If you're flying to Seattle from the west, grab a northern window seat for an aerial view of the Cascade Range.
Seattle is a great family vacation destination.
This was an unexpected discovery. Our family hadn't planned to vacation in Seattle. In fact, we planned a cruise to Alaska; Seattle is where that cruise departed from.
Rather than go from taxi-to-airport-to-taxi-to-ship-to-taxi-to-airport-to-taxi, we arrived to Seattle early and returned to New York four days after our cruise. To our surprise, Seattle won our hearts (and is now our favorite U.S. city).
Below is a recap of our trip. We hope you find our travelogue useful:
Things to Do (and See) in Seattle
Seattle is a great walking city despite being hilly like San Francisco.
We walked an average of six miles per day; our itinerary included a mix of free and paid attractions. Here is an overview of what we did (and saw).
Smith Tower
The Smith Tower Observatory has an open-air observation deck. You can see Mt. Rainier on a clear day.
The 38-story Smith Tower is Seattle's oldest skyscraper. When it was completed in 1914, it was one of the tallest buildings in the world.
The Temperance Café and Bar serves cocktails and mocktails in Smith Tower’s “Chinese Room.”
Smith Tower has an observatory on the 35th floor. The 360-degree open-air observation deck overlooks the waterfront as well as the Cascade Range.
This deck is accessed via the "Chinese Room," which hosts a speakeasy called the Temperance Café and Bar.
We visited Smith Tower during "Happy Hour," when admission is discounted from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Our self-guided tour included a kid-friendly scavenger hunt, plus interactive displays that reveal the building's history (e.g. eavesdropping on a phone call).
The tour culminates in the Observatory. Here, we had reasonably-priced small plates and excellent cocktails. There is even a virgin-cocktail menu for kids. (Tell the bartender "Finch sent me" for a 10% discount.)
Admission includes re-entry, which allows patrons to leave for dinner and return for sunset.
Argosy Harbor Cruise
A view of the Seattle skyline from our Argosy Harbor Cruise in Elliott Bay.
Argosy offers various sightseeing cruises in the Seattle area.
We took an Elliott Bay harbor cruise. It brought us along the waterfront, past Queen Anne Hill (hi, Frasier!), and through the Port of Seattle.
This was an opportunity to learn about Seattle history while soaking in panoramic views of the skyline and Puget Sound.
Here are some tips to improve your chances of having a good sailing:
Avoid rainy days - The higher the visibility, the better the cruise.
Bring a windbreaker - The wind on the top deck was somewhere between comical and concerning, blowing chairs around like they were napkins.
Take the 9:25 a.m. cruise - A crewmember told us that dozens of people take the early cruise, but hundreds of passengers take the later sailings.
Sit on the right (starboard) side - If you take an early cruise, you'll probably have the freedom to change your seat. Nevertheless, you'll have a better view of the skyline if you sit on the right side of the vessel.
After our cruise, we walked along the Seattle Waterfront to see landmarks (like the Edgewater Hotel) from a different perspective.
Sky View Observatory
The Puget Sound, as seen from the Sky View Observatory in Seattle’s Columbia Center.
The Sky View Observatory has a 360-degree enclosed observation deck, located on the 73rd floor of the Columbia Center. It is the tallest public observatory in the Pacific Northwest, offering sweeping views of Seattle, the Puget Sound and the Cascade Range.
The observatory was near-empty on a Friday afternoon. There was no line for tickets and we shared the observation deck with a few dozen people, tops.
We enjoyed live music, a cheese board and $3 pints of Mt. Rainier at the observatory's Sky View Café. Our daughter had fun playing "giant Jenga" at a nearby table.
The Sky View Observatory is taller, cheaper and less crowded than the Space Needle. Plus, you can see the Space Needle from the Columbia Center. It’s the best Space Needle alternative in Seattle.
Klondike Gold Rush Museum (Free)
Our daughter loved “panning for gold” in the basement of the Klondike Gold Rush Museum.
The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (which isn't a park at all) is a free museum that depicts how the Gold Rush impacted Seattle, Canada and Alaska.
Surprisingly, our 7-year old daughter loved it here.
The basement of the museum hosts a panning-for-gold workshop where kids pluck tungsten flakes from a tank of sandy water.
While our daughter prospected, we learned about the scores who died or went bust during the Gold Rush, as well as the handful of businessmen who leveraged the mania to achieve enduring success (like John W. Nordstrom).
Glasshouse-Studio (Free)
We appreciate that Glasshouse allows photography.
We recommend visiting Chihuly Garden and Glass (more on that below), but you can see beautiful glasswork in Seattle without paying a hefty admission.
Glasshouse-Studio is a gallery and hotshop near Occidental Park.
There are furnaces in the center of the gallery where owner and gaffer Christopher Sternberg-Powidzki demonstrates the art of glassblowing.
Meanwhile, the gallery is decorated with beautiful glasswork, ranging from baubles to complex light fixtures.
In the rear of the studio, you can see recently completed projects and works in progress.
Westlake Park Fountain (Free)
Our daughter strolled through the Westlake Park Fountain. Thankfully, she was wearing waterproof boots.
The waterfall fountain in Westlake Park will drench you if you walk inside of it.
Of course, this was a challenge that our daughter was willing to take. (The results were predictable.) Photographers, dial-up your shutter speed to take cool frozen-in-time shots.
Cinerama
Chocolate popcorn is pricey, but so good.
The best way to distract a soaking wet kid (who walked beneath the Westlake Park Fountain) is with snacks. Great snacks.
Cinerama is a Belltown movie theater that's known for its snack-bar.
A sign in the theater's window invites you inside, even if you have no plans to see a movie.
The theater sells Theo candies and Full-Tilt ice cream, but as soon as we caught a whiff of the house-made chocolate popcorn, we were seduced. It didn't disappoint.
Pike Place Market (Free)
The Public Market Center at Pike Place has many levels of shops and restaurants below street level.
Pike Place is one of the oldest farmers' markets in the U.S.
It's home to the Pike Place Fish Market (where fishmongers toss the day’s catches to the delight of onlookers) and the very first Starbucks. Predictably, it is crowded.
Some fresh catches at the Pike Place Fish Market.
The lower levels of the "Public Market Center" are quieter. There is a magic shop, coin- and comic-book stores, art galleries and a brewpub.
Quieter still is the nearby Post Alley (affectionally called "Seattle's most charming street).
On the outskirts of the market, there is a not-so-crowded gelato bar called Bottega Italiana. It's better than your typical ice cream parlor (but a little pricey).
Steinbrueck Park is on the north end of the Pike Place Market. It's not worth a special trip, but if you find yourself there, enjoy the view of Elliott Bay.
The park also features a fluke sculpture and two totem poles.
Olympic Sculpture Park and Beach (Free)
Many of the installations at Seattle’s Olympic Sculpture Park are enormous.
Olympic Sculpture Park is a free outdoor gallery that is operated by the Seattle Art Museum. There are bathrooms and a snack-bar in the nearby Paccar Pavilion.
Some of the rock stacks at Olympic Beach were just as impressive as the sculptures in the park.
The park is terraced and there are many lookout points. In addition to the sculptures, we enjoyed views of the Space Needle, Puget Sound and the Seattle Waterfront.
There is a rocky beach located between the sculpture park and Myrtle Edwards Park. Our daughter immediately found kids to play with.
Meanwhile, we explored the impressive rock stacks that people built along the coast.
Later, we walked to Myrtle Edwards Park. It sits on top of a large hill that overlooks the Smith Cove Cruise Terminal.
There, we watched Alaska-bound cruise ships (like the one we had taken a week earlier) sail off into the distance.
Seattle Center (Free)
The Seattle Center is fun to visit, even if you skip the paid attractions.
The Seattle Center is a convention center and tourism hub that was built for the 1962 World's Fair. The heart of the center is the iconic Space Needle, but there are other attractions like the Pacific Science Center and the Museum of Pop Culture.
We intentionally skipped many of the paid attractions here (like the Space Needle Observation Deck), but it was still a fun place to walk around.
Our daughter enjoyed the massive sculptures on the center grounds.
Chihuly Garden and Glass
Chihuly’s Ikebana and Float Boat exhibit was particularly striking because of the mirrored floor.
Seattle is the glassblowing capital of the U.S., in large part, thanks to Dale Chihuly.
Chihuly Garden and Glass is an indoor museum and outdoor garden featuring some of the artist's acclaimed works. (Chihuly retired from glassblowing in 1979 after suffering various injuries, but since then, he has worked with teams of gaffers to create some of the most-renowned glass installations in the world.)
The glassworks in this museum are stunning. We highly recommend it, despite the steep price of admission. Get to the museum early to avoid crowds and check beforehand that the garden is open (it sometimes closes early for private events).
Lastly, don't fear overcast weather. In some ways, it makes the glass look even better.
Starbucks Reserve Roastery
The vibe in Starbucks Reserve Roastery is like a toy store crossed with a stock exchange trading floor.
If Willy Wonka made coffee, this is what his factory would look like.
The Starbucks Seattle Roastery is a massive building full of hoppers, roasters, beakers, test tubes and storage silos. It's also a restaurant and coffee bar.
You don't have to be a Starbucks fan or coffee lover to appreciate this place. In fact, you needn't order anything at all. It's just amazing to watch.
That said, we ordered a nitrogen-infused mocha that was one of several drinks that you won't find at a typical Starbucks. It was excellent.
Fremont (Free)
The troll beneath the Fremont Bridge is holding a real Volkswagen Beetle in his hand.
The city of Fremont was annexed to Seattle in 1891.
Today, it's a quirky neighborhood that's one of the most fun walking tours that we've taken. Let's see: There is a bridge troll, a statue of Lenin from Communist Czechoslovakia, dinosaurs, a rocket ship and a chocolate factory to start.
Many of Fremont's attractions are open-air, but a tour of the Theo Chocolate factory requires advance booking. We skipped the tour and went straight to the tasting room.
The nearby Burke-Gilman trail is home to gigantic dinosaur shrubs that were donated by the Pacific Science Center. It's a nice place to take an afternoon stroll (or bike ride).
Ballard Locks (Free)
Our free tour of the “Ballard Locks” concluded with an underwater view of a salmon ladder.
The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Ballard opened in 1917.
Ballard’s locks are for large vessels and small.
Today, they are still operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and serve to connect the Puget Sound, Lake Union and Lake Washington.
We joined a free tour at the Visitor Center in the Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Gardens.
A park ranger explained how the locks worked as we watched a group of kayakers make their way from the saltwater into Salmon Bay.
Then, we went underground to see salmon swimming up the manmade fish ladder so that they could spawn in fresh water.
It was interesting to see these saltwater salmon begin their journey. Days prior, we had seen salmon completing their reproductive cycle (during our visit to Juneau, Alaska).
Restaurants
Seattle's trendier restaurants aren't kid friendly.
There was a 150-minute wait to get into Il Corvo Pasta at 11 a.m. on a Friday morning. A waiter at Canon told us that children aren't welcome (too bad the website didn't). And the only time we could get a table at Shiro's Sushi was at our daughter's bedtime.
This all worked out for the best. Seattle is full of excellent, family-friendly restaurants:
Etta's Seafood
Etta’s dishes are made (and served) with love. Seen here: King Crab chilaquiles.
We had brunch at Etta's after visiting the Pike Place Market.
Etta's emphasizes local: The restaurant cures and smokes its own fish and makes its own breads and desserts. We enjoyed King Crab chilaquiles, Etta's "Rub With Love" salmon and tuna sashimi with a green onion pancake.
The food and service was excellent, as were the cocktails.
Our waitress convinced us to try the triple coconut cream pie (a house specialty). It was one of the best desserts that we've had.
Café Campagne
Café Campagne is a quaint restaurant is located on Post Alley within the Pike Place Market.
It's a typical bistro, but the "French French Toast Brioche" was special. We'd return for it.
Rhein Haus Seattle
Rhein Haus’ “Schweinshaxe” (German for “pork”) was beyond what we expected from a beer garden.
After being turned away from Canon because we had a minor in our party, we took our 7-year old daughter to...well, a beer garden.
Rhein Haus describes itself as a restaurant, bocce haus and bier hall. It's a huge property with indoor and outdoor seating. We sat outside expecting good beer and medicore German brats. Nope, this place has true Bavarian dishes.
We enjoyed an order of "Schweinshaxe," which contained a gigantic pork shank along with parsnips and chickpeas. Our roasted beet salad was equally good.
Strangely enough, the house-made pretzel was our only disappointment.
While we ate and enjoyed seasonal beers from Washington state, our daughter played on the bocce courts and entertained herself at the "water pong" tables.
Note: Kids are welcome at Rhein Haus until 10 p.m.
Miller's Guild
The brunch menu at Miller’s Guild includes unique dishes. Seen here: kimchi pork belly hash with eggs.
Miller's Guild is a steakhouse with an interesting brunch menu.
The kimchi pork belly hash was memorable; so was a special desert made with ladyfingers and dehydrated peanut butter.
Ray's Boathouse Café
We had good food and cocktails at Ray's Boathouse Café, yet the view is what we remember most.
Ray's has been a fixture in Ballard since 1973.
This waterfront restaurant is expensive, but the upstairs café is reasonably-priced and has a nice view of Puget Sound. We enjoyed cocktails and blackened salmon sandwiches as we watched the sun draw lower over the water.
On a side note, the late Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell once worked at Ray's.
Karaage Setsuna
We stumbled into Karaage Setsuna desperate and hungry. The smell of oil hung in the air and there was a wash-bin beneath our table. Things didn't look good.
Then, we had the best sashimi of our lives.
Karaage Setsuna is a Hawaiian-Japanese restaurant. We ordered poke bowls: one with tuna and the other with salmon. The fish was fantastically fresh, the portion was huge and the bowl included delicacies like seaweed salad. Fantastic, truly fantastic.
Temperance Café and Bar
We enjoyed char sui pork and tuna sashimi at the Smith Tower Observatory.
If you find yourself at the Smith Tower observation deck, the Temperance Café has a nice assortment of small plates. That said, the food alone isn't worth the price of admission.
Pie
Fremont's Pie sells sweet and savory pies, from "Strawberry Rhubarb" to "English Meat." We enjoyed savory pies (with hot sauce) on our walking tour of Fremont.
Bakeries and Coffee Shops
Seattle has so many bakeries and coffee shops, they deserve their own section.
Cherry Street Coffee House was the only Seattle coffee shop that we couldn't appreciate. If you think that Stumptown coffee tastes sour and acidic, it's best to go elsewhere. That's no indictment of Cherry Street, just a matter of taste.
Top Pot Donuts
Some of the donuts at Top Pot are the size of a child’s face. See above.
Our daughter loves donut shops; now Top Pot is her favorite.
Indeed, the donuts are excellent and they come in many styles.
For example, old fashioned donuts are light and airy; cake donuts are dense; bars are glazed and oblong. Add frostings and toppings to the mix and you have a lot of variety!
The maple glaze was particularly excellent.
Grand Central Bakery
This Grand Central Bakery location looks like a subway station and exits onto Pioneer Square.
Grand Central Bakery's Pioneer Square location looks like an old-fashioned train station. We had great coffee and baked goods here, as well as the odd shrimp-roll for breakfast. ("It's never too early for shrimp", agreed our amiable cashier.)
Macrina Bakery
Many of the pastries at Macrina Bakery are like a souped-up version of a cinnamon roll.
The best coffee we had in Seattle may have been at the Belltown Macrina Bakery.
We enjoyed decadent breakfast pastries here. For example, the "Roly-Poly" (a cinnamon roll with coconut, raisins and walnuts) and an orange-hazlenut pinwheel.
Hotels
We split our time in Seattle between two hotels: One in Downtown and one in Belltown.
These two locations put us within walking distance of most of the attractions that we wanted to see. In the end, we'd recommend both hotels.
Loews Hotel 1000
Rooms on the west side of the Loews Hotel 1000 have lots of light (and don’t overlook construction).
The Hotel 1000 is located in the heart of Downtown Seattle, near many attractions like the Seattle Waterfront, Great Wheel and Sky View Observatory.
Beware the in-room snacks. Beneath each item, there are spring-loaded WiFi sensors that bill your room when a product is removed for more than 30 seconds.
Our daughter's curiosity resulted in many charges being posted. The front desk didn't blink an eye when we asked them to remove these charges (it probably happens all the time).
The king size bed in our room was comfortable; our daughter also liked her rollaway bed. One of the quirkiest things about this hotel is the bathtub: It fills from the ceiling!
The lobby serves coffee in the morning and fruit-infused water during the day. Both of these gratis beverages were better than typical.
Inn at El Gaucho
The Inn at El Gaucho is a rare hotel that felt as warm and inviting as a home.
The Inn at El Gaucho is a boutique hotel with 17 rooms. It's located above the El Gaucho steakhouse (as well as a 21+ movie theater with a full-service bar: The Big Picture).
When we entered our room, 1950s-era music was playing. We found cookies and a handwritten note that thanked us for our patronage.
Having just disembarked our cruise ship, we couldn’t be happier to find a full-sized bathroom.
This was no fluke. We were treated better at El Gaucho than at any hotel at which we've stayed before. (Susan and David at the front desk were particularly wonderful.)
Our bathroom had a large overhead-shower, a whisper seat on the toilet and bath products from Gilchrist & Soames. We appreciated these little touches.
The Inn hosted a nightly happy hour in its lobby. It was a fun, social event that included free cookies, chocolate-covered espresso beans and wine. We were surprised that the wines (two whites and two reds) were replenished as soon as a bottle went empty.
Turndown service included chocolate truffles and a note wishing us sweet dreams.
Funny enough, the bedding was the only thing that we didn't like at El Gaucho. Our pillows made a long and comedic hiss when we rested our heads upon them; meanwhile, the mattress buckled on the sides, yet somehow dipped in the center as well.
Despite our so-so sleep, we loved this hotel and would happily return.
Frequently Asked Questions
How bad is Seattle's homeless problem?
Seattle is suffering a homeless crisis, like many other U.S. cities on the west coast.
Many of Seattle’s homeless residents congregate around missions like Union Gospel.
In our experience, Seattle's homeless residents cluster around missions, parks, and public spaces (including office parks). We didn't encounter any panhandling.
Our family walked more than 30 miles through various neighborhoods; not once did we feel threatened. (A few times, we crossed the street to avoid someone who was clearly suffering from mental illness.)
Do Seattle restaurants include a service charge?
Many restaurants in Seattle now include an automatic 20% service charge. This money does not go to the servers. Rather, the establishment retains 100% of the service charge and pays its staff a “fair wage.” It's a convoluted system (why not raise prices, instead?).
Beware: Some of these restaurants include an "additional gratuity" line on the receipt, which could result in a distracted patron "tipping twice."
Are kids allowed in Seattle bars?
Whether a minor is allowed into a Seattle bar depends on the establishment's license type and seating plan, or, the preference of the management.
Our daughter was allowed entry at Elysian Fields brewpub and Rhein Haus beer garden, but we were refused entry at Canon (a spirit- and cocktail-focused restaurant).
You can learn about the nuances of Seattle's "Under 21" laws on the Washington State Legislature website.
Is Seattle CityPASS worth it?
Seattle CityPASS is indeed worth it from a dollar-perspective, if you visit each attraction that you are allowed. But, CityPASS won't work with everyone's itinerary.
Things like bad weather and private events can make portions of a CityPASS unusable. Plus, all attraction vouchers must be used within nine days. This limitation didn't jibe with our vacation plans (because our time in Seattle was split by our Alaskan cruise).
Roll the dice if you wish: CityPASS has a generous return policy.
