Seattle is the most popular connection for all domestic Alaska flights - so naturally, because I had never been to Seattle before - I decided to make the most of that inevitable stop. It was a similar experience to the one I had back in San Francisco because I was only there for a short time (1 day), and in that short time I tried to pack in seeing, doing, and eating as much as humanly possible.
First off, my time in Seattle would not have been as easy or enjoyable without the help of Amanda (literally an angel on earth). She picked me up at the airport at the ass crack of dawn (5:30 AM) and drove me back around the same time for my departure the next day, too. Bless her little heart, LOL. She also had last minute offered for me to stay at her place, so I ended up cancelling my hotel reservation to save some money. I also wouldn't have been able to check in until 3 PM, which was a problem - since I was only there for a day and my flight was landing in Seattle so much earlier than that. There aren't many people I know who would stick their neck out for me like that, and words cannot express how grateful I am. There's no one else I would have rather spent my first (and only) day in Seattle with.
(click any image below to enlarge)
After grabbing a couple hour nap, we headed out into the city around 9 AM. Our first stop was Top Pot Doughnuts for breakfast. I got a raspberry glaze old fashioned, which I definitely ate way too fast, haha. (It was good, and I was hungry!)
Next, we made our way to Pikes Place Market - one of the country's oldest operational farmer's markets. When I'm in NYC on Saturdays, I often make a stop at the Union Square Farmer's Market - so this was a must see spot for me. There's something about the energy of market places that I adore - the people, the local vendors, the sounds, the smells, and of course - the free samples. ;) We walked around sampling freshly sliced pears, peaches, pickles, hot sauce, and bread with olive oil.
Amanda also snatched up some of the most gorgeous peonies from one of the flower stands, and we set out to find the perfect wall to photograph them with.
Below the market place, is the Gum Wall. The original wall was apparently washed away a little while ago, but it looks like new visitors are intent on reviving it. The concept is kinda gross, haha, but it's a wonderful (and unexpected) source of color inspiration!
Across the street from Pikes Place is the world's very first original Starbucks, which opened in 1971. We didn't go inside because the line was out the door and down the block, but there was a great group of musicians playing folk music right outside. There were generally a lot of street musicians in the area, - which I loved.
For lunch, we stopped at Lost Lake Diner. Amanda got a tuna melt (if I remember correctly, her go-to fave) - and I got the fried cod sandwich with a side of slaw and fries. It was my first real meal in quite awhile - and I basically felt like taking a nap afterwards because it was so filling and delicious (but 100% worth every single bite).
A few doors down from the diner is a charming book shop called Elliot Bay Book Co. I loved their art magazine / zine section up front - and there's even a little coffee shop inside, too. I could easily get lost in there for an entire day.
Similarly to San Francisco, there was also a rainbow crosswalk. It was a happy accident to stumble upon it, because I had no idea that there was one in Seattle too.
Determined to work off our indulgent lunch, we decided to walk around a bit more - stopping into many cute shops along the way. I don't remember the names of every single store, but do remember a few. Retrofit Home and Retail Therapy were a couple of my faves.
I also fell in love with Glasswing - which TBH, was 99.99% out of both of our price range hahaha.. but they did have a gorgeous store layout with lots of pretty things. It was fun to look around, regardless of not being able to afford anything. They also had a lovely selection of plants (which were *more affordable*) - and I ended up splurging on a little airplant. I was terrified I'd smash it in my suitcase on my way home, but it survived!
We also stopped into Melrose Market - which had a great vibe. I snatched up a few thank you cards because there were some great stationery vendors there.
I needed to buy some more film for my Instax polaroid camera, so we also made a brief stop at Glazer. I had never heard of them before, but they are a great place to stop for any quick photo equipment needs!
After shopping around for a bit, we made our way towards the Chihuly Glass Garden and Space Needle. I know that both of these things are super touristy, haha - but I needed to make them happen - and I'm so glad that I did! We bought a joint ticket to see both, because it came out cheaper. I think after 6 or 7 PM, the price goes down even more, too.
We did Chihuly first - which was lovely. So colorful and inspiring, and truly a dream to walk through!
By the time we made it to the top of the Space Needle, the sun was setting - and it could not have been more perfect. I really could not have asked for a better day weather-wise (clear skies all day long - not a single cloud).
We got a very late dinner at Poquitos around 11:45 PM, LOL. It was really really good, though. We got guac / salsa to share - and each got an order of tacos.
I loved all the neon signs that illuminated the streets at night, and totally made Amanda drive slow so I could roll my window down and photograph some of them. :D
For dessert, we were hoping to hit either Molly Moon's for ice cream or Cupcake Royale - but they were unfortunately closed at that hour. I know my food goals for my time here were pretty ambitious, so it's okay. It just gives me all the more reason to come back sooner rather than later! ;)
We went back to the apartment to nap for a couple hours, and I overslept an hour later than I had wanted to.. and woke up in sheer panic. I had been running myself so ragged the entire trip, and it was finally catching up to me I guess, lol. I nearly missed my flight - and literally made it to the plane maybe about 5 minutes before takeoff. It was hands down the most terrifying part of this solo journey.
