Oh where do I start? Seattle has so many options, so many must see spots that it’s overwhelming. My first suggestion is get a Citypass. It’s $108 per pass and includes entry to many of the top tourist sights. And the food? Oh boy don’t get me started, but don’t worry. You won’t gain weight because you’ll be walking serious hills here. Most of the downtown sights are within walking distance of each other, especially if you plan properly.
We started our trip with a a morning visit to see waterfalls beginning with Snoqualamie Falls. It’s less than an hour outside of town and perfect if you have a vehicle, although Seattle proper is definitely doable without a car. In fact, it’s probably easier and cheaper without one. This first waterfall is 268 feet and it has a very easy paved walkway to view the falls from the top and a steeper dirt path to get to the bottom. It’s worth it to go to the bottom. There’s a great view of the falls, but the river is beautiful too.
After that hiking it was time to hit up North Bend Bakery for a delightful apple fritter in this quaint small town.
The next set of waterfall are another solid 30 minute drive, but near each other. The Pacific Crest Trail and Franklin falls are each worthy of several hours on their own, but I had an hour at each. Franklin falls is moderate and you can do the whole thing in an hour if you hustle. The PCT I imagine could be days. There are great views on the PCT and the Franklin falls are pretty impressive on their own. If you want to feel small just look around. The trees are tall and the plants oversized.
Coming back into the Seattle airport we dropped off the rental car and took an Uber to our hotel downtown. The Sheraton Grand downtown has been newly renovated and has two towers. We had two queen beds and our 26th floor room had great city views and even a peek of the bay. There’s a fantastic gym and indoor pool on the 35th floor. I’d highly suggest this hotel. Everything was clean and updated and it’s a great central location.
We didn’t have too much time to take in the views because we had timed tickets to the Museum of Pop Culture. This was roughly a 20 min walk taking us past the Amazon spheres which were closed due to Covid, but usually they take reservations for the weekends. These glass domes are filled with lush landscapes and fish.
The Museum of Pop Culture isn’t large but they do have some neat displays of guitars and movie props. Right now they have clothing from various Disney movies. This was one attraction included in the CityPass.
After another hour walking around the museum our legs were done, but we wanted to see the Olympic sculpture park so we headed towards the bay.
Exhausted, feet tired we needed to get the mile back to our hotel to get ready for dinner, but the idea of walking wasn’t going to get us there. We downloaded the Lime app and hoped on some electronic scooters. We used them to run another couple miles down the bike path along the bay down from the sculpture park and then back to our hotel. It was maybe $30 for both scooters and made it super fun. I know you’ve seen these in big cities and I’m here to tell you they’re really stable, really easy and really fun. The app is very easy to use even for multiple scooters as a group. Just check the battery life and go. It stays on until you shut it off on the app. We ended up using this transportation several times. All to great effect. Especially since Seattle has bike/scooter lanes specifically designed for them.
After a shower and a few minutes to rest our feet we headed out to Japonessa Sushi. Seattle sushi was high on my son’s list of things to try with everything coming in fresh from the bay daily. We were not disappointed. In fact, I think we ordered way too much. We started with the seafood tower (it was really small; not a tower), a roll for each of us, and udon soup for the kid, while I ordered vegetable soba. Everything was fresh, relatively fast and delicious. We were left satiated and ready for bed.
But not before taking advantage of no crowds at the famous Gum wall located a few blocks away. A perfect chance to walk off all that yummy food. Luckily, I planned ahead and brought our own gum. Freshened our breath and gave us the real experience. Two birds, one stone. We had the whole area all to ourselves. This is located in an alley directly below the main Pike Market entrance. Gum covers so much more than you could imagine. At least 20 feet are dotted top to bottom in gum of every color. Blessedly, very little ends up on the ground and I’m happy to say we came out without any on our shoes. It’s a marvel, it’s free and you should put it on your list.
This is a great time for that iconic glowing neon Public Market Center photo op. In the summer it stays light until after 9:30pm, but since most of the market is closed by 6pm you’ll have the place to yourself.
This is also home to the first Starbucks established in 1971. If there’s a line here don’t worry. There’s a Starbucks on nearly every corner and honestly we felt like the Roastery reserve in the capital hill area was a better experience. Not only is it beautiful, it’s an experience.
We got there right after it opened at 7am and practically had the place to ourselves. It’s a gorgeous building where all of the roasting equipment is on full display. They have a large unisex bathroom. It was odd going into the same bathroom as my adult son, but the shocker was when washing your hands you notice a large mirror with views of the bagging area. You can order sandwiches from the food counter, cocktails at the bar or desserts made in house from the bakery. You can pick up Starbucks themed merchandise and clothing. The coffee here is unique. Sure, you can get your regular but why not branch out? My son chose the dark chocolate Mexican iced latte. I got a flight of cold brews. One of which was a whisky barrel aged served in a whisky glass with an old fashioned ice cube. I could’ve been drinking at a cocktail lounge as sophisticated as it looked. It had a rich, amazing flavor and it was the first time I’ve ever enjoyed straight black coffee. I ordered cream on the side but didn’t need that or sweetener. This will be my go to from now on if it’s available. It was that good. We skipped the food here in favor of a climb further up the hill and stumbled upon a donut shop that has no Internet accolades, but deserves them all the same.
When I say this is the best old fashioned donut I’ve ever tasted, keep in mind, that a favorite hobby of mine is finding donut shops on all of my travels and I always try an old fashioned if I can. So this is high praise. It’s a seasonal flavor but the Pomegranate old fashioned at half and half doughnut co. is a sweet, tart, perfect citrusy donut. It was a tough call when we picked one because the cronuts and other choices were all calling to me as well. It’s a small shop and I’d imagine they sell out pretty quickly. Riding the high of caffeine and sugar we walked a very pleasant couple of miles downhill to the waterfront for our 10:45am timed cruise ticket with Argosy harbor tours. Yet another CityPass option. We arrived 30 min early and waited for our entrance. We loaded up on the top both for views and because we had great weather. In colder temps or rain they have two indoor levels with plenty of comfortable seating and large windows. We had a great time, but I’d choose the right side of the upper deck next time. Considering we rode along Elliott bay with that side of the boat cruising the coastline; we could’ve had better views. Not that any of them were bad. The tour guide gave lots of information about Seattle while we took in the sights of the bay. You have the option to buy drinks and snacks if you want while on board.
Hopping off the one hour cruise we headed to lunch in Pike Market. This was to be a hodge podge of all the things I wanted to try. From Ellanos Greek yogurt (key lime pie), Rachel’s ginger beer (caramelized pineapple anyone?), la panier bakery (the croissants were amazing), piroshky piroshky, to cinnamon works (monster cookie), beechers handmade cheese (salmon Mac n cheese- omg I’ll still dream about this), the famous pike place chowder. So much food. So little time. Glad I had brought a backpack; we loaded what we didn’t eat immediately into the bag and walked to our next destinations.
Here’s a helpful hint. Unless you have lots of time and don’t mind waiting in line for popular foods (I’m talking 45 minutes) there are some places you can order ahead and skip the line. I online ordered a few treats from La Panier and Piroshky piroshky, including the pike place chowder. We walked right past the throngs of people standing in line and walked out with our goodies in under 2 minutes. Which left time for the lines at Beecher’s and Ellanos. Which, compared to the others, was very quick. Less than 5 minutes each. Not sure how we managed that because every other time the lines were around the block. This was right at noon on a weekday. I digress, we took our food and ate while heading toward our timed entry at the Space Needle.
The Space Needle was built for the 1962 world’s fair and has all of the retro chic vibes of that era. The line here was the longest. They offer 2 hours to store items in a locker for free and it took nearly the entire time to do this attraction. Between the 30 min wait to ride an elevator up & 20 min to ride it down. You do get a free group photo before you go up. Obviously the views from the top are incredible. 360 degrees both outdoors and indoors, but with recent renovations the rotating glass floor is a showstopper. At first I was hesitant, but you quickly get over that. They have a beautiful purple velvet VIP bar that would be neat to hang out in. It was closed during the day. The tickets are good both during the day and a return trip that same night for both views so take advantage go twice. Unfortunately we were way to tired to walk back that way. The gift shop has a massive lego Space needle and when you get to an upper ramp that goes by the top try to see which characters are taking in the view. We saw Santa, darth Vader and Spider-Man to name a few! We picked up a few souvenirs, grabbed the backpack from our locker and had a snack in the shade of the little park on site.
There’s an indoor market that has bathrooms and a water fountain. We kept bottles in our backpack to refill as needed. It was super convenient and saved us a bunch of money. Next up was the Chihuly gardens. Both the Needle and Gardens were included in our CityPass. I wasn’t expecting much from this, but I was pleasantly surprised. While not a large museum it filled to the brim with color. It’s a feast for the eyes and worth every penny.
From indoor displays to the outdoor gardens you’ll find yourself in wonder over these creations.
Take your time, get your photos. When we finished up in this area of the park we headed to back to take another shower and get ready for dinner. Tonight was Asian dumplings. Near to our hotel we dined at Din Tai Fung. They have multiple locations around Seattle. This was located in a mall on the 4th floor. Once you enter you’d never guess you’re in a mall. While you wait to be seated you can watch while the chefs prepare all the dumplings.
We vowed to not over order so we held back and it worked out perfectly, although at a friends recommendation we would’ve added the green beans. I hear they’re a wonder. We did choose steamed buns- the best I’ve ever eaten. Shu Mai- also awesome. We came specifically to try the soup dumplings and while they were good I wasn’t blown away. The chocolate mochi dumplings, however, will forever live in my dreams. If you are a dessert person then save room for these gems! No kidding. I wish we had ordered more. You get 5 and we had to share, but we left full, but not stuffed.
One last expedition to the waterfront. We couldn’t waste a minute of our trip so we squeezed in a trip to Ye Olde Curiosity shop. I know it had been mentioned in other posts, but it sure is worth it. It’s not just a shop. It’s part shop, part museum. From shrunken heads to mummies to taxidermy. Explore every nook and cranny.
Bright and early the next morning we walked a block to a Monorail coffee and enjoyed a cuppa joe at an outdoor table. The barista was friendly and burnt sugar latte was delicious.
While the shops in Pike Place were just setting up for the day we took our time exploring each stall. The flowers smelled heavenly; the fish not so much. I was disappointed we never got to see any fish throwing but there is so much TJ take in we weren’t disappointed for long. If you’ve ever wondered what massive salmon or crab legs as big as your arm look like you, my friend, are in luck.
There’s not just food and flowers here. Even the walls are a sight. Just look around at the murals and statues.
We spent a little time here each day. If you just want to take the time to soak it all in or have a little free time each day this is an area with several blocks and multiple levels. You need to walk it all to get a good feel.
Time for breakfast. A few blocks up from the market is Biscuit Bitch. If you like a buttery biscuit for breakfast this is the place. I went with a simple biscuit and jelly, but you can get a sandwich or bowl or even biscuits in gravy. These palm sized flaky biscuits are sure to please. It is outdoor dining only and you order online.
We had 9:30am tickets to the last attraction on our CityPass, the Seattle aquarium. Back to the waterfront we walked. We got in line, there’s one for buying tickets and another of you already have them. I had made reservations for nearly everything we did ahead of time so we could get the most out of our days. Promptly at 9:30 we were let in, they scanned our tickets and we headed straight to the tide pools. These interactive little pools were so fun. All the sea creatures are smooth, spiky, rough and any other thing. Wash before and after and then go see the rest.
Moving forward there’s a tank with jellyfish.
There are sea lions, fish and river otters as well. It’s not a large aquarium but kids would love it. There’s a nice place to do a Titanic style photo of you at the bay as well.
At the pier next door is a great place to grab a loaf of fresh sourdough bread, take a ride on a carousel and take some photos with a bunch of life sized wooden figures. This is where you can take a ride on the great wheel as well.
With the aquarium being a short 1 hour tour we headed south towards Pioneer Square. This area of town seems a little sketchier but early in the morning we didn’t run into much. This is the original start to Seattle proper and houses the free National Park Klondike gold rush museum. The gold rush was launched from Seattle. It’s a nice air conditioned area that not only tells the story of how Seattle was affected during the gold rush to Alaska, but also provides bathrooms and water refills.
Walking a little further on we made it to the international district, Chinatown. From the gate to the dragons hanging from lampposts, you’re immersed in the beauty of it all.
As an early lunch we made it to Chungchun rice hot dogs to try their now famous treats. We picked the squid ink half cheese, half hot dog and the ramen hot dog. Both are coated and fried then a shake of sugar and your choice of 15 sauces can be used. Unbelievably, my son hadn’t ever tried boba tea and Seattle’s best tea was next door.
We walked back to Pioneer square to enjoy some quiet at the birthplace of the UPS and their waterfall park while waiting for our Uber.
Starting from the south side of town the Fremont troll is just too far to walk and it’s a $15 uber across town. We hopped out at the Troll, took a few pictures and made our way down the street.
It was a nice walk to the Theo chocolate flagship store. The factory was not giving tours but we picked up a couple locally made chocolate bars and headed to the river. So many people were enjoying picnics by the water and riding bikes along the trail. We saw the Google offices and a dinosaur shrub as well as the Fremont mural.
From here we made our way across the bridge to Scandinavian bakery, Bayen Bakeri, for a Viking cookie and some lemon lavender cake. After a long walk we were ready to sit for spell.
Now the real work begins. On the map, Kerry park seems close. In reality, it’s straight uphill. We hugged and puffed our way up Queen Anne St. then began heading down just as we arrived to the park. It’s tiny, there are benches but no shade. What this park does have are iconic skyline views! If you’re into Grey’s anatomy you can see Meredith Grey’s house, but you come here for the view of Mt. Rainer set behind the sky scrapers and space needle. This is the shot!
Again, we called for an Uber and headed back to the hotel shower. The weather was sunny and comfortable but you tend to sweat a lot if you’re climbing miles of hills each day.
A few hours later, we found ourselves near Pike Market in Post Alley peering into a nondescript pink door. No name above it, just a piece of paper on the wall with a QR code and some stairs leading to a cute indoor dining area.
Walking in for our reservations we were led to an outdoor patio with a pergola for shade and views of the bay. We ordered grilled garlic bread to start. I had the fish of the day, a sockeye salmon grilled over tomatoes and artichokes. Heaven! My son chose the chioppino filled with broth, clams, mussels, and shrimp. We split the side of grilled broccolini. To be honest, I could’ve eaten an entire meal of the broccolini and been happy.
We saved room for dessert and ended back to the market. There was one last stop I’d been wanting to try and we saved room just for this. Shug’s soda fountain.
Here you can dine indoors or out. I wanted some AC so we stayed inside. My son got a Prosecco float with lemon sorbet. I went alcohol free but splurged on the s’mores sundae. It come with vanilla ice cream, but being that I’m extra I asked to substitute it with the oatmeal chips. Holy smokes. This was a very good choice. The sundae itself is covered in chocolate syrup and they torch the homemade marshmallows and cover it in graham crumbles.
I couldn’t finish the whole thing and my son was happy to polish off the leftovers. Our time in Seattle was at an end. We saw as many highlights as we could squeeze into a few days and I would call this Mother-Son vacation a success. We got lucky with the weather that allowed us to walk everywhere, enjoy the beautiful summer days outside and take in Seattle in all its glory. We were warned by a few people not to go. Everything was open, we were never accosted, but there are plenty of homeless wandering the streets. The sanitation department clearly works very hard to keep the streets clean. We saw them out there in the early morning cleaning every single day. We also saw a lot of tents along boarded up downtown windows. We never felt unsafe, but we also never walked around after dark. Now that everything is 100% open it’s a great time to make your way to the PNW.
Eating Around 