top 5 highlights of our seattle trip
a couple of weeks ago Jas and i jetted off to seattle, washington with the intent of visiting our close friends for a 5 night, 6 day vacation. the PNW, pacific north west, as the cool kids say, was unfamiliar territory and we couldn't wait to explore. with our plan being to have our friends provide their recommendations when we got there, we left with only a short list of things we'd like to do. ultimately we did and saw far more than i think we ever intended and it was fantastic. here are our top 5 must-sees from our trip, in no particular order.
1. snoqualmie pass
rain, snow, sun in one day, oh my! while driving around is never at the top of my list, this trip was different. we left seattle and drove to the snoqualmie pass in order to hike and instead ended up snagging lunch in the rain in a tiny town and winding our way high enough into the mountains to see snow. on the way back we "hiked" the snoqualmie falls trail. even if you decide not to hike, the variation in the landscape and weather after driving less than an hour is definitely worth the trip!
2. fresh fish sammies at pike place market
Jas and i LOVE seafood so when we swung into pike place market day one starving it only made sense to stop in at Market Grill for one of their fresh fish sammies. i chose their famous salmon and he chose their fish of the day, halibut. we were in heaven. the bread was crispy, the fish tender and just plucked from the sea, really couldn't ask for more. the title of "famous" was well deserved. not mention the service was superb.
we even went back a second time later in the trip and snagged a cup of their seafood chowder - another excellent choice. you won't leave disappointed.
3. ballard locks & salmon ladder
we were surprised with how much we enjoyed our time visiting the locks and ladder. upon walking in, the grounds were lazily beautiful and was dying for a picnic. the locks were incredible to watch and we stood there, watching 3 or 4 sailboats pull through. when we walked towards the ladder we were fortunate enough to have a natural geographic moment; a sea lion hunting and catching a salmon (with a seal pup following behind).
4. Chihuly garden and glass
it's like Dr. Suess came to life in the form of glass. Chihuly's work is breathtaking and this is a must see. we followed someone's recommendation to go at night and they were definitely right; most of the exhibits are inside without windows, but the garden outside looks incredible with the lighting.
make sure you keep enough time to browse the interesting gift shop, you can even purchase a tiny red wood tree! or a Chihuly piece for yourself.
it's located in the heart of downtown and right next to the Space Needle so there is plenty to do in the area if you get done early.
5. Point Defiance Rose Garden
a little outside the city, this garden is stunning. the roses were coming to end in mid-october, but the dahlias were in full bloom! they were bursting with colors against the rich green forest and grey skies. after wandering through the gardens, we took a stroll along the water and even though the weather was grey and gross, it was breathtaking.
this area is perfect for a picnic and low-key afternoon. the Tacoma aquarium and zoo are right around the corner too which would make for a perfect trip if you need a little more to do.
are there things you love about seattle and think everyone should see? comment below with must-see places or activities.
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