An iconic U.S. city. We visited in July of 2019 and spent a few days getting lost, with a side trip out of the country. Turns out we even slept through a 4.6 magnitude earthquake that we didn’t know about until the next morning when the kids texted to ask if we were okay (but I digress…)
We stayed in an adorable Airbnb guesthouse/cottage about 3 miles (4.5 km) from the Pike Place Market area.
Things to Do & See
Pike Place Market
Other than the Space Needle, nothing says “Seattle” more than the Pike Place Market. It is a huge tourist attraction and it’s packed practically from the minute it opens. For those who aren’t familiar, it’s primarily a farmer’s market and when you’re on the coast, those “farms” include seafood. Be prepared for the smell of fish. They don’t just throw it around on command for the tourists, they actually sell a lot of it to locals and restaurants. The variety of food is phenomenal, and the selection of fresh flowers was really surprising. As with all farmer’s markets, it was hard for us to walk away without getting something to eat that looks interesting. If you happen to be there over the summer, you can get your fill of Rainier Cherries. Within the market is a ton of shopping options and plenty to explore. Whether you’re just browsing or come with the intention of making specific purchases, plan to spend at least 2-3 hours. Either way, it’s well worth your time to come by and take it all in.
Take the Ferry to Victoria, Vancouver Island
Victoria itself is indeed a beautiful city. The bay and center of town is impressive, with the Empress Hotel and British Columbia’s Legislature building dominating the area around the main harbor. There is a great mixture of old and new, and not too far from downtown and the harbor is the second oldest Chinatown in North America.
Despite some negative reviews, this short international trip was not a difficult experience. Yes, there is a customs line on both ends when you get off the boat, but that is far easier than any international flight we’ve taken before. The price tag for the full-day excursion may seem a little high; when you factor in travel time, we essentially only had 4-5 hours to spend in Victoria, B.C. Admittedly, doing only a day trip to Victoria and taking in the tea experience does not realistically allow you enough time to explore the city and the surrounding area. An overnight trip of one or two nights may be a better option, and you could find plenty to do. Having said that, Victoria is gorgeous, and we would suggest more than a few hours to spend in the city and the area. We felt like we were scrambling to see everything in just a few hours on a same day turnaround. The city is beautiful and deserves more than a few hours to explore. Without a lot of time, we just wandered around the area near the harbor, with the exception of a jaunt up the hill to Craigdarroch Castle. Spoiler alert: we misjudged the distance. I would suggest NOT walking it if you’re limited on time.
Afternoon Tea at the Empress Hotel, Victoria B.C.
While in Victoria, the most unique experience to partake of is attending high tea at the gorgeous Empress Hotel.
The Empress Hotel: Wow. The place is amazing. Beautifully styled, it’s a snapshot of times gone by. Coming in from the harbor, the view of the Empress is impressive. The style, the huge size, it’s an imposing structure for sure.
Upon recommendation from the crew, we were able to make a reservation for High Tea at the Empress for later that afternoon. I appreciate tea, Jen loves it. I’m not a regular tea drinker and I don’t drink coffee, but I can be talked into a good cup or pot on occasion. As we sat there looking around the room, I could see several people that were clearly not up for a tea occasion. It is a special experience nonetheless.
A 110-year-old tradition in a beautiful space, you can have tea and cakes, scones, and finger sandwiches just like you were in jolly old London itself. It was truly something amazing. There were so many unique teas to choose from. One we decided to go with due to the rarity and the unlikelihood that we would get to try it again — the Tong Mu Phoenix Lapsang Souchong. As I stated before, I can appreciate a good tea. I LOVED this one. It’s so strong and bold that even my wife (who loves tea) was not a fan. Jen recommends the Creamy Earl Grey and enjoyed its smoothness more than I did. The selection of savory and sweet bites served with the tea feels downright regal. It’s not cheap for an hour or so of teas and some snacks. But if you are willing to pay the price, it is a one-of-a-kind, 100+ year experience at a world-renowned location you simply can’t find in many places.
Back in Seattle, the Japanese Garden
After running around Seattle, you can stop here to take a breath. A quiet spot in a bustling city, the Seattle Japanese Gardens is, according to their website, a 3.5 acre “urban sanctuary.” Away from the center of the city, but not too far away. We happened to be staying nearby so were able to walk to it. Take the time to slowly wander around and relax. We went on a hot summer day and there was not a crowd, so we were able to sit and just breath. There is a large variation of flora in these well-manicured gardens. Beautiful and tranquil.
Hurricane Ridge – Olympic National Park
I wish we had more time to really explore this huge park. We only did a single day, self-guided tour from Seattle with a ferry ride to Bainbridge Island. A quick road trip to Port Angeles and we were at the main entrance. What can we say? Olympic National Park is beautiful. Being from Colorado, we appreciate the mountains and the terrain, and the elevation didn’t bother us as much as many of the others we passed on the trails. The elevation of the visitor center at the top of the ridge is about the same as at our former house just outside Denver (5,200 feet; 1,585 m). We hung out around the visitor center and the surrounding trails for a few hours. If you’re from lower elevations, make sure to bring lots of water and take your time. But do take your time and explore the area.
Shutter Tours – Snoqualmie Falls and Seattle City Tours
Typically, when we travel, we like to do things on our own and spend some time experiencing the area we’re visiting. A tour that hops from place to place is not something we typically do. We made an exception for this Shutter Tours excursion, and we’re glad we did. We were able to see several sights we simply would not have done on our own. Things we talked about doing but would not have had the time to do at our own pace. Each stop is unique and different, so it’s a great variety in a few hours. We definitely would recommend this tour to get away from the city core and see some other options.
Hiram M Chittenden Locks We ended up here as part of the Shutter Tours mentioned above. We had the benefit of a tour guide explaining the place, so that certainly added to our experience. Coming from the middle of the country, this isn’t something in our wheelhouse. It was interesting to see it in person and watch the locks work. The mechanics involved to make this all happen, while also providing for nature (Google salmon ladders), spoke to our inner engineering geeks. Pretty cool.
Fremont Troll I mean really – where else are going to see a huge troll under a bridge? I was surprised at just how large it really is. I’m 6’4″ and stood on its shoulders and was about the height of the head. Truly interesting, and not something you will see elsewhere. I love the uniqueness of this local treat. And we got to see him (it?) with freshly painted nails from a couple days earlier.
Beneath the Streets Underground History Tour
The historical aspect of the Seattle underground is pretty amazing. And we’re not talking about the Nirvana-esque music scene; Seattle has a literal underground network of tunnels, former speakeasys, and treasure hidey-holes. The information you get during this tour with Beneath The Streets is certainly interesting, and it gives you a different view to the past. It starts in their very funky shop, and from there you head below ground. Our group of 15 or so included kids, and we both thought it would have been far more enjoyable with an adults-only option, as there are a lot of details and discussion that had to be left out with young kids present. Based on what we had read prior to booking, we were expecting something a little…more. We were not unhappy with the tour, but were just expecting to be wowed, and more historical info. It’s very cheap though, so still not a bad idea to spend $20 and an hour of your time. We’ve definitely spent money on worse things…
Eats
Bacco Café — Seattle
We stopped at Bacco Cafe on a weekday for a late breakfast. We got a table for two along the sidewalk up top, which is always good for people-watching, and it was a nice morning. My wife of course got the hash (because that’s what she does). The corned beef was in larger pieces and obviously home-made. The potatoes were seasoned well, and the added veggies made for a nice mix. Very good hash. I had the chorizo and pepper breakfast sandwich. There was so much on the fresh brioche bun that I had to eat a bunch off before I could make it a sandwich and could actually take a bite as a whole. It was really a chore to eat this—not really. The chorizo had a very good flavor and the caramelized onions in the scramble coupled with the cheese were tasty. Overall, a nice joint and a great centralized location. Our server Arturo was excellent.
Steelhead Diner – Seattle
In for a quick snack between a tour and a trip to the airport. We just went for a couple things this time around; another couple on our tour suggested the place as they stated the chowder was excellent. Based on their recommendation, we did have the chowder. The bacon with the truffle oil drizzle gave the traditional chowder a little something different and was a nice touch. We also got a crab cake – pretty standard. A nice quiet and clean place mid-day during the week.
Shug’s Soda Fountain & Ice Cream – Seattle
What do you do in the middle of the afternoon before heading to the airport? Stop for ice cream of course! Shug’s is a cool spot near Pike Place, reminiscent of 50’s diners. I went a little off (or so I thought) and ordered a butter pecan malt. Why have I never done this before?! Wow – that was sooo good. You can definitely tell there is a quality to the ice cream even in a malt. My wife went for the S’More (seriously, homemade marshmallows). She must have enjoyed it — when it arrived, she swore there was no way she would finish the whole thing because was so big. I generously offered to help finish it but in the end no help was needed. The staff was friendly, even after a rush of a large sports team and family in front of us. The prices are definitely a little high, but you’re getting something a little different and in a central spot near everything.
Maximilien – Seattle
We typically ask to be seated outside and got a great small table on the railing out on the deck upstairs at Maximelien. It had a nice view of the harbor. We stopped in for a snack and did not partake of the full menu, so it’s hard to judge the dinner menu. We had a cheese plate and French baguette. The cheese was fresh and there was a varied selection. Good quality cheese as you would expect. Nothing spectacular but again – basic. Our server was a little odd. He went back and forth between English and trying to “announce” the dishes and menu items in a horrible French accent. Weird. The value? Not good. some bread and a cheese plate, one dessert and 2 glasses of wine ended up just shy of $80 with tip. Ouch.
Elliott’s Oyster House – Seattle
Not sure if our timing was just perfect or what, but we got outside seating at Elliott’s right on the outer railing everywhere we ate this weekend. I could not find our receipt for this one to get our server’s name, but she was awesome! Silly and sarcastic just like us, and very personable. We started out with the pan-fried oysters. For me this was not great but that is more my aversion to oysters (other than char-grilled in New Orleans). One of our dishes was the Bairdi Crab legs. Very good crab legs, and when they’re this fresh it’s really all about the preparation. The mashed potatoes were decadent and the green beans were surprisingly flavorful. The other dish we had a Halibut from the special’s menu. Halibut can often be pretty plain, but that was not the case here. It was prepared impeccably and had so much flavor with the seasoning. We were very pleased with the meal and the service. Our location outside along the water as the sun was going down just made it that much better.
Ivar’s Acres of Clams – Seattle
Another ringside seat for us along the rail on the deck. Great view right on the water at Ivar’s. There were lots of gulls all over in the water and on the roof line above us. Although there are canopies over the whole outer deck to keep the birds away, bird down and feathers blew off the canopies a few times onto our table (fortunately not into our food). Not a lot to do about that when dining outside. We started out with the crab and goat cheese dip. So delicious. The creaminess and tang of the goat was a perfect blend with the sweet crab. A great starter to the meal. The bacon-wrapped halibut off the special’s menu was one of our entrees. It was well prepared and the bacon is always a nice touch. The fish wasn’t overly seasoned, but did not have a ton of flavor. We also decided to go for the king crab legs. Good decision. They are not kidding when they say 1+ pounds. We had 5 legs in total with two of the very large ones. Minimal seasoning in the water from preparation as normal left the flavor of the meat be the star. So delicious and so fresh. The service was solid. The restaurant itself is cool and I’ve read about the recent renovations. An excellent spot to try.
Salt & Straw – Seattle
More ice cream? Why not?! If you’re in the Capital Hill neighborhood, plan a visit to Salt & Straw. We left downtown to get some dessert on the way back to the cottage. The line out the door would indicate the popularity of the place, but we were pleasantly surprised by how fast the staff moved people in and out. While in line, they send out a person who will grab samples for you and takes your order. By the time you move a little further up, your order is ready. Very well-run machine they’ve got here. It was hard to choose what to get as there are so many interesting and unusual flavors (Honey Lavender, Elm Coffee & Whiskey, Pear & Blue Cheese – we could go on…). We both enjoyed our choices. High quality ice cream.
Streamliner Diner – Bainbridge Island, WA
We came across from Seattle on the morning ferry for the day and were looking for a breakfast that would stick with us for a while. Mission accomplished. The Streamliner is a quaint little diner on the main drag in downtown very near the ferry. The building and décor are nothing to write home about, but the food makes up for it. We got the ABCT omelet and the biscuits & gravy meal. We saw the biscuits on the counter when we arrived and they looked so good, I just had to try them. And since I’m a sucker for B&G….why not? I would say some of the best B&G I’ve ever had (maybe just a little short of some in New Orleans?). The potatoes on the side of both dishes were seasoned well but not too heavy. The ABCT was also a hit. Neither dish was complex but packed with flavor. The fresh jam for the side biscuits was also delicious. Definitely a great option for us for the day. And the meal did stick with us for hours while in the mountains.
Doc’s Marina Grill – Bainbridge Island, WA
The name says it – right on the marina and the back “patio” is nice. Tables on the grass surrounded by large shade trees makes for a nice summer dining spot. We got the calamari to start off with. The sauce was good, the calamari was prepared well but average. I had the halibut tacos. The sauce on them had a nice little kick. Good flavor. The cedar wrapped salmon was a little better option. It was well prepared and cedar wrapping versus just a normal planking added the flavor all around the salmon. Overall, the meal was good. Nothing outstanding but solid. The price was comparable to several other higher quality meals we had in the area.
Little Yunnan Restaurant – Victoria, B.C.
While in Victoria’s Chinatown, we needed a little snack before afternoon tea at the Empress. We didn’t have time for a full meal, and wanted to save room for tea. We grabbed some pan-fried dumplings and simmered pork at Little Yunnan. Both were good, but nothing that tasted vastly different from what we can get in many places. We did end with a Handmade Rose Pastry. The staff noted they typically don’t have them available (not sure why as they are on the regular menu?). We only got one and did not take the time to order more as I could have eaten many of those treats. Clearly. we did not get the best of what they are known for. What we did get was good, but typical.
Flying Otter Grill – Victoria, B.C.
We stopped at Flying Otter for some drinks before we had to board the boat back to Seattle so we didn’t really eat here but had to stop and get a t-shirt. We heard good things about the place, though.
For more recommendations of things to do and where to eat in Seattle, visit our Tripadvisor Seattle reviews and pics.