This review is not easy to write, mainly because we found Earl to be a super nice guy. He showed us interesting places, such as the troll, and the lock and he was a overall good person. Maybe that explains the other glowing reviews. However, I feel this constructive criticism is warranted to inform others of what they are signing up for.
My wife and I make it a habit to take a tour of any new city we're visiting. We've always found our guides to be well informed, giving us a much clearer picture of how the city came to be what it is today. We enjoy how they point out buildings, statues, and other memorable places and talk about who built it and why or its meaning.
We found the complete opposite with Earl. Earl focused on things that just don't matter much or were factually incorrect. For example, the homeless situation. Yes, pointing out the tents or where tents once were is one thing. That's fine. Pointing it out every damn time you see it is another. That is a waste of time. It's not a game of "find the homeless person." We get it, Seattle has a homeless problem.
Then there was the talks about marijuana and meth. Again, one mention of legalization or drug abuse is fine, but what are we gaining going on and on about it? Plus, there were kids on the bus. One time is fine, five times is inappropriate and not considering your audience.
We also don't need every coffee shop to be pointed out to us. What's the point of that? How about tell us WHY there are so many coffee shops, and WHY the coffee is so good in Seattle.
We also don't need to see where his other bus is parked. That time can be better spent telling us about actual important sites.
Another example, he mentioned that the last McDonalds had recently left and sold to a condo developer. He mentioned this at least three times. Later that day, I walked by an open McDonalds downtown.
He mentioned very little in the way of important people who helped make the city what it is today nor anything about the beautiful art throughout the city... besides one wall mural where he commented on how trippy it was. Nothing about the artist...
He would often point out a sight as we were already passing it and often not mention which side of the bus it was on.
Here's another great example. So we're standing on a beautiful spot overlooking a lake. Earl mentions that this was the spot of the first Boeing airplane flight. My wife and I were quite surprised by this actually worthwhile fact. Earl then says, "Guess how I learned about this fact?" He then pointed to a plaque behind us. Earl said he noticed the plaque a little while back and now he tells people about it. A simple google search on interesting facts of Seattle would have informed him of this from day one.
Honestly, reading a wikipedia article on how Seattle came to be and other interesting facts would a big step in the right direction for Earls tour.
If you want a well informed guide, this is not your tour. I highly suggest a different tour.
Odpowiedź od gospodarza
Aug 2022
Thank you for you review and stating I am a nice guy, however this is the only review in 7 years of running the business where I take offense! You stated my information was not factual? You sir are now not factual, as your review is not factual, if my tour was as you indicated I would not have lasted 7 months. Your opinion is welcomed, but please don't spread mis information, regarding the tour experience. You should have gone to the Museum of History & Industry, which by the way is where I have gathered much of my tour information and not Wikipedia which your suggest. What you don't mention is all the questions people asked about homeless and why are there no commercial fast food, people ask all types of questions. Perhaps you and your wife should take a private tour next time. I not being sarcastic.