Seattle, WA–Day 1

Seattle, Washington. We’ve all heard how much it rains there, who in their right mind would want to visit there? Returning from an Alaskan cruise a couple of years ago, we decided to stay in Seattle for a few extra days, because we knew it would never likely make it ON the travel wish list and we figured we might as well check it out while we were there. I LOVED IT, and now I can’t wait to go back! If you ever get close to or have the chance to pass through Seattle, or just want a neat place to go, plan on spending a few days there.
We stayed in the Warwick Hotel, which is just blocks away from Pike Place Market. Since we had just disembarked from a cruise and it was early morning, they did not have a room ready for us. So, I picked up a Seattle CityPASS using my smartphone , and off we went. Seattle-citypassOddly enough, we were there during a “drought” and it didn’t rain while we were there which meant we walked ALL OVER the place. The Seattle CityPASS allowed us to visit 5 of 7 Seattle attractions, and allowed us 9 days in which to use it. We were only going to be there 3 days, so we made the most of our time.  We could use the pass to visit the Space Needle twice (a must!) during day and night, the Seattle Aquarium, take an Argosy Harbor Tour, check out the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) or the Woodland Park Zoo, and visit Chihuly Garden or the Pacific Science Center for $79/person. This was a bargain for all we got to do.
The first thing we did was go up in the Space Needle. You cannot visit Seattle without checking out the Space Needle. You ride an elevator up 605 feet to the observation deck, which allows you incredible 360 degree views of Seattle. It’s pretty breathtaking up there. There was also a restaurant you could eat in once at the top.

After that we ventured over to the Pacific Science Center that was very educational yet fun. The added benefit is a most beautiful butterfly exhibit that was worth every minute we spent there.

From there, we headed back to check into our hotel. The Warwick Hotel was located right in the heart of most Seattle attractions and we had a most comfortable, awesome room with a small balcony that looked out into downtown.IMG_2241Once we were settled in, we ventured back out–this time headed to Pike Place Market, which is a huge, Farmers/Crafts/Specialty Foods Market.  I LOVED Pike Place.  You could walk/shop/people watch for hours and there was a lot to take in.IMG_2258We stopped at Pike Place Fish Co.  OMG, I couldn’t believe the varieties of seafood they were selling and the quirkiness of their presentation. The guys would also sing a song every time they made a sale, which was non-stop.

We bought some Salmon Candy and if you’ve never tried it, I suggest you do. It’s a protein-packed snack that tastes nothing like candy OR salmon. We continued our own self-guided tour through Pike Place. We found florists who were selling HUGE bouquets of flowers for $5 and $10. We saw the original Starbuck’s store, and we watched cheese being made at Beecher’s. We sampled the Handmade Flagship Cheese which was delish!

Once we got down to the waterfront below Pike Place, we made our way over to Pier 57. We had a tasty late lunch at a place called The Fisherman’s Restaurant–incredible clam chowder–and then made our way to ride the Great Wheel.

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Big Wheel
We could actually see our lunch table from the top of the Great Wheel. It was the table with the blue umbrella. (Ha, ha! Just checking if you’re still with me!)

We wrapped up our day by grabbing some dinner at a place called Cutter’s Crabhouse.  I had the most wonderful Cutter’s Signature Louie Salad and have vowed I will return to this restaurant someday for dinner again! The rest of the dinner menu looked awesome!

Since I just realized how long this post has gotten, Seattle will be continued. For more Fun And Interesting Things To Do In Seattle Washington, click here.