When one of my oldest friends moved to Seattle, Washington for school, I told her I was taking a trip out to see her. Not only would I get to see her lovely face but it would be an excuse to see Seattle. While I’ve been an avid traveler, I’ve only traveled outside of the United States for the most part. People have been telling me that I need to see more of my own country. And I knew they were right.
So while my friend fell asleep in the middle of me checking out flights, I went ahead and booked a round-trip ticket, not even knowing if she would be available. I didn’t care. I was set on Seattle.
Turns out I couldn’t have chosen a more perfect time to visit Seattle. Right in the middle of April, Seattle was in full Spring mode, showing off all its green beauty. I fell in love instantly. I could see why its called the Emerald City.
There is something about this place, where the city meets forest, meets ocean, meets mountains. It’s mystical and intriguing. I met for lunch with one of my mom’s oldest friends, who’s lived in Seattle over ten years now. She swears to me she’ll never leave. We talk about what it is about this city…how it has this quirkiness to it. The plant growth along the roads and highways are left to run wild rather than cut down to perfection. It’s cut down eventually, but in the spring the trees, flowers and grass are deliciously overgrown. Green vines even hang over bridged highways downtown. The city architecture has an artfulness to it, but it isn’t polished. It’s just Seattle in its raw state. The roads aren’t overrun with traffic, but if you do get stuck in traffic, you often have views of the dark sea or white-capped mountains, reminding you that you’re not far from the natural beauty of Washington.
Seattle has a certain community, a certain people, a certain vibe it gives out that makes it unique. It enchanted me in this way. I very quickly became sucked into it, as if I was a part of this place too. I even found myself near the end of my trip dressing in a way that fit in with Seattle. The thing is, it felt so natural to. Like I was a part of Seattle now. My friend tried multiple times to convince me to live here. And the funny thing is, after being so adamant about moving abroad and never coming back, I can actually find a sense of home back in the U.S. again. Maybe I could live here.
Ironically, I never saw the rain once during my stay in this infamously rainy city. At least no more than ten minutes of a light rain. Seattle showed off for me and basked itself in the glorious sun, even hitting the 80’s at the end of my trip. So maybe I got a little spoiled and this California girl might not be able to live in a rainy Seattle after all. But maybe Seattle has a secret…maybe it has more beautiful days than we are told.
If you happen to take a trip to the Emerald City, there are just so many things to see. Which is another reason why my adventurous soul fell in love with this place – you never get bored.
Here’s how you can fully enjoy this gloriously green city:
1. Have breakfast at Skillet Diner in Ballard district (Seattle is divvied up into several different districts, each having a mini culture hub of their own). The menu is so great, you just can’t go wrong. When your belly is full and happy, walk across the street to Trove boutique to get your history groove on. This cute little store is full of beautiful vintage dresses, jewelry and accessories, and all are labeled with their time period. It’s like you’re taking a stroll through fashion’s timeline in the 20th century. Just be careful when trying on any clothing. I discovered a lovely hole right in the butt of my favorite dress.
2. For some awesome vegan food, check out Cafe Flora in the cute district of Madison Park. They change up their menu according to the season so it’s fun seeing what is being featured at the time. They also have a wonderful tea menu and their desserts are to die for.
3. Take a driving tour of the city. There’s so much to see! Seattle has one of the longest floating bridges in the world. It’s so cool to look at. Be sure to drive on it too. You can’t miss it! You also need to drive through the gorgeous campus of the University of Washington and its surrounding neighborhoods. You’ll wish you could be a college student forever.
4. Have a picnic at Discovery Park before the sun goes down. Watch as the pink florescent sky highlights the mountains in front of you. Just be sure to bring some extra layers or blankets because despite the beauty of the sun going to its hiding place, you will instantly feel that drop in temperature. Then when the sky becomes dark, drive to Kerry Park to take a look at the city scape. This is a prime lookout spot, although you’ll find a small crowd there all attempting to capture a solid snapchat photo of the Seattle lights. The city looks incredible all lit up.
5. Check out Pike’s Place in downtown. It’s a fun market full of crafts, clothes, produce, including fresh flower bouquets, homemade donuts and organic local honey. Within the market there’s a seafood restaurant where Tom Hanks sat while starring in Sleepless in Seattle. They have a sign marking his seat so it should be easy to find. Be sure to check out the original Starbucks right across the street! It’ll be hard to spot at first because it doesn’t exhibit the usual dark green coloring or logo you’re used to seeing. The wharf lies right below Pike’s Place, so you might as well take the stairs down and walk around a bit. If you have time, there are a line of seafood restaurants to choose from and an aquarium right on the water.
6. If you need a place to study or are looking for a laid back atmosphere for a drink, the cool place to be is Mulleady’s. This Irish pub is dark and moody, but is a perfect place for either catching up with friends or working on the computer, beer in hand. On Wednesday’s they have their half off wine bottle deal. Not to mention they have an awesome food menu.
7. If you happen to visit Seattle in the spring, you HAVE to visit the tulip fields in Skagit. The best time to go to the Tulip Festival is in April. It’s a beautiful drive to get there – although somewhat confusing – but once you get there it’s glorious. With only a $6 entry, you get to walk through rows of yellow, red, pink, purple, you name it, tulips in full bloom. They almost look unreal.
8. Take the ferry across to Whidbey Island. The ferry is huge so you can drive your car onto it! And the island feels like the entire Seattle area, it’s so big. While on the island be sure to visit Deception Pass. There’s a parking fee, but it’s worth meandering through the lush green forest down to the Northwest coastal beaches. The views here are breathtaking. If you have a hammock, bring it along. We found an awesome spot up on the trail where we could see all of the foresty islands in front of us. For a sweet (or savory) snack, stop at Whidbey Pies & Cafe. By far the best pie I’ve ever had.
9. Hike Rattlesnake Ledge. I know, it sounds somewhat ominous. But I promise I saw no rattlesnakes on this hike, and it’s actually a very moderate trail. The trail is only about a 1.9 mile up and down. The walk is serene and cool in the shade of towering mossy trees, and the view at the top is absolutely gorgeous. The trail gets pretty popular on Saturdays so try to get there early, particularly before 11am.
10. So what’s the bar scene like? For a quirky atmosphere with candy-sweet drinks with names like “Unicorn Jizz” and huge jello shots, check out Unicorn. If you want to get your dance on, Chop Suey is the place to go. Here you’ll find funky tunes and colored lights which set the scene for a very Seattle vibe. You won’t hear much mainstream here.
11. On Sunday there are farmer’s markets everywhere. The farmer’s market in Fremont is full of local produce, crafts, vintage and unique thrifts. Not to mention there are some awesome lunch options at the various food stands. If you’re looking for hand-me-down hiking boots or Birkenstocks there are tons of them here.
12. For an awesome happy hour food menu, go to The Matador in Ballard district any day from 4-6pm or after 10pm. We ordered some killer nachos and goat cheese filled, bacon-wrapped jalapeños. Yum!
13. Go to Discovery Park one last time. Walk through the grassy fields and pretend that you’re Elizabeth Bennett from Pride & Prejudice. This enchanting park is pretty big so take your time to explore it. There’s so much green and the views are incredible. If you’re not convinced that Seattle is the most amazing place in the world, just come here for sunset.
If you do in fact visit my wonderful Seattle, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. For now, Dorothy here is off to other new lands. But she’ll return to the Emerald City someday.
