SEATTLE
Best of Seattle – Travel Guide
Seattle is a bustling city with a strong sense of nature. Downtown, with its business and shopping districts, restaurants, and nightlife also offers views of the glistening waters of Puget Sound and the snow-capped mountains on the Olympic Peninsula. Free music and cultural events are staged throughout the city in the summertime. The historic neighborhoods of Pioneer Square and the Chinatown-International District give you a glimpse into the past with their unique architecture and culture. All of this is watched over by towering Mount Rainier – all 14,411 feet of her – in the background over 60 miles away.
From tourist attractions, to fine dining from award-winning chefs, to nightlife at bars, clubs and music venues, Seattle has a myriad of options for you to experience.
Top Sights
The Space Needle was built for the 1962 World’s Fair. Visible from so many points in Seattle, it is the heart of the Seattle Center. Recently renovated, it now has two levels of observation decks include floor to ceiling glass walls on the upper deck.
The Market, as locals call it, is filled with artesian crafts, fresh flowers, produce, seafood, bakeries, restaurants, novelty shops and the oldest Starbucks Coffee store (continually operated at this location since 1977). Views of Puget Sound can be seen through the windows.
Built for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, the Seattle Center Monorail whisks you along for a 2-minute elevated ride connecting you from the Seattle Center to the heart of downtown Seattle. It has a view of Seattle like no other.
Chihuly Garden and Glass at the Seattle Center displays works by world-renowned glass sculptor Dale Chihuly. The exhibit leads you through eight rooms of distinctive blown glass installations. Themes include sea life, nature, and Native American culture.
Pioneer Square is one of the most historic neighborhoods in Seattle. Rugged large block stones protrude from more than century-old buildings. A popular tourist destination, Pioneer Square has an array of restaurants, bars, coffeehouses and art galleries to enjoy.
Next door to Pioneer Square is the Chinatown-International District (or just the ID), historic home of the city’s Asian community. There’s an array of Chinese, Japanese and Thai restaurants, bubble tea shops and noodle houses. The Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience will show you what life was like for Seattle’s early Asian Pacific immigrants.
When it opened in 2012, The Seattle Great Wheel was the tallest Ferris wheel on the West Coast measuring in at 175 feet tall. It sits over the waters of Elliott Bay on Pier 57. The gondolas hold up to eight people.
24 Hours in Seattle (Itinerary)
What you can do with one day in Seattle:
Breakfast Options: Pike Place Market – Lowell’s for a full breakfast menu | Piroshky Piroshky for stuffed pastries | Three Girls Bakery baking pastries since 1912 | Los Agaves for breakfast burritos and bowls (vegetarian options available)
What to See: Continue strolling the Market perusing crafts, produce, and flying fish at Pike Place Fish Market. Views of Elliott Bay in Puget Sound and the Central Waterfront.
Lunch Options: Buckley’s in Belltown for weekday lunch specials | Lower Queen Anne near the Seattle Center – Dick’s (classic Seattle burgers & shakes) | Blue Water Taco Grill | The Golden Olive – Mediterranean Food | the food court in the Seattle Center Armory near the Space Needle.
What to Do: The Seattle Center – The most famous attraction at the Seattle Center in Lower Queen Anne is the newly renovated Space Needle with two levels of breathtaking views and floor to ceiling glass walls. Don’t miss some of the other attractions packed into this 74-acre entertainment compound – Chihuly Garden & Glass (think the Bellagio ceiling in Vegas, same guy), the Seattle Center Monorail – taking you to the Retail Core Shopping District, Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), the Pacific Science Center, the International Fountain, and McCaw Hall for performing arts.
Dinner Options: On the Central Waterfront – The Crab Pot for their SeaFeasts of steamed and seasoned fresh seafood poured onto butcher paper on your table for you to crack into | Anthony’s Pier 66 & Bell Street Diner. Post Alley in Pike Place Market – The Pink Door – dinner with music, weekly aerial show, and tarot card reader | Cafe Campagne – French bistro | Kells Irish Restaurant & Bar | Cantina de San Patricio – Mexican Cuisine
Belltown Nightlife: Bars on 2nd Avenue | Music – The Crocodile where Nirvana and Pearl Jam played | The Moore Theatre for national and international acts
Seattle eBook
Get all your Seattle travel questions answered in my Seattle Visual Travel Guide eBook – a 250-page PDF eBook.
9 neighborhoods • Top Sights • Museums • Shopping • Parks • When to Visit • Where to Stay • Getting Around
Getting Around
There are so many options for public transportation in Seattle, it can get really confusing. There’s the Link light rail, Seattle Street Car, buses, water taxi, and the monorail.
My ebook Seattle Visual Travel Guide will give you all the details you need to know for getting around Seattle. You’ll find descriptions, links to each organization’s website, and photos to show you exactly what you’re looking for.
Start Planning
Get your copy of my ebook Seattle Visual Travel Guide for all the details you need for an incredible trip to Seattle.
