• About
  • Blog
  • Working together
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Girl Gone Travel

Girl Gone Travel

North America, Travel
/
July 1, 2013

Two Days in Seattle, WA

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share

The first stop on our summer road trip adventure was Seattle, WA. We only had two days and we meant to make the most of our time in this fun city.

We set ourselves up at the Residence Inn by Marriott Lake Union, quite possibly one of the largest Residence Inn I’ve ever stayed in. It was also convenient, located across the street from the marina of Lake Union; a great spot to grab a drink, dinner, and watch the sunset. If you can score one of the rooms with a balcony overlooking the lake, do it. Right down the street was a stop for the Seattle street car, an inexpensive and quick way to commute to most attractions.

SeattleSeattle_GirlGoneTravel.com

Day One: Embrace The City

We took the street car further downtown and then walked about 6 blocks to the Pike Place Market, a highlight for those visiting the city. It is a tourist mecca for sure, but if I lived here I would come down for the fresh, crazy big fish at the fish market, and the uber inexpensive flowers they sell there. It’s also where the very first Starbucks is located – and well, of course, I couldn’t resist stopping in!

Seattle_GirlGoneTravel.com

Seattle_GirlGoneTravel.com

Seattle_GirlGoneTravel.comSeattle_GirlGoneTravel.comSeattle_GirlGoneTravel.com

We spent our first day in Seattle being true tourists and doing all the things that tourists do, but not before purchasing a CityPass for our family. Though you can’t use the CityPass for the Seattle Great Wheel on the pier (best to do at sunset, though beware, it’s also when lines are longest), you can use it to take a water tour with Argosy Cruise. This hour-long tour gives you a lot of insight into the city’s history, its landmarks, and some of its quirky stories. Also near the piers, and included in the CityPass, is the aquarium. Parking in the area can be pricey and traffic slow to navigate through. So aside from the street car, taking the tram is a great option. It not only leaves you nearby the public market and piers, but also takes you directly into another must-see spot: the Seattle Center.

Seattle_GirlGoneTravel.com

Seattle_GirlGoneTravel.comSeattle_GirlGoneTravel.com

In this one convenient spot you have access to the city’s most popular museums.

The EMP Museum is a film, music, and pop culture aficionado’s dream come true. Located in a gorgeous Frank O. Gehry designed building, exhibits cover everything from horror and fantasy films, to television favorites and musical icons, including an entire exhibit just for Women Who Rock. By far one of the coolest museums I’ve ever been too. I especially loved taking in Michael Jackson’s entire Thriller mini-film with my little ones while it was projected on the world’s largest indoor LED screen in the Sky Church.

Seattle_GirlGoneTravel.comSeattle_GirlGoneTravel.comSeattle_GirlGoneTravel.com

The Chihuly Glass and Garden was another breathtaking museum experience. If you are familiar with Chihuly’s work, then you can understand how incredible it is to walk through an entire museum dedicated to it, including an outdoor garden which brought nature and glass sculptures together in beautiful harmony.

Seattle_GirlGoneTravel.comSeattle_GirlGoneTravel.comSeattle_GirlGoneTravel.com

The Pacific Science Center was really fun stop for the family. Spend the extra money and watch one of their IMAX films. We watched “Hubble 3D” and were completely entranced as Leonardo DiCaprio narrated the NASA expeditions to save the famous satellite. Aside from the IMAX theatre, the science center has several interactive and educational areas that encourage families to explore everything from sound and movement to insects and pre-historic life.

Seattle_GirlGoneTravel.comSeattle_GirlGoneTravel.com

Of course, you can’t visit Seattle without at least going up its most beloved landscape, the Space Needle (the CityPass gives you tickets for both a day time and evening access). The 360 degree view of Seattle from 604 high is pretty spectacular and on a clear day like the one we visited, even more so as you can see all the surrounding mountains as well as the beautiful city skyline. We did the Space Needle first and avoided huge lines. Early birds arriving to the parking lot at the Seattle Center (even before attractions open) also benefit from discounted parking for 10 hours.

Seattle_GirlGoneTravel.comSeattle_GirlGoneTravel.comSeattle_GirlGoneTravel.com

Day Two: Embrace Nature

On our second day in Seattle we decided to venture outside of it, 30 miles out to the Snoqualmie Falls. We were hoping to hike, however, recent renovation work on the trails has led to these being closed temporarily. The falls are still worth the trip, and if you are lucky enough to reserve a seat for brunch at the lodge, you will be in for a treat as you get the views along with a great dining experience.

Seattle_GirlGoneTravel.com

We ventured a few more miles out to Twin Falls State Park to make the hike to the Twin Falls.

Every pamphlet you will read will say that the hike to the falls is 1.5 miles, an easy hike for those who do it often. It’s no surprise then that on this beautiful Saturday morning, the trail would be filled with families with little kids (also a lot of dogs). What you should know however, is that the trail is mostly uphill, making the 1.5 miles (I still doubt that) seem much more than that. It is also a very rocky trail and when it rains, which it did during our visit, the trails are muddy and slippery. Not much of a challenge for my family as we hike often, and sometimes even for longer stretches, especially when we travel. But something to note before you visit. Something else to note is that this is a beautiful hike, lush and green, with tall trees, and a babbling brook along the trail. During the light rain the whole experience is magical, just you and nature. A really nice escape from the city scene.

Seattle_GirlGoneTravel.comSeattle_GirlGoneTravel.comSeattle_GirlGoneTravel.com

Seattle is a pretty active town. You will see tons of joggers, cyclists, kayakers, and boaters. It also has some great parks for hiking, walking, and biking.

One of readers gave us a tip on Discovery Park, and we really enjoyed our visit there. There is a 2.5 mile loop around the park which is easy to do and allows for tons of opportunities to see some of the area’s wildlife.

Seattle_GirlGoneTravel.comSeattle_GirlGoneTravel.comSeattle_GirlGoneTravel.com Seattle_GirlGoneTravel.com

The best part about our Discovery Park was the beach along Puget Sound. Parking is free, but the visitor’s center only provides parking passes to 8 people at a time, for 3-hour periods. We didn’t know, but lucked out because we got one of the last passes to the beach for the sunset hours. Bikers, joggers, walkers, and even boaters seem to be able to access the area just fine. This was one of our last stops in Seattle and I can’t think of a more wonderful way to have ended our visit. The lighthouse sets a nostalgic tone while the gentle waves softly crashing against the rocky shoreline and the views of Mt. Rainier in the background provide the serenity that would make someone want to stay here forever. Granted, the incredibly sunny weather we experienced added to it all, something which everyone kept saying we were so incredibly lucky to experience as it is rare in Seattle. We took it all in, happily.

Foodie Highlights 

I’m surprised at how very little we ate while in Seattle. In an effort to not break budget we took advantage of the hotel’s free breakfast every morning, but we did get to try a few Seattle favorites.

Serious Pie serves up some gourmet pizza that is pretty tasty, and not one I wanted to share. My penn cove clams, pancetta tesa, and chilies pizza was so great, I ate the entire thing all by myself – after starting it off with a buratta and strawberry salad. Wait. Did I say we didn’t eat much in Seattle? Ok, well, maybe a little. The brick oven cooks up one yummy crust, which to me is everything when it comes to a good pizza.

Seattle_GirlGoneTravel.com Seattle_GirlGoneTravel.com

We stopped into Top Pot. These hand forged doughnuts served up in the trendy neighborhood of Downtown Seattle, also their flagship cafe. It’s a good thing that this doughnut stop is a bit of a walk from other attractions near the pier, justifying indulging in them before setting out.

Seattle_GirlGoneTravel.com

Speaking of trendy neighborhoods, check out the Fremont neighborhood in Seattle. It’s where we had ice cream from Bluebird Microcreamery and Brewery and pies at Pie. It’s also where we met a troll while walking under a bridge and posed for pictures.

Seattle_GirlGoneTravel.com Seattle_GirlGoneTravel.com

We loved our Seattle visit, and we especially loved all the awesome weather we experienced while there. Though, I have to say, even when it rained, our parade of awesome adventures didn’t seem to slow down one bit.

All photography is property of GirlGoneTravel.com and may not be used without consent of the publisher.

Related

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share
Pin this Post
Share this Post
Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, close to home or farther away. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and CEO of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications management, and brand development agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She splits her time between her homes in New Jersey and Finger Lakes.

You May Also Like...

Christmas Tree Hunting in Long Island, NY

December 12, 2008

Fort Tryon Park, Washington Heights, NY

December 10, 2008

Winter afternoon in the Bronx Zoo, NY

December 16, 2008
3 Comments
  • Robert
    July 5, 2013

    Our family always enjoy visiting Seattle from British Columbia. We can be down in just over 2 hours. Love the City, especially in the summertime! The waterfront and Public Market are always great stops! Thanks for sharing the wonderful pictures and different suggestions when visiting!
    My recent post Vancouver Railway

    Reply
  • Joel Brown
    April 10, 2018

    Wow what a big couple of days you had in Seattle. I have visited the city three times and still do not believe I managed to do as much as you have done. It is a beautiful city and somewhere that I do want to visit again in the future 😀

    Reply
    • caincarol
      Joel Brown
      April 11, 2018

      We travel fast and hard, haha! It\’s such a distance from our home base so we wanted to make sure to see as much as possible, and it was worth it. It is a beautiful city indeed.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Previous Post
Travel Tips: Planning A Summer Road Trip
Next Post
A Sunny Day in Portland, OR

About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am a communications professional, an award-winning travel blogger, a public speaker, CEO of a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency, a wife, and a mom of 3 sons and 2 puppies. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading!

Carol Cain

Categories

  • Asia5 Post(s)
  • Caribbean17 Post(s)
  • Central America4 Post(s)
  • Europe53 Post(s)
  • North America313 Post(s)
  • Oceana1 Post(s)

Contact

  • carol@girlgonetravel.com

Follow @girlgonetravel

Beach day in the winter? Yup. It is such a wonderf Beach day in the winter? Yup. It is such a wonderful way to take in the serenity the ocean brings, without the crowds, and a long stroll along the @asburyparkboardwalk was exactly what we needed to close out the weekend. On warmer days, this 13+ mile stretch can be extremely crowded, but not today.

Asbury was founded in 1871, and was a popular spot with glittering hotels, seaside pools, shows, carnival rides and more. But its hey-day glory didn’t survive a massive middle class exodus, though musicians, like Bruce Springsteen, and other artists would find this an ideal place to make their start in the 60s, and in doing so saving the area from absolute collapse with their bohemian, rocker, hippy vibes. 

But between the race riots and Atlantic City’s shinier glimmer in the 70s, Asbury would face more challenging times and severe poverty (except for its wealthier Ocean Grove area). 

Luckily, the gay and lesbian community found the area to be one to invest in and to this day are heavily involved in the community and its transformation.

In walking around today, I saw signs of aggressive gentrification and overdevelopment, with apartments selling at over a million dollars - but there’s also a fight to preserve and protect, a fight that I hope locals persevere in so that it remains a place that we can all visit and enjoy for years to come.
.
.
.
#asburypark #streetart #saveasburywaterfront #saveasburypark #obeygiant #newjersey #newjerseyhistory #waterfront #njboardwalks #art #njhistory #beach #jerseyshore
Mi gente, se que aveces le tenemos miedo a los tra Mi gente, se que aveces le tenemos miedo a los tratamientos médicos, especialmente si son nuevos o únicos para nosotros. Se que aveces la información es complicada o difícil de obtener en nuestro idioma. Pero quiero servir como ejemplo de que no tenemos nada que temer. La vacuna es fácil, rápida, y gratis. Ni siquiera la sentí! Así que asegura tu cita de vacunación tan pronto te sea posible, para tu salud, tu familia, tu comunidad. ¡Y Juntos venceremos esta pandemia! 
_____

My people, I know that we are sometimes afraid of medical treatments, especially if they are new or unique to us. I know that sometimes the information is complicated or difficult to obtain in our language. But I want to serve as an example that we have nothing to fear. The vaccine is easy, fast, and free. I didn't even feel it! So make sure you secure your vaccination appointment as soon as possible, for your health, your family, your community. And together we will defeat this pandemic!
.
.
.
#covidvacccine #vᴀᴄᴜɴᴀcᴏᴠɪᴅ19 #vacúnate #latinpower
Around this time last year we secluded ourselves i Around this time last year we secluded ourselves in our half renovated home in the Finger Lakes unsure of what the future held for so many of us and our loved ones. In a way, we felt isolated from the world...but also from our friends and family.

So much has happened in a year. So much to reflect on. So much gratitude.

Not sure how to process a year of this so I’m just holding on to all the positives - the closeness we’ve nurtured as a family. The incredible rediscovery of friendships, and the fierce protection of the same. The reminder of what matters most and the vulnerability of life.

The incredible fortune of this beautiful place of serenity and solace. Though I am eager to share it with friends again soon.
.
.
.
#lifeduringcovid19 #fingerlakes #myflx #countryliving #farmhouse #upstateny
Today we found out that Centerway Square, Corning, Today we found out that Centerway Square, Corning, NY’s public square was voted Best Public Square in the U.S. 2021 by USA Today @10best.

It felt appropriate to go and enjoy it on this beautiful evening. The added treat however, was in the amazing food and wine experience at the newly opened @thequincyexchange bistro only steps away!

The ambiance, the food, the service, the wine. 😚👌🏾

There’s so much awesome happening in the region, and I love how Corning is catering to both the local and visitor experience.

Make sure you stop here when visiting our beloved NY wine country.
.
.
.
#myflx #corningny #winecountry #fingerlakes #roadtrip #bestintheUS
Another snowy day. I do have to say, I love them. Another snowy day. I do have to say, I love them. I think they are blissful and pretty, and inspire me to want to make the yummiest dishes.
Started our day in nature and all is right with th Started our day in nature and all is right with the world.
.
.
.
#fingerlakes #myflx #countryhouse #naturelover #snowday

Copyright © 2021 Girl Gone Travel | Privacy Policy | Copyright Notice