Seattle, Washington Tips and Tricks
As you get to know me through my stories, you will see I do a lot in a short amount of time on trips. Before any trip, I do extensive research (I am a nerd and LOVE to research)! Since I only had three full days in Seattle, I had to make it count. My jet-lagged helped a lot with my sightseeing because getting up at 4 or 5 am was easy for me since it was 7 or 8 am on the East coast.
Another thing that helped was a Seattle City Pass. This allowed you to see five main attractions in Seattle at a reduced rate. I believe I paid $100 for it; the price now is $115, and I still highly recommend it if you want to see at least two attractions.
Below is the breakdown of the pass. I put an ** to the ones I did, and I kept the hyperlinks so it will take you to the website.
1. Space Needle **
2. Seattle Aquarium **
Plus, get admission to 3 more attractions of your choice.
1. Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour **
2. Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) **
3. Woodland Park Zoo
4. Chihuly Garden and Glass
My following recommendation taking a ferry ride for a few reasons:
One: Epic views of the city and the mountains on the Sound
Two: You get to explore more than just the city
Three: Just an incredible experience to take a ferry on the Sound.
Four: It is cheap! A round trip ticket to Bainbridge was $9.25 if you are traveling on foot.
Bainbridge Island; is a super cute artsy island. As the locals refer it, the “boat” ride took about 35 minutes to travel from Seattle to the island. You can warm up with hot tea or coffee with a snack on the boat as you watch the city getting smaller and smaller.
I didn’t have a plan for Bainbridge; I walked around the island, checked out the local shops, and hiked/ played down by the water on this trail I found in the Gazzam Lake Nature Preserve. I spent a few hours there, heading back to the city. It is about a 15-minute walk from the dock to the actual town, or you could use the shuttle. I decided to walk.
If you decide to go to the first Starbucks, I HIGHLY recommend getting there when they open. Lucky for me, it was a 5-minute walk from my hostel (Green Tortoise), and I was waking up super early. It’s really cool to see where Starbucks started, but it’s nothing special.
If you go to Starbucks, I highly walk around Pikes Place and enjoy all the tables of goodies there. So much to try and support local businesses. And you can see the famous flying fish! Also, next to Starbucks, you can sit down and enjoy your coffee while waiting for the sunrise above the Sound.
I went to Fremont Troll; it’s a quick Uber drive. The Troll idea was an art competition to rehabilitate the area under the bridge, which was becoming a dumping ground and haven for drug dealers.
After hanging out with the Troll, I took a 15-minute walk to Fremon Brewing. Such an excellent brewery! They have a great selection of beers and a lot of games, and you can befriend dogs there if you choose to!
Gas Works Park is a super unique park where you can see the city from behind and watch seaplanes land. Heads up, though; it’s windy AF there.
Kerry Park is where you get the iconic view of Seattle. I went there twice; I was hoping to see the sunrise, but in typical Seattle fashion, it was cloudy. I did go back at night to see the city at night. I always recommend going back to places for sunrise or sunset/ nighttime. It’s a different experience when you get to see a place at other times.
I also went to Starbucks Reserve in the Capitol Hill area after lunch. I had mixed reviews on this place. The place itself was really cool, but it was jammed packed, and the drink I ordered there was alright. I still recommend checking out the building, but I would try to go early if you can. While in the Capitol Hill area, I recommend checking out the local shops and local beers.
My biggest tip I would recommend is to walk around the city and explore. When I was there, I knew they had a substantial homeless population. Just be mindful of your surroundings, and you will be fine.
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions; please feel free to contact me by going to my “Stay Connected” page.