30 Oct Three Days in Seattle

If you’re living abroad for the year, it seems expectable you’d be keen to visit other states in the USA – including Washington, which isn’t too far from SF! A group of friends and I booked cheap, domestic flights to Seattle with Alaska Airlines for a weekend break, the journey being just over an hour! 

If you’re planning a trip to Seattle – or wondering what there is to do there – this post will give you some good ideas. An absolute must is visiting the Space Needle; located in the heart of the city. Going up the needle is quite pricey – around $30 – but the views are more than worth it. The observation deck looks over the entire cityscape, as well as the mountains and oceans in the distance, including Mt. Rainer. I would recommend purchasing the evening ticket, which permits you two hours on the deck, and heading up there around 6pm – this allows you to catch great views of the sunset! A bar and restaurant is also located at the top, extremely convienent if you want to enjoy a drink or nibbles with the view. 

Other sightseeing spots in Seattle include Pike Place Market, which sells everything from fresh fruit to tie-dye clothes, earrings to pastries and much more! Be sure to check out the oldest ever Starbucks and the giant wall of gum, which are walking distance from the market. In fact, most of the city is easily accessible on foot; if you’re fancying a bit more of a hike one day, head up to Kerry Park to get more great views of the city. 

Seattle is also famous for its coffee – so be sure to visit lots of cafes, which are handily located on most street corners! Top Pot Doughnuts was a personal favorite; offering great coffee as well as a selection of yummy doughnuts – on special if you were a big group and buying in bulk. We also took a ferry over to Bainbridge Island, if you have the time this is a great way to get more views of the cityscape as you depart over to the island. A meal in Seattle’s ‘Chinatown’ was also a good laugh, we enjoyed Pho at a restaurant called Green Leaf.