Hello dear friends and followers!
While I have been sorely lacking when it comes regaling you with my recent travels (as infrequent as they may be given the current pandemic), my trip to Seattle is more than worthy of a post!
While the trip was based around seeing a longtime, childhood friend (Matt) get married, I did take a couple of days off work to get the chance to explore the city ahead of time – and man am I happy I did.
After work, I took a late flight on Alaska Airlines. It was my first time flying Alaska, and while it was not the most luxurious (no TVs, minimal, space, etc.) it was direct and on-time, so there’s that.
Arriving at Sea-Tac (Seattle-Tacoma International Airport), I met up with my brother (Alex) and his wife (Crystal) who were flying in from Atlanta to grab an Uber into the city. Now, I will be upfront and say that Ubers in Washington are very pricey, and we paid about $40 for a 18 minute ride from the airport to our hotel. While there is a light rail, we were all a little too tired to navigate that system. There is, however, a very convenient and clearly marked place for rideshare pickup – as can be seen featured with Crystal below.
Our hotel, the Kimpton Vintage Seattle was very cute – boutique – and themed after wine. Each hotel room was named after a local vineyard and most décor was made from wine bottles/corks. Like much of Seattle, hotels, especially cute, central ones, are on the pricier side. If you are planning a trip, I would expect to drop $200/night.
That first night, we ran through the darkness from our hotel to the completely deserted Pike Place Market (very creepy and empty at night). We did, however, stumble into a fantastic late night pizza place: The Alibi Room. The pizza there was just what we needed after a long flight – so good! Enjoy below a picture of my brother’s blue cheese and caramelized onion pie (thank you to my new Galaxy phone camera!).
From there it was straight to bed as it was 3 a.m. our time.
The next morning, the first step was, of course, coffee. We made our way to Anchorhead Coffee for a slew of liquid caffeine and gluten free, vegan treats. I had mixed feelings about my gluten-free muffin, but overall a solid, popular Seattle chain.
Next, it was back to the hotel to meet up with my partner Ari who had just flown in that morning! Once grabbing him, it was off to experience Pike Place in the daylight – which let me tell you, was vibrant, colorful and BUSY. So many great pastries to try, so many fresh flowers and so many hole-in-the-wall shops and restaurants are built into this market. Of course, including the OG Starbucks, which is just a stone’s throw away from the vendor stalls. The line to get inside was insane, so I will say I did not purchase any Starbucks on this trip.
We of course had to take some pictures at the iconic Gum Wall (gross but cool) before walking 10-15 minutes into the International District/Chinatown for lunch.
Crystal really wanted soup dumplings so our trip to the Dough Zone was inspired by that quest (and it did not disappoint!). After a light lunch of dumplings and potstickers, we took a poke around Pioneer Square to look at a few boutiques, bookstores (and grab more coffee) before checking out the Smith Tower.
Standing at 35 floors, Smith Tower is considered Seattle’s first skyscraper. Built in 1914, the building still uses its original man-powered, Otis elevator. For $20 bucks you get to learn a little bit of Seattle’s history and are whisked to the top (and I mean WHISKED) to see some great views – and partake in a beverage if that’s your prerogative.
From there, feeling the jetlag, we trekked back to the hotel to rest before grabbing our complimentary glass of wine from the hotel’s happy hour and heading out for dinner.
After stopping for some quick pics by the water…
We shuffled into The Crab Pot (which you can actually behind Ari & I in the pic above!) Located right on the water, this seafood spot was amazing. Ari, Alex and Crystal had their seafood dumped straight onto the table (amazing Dungeness & Snow Crab) while I had crab-stuffed salmon and the best clam chowder I’ve ever eaten.
From there, a little wine-tipsy and stuffed like my salmon, we ran to The Seattle Great Wheel to take a few spins on the Ferris wheel before it closed.
The next day, it was back to Pike Place to purchase some pastries I had my eyes on. Three Girls Bakery had some great scones that of course needed their own photo op.
After breakfast, Ari and I bid Alex and Crystal adieu as they were headed to Puyallup, WA ahead of time for the wedding’s rehearsal dinner – about 45/50 minutes from the city. Traffic around Seattle is very finnicky, so a 35 minute journey can easily become an hour if you leave 5 minutes later than planned.
Somehow, after a quick Target run and outfit change, it was time for lunch. Upon recommendation from a friend (hi Ashton!) we went to Japonessa for some sushi. While it was a little pricey, their happy hour specials weren’t bad. And yes, the sushi was great and yes we did order too much. I recommend the Seattle Crunch.
Left to our own devices, Ari and I then hit up the Seattle Aquarium to soak up some jellyfish, seahorses and seals. If you’re looking to kill some time, for $35 bucks its a nice aquarium, albeit not very large! (I do wish some of the exhibits were more spacious for the animals)
Next, after random googling, I discovered that I really wanted to drive 15 minutes out of downtown into Freemont. There we hit up a vintage store (Freemont Vintage Mall), record shop (Jive Time) and secondhand bookstore (Ophelia’s Books) all within a stone’s throw of each other – definitely my kind of place.
While we were there, we also got to meet up with my sorority sister Emily who just so happened to be touring the city at the same time.
After taking a moment to admire the Freemont Troll under the bridge…
We headed on over to Fremont Brewing’s Urban Beer Garden where I had some great cider and snagged some cute pics of Emily and her mom.
Right next door, we dined at Fiasco for some Italian food. As a soup aficionado, I of course went for the grilled cheese/tomato soup combo. Like many places in Seattle (and even here in North Carolina), Fiasco required proof of vaccination to dine indoors which I appreciated.
The next morning was the day of Matt’s (and his now-wife Maddie’s) wedding! A family member graciously picked us up from Seattle to head into Tacoma, WA (just 10 miles from where the wedding would be held in Puyallup).
Thankfully, we had the chance to relax at my aunt’s Airbnb before the wedding festivities started – which was desperately needed after two full days of walking. The wedding and reception were both held at The Historic Farmhouse, which was very simple but elegant.
Here’s a few snapshots.
The morning after, our last day mostly consisted of a family brunch following the wedding and the trek back to the airport. Heads up, expect long security lines if flying out of Sea-Tac.
Overall, it was a lovely trip and I got to spend time with so many of my favorite people. At the very least, Ari and I want to go back just to eat our way through more seafood. I know, I’d like to spend some more time exploring all of the cool shops and just hanging out as a ~local~.
Cheers to getting to explore a new city – long overdue and very much needed. Travel is so good for the soul and I feel very grateful to have had the opportunity to do so even amid all these uncertainties.
Until next time.
– Elle
Great article! Great photos! Wish I was there.