A Perfect Day In Seattle
Only got a few days in Seattle and don’t know where to go? Follow in our footsteps to eat, drink, and shop like a local.
Everyone knows the cliches about the Emerald City: rain, grunge, coffee, beer. And yeah, it’s got all that but that’s not where the story ends.
For our first family trip out of Canada since the pandemic started, my husband and I piled our two kids and labradoodle into the car and drove across the border to Washington. As expected for the Canadian long weekend, the border was a bit of a nightmare but when we finally arrived in the city and got to spend three days exploring, eating and drinking our way around the city. Here’s how it went down…
Check In / Hotel Ändra Seattle – MGallery Located in hip Belltown, Ändra is a boutique hotel set in a 1926 building featuring 129 rooms and suites newly renovated by designer Sharilyn Olson Rigdon, plus a chic lounge where cool Scandinavian décor fuses with PNW vibes. Our super spacious, light filled room featured two double beds and a sitting area complete with a coffee table, and a credenza stocked with a mini bar and espresso machine. If you’re traveling with your pooch, as we were, your room will be fitted with a cozy dog blanket, bowl and mat.
Ändra also takes its commitment to sustainability seriously: it participates in Clean the World to reduce soap and bottle amenity waste, they recycle and have a linen reuse program, and offer low flush toilets and water saving showers.
Breakfast / Lola On our first morning, we didn’t have to venture far for breakfast. Indeed, Lola, located right off the hotel lounge, is a cozy little Mediterranean-style eatery where chef Tom Douglas that does delicious items to kick off the morning. The Shakshuka is a must try, as are the homemade donuts. For something a little lighter, we went with the Greek yogurt with berries and granola.
Must Do / Pike Place Market Sure, it’s a touristy thing to do. However, if it’s your first time in Seattle, you want to at at least pop by and have a little walk around one of the oldest continually running markets in the country. And so we did! We grabbed some hot apple cider from a vendor outside the market itself, then walked in and meandered around. The kids got a kick out of watching the fish-throwing seafood vendors. I perked up with a cup of tea, paired with a crumpet from The Crumpet Shop. And my husband picked up some beers to take home from Pike Brewing.
Quick Tour / The Spheres During the first and third Saturday of each month, the Spheres are open to visitors by reservation, free of charge. Unfortunately, our visit did not coincide with those days, but it was still worth having a look at the exterior of these glass balls that house more than a thousand different species of cloud forest plants from around the globe. There’s even a fenced-in dog park in the plaza, and our pooch Luna had a nice off-leash playtime.
Selfie Time / Space Needle Paris has the Eiffel Tower, and Seattle has the Space Needle. Now, you wouldn’t go to Paris and skip its most famous landmark, would you? The same holds true for the city’s UFO-shaped icon. A couple of years pre pandemic, the Space Needle underwent a $100 million renovation, including unobstructed views of the city thanks to 48 one-ton glass panels installed in the Observation Deck. There’s also a revolving glass floor—apparently the first of its kind according to project architect Alan Maskin. If you are gonna take a selfie in Seattle, this is the place to do it.private patios.
Dog Day Afternoon We popped in at the Seattle bakery, less than a 10-minute walk from the hotel, to pick up some doggy treats for Luna. Knowing that we’d be out and about for a full day on Saturday, we also booked Luna in for a playdate with other dogs at the daycare Dogfish, also just a couple of blocks from the hotel. The concierge at Ändra also recommended Belltown Dog Walker, which charges from $45 to $105 depending on service you need and length.
Caffeine Break / Victrola Coffee Roasters A favorite with locals, Victrola has a handful of locations across the city, so you’re never too far from a good cup of Joe if you’re exploring Capitol Hill, Beacon Hill or Downtown.
Art / National Nordic Museum Set along the waterfront in a modern building that embodies Nordic design, the museun celebrates the culture, art and life of Nordic society, past and present. If it’s raining during your time in Seattle (and chances are, it will be), this is a great place to seek respite from the elements while soaking in the myths, sagas and folklore of Nordic culture.
Bites & Drinks / Ballard In an industrial area of Ballard there’s a building with three awesome restaurants to choose from.
The Walrus and the Carpenter is a casual oyster bar with a menu that changes daily.
Staple & Fancy, set curb-side in the Kohlstrand Building, is a trendy eatery with a vintage decor vibe and widely considered to beEthan Stowell’s most emblematic restaurant, thanks to a menu of classic Italian dishes with a Northwest spin. Score a seat outside in warmer months.
Meanwhile at Barnacle, the vibe is cozy and the menu simple—think cured meats, cheeses, and oysters. The cocktails are spectacular. Try the Sicilian Old Fashioned or the Nordic Mustache.
