Michael and I took a quick trip up to the Northwest.  Neither of us had been there, so we wanted to mark it off of our bucket list.  However, we also didn’t have a whole lot of time or money to spend, so we picked Seattle and Portland to visit (more on Portland tomorrow).  With Seattle, I learned two things.

The first, if you don’t have a lot of time or money to go on a holiday, visiting a place with friends is the best idea.  One of Michael’s groomsmen from our wedding lives in Seattle, so we went to a Sounders game with him and his wife the night we arrived.  He taught us how to navigate around the public transit system, as well as how to cheer at the soccer game.  I loved catching up with his wife.  She is a fantastic person to know.  She’s grounded and passionate.  I loved hanging out with them and look forward to seeing them again!

They brought scarves for us to wear at the game, and I felt like I was at Hogwarts, about to attend a Quidditch match.  Plus, the game, itself, was super fun.  It ended in a tie, but the team scored all of their points in a row.  And the fans are amazing!

And second, while we enjoyed visiting the Space Needle, Pike Place Market was, by far, the best thing to do if you only have one day to visit the city.

It has amazing little eateries like Pike Place Chowder.  The line was really long, but it moved fast and was incredibly worth it.  Michael had their Clam Chowder in a bread bowl.  I had their Seafood Bisque.  We recommend both.  (Although their Clam Chowder has bacon in it.  I’m allergic to pork, so that makes a difference to me.  The Seafood Bisque was a stellar option for me, though).

Also, the first Starbucks store is there.  I ordered the Pike Place Reserve, something you can only get there, and it is a pour over.  It was pretty smooth, and perfect for the brisk afternoon walking around.

 

Also in the Pike Place Market, there is a huge farmer’s market, fish market, flower market.  It was amazing to watch people bustling around on a Sunday afternoon, purchasing their goods and bargaining.

And finally, in the same area, there is the Seattle Aquarium.  It’s smaller than I thought it would be, but they have huge touch pools filled with anemones, starfish, and coral.  Plus, while we were there, they had an interactive diver in their huge wall tank!

The reason I chose that over the Space Needle is because the Space Needle is really enjoyed in sunny weather.  While it didn’t really rain, it was overcast on our day in the city.  It was still beautiful, and the history was amazing, but you couldn’t see the mountains very well.  Plus, I could see the Needle from the balcony of our hotel!

We had so much fun learning about Seattle.  It only made us want to go back for more!