Seattle Travel Guide #2 [from a New "Local"]

By : Lauren Rodych-EberleNovember 24, 2021September 26, 2023

Now that Seattle has become my home away from home, I have a lot more suggestions of what to do when visiting (or being a tourist in your own home, if you’re a Seattleite yourself). I shared my first travel guide here, but I’m back for more!! Seattle is an amazing place to visit, whether you’re coming to explore the beautiful nature of Washington, or you plan on simply staying downtown and eating your way through the city – you won’t be disappointed. Pack some rain gear, and you’ll be able to enjoy it all, regardless of the weather.

Activities

Explore

Hike – There’s so much wonderful hiking all around Washington. Here’s some suggestions!
Parks – If you don’t want to make the long trek to some of the magical Washington hikes, there are so many fantastic parks you can wander, and get those cozy nature vibes! Here are some of my top picks.
Beachs – While you’re in the Pacific Northwest, you must touch some salt water. I highly recommend Golden Gardens
University Village – a great spot for a little walk, some food, and some (outdoor) shopping
Pike Place Market – You can’t come to Seattle and not spend some serious time at Pike Place. Do a food tour, create your own, or take some food to go! And if you want to see something completely disgusting, you can check out the Gum Wall. Don’t say I didn’t warn you about how disgusting it really is…
Pier 62 Waterfront Park – This is the pier where you can walk on a floating dock and possibly catch an outdoor event. Plus, head on down to Pier 57 to take a quick 15-minute ride on Seattle’s Great Wheel (but be prepared for a long line…)
Fremont Troll – Among the random things you should do in Seattle, this is one of them. Fremont is a great spot to look out at the water and get a good view of the city – Gas Works Park is your location for that! But, close by is a ginormous troll under a bridge that’s pretty much a touristic pic location. When in Seattle…
Ferries – Ride a ferry to get to another location, like Bainbridge, for example. Or simply set sail to get out on the water! Argosy Cruises has a great harbour tour or take a hot tub boat…yup, you heard me right!

Indoor

The Collective Seattle – This one is for locals, as it’s membership only. But it’s a fun place to go rock climb, use a Peloton, have a tea, hang out in a hammock, meditate, record some music, get a haircut, borrow some rain gear, have some lunch, see live music…does this seem like a mish-mash of all the best things? Yup, it is!!
The Spheres (Botanical Gardens) – A beautiful spot both inside and out!
Museum of Popular Culture (AKA. MoPop) – A great museum , especially if you’re looking for a rainy day activity. You could go back to this museum again and again, and still not see it all
Chihuly Garden & Glass Museum – Something very uniquely Seattle!
Space Needle – Every city has a tall building that’s fun to go up, right? This is Seattle’s! But again, even just from the outside, it’s a beautiful sight to see
Underground Tour – This tour is all about the guide. You get to wander through the old underground city of Seattle, but the entertainment and humour of the tour guide’s explanation of Seattle’s history is what makes this worth while!

Great for Kids

Bob’s Corn Maze – If you’re around Seattle in the Fall, it’s fun to hit up any of the seasonal spots for hay rides, corn mazes, apple picking, and pumpkin choosing (plus a hot apple cider!). Bob’s Corn Maze was the one we made it out to this year!
Aquarium – Right on the water and a great spot for kids
Seattle Children’s Theatre – Okay, we haven’t taken a show in yet, but we’ve heard amazing things and can’t wait to get some tickets in the new year
The Children’s Museum – It reopened in April 2022, and it is a kid’s dream!!
Artists at Play – This is a super fun park for kids of all ages, and it’s right by the MoPop, the Glass Museum, the Space Needle, Climate Pledge Arena, the Armony, and so much more, so it’s a great pit-stop
Woodland Park Zoo – If you happen to be a zoo supporter, or want to take in the Christmas Light Show, here you go

Sports

Mariners Baseball – eat a hot dog, drink a beer, and watch a ball be thrown around
Kraken Hockey – check out this net-zero carbon certified arena, and see a puck go into a net
Seahawks Football – chant and cheer, and spot some touchdowns
Storm Basketball – honestly, if sports are what you’re after, Seattle has it all!
Sounders Soccer – soccer, they have that too
Golf – if you came here to golf, apparently Chambers Bay is the spot!

What’s still on my wish list and comes highly recommended:

Here’s a few more museums: Seattle Art Museum, Pacific Science Centre, Museum of Flight
Go up Smith Tower – “Seattle’s Original Sky Scraper”
Can Can Culinary Cabaret – eat some food and see a show!
See a show at 5th Avenue Theatre – Seattle’s little taste of Broadway
Salish Lodge for a Spa Day – no description necessary

Now to the Food…

Cafes & Non-Alcoholic Drinks

Monorail Espresso – my fav spot to grab a tea to-go
Starbucks – if you haven’t seen a Starbucks before (insert laughter here), you’ll find one on every corner, and you can spot the original one near Pike Place Market (which in truth, isn’t the original Starbucks, because the original no longer exists, but there you have it…)
Joe and the Juice – green juice is my jam

Pike Place Market
Some places you should eat in Pike Place are:

Beecher’s Handmade Cheese – mac n’ cheese, grilled cheese, all the cheese…you won’t regret it!
Fish Market – don’t miss the throwing of fish; any fish from Pike Place is unbelievably fresh and delicious
Pike Place Chowder – you literally have to eat this chowder
MarketSpice – true tea magic!
Sunny Honey Company – you’ll want to grab some honey to take home
Truffle Queen – I recommend their olive oil, their truffle oil, and maybe get some flights of vino while you’re at it!
Produce – any of the produce won’t stir you wrong
Ellenos Real Greek Yogurt – is it dessert or is it a snack? You decide!
Cinnamon Works – if you luck out on a time they are open, don’t pass up taking snacks to-go!

Breakfast

Biscuit Bitch – highly recommend going early on a week day if you want to wait 30-45 minutes, instead of two hours, but your taste buds will thank you for this “trailer park to table” cuisine
Portage Bay Cafe – Okay, I haven’t been to this one myself YET, but I’ve had so many people recommend it, that I’m guessing you can’t go wrong

Quick Lunch

Home Grown – healthy, yummy, quick sandwiches and bowls
Joey Kitchen – the chain from back home in Canada, but a perfect spot if you’re at University Village
Yoroshiku – I’d recommend sitting outside and ordering a bowl of Ramen
Pho Bac – the best Pho we’ve found so far, but the Pho wish list is still long here in Seattle!
Matt’s in the Market – where you want to be for fried fish!
dukes Seafood – okay, I know I talked about the Clam Chowder at Pike Place, but this is actually the clam chowder you need to have

Dinner

Purple Cafe & Wine Bar – upscale American cuisine, and flights of wine
Tutta Bella – Neopolitan pizza that compares to Famoso, if ya know what I mean!
Serious Pie – clams on pizza? Why not!
Casco Antiguo – my favourite Mexican spot in Seattle
Katsu-Ya – arguably the best sushi in Seattle
Cinque Terra Ristorante – there’s a theme here…my favourite Italian in Seattle
HoneyHole Sandwiches – these decadent sandwiches are heavenly (my husband says they’re the best sandwiches he’s ever had!); highly recommend the pulled pork!!
Anthony’s Pier 66 – go for the view, and the fish
The Butcher’s Table – the best steakhouse in Seattle, and worth the splurge; check out the flights of steak
Local 360 – this was one of my favourite spots when I travelled here years ago; farm to table
Grappa – it’s always my husband’s job to find the Mediterranean-magic where ever we go, and this is what he found in Seattle!
The Crab Pot – get ready to get messy, but don’t worry, they give you bibs!

Drinks

Von’s 1000 Spirits – upscale pub
The Nest – the rooftop at the Thompson Hotel
Rachel’s Ginger Beer – don’t miss this one!!
Flatstick Pub – go for the drinks and the games

Dessert

Midnight Cookie Co. – I’m really bad at speaking for desserts, but my husband says these are some pretty awesome cookies
Salt & Straw – literally the best ice cream you’ll ever have