Earlier this month I had the opportunity to travel out to Seattle for the very first time for a weekend shoot. It was my first trip without Michael since starting Map & Menu, and although I spent a lot of time wishing he was right there with me, I had a wonderful visit. It was a fairly quick trip – I left Maine bright & early on Friday morning, and I was back in town on Monday morning. Even though I only had two and a half days to explore (read: eat my way through) Seattle, I managed to see (and eat!) quite a bit.
Seattle is an incredible city, overflowing with quirky/cute neighborhoods & shops, and, of course, amazing eateries. I’m actually embarrassed to admit how many meals I enjoyed during my relatively short stay (I believe I had eight while I was there!) and there were still several places on my list I didn’t visit. The arts & cultural scenes appear to be nothing short of thriving – there seemed to be sources of inspiration everywhere I looked. I was lucky to visit the Olympic Sculpture Park (twice!), Pike Place Market, and the Sunday Fremont Market, which was also host to a special food truck festival that day!
I haven’t really spent a lot of time in the Pacific Northwest – our trip to Oregon last summer was my first introduction to the beautiful region that is the PacNW. After having such a wonderful time in Seattle and, of course, each place we visited in Oregon, I’m already daydreaming about future trips to the San Juan Islands, Whidbey, Vancouver, etc. Another trip to Seattle is a given – there are so many places I fell in love with during my trip that I have to share with Michael!
As with all of our ‘Go’ posts, I’ve broken my trip to Seattle into various posts, including where I stayed, ate (there are a record number of ‘Eat’ posts, so you might not want to view them all at once if you’re hungry), and what I did.
Hotel Andra
When the time came for me to decide on where I’d be staying in Seattle, I chose Hotel Andra, pretty much for the warmth & design of the reception area. View photos and read more about Hotel Andra here.
Serious Pie
During my research I was delighted to see that Serious Pie was literally right across the street from Hotel Andra where I was staying. After a long journey from Maine, I knew it would make the perfect post-travel lunch. View photos and read more about Serious Pie here.
Oddfellows
My friends, Darcy & Carolyn, recommended that I stop in this gem of a restaurant at some point during my weekend in Seattle, and the minute I walked through the Oddfellows doors, I said a silent ‘thank you’ for having friends with such incredible taste. View photos and read more about Oddfellows here.
Molly Moon’s
Living three doors down from a delicious homemade ice cream shop, I indulge in this frozen treat a lot, a little too much even. Regardless, you don’t really have to twist my arm for me to try a new ice cream place – especially one with a sweet name like Molly Moon’s. View photos and read more about Molly Moon’s here.
Elliott Bay Books
Not only is the space gorgeous, the shop is filled with the best selection of books. Had I more space in my carry-on bag, I would have walked out with no less than six titles! View photos and read more about Elliott Bay Books here.
Macrina Bakery
I wanted to hug my bride, Taylor, for suggesting I pop into Belltown’s Macrina Bakery, fairly close to my hotel. If I had the time, I would have visited Macrina no less than three more times before leaving Seattle – I loved it that much! View photos and read more about Macrina Bakery here.
Black Bottle
Black Bottle, located in the heart of the city in the Belltown neighborhood, has the atmosphere of many of my favorite urban restaurants – loud, but in that good, bustling-life kind of way, an upbeat ambiance, and an elbow-to-elbow bar. View photos and read more about Black Bottle here.
Gas Works Park
Gas Works Park is a former gasification plant on Lake Union with beautiful views of the city. Given that I was beginning to feel like most of my time in Seattle was being spent eating, I was looking forward to an activity that allowed me to experience a different aspect of the city. View photos and read more about Gas Works Park here.
Sitka & Spruce
If being located in the beautiful, historic Melrose Market (which could seriously be my version of heaven – no joke) wasn’t enough, Sitka & Spruce, with both its space & food, is one of the coolest restaurants I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting. Seriously, being there was all kinds of mind-blowing for me. View photos and read more about Sitka & Spruce here.
Gosh, I love Seattle! You captured it’s beauty perfectly! My parents lived there for 5 years and loved it! I miss visiting! Hope you had a blast!