Seattle

Hello November.

Man..this year seems like it went by so quickly and in other ways it seems like it will never end. How does that happen?

Jesse and I went to Seattle at the end of September. We've been back for about a month now and I really wanted to process everything before writing about it. That sounds like a cop-out for putting off writing this post, but I really needed time to be able to step back and look at the trip as a whole (instead of focusing on my most and least favorite instances). We also went to Portland while we were in the neighborhood (of the Pacific Northwest, that is). I will write a separate post for Portland because the two were so different.

A view from our flight to Dallas and a train selfie, heading to our Airbnb in Seattle. 

Our building in Seattle. 

This was our first experience with Airbnb and I was so happy with our choice. We were just about a 15 minute walk away from Pike Place Market and many other things. This space was so light and cozy and I really enjoyed being there. 

Heading out for our first day on the town. 

Top Pot Doughnuts was our first doughnut experience in Seattle and we were not disappointed. This was my favorite coffee in Seattle (as you can see it's not a real coffee..it was a pumpkin spice latte and it was sweet and wonderful and I loved it).

Another morning we ate at the Wandering Goose, and OMGyum. I had a biscuit/egg/ham/butter situation that tasted like home and was so delicious. I loved the look of this little place. In Seattle, many of the restaurants require you to bus your own table. We didn't mind doing that at all, it was just different. 

Pike Place Market was totally my jam. We went there every day that we were in Seattle. There was so much to see (and EAT) and there were different things to look at every day. Pike Place Market reminded me of the French Market in New Orleans. 

                            

Top Pot Doughnuts, the Crab Pot, Cupcake Royale and Beecher's Handmade Cheese (absolute heaven).

We saw so many places that sold gyros and wanted to try them all, so one day we went to two different places and shared a couple of gyros so we would know which we preferred. The top picture won for both of us. It was at a little place beside Cupcake Royale. 

Where the magic happens.

ALL THE CHEESE CURDS

Ok, let's talk about Piroshky Piroshky. They sell Russian pastries and I know..that sounds a little different. Thankfully, my husband and I both actively enjoy seeking out foods that are different. We went here a couple of time while in Seattle. You could smell the pastries from a block away and it smelled heavenly. 

My flowers of choice from the market.

Get ready for all the flowers.

Pike Place Market was full of flowers, fresh produce and tons of seafood.

Eye spy a fishmonger!

The gum wall. Disgusting and colorful! 

Lunch at the Crab Pot. The required uniform.

So one of my favorite things about Seattle (and probably just the PNW) is the fact that they have these bins everywhere. Most places that we went gave you the opportunity to dispose of things into recycling, landfill and compost bins. I know this makes me sound so granola (which I am completely ok with), but it really is a nice thing to have. In our town, there is no pick-up for recycling (unless you are willing to pay lots of moolah). We take our things to a recycling center nearby and we have a compost bin in our backyard, but the idea of an entire city doing this makes me happy.

We were told by several people the the Pink Door is one of the best places to eat. We went there on our last night in Seattle. Little did we know, we would have dinner and a show. There was a trapeze artist hanging from the ceiling as we were leaving the restaurant. Surprise! We stayed and watched for a few minutes. I wasn't supposed to take pictures, which I learned after taking this picture. Oops..

It was strange to see the market so empty. 

Our complimentary picture from the space needle.

Near the EMP museum and the Chihuly Gardens

We went to Kerry Park and had great views of the space needle and Mt. Rainier.

One morning, we rented a car and headed to find Snoqualmie Falls. It's about an hour drive east of Seattle. We left really early so that we could make that most of having a rental. When we arrived, it was still super foggy so we weren't able to see the falls very well. We headed back to a little cafe and got breakfast. We met a woman from Shreveport, LA while getting breakfast. I wonder if it was our accents that tipped her off? Ha. 

The bridge to Snoqualmie Falls

While waiting for the the fog to clear up, we went for a hike. 

We did some exploring in a small town called North Bend. How beautiful is this? I am so ready to go back and explore more of Washington. 

We found Rattlesnake Lake and I couldn't help taking my shoes off and getting in the water. It was freezing but I enjoyed playing in the water. 

We headed back to Snoqualmie Falls and were happy to see all of the fog gone.

Our last coffee in Seattle. We went to Cherry Street Coffee House. The coffee here was just ok, but it sure looked pretty. And the company wasn't too bad either. 

The train station in Seattle reminded me of the train stations in Florence and Rome. So pretty. That morning we took the Amtrak to Portland. More on that later.

Sorry for being so long-winded. I didn't wan't to forget the little details that made our trip so great. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!