You’re going to Seattle and everyone keeps telling you to check out Pike Place Market or the Space Needle, but what about the other unspoken places that only the locals know about? Well here at Runaway Suitcase we’ve got you covered.
You’re here, among the rain and dark clouds, yet everyone has a smile on their face. Why is that? You’ve found yourself in the coffee capital of the US! Seattle is where Starbucks first began. Don’t worry, we’re not going to recommend the Original Starbuck’s location. To start your Seattle Adventure off right, we suggest you check out La Marzocco. This one of a kind coffee shop pumps out unique lattes like Honey Lavender and more. They share the large comfortable space with KEXP 90.3. KEXP is a local radio station that you can experience live whether they are DJing or hosting a local artist! To keep things fun, they use different coffee beans every month to help on the rise roasters.
After you’ve had your coffee and wandered around the Pike Place market, chances are you’re getting hungry. Head west towards the Pacific Ocean from the market you’ll find the Pier. This area is full of fishermen hauling fresh caught seafood waiting to be fried, grilled, fillets, you name it and they do it. For a local lunch favorite check out Ivar’s Fish Bar for some tasty calories to keep you going in the city.
“Seattle is for people who love culture, but refuse to sacrifice their wild nature to attain it.”
The sun might be setting around this time, and what’s a better way to end it than being at the highest point in the city (yes, higher than the space needle)? At the Skyview Observatory in the Columbia Tower you’ll be 902 feet from the surface of the Earth with views of Canada, the Pier, and the Space needle. Tickets start around $20
This next spot is a local favorite and is a great place to meet them. Some Random Bar (yes, that’s the real name of the bar) has a comfortable atmosphere that’ll help you unwind after a long day of exploring the city. The bartenders are friendly and the drinks will make you feel good. We suggest starting with a Moscow Mule.
Now that you’ve experienced the community favorites, you’ll want to do what the majority of locals do. Get out of the city! From here you have an option of 2 breathtaking National Parks. Both are equally the same distance away from Seattle at 2 hours and it’s truly hard to compare them. The North Cascades are full of young, jagged mountains while Olympic is full of rain forests and very secluded beaches (which has mountains as well).
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