Last weekend my boyfriend and I escaped to the Pacific Northwest for a few days. Now when I say escape, I mean it. We left 12 degree weather in Chicago and landed to a sunny 60 degrees – we were ecstatic that it stayed that way all weekend.
The trip was my first to Seattle and I fell in love with the city. The water, the sights, the history, and the amazing food and drink. We had a great time travelling all around, and you can tell the city is only going up from where it is, what with Microsoft, Amazon and Starbucks all headquartering there. But, I’ll quit going on and on and show you instead. Continue reading after the jump to see all of our Seattle adventures and my recommendations in the city.
Silver Cloud Hotel – Stadium
Steve got our hotel on Hotwire.com, so although we didn’t quite know where we were staying at first, I think that we actually lucked out. The Silver Cloud Hotel – Stadium isn’t in the midst of all of the action per se, but we were nestled between Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, as well as within walking distance from restaurants, bars and the Seattle Art Museum. Plus, the hotel has a shuttle that drove us to and picked us up from several of the city’s main attractions, helping us save money on Ubers.
The First Starbucks
My bf is Starbs fanatic so of course we had to stop in the original Starbucks Store at Pike Place Market. The lines weren’t too long for a weekday morning, and he purchased a mug that was one of many designs exclusive to that store.
Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room
In Seattle there isn’t just the first Starbucks store, there’s also the Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room. If you receive Starbucks emails, you may have already read the news about this new attraction where you can go behind the scenes to see how your favorite coffee is prepared. As a Starbucks employee described it to us, it’s the “Willy Wonka Factory of coffee.” The roastery itself is simply beautiful in design, plus it sells blends that are exclusive to that store. We took home half a pound of the Pantheon Blend.
The Underground Tour
Everyone in Seattle suggested we do an Underground Tour and I’m happy we did. I learned about a whole world that I had no idea we’d been walking over our entire time in Pioneer Square. The 75-minute tour took us into spaces that are more than 100-years-old and are what were one time the city’s street level shops. We heard about Seattle’s great fire (giving Chicago a run for its money), historical figures and, of course, the crapper and how it almost didn’t stand a chance with Seattle’s hills.
Bainbridge Island Ferry
Steve and I wanted to cross the Puget Sound so we opted for the 30-minute ferry ride to Bainbridge Island. I believe this is a landmark mentioned in “Where’d You Go, Bernadette,” so I was extra excited to see it. We ate lunch at Nola Cafe, and after reading about some of the history, headed home. It was obvious we were on the ferry with people who do that commute everyday, and it was fun to see what “island life” was like.
Food & Drink
Perhaps what I was most impressed about with Seattle was the abundance of delicious restaurants. Before we even went, we received tons of tips from friends, and ended up hitting a lot of the suggested spots. My favorites included:
– Delicatus: An upscale deli in Pioneer Square that is the perfect spot for a lazy lunch in between sightseeing.
– Quinn’s Pub: This trendy restaurant in Capitol Hill knows how to mix seemingly opposite flavors to create amazing dishes. Go here especially if you’re in the mood to stay out after. Capitol Hill seemed to always be alive, and, for my Chitown peeps, was a mix between Chicago’s Boystown and Wicker Park neighborhoods.
– Tavern Law: This restaurant itself is a bit pretentious in my opinion (there are very few seats and seemingly strict policies on waiting inside), but the waiter did serve me the first bourbon drink I’ve ever liked so I’ll suggest it. The trout and atmosphere were amazing, too, so as long as you go in with the warning of a possibly long wait and small portions, this Capitol Hill spot could work.
– Cactus: We ventured out to West Seattle with a friend’s father, and had brunch at Cactus. This Mexican joint had great guac and even opened up the restaurant’s windows when it was warm enough, so if it’s Mexican you crave, I say go here!
– Big Mario’s New York Style Pizza: Here’s where we went when we were still hungry from Tavern Law (see above) and a few beers in. It’s a dirty, old school pizza joint and definitely hits the spot.
Oh, and after living in Chicago where “happy hours” aren’t allowed per say, I was startled to see Seattle boasting “happy hour” signs at every bar and restaurant. But, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. Bottoms up!
I had such a great time on my trip, I can’t keep it to just one post. Stop by again tomorrow when I’ll be devoting a second day to my very favorite Seattle site.