Seattle is easily one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It’s surrounded by snow-capped mountains, lush green trees and the incredible Puget Sound. I’m fortunate enough to call this city home, but it hasn’t always been that way. I moved back to Seattle after several years away. It was great to come home, but it was also a bit unusual. I recognized all of my surroundings, but I felt like a stranger in my own city. To get acquainted with my old stomping grounds again, Tove and I planned a Seattle staycation.
NOTE: While it was a staycation for us, these are great tips if you’re planning a vacation to the Emerald City as well.
Tove and I crammed a lot of activities into our four-day Seattle staycation. We booked a hotel in Lower Queen Anne, and pretty much walked everywhere. Seattle is a large city but it feels much smaller once you get to know it. Walking isn’t much of a pain. As you can imagine, Seattle is full of hills, so be sure to bring adequate walking shoes. Well, I say that, but I usually stomp around here in flip-flops, so approach your footwear however you want to. Seattle is also infamous for its rain, so we recommend packing a jacket and an umbrella when you visit.
Tove and I tried to see as many sites as possible during our Seattle staycation (in order of what we visited). We went to the Olympic Sculpture Park, The Great Wheel and the Seattle waterfront, Pike Place Market, the Gum Wall, the architecturally unique Seattle Central Library, the downtown shopping district and the top of the Space Needle. The only place we wanted to visit that we didn’t was the Museum of Pop Culture, but we wound up checking that out a few weeks later.
NOTE: Check out the Seattle CityPASS if you plan on adventuring around the Emerald City. You can save 47% on the top attractions in Seattle, including the Space Needle, MoPOP, Woodland Park Zoo and more.
On top of all that, Tove and I also went to several parks in Seattle. We stopped by Kerry Park (Queen Anne), Volunteer Park (Capitol Hill), Discovery Park (Magnolia) and Gas Works Park (Wallingford). Tove and I also took in some of the incredible sea life in Seattle. We randomly found the Ballard Locks and we also scoped out tide pools and the wonderful scenery at Mee-Kwa-Mooks Park in West Seattle. We even drove outside the city to check out Cougar Mountain Zoo in Issaquah as well.
Just when you thought we couldn’t squeeze anything else into our Seattle staycation, Tove and I watched the Seattle Mariners play the Cleveland Indians at Safeco Field (which included an appearance on regional television), and we also saw Allen Stone (who we actually met earlier on the staycation while walking downtown) perform live at Easy Street Records. What’s a visit to Seattle without music, right?
Our Seattle staycation also included plenty of awesome food (one of my favorite parts). We had hom bow from Mee Sum Pastry (Tove’s favorite Pike Place Market snack) and we also visited The Crab Pot and Elliott’s Oyster House on the waterfront. The consumption didn’t stop there. Tove and I also tried Top Pot Doughnuts and devoured fish tacos at Agua Verde Cafe and Paddle Club during our Seattle staycation.
I’m a little biased but I think Seattle is the greatest city in the world. It’s beautiful, loaded with plenty of activities and has incredible food. It was fun to get acquainted with the city again during our Seattle staycation. It now feels like home again.
If you’re planning a trip to Seattle or even if you already live here, get out and enjoy this wonderful place. Tove and I are more than happy to share our insight with anyone and everyone. Simply leave a comment below or connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Don’t forget to also check out Seattle Bloggers for more fun things to do in the Emerald City.
