This past weekend, my boyfriend and I traveled to Washington to witness the marriage of dear friends. The entire weekend was jam packed with activities that ranged from city chic to country living. Naturally, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and are now spreading the good word. I apologize for the simultaneous length and brevity of this post, but really there was so much to see and so much to say about what we experienced in Washington. If you’re planning a trip to Seattle, here are a few helpful blurbs on how to have fun!
We arrived at our hotel the first night around 8:15pm and Ubered (is that a verb now?) directly to Pike Place with the frank intention of getting too drunk to drive home. Based on the wedding schedule, we figured it was our one chance to go bar hopping in the city, so we took advantage. Most of Pike Place shuts down early, but we were lucky enough to be graciously accommodated by Steelhead Diner. Not only was the service down-to-earth, friendly and AMAZING, I had one of the most delicious appetizers I’ve ever come across – Crab tater tots. After taking shots with our awesome waiter and closing out our tab, we happily jaunted over to Kell’s Irish Pub, a cozy spot loved by locals and travelers alike. We grabbed a spot on the patio and didn’t need to go anywhere else! After some scotch and dirty gin martinis, we took a few drunken photos with the pigs (Seattle’s unofficial mascot) scattered around the area and called it a night.
The next day was our one day to go sightseeing in Seattle. I planned my “must-see” stops in advance and mapped out a course. First stop was the Space Needle. We didn’t know what was immediately surrounding the Space Needle, so thinking about time, we grabbed fast food on the way. This was our one big mistake of the trip. The Space Needle is right next to the Seattle Armory – a massive food court on one floor, and a children’s museum on the floor below. Definitely plan to eat there if you are headed anywhere near the Space Needle. And if you love boba tea, it’s all over Seattle, including this sweet little spot at the Armory.
Next up, the Fremont Troll – a massive troll sculpted under the main bridge in the Fremont area. (This should have been our first stop, btw, as it was most out-of-the way. Oops.) Stand in line, wait for your photo op, on to the next! If you have more time than we did, Fremont Brewing was around the corner from the Troll and looked like fun.
We moved on to Pike Place to check it out before it closing up again. The actual market – vendors of fish, produce, meats, and the most GORGEOUS and reasonably priced flowers I’ve ever seen – appears to close between 4 and 5 pm, while other specialty shops close a little later, and most restaurants by 10pm. I purchased a fabulous gold-speckled, faux-fur jacket at one of the vintage thrift shops at Pike Place. Never got the exact name of the shop, but it’s near the cigar shop and “Piroshky Piroshky”, the Russian bakery. This jacket is probably one of my all-time favorite souvenirs!
Finally, we made our way over to Pioneer Square for the ghost tour that we booked. Not only do I love a good ghost story, but good ghost tours are a great way to learn about the history of the place you’re visiting. I found Haunted History Ghost Tours of Seattle via Groupon and paid $18 for the two of us to take a 90 minute walking tour with the sweetest, coolest guide, Aten, who was refreshingly passionate about the city he lives in. One of the stops was The Central Saloon, where some of Seattle’s most famous bands got their start – Nirvana and Pearl Jam, just to name a few. I HIGHLY recommend this tour, would’ve paid double what I spent for it, and could spend several more paragraphs recounting all the fun, freaky facts, but much like the trip, I must move along.
After a long day of running around, we drove out to Whidbey Island for the wedding. As a friend accurately described it, “the Catalina of Washington” was quiet and quaint. We stayed at an Air B&B called The Happy House with a gorgeous balcony reaching out into a forest. For the wedding welcome party, the bride and groom had us picnicking at Bowman Bay! The next day, we checked out the Whidbey Island Pig Festival, more of a BBQ festival than anything else, then dashed over to the wharf in Coupeville where we had Kapaw’s Iskreme. The wedding was a bit later at Crockett Farm and we danced the night away in a beautiful, cozy barn. And in true end-of-night fashion, we stopped by the gas station for post-wedding munchies…. and ran into the bride and groom!
It was a wonderful, action-packed 4 days. I would love to go back some day, but if I never do…we came, we saw, we conquered. Thank you Washington, and congratulations to Angie and Erik!
The Practical Priss 