Last updated: September 27, 2023

Oh, Seattle… where do I start? You’re the birthplace of Starbucks, Amazon and Microsoft. You have totem poles, the oldest functioning farmers market, and an abandoned city underneath your streets. You’ve got good food, beaches and observation towers that overlook your beautiful city. You’re so random and lovely.

Where to Stay

While in Seattle, there are several places to stay. While most of my time was spent outside of the hotel room, I needed a place to sleep so I stayed at The Renaissance and found it in a good location that allowed me to be within walking distance of almost everything. I especially liked that they were dog friendly. So when I wasn’t sleeping at the hotel, what was I doing? I hope you enjoy my two day adventure on the streets of Seattle… I know I did!

Be Prepared to Walk

When I say walk, I’m not talking about a leisurely stroll. Seattle was built on hills. They didn’t flatten these hills. I’m talking streets that are more than a 20% incline. You know that incline setting on the treadmill? Set that to 23% and walk for 20 minutes. That is what it’s like walking around Seattle. It’s all fun and games when you’re going down but the climb up is going to leaving your heart pumping. You will sweat, even in the cool Seattle temperatures. In fact, there’s an annual Seven Hills of Seattle walk. So, trust me when I say, it’s hilly. As I think about it, I’d say it’s hands down the steepest streets I’ve ever walked. After logging more than 20 miles exploring the area, my legs are majorly sore. That said, I’d do it again because Seattle’s pretty cool.

Take a Beneath the Streets Tour

Did you know that Seattle suffered a major fire in 1889 that left the city in ashes? Because of this, new construction required the streets to be built 1-2 stories higher that the original which left the ruins of the previous town underneath the new streets.

Today, there is a network of underground passageways and basements that you can explore (on a guided tour of course). However, this tour was really interesting and it’s a good way to start the day if you plan to explore Seattle. Note: some of this tour is above ground, but still interesting, nonetheless.

Enjoy the Waterfall Park

I have never even heard of a waterfall park so I definitely made it a point to check this out. This park was created in the exact location of the original United Parcel Service (UPS) building in Pioneer Square. It was made to commemorate the UPS founder and has been described as one of America’s most expensive parks ever built. At 60×80, it’s not very big, but I think it would definitely be a nice place to go have coffee or lunch as they have some tables around that offer pretty views of the falls. Overall, this is a really unique place that Seattle offers!

Witness Pike Place Firsthand

Experience the hustle and bustle of Pike Place Market! This place is iconic because it opened in August 1907 and stands today as the oldest continuously operated farmers markets in America. There are many farmers and merchants who use this space to support their small businesses. Plus, being on the water, there is no shortage of fresh seafood. It’s named after the street, Pike Street, and is Seattle’s number one most popular tourist attraction and the 33rd most visited tourist attraction in the WORLD at more than 10 million visitors each year.

Watch Fish Fly at Pike Place Fish Company

Pike Place Fish Company was founded in 1930 and is known for throwing the purchased fish prior to wrapping it. It is a world famous tourist destination attractions approximately 10,000 visitors per day. I have to admit I was entertained.

Say Hi to Rachel the Pig

Yes, I said go say hi to Rachel the Pig. She’s right in front of the Pike Place Fish Company, so you can’t miss her. In 1986, this bronze pig was dedicated in honor of Pike Place Market’s 79th birthday and is known as the Pike Place mascot. It is modeled after a real live pig named… you guessed it; Rachel, who was the 1985 Island County prize-winner. It’s an actual piggy bank and receives about $9,000 annually in all kinds of world currency which is collected by the Market Foundation to fund the Market’s social services. Fun fact (like this entire paragraph hasn’t been a fun fact): this sculpture weighs 550 pounds which is 200 pounds less than the real pig!

Step into the First Ever Starbucks Store

That’s right… it all started in 1971 at 1912 Pike Street and you can enter the original Starbucks that has also kept its early appearance over time and is subject to design guidelines due to its historical significance. Step in and grab your favorite drink and buy your coffee loving friend a souvenir. Be prepared to wait in line…

Blow a Bubble at the Gum Wall

This Seattle local landmark is a 50 foot long, 15 foot tall brick walled alley covered in used gum that’s several inches thick in some places. The tradition started in 1993 and there were a couple of attempts to clean the wall, but those efforts stopped when market officials deemed the wall a tourist attraction in 1999.

See the Pioneer Square Totem Pole

Looming over Seattle at almost 50 feet sits a totem pole. To a tourist, this seems a little out of place in a city like Seattle, but I soon became intrigued by it’s origins. Why is there a giant totem pole sitting in Pioneer Square? What’s the story? I’m so glad you asked.

The Tlingit village on Tongass Island originally carved this totem pole, but it was stolen by Seattle business men in 1899 on an expedition to Alaska while the villagers were away on a fishing trip. When the business men got back, they told the city of Seattle that the Tlingit village had gifted it to them and it was proudly erected in Pioneer Square and became a symbol of Seattle. Unfortunately, it was damaged by arson in 1938 and was not able to be savaged. In 1940, it was replaced with an exact replica carved by the descendants of those that had originally carved the first one.

Eat!

While walking throughout Seattle, I logged more than 10 miles per day. Stop along the way and ENJOY some food here and there. Hint: they put salmon in everything from scrambled eggs to mac and cheese and I got it every chance I could.

Let salmon scrambled eggs change your life

Brunch at Fonte Cafe introduced me to scrambled eggs with salmon for which I will be eternally grateful. They walk over and get it fresh from the Pike Place Market! It was delicious and I’ll make it home like this going forward because I’m not sure I can have plain scrambled eggs after this…

Eat fresh cheese while watching it be made

Beecher’s Handmade Cheese is only located in Seattle and New York City and offers salmon mac and cheese (also from Pike Place Market since they are literally right across the street) and it was divine. What’s cool is that you can see the cheese being made from where you’re sitting and I was legit intrigued.

Eat Homemade Chocolate

Smokey Mountain Chocolate delivered mouthwatering chocolate covered strawberries.

For second dessert (yes, second), stop at The Confectional and confess your love for cheesecake with a personal sized cheesecake portion. If you’re like me, you’ll happily eat every last bite while strolling the streets of Seattle. Like I said, you walk a lot. One little cheesecake won’t hurt! Again, I regret literally nothing.

Eat a smoked salmon bagel

from All Water Seafood and Oyster Bar. It’s a fantastic choice for breakfast. The cream cheese really sets it off.

Quench your thirst with some fresh squeezed lemonade

from Frankfurters and grab a Seattle style hot dog while you’re at it which includes toppings of cream cheese and sautéed onions.

Get an ice cream cone

Something about all that walking leaves me craving a waffle cone filled with birthday cake ice cream so I got one and you should too. In case you’re wondering, I did not have third dessert… this was the next day!

Visit the Space Needle

Built for the 1962 World Fair, the Space Needle is a Seattle historical landmark and is an icon of the city and Pacific Northwest. Standing at over 600 feet tall, the observation deck offers gorgeous views of the city. There’s also a rotating glass floor which is unique.

Additionally you can pay an arm and a leg to have dinner in the rotating restaurant (seriously, over $300 per plate), which we did not do because I don’t have money to burn and we can see the same views when we pay the $35 entry fee and go grab tacos later. If you go to Seattle, the Space Needle is a must and if you decide to eat dinner while you’re there, I won’t judge you (well, maybe a little).

Take a Ride on the Great Wheel

Seattle’s Great Wheel opened at pier 57 in 2012 and at 175 feet tall, you get fantastic views of Seattle and the Pacific Ocean. They will take your photo ahead of time and I legit never buy these photos but thought what the heck and got them. You can see from Kris’ shirt the quality isn’t that great, so if you decide to buy these, this is what you can expect, but hey, we did it and we have the photos. 🙂 I haven’t been on a ferris wheel in years, so this was a treat!

Here I am inside the cabin of the ferris wheel. the windows were generous which allowed beautiful views!

Shamelessly Take your Photo at the Selfie Museum

This was hilariously fun. Each room will be a pleasant surprise. Just do this. You’ll walk out smiling, guaranteed.

Visit the National Park Service Klondike Gold Rush Historical Park

I really love am obsessed the National Park System and this site was on my list of things to cross off as I make my way though the more than 400 National Park Service places to visit. I proudly stamped my book and settled in for a thirty minute movie and to be honest, I wish I would have had popcorn because I was totally into learning about America’s Gold Fever: The Rush to the Klondike (that’s the name of the film in case you couldn’t guess with the capitalization and all).

Yes, I think I learned about this in middle school or something but adult Jessica pays a little bit more attention than ten year old Jessica. I was aghast with the details of the Klondike Gold Rush (I think I gasped out loud a few times). Between 1896 and 1899, about 100,000 people lost their minds and set out on a deathly journey to dissolve all of their problems by obtaining gold in Canada. Interesting enough, only 30,000 made it and many died from the extreme conditions.

So how does Seattle fit in? Seattle became THE port to get to Canada and was known as The Gateway to the Gold Fields. Merchants had a ball selling all Klondike needs from food, clothing and tents (and even gold digging gophers). Since the Canadian authorities required each person to bring a year of supplies so they didn’t starve or freeze to death (a policy created based off lesson learned), Seattle offered Klondike packages that weighed up to one ton (TWO THOUSAND POUNDS!!) that travelers were responsible to transport with them. We are talking about a six month trip and hundreds of miles to be walked in below zero temperatures and these people were carrying their supplies the whole way! Thousands of pounds of supplies carried on their backs and the backs of animals for months on end for just the hope of getting rich by finding gold. My mind was blown by this. They risked death to take a trip with only a 30% success rate. Sadly, the 30% that finally made it found all the gold to be gone. Can you imagine the disappointment? All that for nothing.

Well, after that sad tale, go visit and see for yourself how hot the gold fever actually was!

Enjoy the City View at Smith Tower

Because it was July 4, and the Smith Tower opened on July 4, 1914, I made it a point to have dinner there on its anniversary. Until 1931, it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi.

The city views could not be beat and since it was the fourth, there were fireworks outlining the outskirts of Seattle and I was mesmerized it all. Not a bad way at all to spend the night of the Fourth! Also, hats off to the chef for probably the best salad I’ve ever had as well as the waiters who went out of their way to make sure I got a good seat and some food even though their system had dropped me off the wait list and I shouldn’t have been able to get in. Really… it was above and beyond.

There’s also a photo area that will take a photo of you and email it to you with the Smith Tower logo as a souvenir. I thought this was a cool thing to offer for tourists.

Additionally, if you just aren’t sure why the love of your life hasn’t put a ring on it, maybe you should come sit in the Wishing Chair. 😂

Here’s a short video of what July Fourth looked like from the Smith Tower. I was super pleased with my decision to spend the evening this way.

Take a Ferry

There are several islands in Washington State and for around $9 you can take a ferry to visit one. It’s possible to see sea life such as whales and dolphins. We chose to visit Bainbridge Island. The ferry ride took about 30 minutes and after walking all day, the short break was welcomed. There was a hint of a sunset and it was dark on the way back so I got the perfect views of Seattle lit up and reflecting off ocean.

Seattle is not your small southern town where everyone lives on hundreds of acres with cows as neighbors. There is no perfect city, but it is clear that Seattle has a certain way about it that the locals love and it’s important to appreciate their way of life for what it is and embrace the opportunity to witness it firsthand. Yes, there are homeless people in tents along the way. Yes, it needs cleaned up in some areas. However, the local merchants are super proud of their products. You can feel the pride when someone sells a bouquet of flowers or a freshly caught salmon. Everyone I stopped to interact with had a smile on their face and was helpful and kind. A homeless person even told me my backpack was partially unzipped. There is no perfect town, but if you go into it with a genuine curiosity and adventurous spirit, you will have a blast exploring this city rich in history and as an additional benefit, you’ll burn a lot of calories!. So as you explore, don’t forget to look around and appreciate the great city of Seattle not only for what it has to offer, but for what it is.

Appreciate Seattle for being Seattle

But Wait; There’s More!

Although I ran out of time to see the Fremont Troll, Alki Beach and Discovery Park, I was able to visit them the following weekend, so check out those blog posts to learn even more about what you can do in the area!

Have you been to Seattle? What did you do that you recommend? There is so much to do I had a hard time fitting what I did in and there’s still plenty to do that I didn’t get to check off! I’d love to hear what you loved!