show and a half over 70 minutes of airtime. They're not sure when it will air but probably in the next couple of months. A list of stations can be found here, or you can listen to the archive podcast once they post it. If you do make it to Seattle, then you'll want to visit Rick's Travel Center -- the store is stocked with travel bags, books, maps, DVDs and accessories and they offer free travel classes every week (I might teach one in the future).

Other Recommendations

If you want to save some money, check out the Seattle Tour Saver. It's from the same folks as the Alaska Tour Saver and there are tons of two-for-one deals in there. If you want to pre-book any Seattle tours, log on to Viator.com. They have bus tours, cruises, and even a Boeing plant tour, which I wish I'd known about while I was up there.

Johnny Jet has been featured over 1,000 times in major publications, including USA Today, Time, Fortune and The New York Times, and has appeared on ABC, CBS, CNBC, MSNBC, NBC, FOX News Channel, and PBS. JohnnyJet.com has been named "one of the top best money-saving web sites for travel" by Budget Travel Magazine, while the L.A. Times calls it "one of the top 10 essential travel resources on the internet." In the May 2007 issue of Outside Magazine, Johnny Jet was touted for having one of the world's best "dream jobs". Every week Johnny hosts a "travel website of the week" for several radio stations around the country, he writes weekly for Frommers.com and he has written for USAToday, The Boston Herald and Coast Magazine. Sign up today for Johnny Jet's free weekly travel newsletter at www.johnnyjet.com.