Seattle, Washington
Seattle was absolutely BEAUTIFUL. We went in late October, when the leaves were changing to red, yellow, brown. It was the perfect time to go, fall is one of my fave seasons!! My travel buddies for this trip was my sister Susan and one of my best friends D.J. It was everyone’s first time in Seattle, my second trip with Susan, and my first trip in a lonnnnng time with D.J. I was terrified it would be dreary and rainy while we were there, but the weather was great. We had such an amazing time, I love them both so much, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
Places we visited and loved in Seattle:
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The most DELICIOUS brioche beef curry donuts I have ever eaten: The Conservatory. It was so fucking good! We landed in Seattle before D.J., so we googled this spot and it was wayyyyy better than I expected. The donut was so good, I ordered a second. Same with the chai latte. I also loved the atmosphere of the place. Like a warm home on a rainy day.
The cutest diner to get lunch at: Roxy’s Diner. The diner is incredibly colorful, the food was delicious, and the folks who worked there were so warm. Don’t remember what I had but it was delish.
The best all-in-one spot: Pike Place Market. This spot is one of the oldest continuously operated public farmers' markets in the United States. They have a booth for everything! Food, coffee, FLOWERS. It was really cool just walking through and checking out all the vendors. We ended up buying a bouquet, they were so hard to resist. Head to the back outside area to get a view of the Puget Sound.
Cool, gross, and colorful all at the same time: The Great Gum Wall of Seattle. Alright, it’s gum. And gum that has been chewed by other people, so if you squirm when you hear germs, skip this spot. It was definitely interesting to see though, so 10 seconds passing through and a selfie is goooooood enough.
Where to get a coffee fix when you don’t want to wait in line at the original Starbucks: Ghost Alley Espresso. I got an iced “Salted Nut” latte, which had house made caramel syrup, smoked salts and hazelnut. Incredibly satisfying.
Where to chill and hunt for real sea shells: Alki Beach. I know! There’s a beach! I didn’t think I’d find a beach in Seattle, but there it was. It was chilly when we went, so we just walked around and made pictures. There are massive driftwood trees you can sit on, so bring a hot drink and enjoy the sun set.
Don’t miss out on these Michelin starred soup dumplings: Din Tai Fung. I didn’t know even know this spot had a Michelin star until I googled the website. And it’s well deserved! We had a couple of dishes, and shared them family style. Get the pork and crab Xiao Long Bao or shrimp and pork shao mai, or both! Everything was so good. For a spot that’s considered touristy, it did not disappoint. Put this on your Seattle list, y’all, you can never go wrong with soup baos.
Where to get legit Vietnamese food: Ba Bar, Capitol Hill. I am Vietnamese, in case that isn’t obvious, in case I haven't yelled it enough. And I grew up eating it! So, I know what good/authentic Viet food is. Ba Bar is the spot to go to and they have many locations. Ba in Vietnamese means father and the womxn who opened it up dedicated their business to their father. MY HEART. The pho was so gooooood!!!! And don’t forget to stop by the pastry case for something sweet. I got the grapefruit tart to go.
Cool if you do, cool if you don’t: Space Needle. We saw the Needle on the way to Chihuly Garden and Glass. We didn’t go in, but still captured a couple pretty cool shots from the outside.
An entire world of blown glass art to frolic in: Chihuly Garden and Glass. I’m pretty familiar with Chihuly because we had an entire permanent collection at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and I’ve been a couple of times growing up. His work is phenomenal, so I knew I had to check out the one in Seattle. The glass house area and garden were my favorite parts of the museum. It almost looked like a Studio Ghibli movie. If you’re lucky, it won’t be a busy day and you can have the glass house all to yourself. The large red, orange, and yellow sculpture is a dream.
The coolest park I’ve ever been to: Gas Works Park. This park is located on site of the former Seattle Gas Light Company gasification plant. It’s a mouthful haha. Absolutely beautiful view, and I’d argue it looks best in the fall, when there’s colorful foliage for as far as you can see.
Visit the friendly troll underneath the Aurora Bridge: Freemont Troll. Ok, maybe it’s sort of creepy at night, but it’s cool in the morning. We stayed so close by that I think I saw this troll every single day. On our last full day there, we walked up for a photo. It’s MASSIVE, and holding an actual, real life car. Pretty cool, and climbing is encouraged.
Don’t visit Seattle and not get a cup of some damn good clam chowder: Sound View Cafe. I regret not getting an entire bowl, so please go and eat enough for me. Don't forget to sit by the window and enjoy the incredible view.
