Seattle Great Wheel. Photo / Unsplash
Found yourself in Seattle? Here’s how to make the most of two days, writes Lee Mylne.
Famous for being the home of jazz, grunge music, Starbucks and Microsoft, there’s more to Seattle than meets the eye. Two days is not enough to explore everything Washington State’s largest city has to offer, but with careful planning – and stamina – you can get around the major attractions and soak up the soul of this sensational city.
Morning
If your hotel doesn’t include breakfast, head for what locals consider one of the best in town, at Bacco Café on Pine St. Fuel up for the day on brioche French toast, a Dungeness crab omelette or a breakfast burrito. From here, you’re perfectly placed to head to the Pike Place Markets, Seattle’s No. 1 attraction and just a two-minute walk away.
Mingle with locals doing their shopping and tourists gawking at the vast array of fresh produce, seafood, flowers, jewellery, crafts, restaurants and buskers. It’s all been happening for nearly 120 years. Follow the infamous Gum Wall, which will repulse or intrigue you (possibly both) at one end of Post Alley, adorned with chewing gum deposited by visitors over decades to form an artwork of its own. Contribute if you wish!
An excellent way of finding your way around the labyrinth of alleyways is to take a walking tour with Eat Seattle. Guided by a local chef, the two hour tour sees you nibble your way through seven or eight different highlights of the market, learning the history of the food outlets along the way – from Kell’s Irish Bar, “the most haunted restaurant in the USA” (according to our guide chef Sean Welsh), to Filipino pancit at the Oriental Food Mart – and meeting the people who run the businesses. Lunch is taken care of.
Afternoon
Head down to the waterfront to jump aboard a harbour tour with Argosy Cruises at Pier 55. A one-hour trip on Elliott Bay will give you a different perspective on the city, but with more time, there are also three islands on Puget Sound, all within 35 minutes by ferry from downtown Seattle. On Bainbridge Island, you can visit the grave of Chief Sealth, the Squamish chief for whom Seattle is named.
Pier 57 is home to the Seattle Great Wheel, where a couple of rotations will give you splendid views of the water you’ve just come off. For a different kind of aerial experience, right next door is Wings Over Washington, an immersive ‘flying theatre’ experience that takes you on a virtual aerial tour over Washington State’s most glorious landscapes, with some 4D effects that will almost have you believing you’re flying.
Evening
Seattle has a plethora of good restaurants and bars to choose from. After passing it earlier in the day, I chose Café Campagne, a bistro in Post Alley near the Pike Place Market, where the menu includes small but sweet mussels from nearby Penn Cove and Palouse River steak. Other good options are Ben Paris, a large and lively restaurant at the State Hotel (2nd & Pike) and Rider (7th & Pine), for seafood and steaks from the wood-fired grill. Remember to check out happy hour menus for good savings.
Morning
Armed with a CityPASS, which gives discounted entry to up to five of Seattle’s major attractions, jump aboard the monorail (tickets are US$4 return) at Westlake Station on Pine St to head to the Seattle Center, where you can tick off a few places in one visit.
Book ahead for timed entry to the Space Needle and allow about an hour to savour the views from the top of this city icon, which has been welcoming visitors since it was built for the 1962 World’s Fair. It stands 184.4m high, with a 360-degree view of Seattle from the Observation Deck. Be sure to check out The Loupe, the world’s first and only revolving glass floor (not as scary as you might expect).
Looking down, you’ll see your next stop, the neighbouring Chihuly Garden and Glass. Prepare to be gobsmacked by the intricacy and delicacy of these enormous glass creations by Seattle artist Dale Chihuly, in eight indoor galleries and the surrounding gardens.
The Seattle Center is also home to the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), which celebrates some of the city’s most famous citizens – think Kurt Cobain and Jimi Hendrix – and looks at the power of popular culture through changing exhibitions that encompass music, fashion, art, film, sci-fi, horror and gaming. In the Sound Lab on Level 3, you can unleash your inner rock star in privacy.
Afternoon
Returning to the downtown area, walk along Pine Ave toward the waterfront and turn south on First Ave to explore the Seattle Art Museum (free on the first Thursday of the month; closed Monday-Tuesday).
Continue to Pioneer Place, Seattle’s ‘original neighbourhood’, and grab some lunch before disappearing beneath the streets on an underground tour. This part of the city hides a labyrinth of tunnels, constructed in the 1890s after the Great Seattle Fire that destroyed much of the city. Several tours operate, but the original is Bill Speidel’s Underground Tours delivered with wit, flair and comedic timing. It’s a subtle, witty way to learn about the seedy and sometimes shocking history of the city in its infancy.
Evening
Continuing the history theme, stop in at Merchants Café, which claims to be Seattle’s oldest saloon (established 1890) and serves up burgers, sandwiches, buffalo wings and Seattle Dogs (grilled hotdogs with onions, cream cheese, sauerkraut and mustard or sauce).
For a view of the city by night, head to the top of Seattle’s oldest skyscraper, Smith Tower, built in 1914 on Second Avenue in the heart of Pioneer Square. Grab a ticket (US$25 adults) for a self-guided tour of some of Smith Tower’s history, then ride a historic Otis elevator to the 35th floor for views of Seattle and Puget Sound from the only open-air observation deck in the city. Linger as long as you like at The Observatory Bar, a Prohibition-era speakeasy-style bar offering classic cocktails and small bites.