Sleeping in Seattle
Over the last week of June, E and I took a planned holiday to Seattle and Mount Rainier National Park. While I've been in and out of Seattle many times (thanks to it being the closest thing to a weekend trip that one can take while living in Alaska), E had never been, and it was fun to show the city to him!
Below are some of the trip highlights!
Friends: We had the opportunity to catch up with quite a few people, which was lovely. Special thanks to DD/ID and EL/NH for having us over for dinner, and to LF/JT for taking us to Woodinville for wine tasting!
Sites:
Space Needle-We went up to the top of the Space Needle, which is almost done undergoing a renovation on the observation deck. We had a clear evening, and saw many of Seattle's buildings lit up for Pride Weekend, and a very hazy view of Mt. Rainier!
Argosy Cruise -several cruise options here - we did the locks cruise, which started downtown on Elliott Bay and deposited us in South Lake Union after a trip through the Chittendon Locks.
Museum of Flight-we stopped here on our way to Mount Rainier, and it was a neat way to spend a few hours. We were able to walk through an old Air Force One, a Concorde, and the cargo bay of NASA's Full Fuselage Trainer. Highly recommend!
Mount Rainier National Park - about a 3-hour drive from Seattle, we came down here for a couple of nights, and had one full day of exploration in the park. While it was snowy at Sunrise still, that did not stop us from a hike at Nisquilly Vista. We enjoyed several hikes through old-growth forest at the base of the mountain, including the Grove of the Patriarchs. Perhaps one day, I'll make it back for a 90-mile through hike of the Wonderland Trail..........-
Beneath the Streets -Seattle has some unique underground history, having been mostly burnt to the ground and rebuilt relatively early in its' history. This one-hour walking tour was an enjoyable way to learn more about that time.
Eating and Drinking:
Din Tai Fung- a soup dumpling place that LF introduced us to when we were in Hong Kong in 2015 - and the only USA locations are in Seattle and LA. Not ashamed to admit we ate here twice.
Portage Bay Cafe - One of my favorite brunch spots in Seattle.
Ivar's- Touristy, perhaps, but I always enjoy getting a bowl of chowder at the SEATAC location, and couldn't leave Seattle without finding a bowl somewhere.
Starbucks Reserve Roastery - bascially, a fancy schmancy roastery where you can sample all kinds of small batch roasts from coffess all around the world.
Rachel's Ginger Beer - handcrafted gingerbeer from Seattle - refreshing and delicious!
Wine tasting - apparently, Washington wine producers generally focus their efforts on red wines, andwe tend to be more fans of whites. Of the three places we tasted at in Woodinville, two were notable for their whites- Goose Ridge Vineyards, which also had some delicious cider, and Airfield Estates.
Overall, a great week away from home :-)