MEET ME IN SEATTLE
No, seriously, meet me there so I can go back.
Many of you may recall my first exposure to the glory that is the Pacific Northwest from my enamored post about Portland circa April 2008.
Fast forward a year later, and it is now time for me to reflect on the greatness that is Seattle.
For starters, Virgin America flies there, and as a newcomer to what is certainly the Greatest Domestic Airline of All Time (Singapore Airlines being the top international, natch), I can say without reservation that the flying experience on VA makes the trip feel extra special. Touch-screen beverage orders on demand? Free cable TV? Kicka*s music videos and self-made 'playlists' on demand? It's like being in the freaking Apple store, except on a plane and free. A-mazing.
Rather than give you a recap of my schedule, however, let me provide you with a few highlights of the Seattle 'scene' to give you a taste of why it is so amazing:
1) HAPPY HOURS
Ok, every city has happy hours, right? No big deal. Unless YOUR city has endless happy hours, 7 days a week, sometimes twice a day, sometimes ALL day, at every single bar/restaurant (even the 'cool' ones or the 'tourist' ones), that include food AND drinks for roughly $3-5. Yep. Kel and I enjoyed $1 sushi, $3 microbrews, 1/2 price wine, $4 clams, and other unbelievably priced delights, day or night. This city doesn't mess around with its drinking, both quality and quantity.
2) COFFEE
Everyone knows Starbucks started in Seattle - but that's just scratching the surface. Besides the 100+ Starbucks in the 5-mile radius of city center (and that INCLUDES the bay, meaning the mainland is even MORE dense with 'Bucks), there are more Tilly's (blueberry coffee...mmm...), Seattle's Best (Cinnabon coffee....mmmm...), and a grip of other independent coffee places and chocolatiers (72% dark cacao mochas...mmmm...) than you can shake a stick at. You can be wired in this city for 4 days straight, and I pretty much was. Which leads me to my next point...
3) RUNNERS' PARADISE*
I don't know if I was high off the caffeine rush or the clean air, but let me tell you - if you don't run in Seattle, you must be batsh*t crazy. There are miles of protected cyclist/run paths that wind through public art, along the waterfront, and into nooks and crannies of the city. You can breathe so deeply it's like you brought a pair of new lungs with you. The cool air is like a caress, and you are at once NOT hot and NOT cold, even early in the morning, or on a longer run. If you want hills, you got 'em - half the city is basically uphill, and half is on the water - and no one looks at you crazy if you're wearing running gear out all day because a ton of people in the city seem to run (although it WAS a marathon weekend, but hey). I feel like I only scratched the 'urban' surface of the potential running scene that includes tons of trails, tree-lined streets in West Seattle, the perimeter of Lake Union, and much more.
4) EASY PEASY
If you get lost in Seattle, I pity the fool. It's a perfect grid, with one side listing numbered avenues, and the other listing easy-to-remember long main streets (like Lenora, Clay, Pine, and Pike). We got the 'hang' of the city in about 24 hours, and by the end, were able to identify districts, shopping hubs, and local spots with no hesitation. Everything is walkable, public transportation is FREE in most of the entire downtown area, and it seems relatively safe, even at night. And did I mention that, due to the geographic location and time of year, 'night' doesn't even start until 10pm?!?!?! It's sunny for many hours, and you feel energized and healthy all day long.
I could go on and on about the wonders of this city, but know this - everything you've heard about Seattle (well, except that whole '290 days of rain' thing that we NEVER got a taste of, LOL) is true. It is the Emerald City, Oz-style, like a wonderful fantasy that is somehow available to the reality of the masses (like myself). Kelley and I are already planning a "double header" running event for next year - run a race in Portland one weekend, spend some time in the city, drive up to Seattle during the week, and race in Seattle the next weekend.
Are we crazy? Perhaps. But maybe just crazy enough to entice YOU to join us in 2010... :)
*As a sidenote, the reason we went up there was in fact to RUN - the inaugural Seattle Rock N Roll 1/2 Marathon. I was lucky enough to PR on what was the most beautiful course I'd ever run - 1:41 (7:46 pace). Rock and roll, for sure!
Many of you may recall my first exposure to the glory that is the Pacific Northwest from my enamored post about Portland circa April 2008.
Fast forward a year later, and it is now time for me to reflect on the greatness that is Seattle.
For starters, Virgin America flies there, and as a newcomer to what is certainly the Greatest Domestic Airline of All Time (Singapore Airlines being the top international, natch), I can say without reservation that the flying experience on VA makes the trip feel extra special. Touch-screen beverage orders on demand? Free cable TV? Kicka*s music videos and self-made 'playlists' on demand? It's like being in the freaking Apple store, except on a plane and free. A-mazing.
Rather than give you a recap of my schedule, however, let me provide you with a few highlights of the Seattle 'scene' to give you a taste of why it is so amazing:
1) HAPPY HOURS
Ok, every city has happy hours, right? No big deal. Unless YOUR city has endless happy hours, 7 days a week, sometimes twice a day, sometimes ALL day, at every single bar/restaurant (even the 'cool' ones or the 'tourist' ones), that include food AND drinks for roughly $3-5. Yep. Kel and I enjoyed $1 sushi, $3 microbrews, 1/2 price wine, $4 clams, and other unbelievably priced delights, day or night. This city doesn't mess around with its drinking, both quality and quantity.
2) COFFEE
Everyone knows Starbucks started in Seattle - but that's just scratching the surface. Besides the 100+ Starbucks in the 5-mile radius of city center (and that INCLUDES the bay, meaning the mainland is even MORE dense with 'Bucks), there are more Tilly's (blueberry coffee...mmm...), Seattle's Best (Cinnabon coffee....mmmm...), and a grip of other independent coffee places and chocolatiers (72% dark cacao mochas...mmmm...) than you can shake a stick at. You can be wired in this city for 4 days straight, and I pretty much was. Which leads me to my next point...
3) RUNNERS' PARADISE*
I don't know if I was high off the caffeine rush or the clean air, but let me tell you - if you don't run in Seattle, you must be batsh*t crazy. There are miles of protected cyclist/run paths that wind through public art, along the waterfront, and into nooks and crannies of the city. You can breathe so deeply it's like you brought a pair of new lungs with you. The cool air is like a caress, and you are at once NOT hot and NOT cold, even early in the morning, or on a longer run. If you want hills, you got 'em - half the city is basically uphill, and half is on the water - and no one looks at you crazy if you're wearing running gear out all day because a ton of people in the city seem to run (although it WAS a marathon weekend, but hey). I feel like I only scratched the 'urban' surface of the potential running scene that includes tons of trails, tree-lined streets in West Seattle, the perimeter of Lake Union, and much more.
4) EASY PEASY
If you get lost in Seattle, I pity the fool. It's a perfect grid, with one side listing numbered avenues, and the other listing easy-to-remember long main streets (like Lenora, Clay, Pine, and Pike). We got the 'hang' of the city in about 24 hours, and by the end, were able to identify districts, shopping hubs, and local spots with no hesitation. Everything is walkable, public transportation is FREE in most of the entire downtown area, and it seems relatively safe, even at night. And did I mention that, due to the geographic location and time of year, 'night' doesn't even start until 10pm?!?!?! It's sunny for many hours, and you feel energized and healthy all day long.
I could go on and on about the wonders of this city, but know this - everything you've heard about Seattle (well, except that whole '290 days of rain' thing that we NEVER got a taste of, LOL) is true. It is the Emerald City, Oz-style, like a wonderful fantasy that is somehow available to the reality of the masses (like myself). Kelley and I are already planning a "double header" running event for next year - run a race in Portland one weekend, spend some time in the city, drive up to Seattle during the week, and race in Seattle the next weekend.
Are we crazy? Perhaps. But maybe just crazy enough to entice YOU to join us in 2010... :)
*As a sidenote, the reason we went up there was in fact to RUN - the inaugural Seattle Rock N Roll 1/2 Marathon. I was lucky enough to PR on what was the most beautiful course I'd ever run - 1:41 (7:46 pace). Rock and roll, for sure!