Seattle - Optional Event
REGISTRATION: We only have room for 12 students on this trip. The first 12 to sign up and send their payment to our Treasurer will be able to attend. Fill out THIS FORM to let us know that you will attend. We must have a good count of the people attending ahead of time. The last day to sign up is Saturday, February 18, 2012.
WHAT: We will leave Portland by train on the Amtrak Cascades at 8:30 am, arriving in Seattle around noon. We will spend the afternoon visiting attractions like the Experience Music Project, Pike Place Market and the Space Needle. You can get a coffee at the first Starbucks, if you like. On Sunday, the Underground Tour is usually on the agenda and also the huge Oriental Market near the train station. The market is where we can purchase a dinner to eat on the train. Our return train, also the Cascades, leaves for Portland at 5:30 pm on Sunday and arrives around 9:00 pm.
COST: Cost will vary depending on how much you spend and what you want to participate in. When you sign up, you must send $38 to cover your room costs. You must purchase your own train ticket separately. You should plan to spend around $40 on food, but it depends on what you order. The Experience Music Project costs $15. The Space Needle costs $18. The Seattle Underground Tour costs $12 for students 17 and under, $16 for students 18 and over. Costs for the train, your food, and your entrance fees are all your responsibility and are not included in the $38 room fee (although breakfast on Sunday is included at the hotel for free).
TRAIN TICKET: A round trip train ticket from Portland to Seattle was $89.96 ($106.02 with tax) on Nov. 29. The price could go as high as $104 plus tax. They have only so many tickets they sell at this price. So, if you want to go, purchase your ticket now to get the best price. You can purchase on Amtrak's web site (Amtrak.com), by phone at 1-800-972-8245, or at the Amtrak station. Be sure your ticket is for the train leaving Portland on Saturday, March 17 at 8:30 AM (500 Amtrak Cascades) and for the train returning from Seattle on Sunday, March 18 at 5:30 PM (509 Amtrak Cascades).
WHEN: Saturday and Sunday, March 17 and 18, 2012 (Note that March 17 is St. Patrick's Day).
DEPARTURE TIME: The train leaves from Portland's Union Station at 8:30 AM on March 17 (the train is called Amtrak Cascades). Be sure to arrive earlier to board the train on time.
PICK-UP TIME: The train is scheduled to arrive back at Portland's Union Station at 9:00 PM on March 18 (be sure your ticket is for the Amtrak Cascades train leaving Seattle at 5:30 PM on Sunday).
PARTICIPANTS: Columbia Pacific AFS Exchange Students only.
NOTES: There will be a lot of walking, and you may not be able to store your stuff at the hotel before we do some of the sightseeing, so wear comfortable shoes and pack lightly! Bring rain gear. Use a day pack. There are two double beds in each room. You will be sharing a bed with another student of the same gender.
QUESTIONS: If you have any questions, please contact the Event Coordinator, Bernice Schuchardt, at bmschuch@aol.com.
COST: Cost is $38 per student. Payment must be received by our Treasurer by February 18, 2012. Checks should be made payable to "AFS Columbia Pacific", and the student's name should be written on the memo line of the check. Payment should be mailed to the following address: AFS Columbia Pacific, C/O Tom Hilleary, 2827 NE Hamblet St, Portland, OR 97212. However, you must sign up online first.
