Seattle will always feel like home because that’s where I spent my first 23 years of life and most of my friends and family still live there. I never planned on moving until I met my husband who is in the military. Although moving away has been a great experience, I still miss Washington and go back to visit a few times each year. I love that Seattle has the waterfront, bustling downtown area and surrounding neighborhoods that have so much character. Plus it’s absolutely gorgeous, especially on a sunny day (the rain does stop every now and then!). I feel so lucky to have grown up here because it truly is a unique area. Below are some of my favorite spots that I like to hit while I’m in town. I also enlisted my foodie friends to make sure I have some of the best restaurants. Hope this helps if you’re planning a trip to the Emerald City!
Do:
- Take a ferry ride to Bainbridge Island
- Underground Tour
- Go to the top of the Space Needle
- Pike Place Market: original Starbucks, flowers, gum wall, fish throwers
- Ride the Great Wheel and walk around the waterfront
- Tour the Theo Chocolate Factory
- Go for a walk in Discovery Park
- Browse through books at Elliot Bay Book Company
- Go to a UW, Seahawks, Sounders or Mariners game
Shop:
- University Village (check out the Amazon bookstore and Aritizia)
- Downtown – Nordstrom flagship store and the shops around 5th and Pine
- Peridot Boutique
- Boutiques in Fremont
Eat:
- Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream
- Trophy Cupcakes (triple chocolate is my favorite!)
- Serious Pie (wood-fired, thin-crust pizzas)
- Oddfellows (their homemade biscuits are soooo good!)
- The Pink Door (amazing lasagna!)
- Bar Melusine (pictured below, very Instagram worthy)
- Top Pot Doughnuts, General Porpoise or FROST (in Mill Creek)
- Hot Cakes (known for their molten chocolate cakes, which are amazing!!)
- Have a Seattle Dog from a street cart (recipe coming to the blog soon!)
- Radiator Whiskey (adventurous eaters will like the smoked half pig head)
- Salty’s on Alki Beach (seafood with a view)
- Bateau
- The Walrus and Carpenter
- The Whale Wins
- Noodle Bar at Trove (creative take on noodles & amazing rice cakes)
- Manolin
- Sitka & Spruce
- RockCreek | Seafood & Spirits
- Via Tribunali (Neopolitan-style pizza)
- Il Corvo Pasta
- Toulouse Petit
- Azul (further north in Mill Creek)
Drink:
- The Nest at Thompson Hotel (rooftop bar with a beautiful view of the waterfront)
- Breweries: Floating Bridge Brewing, Optimism Brewing Company, Fremont Brewing, Pike Brewing Company, Outer Planet Craft Brewing, Elysian
- Needle & Thread inside Tavern Law (speakeasy with craft cocktails where Rob and I went on one of our first dates!)
- Barnacle Bar
- Zig Zag Café
- Purple Café & Wine Bar
- Keys on Main (dueling piano bar where we went for my bachelorette party)
See:
- UW Campus (cherry blossoms in the Quad during spring)
- Kerry Park
- Chihuly Garden and Glass (pictured above)
- Gas Works Park
