Let’s Go To: Seattle, Washington

It’s true, I consider myself a semi-professional when it comes to knowing Seattle and the surrounding areas. My parents have a summer home, my Grandparents and a ton of my close friends live here – it’s my second home.

Every summer, my family flies out from Tokyo and I fly out of wherever I’m living that year (hehe) for about two weeks. I’ve spent many summers throughout the United States and there’s nowhere I would rather spend the months of July and August. The weather is perfect.

This isn’t the typical “Top places to visit in Seattle” because you can find that on a million other websites. What I’m about to show you is a list of random things someone that’s been to Seattle a thousand timesstill loves to do. Enjoy!

1. Space Needle

The Space Needle is a Seattle icon, making an appearance on 99.9% of Seattle-related postcards. It’s an observation tower that was originally built for the World Fair of 1962. It stands in the Seattle Center and in my opinion, one of the most handsome landmarks in the world. On a clear day, you can see all the way out towards Mt. Rainier but even when it’s cloudy (which is most of the year), you can still see downtown and the surrounding areas. They also have the Sky City Restaurant up there, a rotating restaurant that I absolutely love. I’ve been there for New Year’s Eve parties, for dinner and for brunch.

2. Olympic National Park

To visit this UNESCO World Heritage Site, you’ll need a car and about 3-4 hours depending on which part of the park you want to see. Sure, it’s not exactly in Seattle per se but it’s worth the trek. The park was established in 1938 and boasts an acreage of 922,650 (thanks, Wikipedia!). I haven’t been through every part (you’ll need a few days to do that) of it but the areas that I have are astonishing. There are so many trails to enjoy and the tall, thick trees are beyond impressive. The Pacific Northwest really is beautiful.

3. Pike Place Market

I’m not sure that an explanation is needed; for everyone that has been to Seattle, we can all agree that this is a must-visit. Pike Place Market is like a Farmer’s Market on steroids that happens daily with unlimited amounts of fresh seafood. In addition to fresh seafood, there’s endless bouquets of gorgeous flowers, fresh fruits and vegetables, several restaurants, small local shops and rows of local artists selling their masterpieces. It’s a sight to be seen and yes, they really do throw around fish!

4. Inn at the Market

This is more of a hotel recommendation but I’ve stayed here multiple times and can’t say enough great things. Location, service and amenities are top notch. As the name suggests, it’s the only hotel in the immediate Pike Place vicinity. A gorgeous, newly remodeled 76 room boutique hotel with outstanding restaurant choices (Cafe Campagne, Bacco and Cha:n) and my favorite: a killer rooftop. Both pictures below were taken from the rooftop where I like to spend most of my time when I’m not being a tourist, especially during sunset or sunrise.

5. Cupcake Royale

This may be a premature appearance on my top ‘to do’ list but I’m ok with it. I’ve been lusting after their cupcakes forever (I’m a self-proclaimed cupcake connoisseur: Sprinkles takes the cake ((see what I did there?)) so far!) and I made it a point this time to stop in. If I wasn’t concerned about the caloric intake of 10+ cupcakes, I would have ordered each flavor. They have fun flavors like, Cornflakes & Whiskey, Buttered Popcorn & Caramel Crunch, Spicy Ginger Ale, Tiramisu, Lemon Drop, Lavender and the list goes on. But alas, I narrowed it down to one: Brown Butter Blackberry.  It was moist, had blackberry jam inside and the frosting was fluffy and not too sweet – so basically perfect, giving Sprinkles a run for their money.

6. Breakfast at Lowell’s

Lowell’s has been one of my favorite places to eat in general, but especially in the Pike Place area. They serve a seafood based menu, three meals a day with to-die-for views of the waterfront. I’ve never had lunch or dinner there but their breakfast is always spot on. Below is what I had this time around; the Dungeness Crab Omelet. It was beyond delicious and I highly recommend it albeit the high price point.

7. First Starbucks Store

I love Starbucks and there’s something very special about being at the very first Starbucks store in Seattle. It’s actually nothing like a normal Starbucks store you may be used to. The originality is well maintained and they do serve coffee but it would be very impractical to get coffee there. The store is very small and most of the place is covered in souvenir displays. They have some adorable exclusive items; mugs, tumblers, coffee, etc. The line to purchase these items or a drink is insanely long and it’s always packed with tourists. I have to admit though, it’s very nostalgic and exciting to see where it all started.

8. Blackberry Cafe

If you make it out to the Olympic National Park in Port Angeles, this is a great place to stop. It’s a cute little cafe known for their Blackberry Pie and the 20 oz Sasquatch burger. I love blackberries so I was naturally drawn to this cafe but turns out they serve delicious food. Their Blackberry BBQ sauce is my favorite BBQ sauce in the entire world and I never leave without a slice (or whole!) of Blackberry pie.

My brother enjoying a non-blackberry cookie.

9. Safeco Field

This isn’t something I’ve talked about before but I am a huge sports fanatic, specifically baseball and hockey. I can keep a scorecard for baseball and fight like hockey players. Ok maybe not the latter but I’m obsessed with both sports. I’m that girl who recites standings, scores, schedules, player stats. Anyway, so this location shouldn’t come as a surprise to people that know me. I’ve been to 13 baseball stadiums so far and Safeco Field is the most beautiful. If you’re even slightly interested in baseball, I highly recommend visiting. The retracting roof is a sight to be seen, there really are no bad seats in the house and the garlic fries can’t be beat…bring mints!

I hope you found my list helpful and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’re planning on visiting the Emerald City. I consider this my second home and would be more than happy to make suggestions. 

Special thanks to my good friend “C-Bear” who coincidentally landed at the same time I did and found me stranded at SeaTac Airport and drove me home! I can’t thank you enough, Josh – I owe you one!

Another thank you to all my followers on Instagram – a couple of days ago I reached 1,000 followers. I really wasn’t counting but couldn’t help but be grateful. I love reading and responding to kind comments and meeting fellow travelers and dreamers.

Next stop: New York, New York

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