About 10 years ago I visited Seattle, and absolutely loved it! I’m not sure what it was…the Puget Sound, Mt Rainier in the background, being somewhat surrounded by water, or being over in the pacific Northwest, but it just felt right to me. So when I had the chance to go back last summer, when my parents were stopping off on their way home from Alaska, I jumped at the chance to spend a few days out there with them! 

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*Disclaimer: Whilst I enjoyed my time there, I think it is important to be honest about what I saw and experienced. The homelessness, and open drug use, was like nothing that I have seen before. I am not aiming to get “political”, I just want anyone planning to stay in the downtown area (especially anywhere by 3rd and Pine) to be prepared for the environment. Now, onto my recommendations!

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Space Needle

            Unfortunately, the first time I went to Seattle I didn’t have time to go up the Space Needle, so I would say if you have time it is well worth it! The view is beautiful and when I went they had a package deal with Chihuly Glass exhibition. We could by the tickets right when we got there and didn’t have to wait long for our allotted time to head up to the top of the Space needle, so definitely keep an eye out for any similar offers! The queue wasn’t too bad, but it was hot! Apparently, Seattle was having a heat wave and, unconventionally for the US, not many places have AC.

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            I believe there use to be a restaurant up the Space Needle, however, it has since closed so you can actually go up both levels! We spent around 45 minutes up there; one of the levels (where the restaurant use to be) slowly rotates which is fun! It is definitely one of those sites that is worth getting to experience once. We also saw a small plane, that was doing a fly-over of Seattle, pretty close up. More on that in my next post!

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Something that is somewhat of a family tradition is getting caricatures done! So when we saw someone doing them on the way to the glass exhibit we knew we had to stop! You pay per person in the picture and it doesn’t take long at all. We also added a tip at the end because the guy was great! Also, you don’t need cash because they use their phone for payment!

Chihuly Glass Exhibition

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            Whilst the Chihuly Glass exhibition isn’t something I would ordinarily decide to visit. I must say I was very pleasantly surprised! The glass was beautiful and so colourful! It didn’t take that long to walk through, about 45 minutes to an hour, and all the different rooms are so dark, yet colorful, with the glass in shapes I didn’t even know glass could come in. You also learn a little bit about the artist, Dale Chihuly, through all the information placards around.

Dinner

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            Now, if you are looking for a restaurant to refuel after a day of sightseeing, I’ve got you covered! We were celebrating my mum’s birthday out there, so I wanted to find something local that was well recommended – Place Pigalle! This was one of the best meals I had whilst in Seattle! It is a petite French restaurant nestled in Pike Place Market. During Prohibition it was called the Lotus Inn and was a popular speakeasy! It can be a tad tricky to locate (it actually took us a while to find!); at what used to be the top of Cliff House Hotel, sort of down a side alley towards the back, you will find the entrance.

Not only is the food incredible, but because of its location, the views are top notch – I’d try and get close to a window if you can! As with most small restaurants in big cities, it does book up so I’d try and make a reservation if you can! Due to the fact that they source a lot of their ingredients locally, their menu seems to change seasonally. I had crab cakes with a side salad and it was perfect! I didn’t even have time to take any pictures! Also, be aware their last seating is at 8:30 pm. This actually seemed pretty common in Seattle and surprised me for a big city. However, to be honest I didn’t feel 100% comfortable walking back to the hotel in the dark. So an earlier dinner suited just fine!

More to come! 

Buffy xx