I cannot say enough great things about Seattle. I just love it a lot. From the overcast weather, to the greenery... it's a definite far cry from Vegas. It's a great escape.
I went up there for the first week of June this past summer. The weather was nice - some cloud, mostly sunny. Not too hot, not too cold. The first day was a long day for me. I have this horrible habit of procrastinating packing... and let's just say I only got a few (maybe 3 to 4) hours of sleep. The flight was fine (except the girl that sat next to me in the middle seat kept taking the arm rests and accidentally jabbing me with her elbow...rude!). I remember a smile actually creeping its way across my face when I saw the city reveal itself beneath the overcast morning sky. I felt silly, but I was excited! I am tired, and oh gosh, it is chilly in my short sleeve sweater, I think I'll wait inside for my friends to pick me up. And then the fun began.
For lunch, we went to a little cafe nearby their place called Citizen. Starving at this point, I got the turkey pesto, and it was delish! I spent the remainder of the afternoon sitting at the Starbucks bar in Safeway, where I got to see my friend (let's call her Hilary from now on, because that's her name) in action. I did go out and explore a little bit of Upper Queen Anne, but I got nervous that I would get lost, and jeez, those stores are pricey! But since it was nice out, I decided to just walk to the end of the street and check out the neighborhood. The houses down that street were some of the cutest I'd ever seen, I kinda want to move there.
When Hilary got off work, we took the bus to her girlfriend's (Daniella, who is a personal trainer) gym and got a great workout in (if you're in the Seattle area, you should definitely check her out because she's really great!). I made the mistake of saying I needed to work my legs... I could barely walk right for the rest of my trip. Whoops! We replenished with some dinner at Jai Thai, which was the only Thai place in the area that was still open that late. It was my first Thai experience, so on recommendation from Hilary, I got Pad Thai with absolutely no heat (because I'm a wimp and cannot enjoy spicy foods). Even though I had nothing to compare it to, I thought the food was pretty good. I got a quick tour of the Fremont Area; quick because virtually everything was closed. The view from the bridge was awesome, though!
The next day, we got lunch at Seattle Center and looked around for a bit. It was sunny and beautiful!
For lunch, we went to a little cafe nearby their place called Citizen. Starving at this point, I got the turkey pesto, and it was delish! I spent the remainder of the afternoon sitting at the Starbucks bar in Safeway, where I got to see my friend (let's call her Hilary from now on, because that's her name) in action. I did go out and explore a little bit of Upper Queen Anne, but I got nervous that I would get lost, and jeez, those stores are pricey! But since it was nice out, I decided to just walk to the end of the street and check out the neighborhood. The houses down that street were some of the cutest I'd ever seen, I kinda want to move there.
When Hilary got off work, we took the bus to her girlfriend's (Daniella, who is a personal trainer) gym and got a great workout in (if you're in the Seattle area, you should definitely check her out because she's really great!). I made the mistake of saying I needed to work my legs... I could barely walk right for the rest of my trip. Whoops! We replenished with some dinner at Jai Thai, which was the only Thai place in the area that was still open that late. It was my first Thai experience, so on recommendation from Hilary, I got Pad Thai with absolutely no heat (because I'm a wimp and cannot enjoy spicy foods). Even though I had nothing to compare it to, I thought the food was pretty good. I got a quick tour of the Fremont Area; quick because virtually everything was closed. The view from the bridge was awesome, though!
The next day, we got lunch at Seattle Center and looked around for a bit. It was sunny and beautiful!
I hung out with their adorable dogs, Crunchy and Chewy, when the girls went to work. We had lots of fun chillin' out, watching movies, having a little dance party, and also getting stared down by some creepy construction workers when I took them outside (c'mon guys, really...break the stereotype).
When the girls got home, we picked up pizza from Pagliacci and got fresh strawberries and Nutella from QFC for dessert. Yum!
The third day started out pretty awesome. I got us tickets to a Mariners game, and it was the first time the girls had ever been to Safeco Field.
When the girls got home, we picked up pizza from Pagliacci and got fresh strawberries and Nutella from QFC for dessert. Yum!
The third day started out pretty awesome. I got us tickets to a Mariners game, and it was the first time the girls had ever been to Safeco Field.
That day was probably the warmest, but we were lucky enough to be in the shade - so thank goodness for that. I enjoyed a soft pretzel and some cheap beer and forgot for a minute, until I started feeling a buzz, that beer is alcohol. Wow. We left after the bottom of the ninth, which was probably for the best, because the game went on for 16 innings.
We walked around downtown for a bit and looked through a number of stores which ranged from book, toy, novelty, to tourist. We got some treats from Starbucks (thanks to Hilary!), which cured the headache that had developed from a deadly mixture of heat, beer, and touristy shops. Later that night, we took the long trek to the airport to drop off Daniella, but it was pretty cool getting to see other neighborhoods from the light rail while the sun was setting.
The next morning, Hilary and I played tourist. We went down to Pike Place and had lunch at Athenian, where we got huge bread bowls that were way too filling, but superbly delicious.
We walked around downtown for a bit and looked through a number of stores which ranged from book, toy, novelty, to tourist. We got some treats from Starbucks (thanks to Hilary!), which cured the headache that had developed from a deadly mixture of heat, beer, and touristy shops. Later that night, we took the long trek to the airport to drop off Daniella, but it was pretty cool getting to see other neighborhoods from the light rail while the sun was setting.
The next morning, Hilary and I played tourist. We went down to Pike Place and had lunch at Athenian, where we got huge bread bowls that were way too filling, but superbly delicious.
Our waiter, John O (I remember his name for reasons that are obvious to close friends), was really awesome and attentive. Hilary and I had some great real talk, and it felt like we grew even closer. A great lunch overall, I would say. After walking around Pike Place for a little bit and showing me the original Starbucks, she took me to Post Alley and pointed out where their first apartment was.
We then adventured around downtown and went shopping! We bought a couple small things from the City Target (which is three stories and has a cart escalator!... I get excited over trivial things) and got some more Starbucks. We also spent a good amount of time in this super amazing store called Watson Kennedy. I found souvenirs for all of my family members, so yay! I seriously fell in love with this store. They have a whole section dedicated to travel related things, and that definitely caught my eye. Our last stop was Forever 21 (also multi-level) to find my friend a dress.
It was a bust, but we still looked pretty fabulous for the Pacific Northwest Ballet that night, regardless. The ballet was held in McCaw Hall located at Seattle Center. The performance was Director’s Choice, and it was pretty amazing; I think I enjoyed the second movement, Tide Harmonic, the most. After stopping by QFC to pick up a late dinner, Hilary showed me the amazing view from their rooftop. It was pretty indescribable, and these pictures seriously don't do it justice.
It was a bust, but we still looked pretty fabulous for the Pacific Northwest Ballet that night, regardless. The ballet was held in McCaw Hall located at Seattle Center. The performance was Director’s Choice, and it was pretty amazing; I think I enjoyed the second movement, Tide Harmonic, the most. After stopping by QFC to pick up a late dinner, Hilary showed me the amazing view from their rooftop. It was pretty indescribable, and these pictures seriously don't do it justice.
My last day in Seattle was really bittersweet. I was beginning to feel like a Seattleite. I even had paying for the bus down pat! In the morning, we took a ferry ride across the bay to Bainbridge Island.
We checked out some cool shops there - the Barkery being on of them! Got some adorable cookies for my pup, but they also have a bunch of other cool things for your furry best friend.
We headed back to the city and the weather reflected how I was feeling: gloomy and gray. Speaking of Grey, (great segue, self. Speaking of Segway… only Hilary will get this in-joke, sorry) she wanted to show me Meredith Grey’s "house". So we decided, as our last big hurrah, we would walk to Kerry Park. The walk was HARD. Super steep and lots of stairs, is the best way I can describe it. The view was worth it.
| We also had some fun at the kids’ park at the bottom of Kerry Park. We’re just big kids at heart. |
Not wanting the night to end, we ate a late dinner at New York Pizza, close to their place. We decided to split some delicious buffalo wings and spinach artichoke dip. Then we headed to QFC for one last late night treat and stayed up watching Spider-Man till about three in the morning. We had to be up at six, so it's safe to say I was sleep deprived again, to the point where I felt sick. I don't know if it was because flying makes me nervous, or I was just so exhausted, or a combination of the two, but getting on the plane almost made me cry. I was sad to leave, and the idea that I was foolish enough not to take that day off from work (I would get home around noon, then go to work from 2-10. Genius right here, I know) made me want to "accidentally" miss my flight. But I'm more responsible than that, unfortunately. Those five days were the pure definition of much needed days away, and I'm just itching to go back!
Note to self: don't travel and work a full shift on the same day, ya big dummy.
Note to self: don't travel and work a full shift on the same day, ya big dummy.