Seattle, Washington has been on my bucket list to visit since my family moved there two years ago. When I decided to book the trip, I was getting beyond excited. Seattle is a huge city with many things to do. I found the Seattle City Pass which seemed perfect for the weekend. It is pass that is $99 for five attractions and you allows you to skip the general admission line. Let’s start with where to stay in Seattle!
Where to Stay: The Maxwell Hotel by Staypineapple
When I found this cute boutique hotel chain, I was completely obsessed with the whole vibe and style! Staypineapple is a United States hotel chain that has ten different hotels in seven cities (Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, San Diego, Chicago, Boston, and New York). Each hotel has it’s own one-of-a-kind ambiance which fuels your desire with a cosmopolitan adventure. If you want extraordinary, then Staypineapple is for you! Also, your furry friend can come along as well since Staypineapple is dog friendly! If you don’t have a furry friend, no worries, Dash the pup will be waiting for your arrival! My favorite part of the hotel are the complimentary Pineapple bikes! I used them to see a different viewpoint of the city and it saved me money with public transportation. The Maxwell Hotel has an indoor swimming pool, a fitness center and a very amazing Bistro & Bar in the lounge area. The hotel was only a five-minute walk from the Space Needle in The Seattle Center which is the perfect location! I loved this hotel, and I could go on and on about it, but it’s time to tell you how to spend the perfect three days in Seattle. For more information about Staypineapple here and follow them on Instagram @staypineapple #StayPineapple .
Day 1
My flight landed at 9:25 am on a Friday morning, and I headed to take the Link Light Rail to the center of the city. Thankfully, my cousin mentioned this public transportation since it’s only $3 one way. From the center of the city, I took a Lyft to the hotel. As I walked into The Maxwell Hotel, everyone greeted me it was so welcoming it felt just like home! My room was ready five hours early, and I was super stoked since who doesn’t like to clean up after traveling all morning! The room was perfect, and the bed was laid out in their Naked Experience, which just means there is a double duvet European style bedding, comfy robes, and big fluffy towels. It’s all so crazy clean, so go ahead, get naked.
My first stop later in the afternoon was the Chihuly Garden & Glass Museum. Remember that City Pass I told you about? This is included in it, and it was so worth it! The most iconic exhibit by Dale Chihuly is definitely a must visit. If you don’t know who Dale Chihuly is, he is the most well-known glass blower. The Exhibition includes eight Galleries, the centerpiece Glasshouse and a lush Garden. It was the most beautiful exhibit I have ever seen!
Next my cousin and I went through Pike Place, which is an iconic farmer’s market and one of the oldest in the country. It was very crowded to walk through, so make sure you go when it’s not peak season. From there we went to Elliott’s Oyster House for late lunch. If you are a big oyster fan, then this is a must! The restaurant is on the water, and if it’s beautiful outside, then definitely make sure you sit outside on the deck. After lunch, we walked the waterfront and saw the Seattle Great Wheel. It’s perfect for a photo spot, and if you haven’t read my 10 Instagram worthy spots in Seattle, you can read it here. Later for dinner, I wanted to check out Flatstick Pub, which is this cool bar and restaurant with putt-putt and shuffleboard! We played putt-putt and it’s $8 for one game. It was super fun and great for families as well!
Day 2
After waking up having the best sleep ever, thanks to Staypineapple; I started my morning with visiting the Space Needle. The iconic Seattle city landmark is one of the most beautiful views of the city I have ever seen. The Space Needle has an observation deck and a rotating floor. It’s $32 but this is also included in The City Pass. Tip: Go at 930am when it opens since it is less crowded especially on a Saturday. After the Space Needle, my cousin and I headed to Biscuit Bitch for brunch. Now, here is a tip, make sure you go super early and not late like us. It took us three of their restaurants to finally a spot in line. By the time we had food, it was noon. I wouldn’t argue though, since it was delicious and I had leftovers for the next morning.
After my goodbyes with my cousin, I was on my own for the rest of my time in Seattle. I headed to the Seattle Aquarium, which is also included in the City Pass. It’s located on Pier 59 on the waterfront. I am not much of an aquarium type of person, but Seattle has a great underwater Dome. The exhibit is viewed from a mostly transparent spherical undersea room in a 400,000-US-gallon tank and it opened in 1977. The tank exhibits species that include salmon, lingcod, sharks, sturgeon, skates, and rockfish. It was super cool, but my favorite part was when you could walk outside of the dome and see the marine mammals. The otters and seals were so adorable and be able to see one so close was amazing!
After the aquarium, I headed to the Argosy Cruise Harbor Tour, which was included in the City Pass. The hour long cruise sets out from noon until 5pm at night. If you have the pass, you can arrive 30 mins before the boat departs. It’s a narrated cruise to learn the Seattle history, view the evolving city skyline, shipping port, historic downtown, and the natural beauty of Elliott Bay and surrounding Olympic and Cascade Mountain ranges. After the cruise, I head back to Pike Place to check out the Old Starbucks (very first one) and have a gingerbeer at Rachel’s Gingerbeer.
After two days of consist on the go, I ended up staying at the hotel to eat dinner. Staypineapple has a great menu for drinks and food. I ordered a Franklin County Sour and a Wood Fired Pizza called From The Garden. Super yummy and definitely have a night to eat their bar!
Day 3
On my last full day in Seattle, I started at Kerry Park right at 8am knowing it wouldn’t be crowded. The park is small, but the view of Seattle was amazing, and it’s the same photo spot for their iconic postcards. Right after that, I headed to Gas Works Park. The park is where the film 10 Things I Hate About You was filmed during the paintball scene. It’s another epic view of Seattle. It’s crazy how there are so many views of the city in different areas.
Then around 10am, I headed to the Woodland Park Zoo. That was the last attraction that was included in my City Pass. I’ll be honest, I haven’t been to another zoo other than Orlando’s in a long time, and that was one of the best zoo’s I’ve been to! It took me two hours to go through but I was in a rush to get to my other stops, so I know you could spend a half of a day in the zoo. My next two places were the Amazon Spheres and Freeway Park. The Amazon Spheres are three spherical conservatories that are part of the Amazon headquarters campus in Seattle, Washington, United States. You have to know someone to be able to get inside, but other than that, it was very cool to look from the exterior. The Freeway Park is just a unique area I found for a great photoshoot which you can find here.
Later on in the night, I went to Pier 66 to watch the sunset and it was absolutely gorgeous! If you look closely, you can see Mt. Rainier to the right of the ferris wheel. Afterwards I went to The Pink Door for dinner! I’ve heard amazing things about this place, and you need reservations. But since it was just me, it was easy to find a seat at the bar. On Sunday nights they have an aerial show. Amazing place and a must! Then to end the night, I wanted to stop by The Whisky Bar. I am a whisky girl, and heard this a great place from Staypineapple. It was quiet on a Sunday night, but I didn’t mind.
Day 4
On the last morning, other than packing and getting ready for the airport, I decided to take the Pineapple bikes around town. There was one thing I wanted to get while I was in town and it was the Pike Place Chowder but the line was always so long. Monday I ordered it to go through the Yelp app and picked it up! Tip: Weekdays during business hours are slower than after work hours & weekends. I was just happy enough to get some chowder! My whole stay was absolutely amazing and I can’t wait visit Seattle again sometime in the near future! Make sure you read my blog post on the Top 10 Photo Spots in Seattle! Until next time!
