My husband travels for work a lot. I’m the one who is travel-obsessed, yet he’s the one always hopping around. From D.C. to Vail to San Francisco, then back again. A few months ago he was sent to Seattle for five days. They threw a party for his team at the top of the Space Needle, took them to lavish restaurants with the best local seafood, and hosted them in a posh hotel in the center of downtown. I refused to miss out!
I decided to head the Pacific Northwest Friday evening and take the red-eye back Sunday night, just in time for work on Monday morning. This quick trip left me with about 24 daylight hours with which to enjoy Seattle. Here’s how we chose to spend my time.
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Ivar’s Salmon House
The first order of business was dinner, naturally. We had multiple people recommend Ivar’s, so we took their advice and made that our first stop. They had a wide variety of Salmon. Being from Texas, I had no idea there were so many different kinds! We both opted for local varieties and enjoyed our dinner out on the patio. The view was topped off with a cotton-candy sunset. Absolute perfection!
Read Ryan P.‘s review of Ivar’s Salmon House on Yelp
Stunning Seattle Views
After dinner, it was time to inch closer to the sites. I remember watching Frazier as a child, and for whatever reason, it never really registered with me that show was based in Seattle. Sure, the intro had a very obvious image of the Seattle Skyline complete with the Space Needle’s silhouette, but the scenes always felt more like New York. It was so nice to finally feel Seattle. The indie, urban vibe blended with awe-inspiring natural wonders was like nothing I’ve experienced before.
Pike Place Market
I’ve been to the Camden Street Market (before the fire), Chelsea Market, 5th Avenue, Spice Village, the leather shops of Florence and Northpark Center. You could say I’m an expert shopper, but nothing quite compares to Pike Place Market. There are just too many things to love! Piroshky, Piroshky, the original Starbucks, unbelievable fresh flowers, fish, produce, tiny donuts and so much more.
Did I mention the flowers!? I was planning our wedding at the time, so the gorgeous, dirt cheap bouquets were unreasonably exciting to me. Look at them!
I enjoyed the market so much we went back on Sunday, too.
Read Taylor S.‘s review of Pike Place Market on Yelp
Shops Around Pike Place Market
The shopping doesn’t stop at the market. It pours down the streets, where you’ll find wine tasting rooms tucked into side alleys, souvenir shops, and retailers like All Saints, Nordstrom, the North Face, REI and Patagonia. We spent hours popping in and out of shops as we made our way across town.
Downtown Seattle
We walked all over Seattle! From Pier One to Capitol Hill, to be exact. The town is remarkably clean, but like most metro areas in the US, there are quite a few homeless people. That’s not to say they are a problem, but it does make every visit to a large city bittersweet knowing that so many people lead such difficult lives. But, everyone in Seattle plays an important part in its culture–and it’s amazing. Halfway through our walk, we encountered a group of people dancing in the streets. I’m not sure what they were celebrating, but watching them made our walk even more fun!
Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room
When we visited Seattle, this was the first of three Starbucks Reserves on earth. We stumbled on it purely by accident, and I’m so glad we did! This location is a fully-functional roastery with tons of Reserve swag, a fresh coffee bean counter, a pastry bar, and excellent coffee! I love Starbucks to a fault, but this isn’t your average shop. The Reserve features specialty beverages you won’t find at any other Starbucks, like affogatos and nitro coffees with malted fennel syrup, honey cold foam and pepper jerky. Insane, right?
Read Adam D.‘s review of Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room on Yelp
Should we move to Seattle?
It feels like we ate our way across Seattle, which, in my opinion, is the best way to experience new places. We talk about that trip often, teasing that we’ll pack up and move our lives to Seattle. And, who really knows? Maybe we will.
