A Sip of Seattle: Our 3-Day Dash Through the Raindrops
Seattle, Washington
Sunday, September 24, 2023 – Tuesday, September 27, 2023
Written 8/24/26
Our visit to Seattle, Washington was paired with Portland Oregon (9/24 – 9/30/23)
A Little Catch Up
My partner and I have been traveling the country – a few trips a year to try to visit a city in each of the attached 48 states. Washington is the 47th state that we’ve visited. My grander plan for this trip was to visit Seattle, Vancouver, and Portland, but I have yet to invest in obtaining a passport, so Vancouver was dropped from our plans. In retrospect, it worked out better because we were able to spend more time in Seattle as a result.
Although this trip was scoped out well in advance, we didn’t secure travel or hotel stays until approximately a month prior. I wonder what would have happened differently if I hadn’t delayed.
New York Departure and Seattle Arrival
We flew out of John F Kennedy airport in NYC on a 7:29AM flight, using Delta airlines. For us that meant our day started a little after 4:00AM so that we could be ready for our 5:45AM Uber pick up. Getting out of the house is always a comedy of errors, even though it’s just the two of us. There are just so many “double checks”, most specifically, “Did you see all 4 cats?”. About halfway to the airport I realized I hadn’t grabbed my jacket. It was too late to turn around and still catch the flight, so our plans for arrival changed slightly. Shop for a jacket was now high on our list.
Due to booking our flights only a month prior, we did not have seats together. Aside from that our flight went smoothly. Upon arrival in Seattle, we scooped up our checked luggage and headed towards the rental facility in Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. We reserved a rental car through Budget for the week. At this Budget, our assigned car showed the “service engine” light upon start up. I went back to the counter to confirm that they were comfortable with us taking a car that needed service and driving it to Portland, Oregon. It seemed like clerk was unaware that the car needed service. After about a twenty-minute wait, we were assigned another car.
Photo 1: Inside Seattle Tacoma airport
Photo 2: Lobby of Hotel 5 - Staypineapple Seattle
Photo 3: Inside our room - Hotel 5 - Staypineapple Seattle (cute right?)
On The Move
Alright, now that we were on the ground with wheels, it was time to scout out the area for food and a place to buy a jacket. My partner took advantage of the time that we waited for the car and already located a DICK’s Sporting Goods store and a restaurant that was still serving breakfast in a town called Tukwila which is on the way to Seattle.
Jony’s Breakfast & Lunch in Tukwila was not what I envisioned. I was thinking of a standalone diner, not an intimate storefront where the locals might eat. The food was delicious. The staff was very attentive to us and provided us with refills of coffee without us seeking them out. Because it was a smaller establishment, we didn’t spend much time there even though we did linger over our second cup of coffee.
We ran into the Sporting Goods store, and I purchased my jacket (which I love and still wear today). Then we drove over to a Target and purchased some water and snacks for our hotel stays and for the car ride to Portland later in the week.
With the “housekeeping” out of the way, we drove into Seattle to check into our hotel for the next three nights. When I was researching hotels for our trip the Hotel 5 - A Staypineapple Hotel really sparked my interest. It seemed reasonably priced, centrally located and a quirky pineapple theme. It’s on the corner of Blanchard Street and 5th Avenue and is midway between the Space Needle and the Waterfront attractions. Our room was cozy but airy with modern décor, and a couple of pineapple themed items. As this was the first time, we were able to rest since we left New York. We took some time to catch a second wind.
For dinner we walked to a Hawaiian-Japanese restaurant called Ohana Belltown. In part because we were hoping to recapture the moment of eating Hawaiian food in Salt Late City, but also in hopes to discover something wonderfully new. The order was an appetizer (pupu) of BBQ pork, he had the Loco Moco and I stayed within my comfort zone with a Chicken Katsu. We were seated close to the entrance, but from what I could see the restaurant had lot of pizzazz. It’s walking distance from the hotel (4 blocks away), but there was one block that we both felt was a little too quiet and less lit. We walked quickly and with intention to get to the better lit areas.
Photo 1: Inside Ohana Belltown
Photo 2: Lobby of Hotel 5 - Entrance to Fulcrum Cafe
Photo 3: Inside our room - Hotel 5 - Miner's Landing - waterfront, Seattle
Monday’s Here
Our Monday started with a walk around the corner to a coffee shop called Fulcrum Café. It was a quick stop; a small eatery where we ate breakfast sandwiches and drank coffee. After breakfast we got ready to go to the Waterfront where we had tickets to sightsee on Argosy cruises. It was part of a three-attraction CityPass that we purchased for the area (first time we’ve purchased a city-sights package). We could have walked, but the weather was very rainy (what a shock for Seattle! Kidding!) and I didn’t want to get caught in a heavy downpour walking to or from the hotel. Especially so early in our trip. So, although we needed to pay for parking, we took the car.
The cruise was one of the best ideas! It was relaxing, there was a guide pointing out different features on the waterfront and providing some historical information. The cruise had an indoor cabin where we all could sit and order refreshments, or there was also room on the deck to take in the views without a window. I am very happy with my photos from the cruise. I wonder if it was because the weather was rainy and overcast.
While on the pier, we rode the Ferris wheel which also gave us great views of the city. Then we stopped at The Crab Pot in Miner’s Landing for clam chowder. We also perused inside Miner’s Landing for souvenirs and took a photo of the indoor carousel. With the cruise and puttering around the area, we spent the whole afternoon at the waterfront.
Before returning to the hotel for the evening, my partner drove us around Seattle (in the rain) so we had a good idea of where the museum and Space Needle, we got tangled in some Seattle Kraken traffic too! He even drove us up and around Queen Anne Hill where we talked about where we thought the cast of Grey’s Anatomy might have lived or where Frasier’s apartment and Café Nervosa might have been. It was a steady rain throughout the whole car ride.
Photo 1: Pier at Seattle waterfront
Photo 2: Lobby of Hotel 5 - view of Seattle from the Argosy cruise tour
Photo 3: Inside our room - inside The Crab Pot
In between sightseeing in the neighborhood, I looked up places to eat dinner. One place that stood out from the reviews was the 5-Point Café. It was sort of a dive bar and they thrived on it. It was also on the way back towards the hotel, so win/win. The weather being so dreary it felt like we were there late at night, but it was really only 6:30PM when we walked in the door. The waiters were wonderfully witty and charming, several of the patrons were too! They all seemed to be familiar with each other, or comfortable enough just to join in on the shenanigans. It very much had a similar vibe to Déjà vu Restaurant & Bar in New Orleans and Stickyz in Little Rock. If I lived in Seattle, I think I’d be there often.
On our way to the elevator in the lobby of the Staypineapple, the desk clerk reminded us that we were able to take two free drinks from the lobby fridge compliments of the hotel. That was a nice surprise, I grabbed two soft drinks to have later.
Tuesday Scramble
Lots to squeeze in and so little time to do it all in. Our plans included visiting the Space Needle, riding the monorail, visiting the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), and last but not least, an evening of baseball watching the Mariners in their home stadium. Additionally, we also left the Staypineapple and checked in to the Silver Cloud Hotel Seattle - Stadium which is across the street from the Stadium.
We checked out a little before 11:00AM and drove to the Space Needle. It was raining when we left and the sidewalks were very puddly. My sneakers and feet were drenched before we even got to the building. We waited in line outside the building, but it moved quickly enough that we were inside within 20 minutes. I didn’t expect a security screening before entering, so that might account for the delay. Of note, the staff were available outside to answer questions, and they offered out umbrellas for those who didn’t have them.
Photo 1: The Space Needle from the ground
Photo 2: Cafe Hagen - we didn't go there, but couldn't that be Cafe Nervosa from Frasier?
Photo 3: Inside our room - view of the bar at the 5 Point Cafe
The attraction was larger than I imagined. Beverages and snacks were served on the observation decks. There was even an outdoor seating area. The elevators could transport at least 20 people at a time up to the observation decks. The lower observation deck can be a little dizzying at first, because the floor moves. It’s a slow movement but can catch you off guard at first. It’s also made of glass so you can look down towards the ground through the floor. From the lower observation deck you can walk up the stairs to the upper level. On our visit, the refreshment counter was open on the upper level, but the lower-level eatery was not.
When we got to the top of the Needle and looked out below, the windows were speckled with raindrops. Also, due to the rain we weren’t permitted outside. While my partner walked around the deck to see the city from all angles, I got comfortable in the one area and made a couple of water friends.
After the Space Needle we rode the Monorail to Westlake Station Core then walked over to Cherry Street Coffee House on Olive Street. Although it was lunch time, we ordered breakfast bagel sandwiches and coffee. It was kind of cool that the Westlake Station was in the mall. We didn’t stick around to explore but it is something I’d like to do if we return to Seattle. About 90 minutes later we hopped back on the monorail and rode it back to the Space Needle area where we went to the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP).
Unfortunately, we only had an hour to visit the MoPop museum. We didn’t even take any photos we were too busy dashing around trying to soak up as much as we could. Our visit was too brief. I was beginning to stress that we wouldn’t have enough time to check into the Silver Cloud hotel before the game. We got there just in time!
Click here to read about our time at T-Mobile Park: Let’s Go Mariners! – My Night at T-Mobile Park
Photo 1: our room at Silver Cloud Hotel - Seattle
Photo 2: Cafe Hagen - one of my sea creature friends at The Space Needle
Photo 3: Inside our room - in China Town near Hing Hay Park
Wistful Wednesday
We were a bit sad that our time in Seattle was at an end. But we still made one more stop as we headed out of town. We drove to China Town and stopped at Hing Hay Park and grabbed lunch at Fuji Bakery. The bakery doesn’t have seating; they have a walk-up window. Since this meant we’d be eating in the rental car we limited ourselves to small items that weren’t too messy. Shortly thereafter, we were on our way to Portland, Oregon!
Things I learned from experiencing this trip: Prices in Seattle are high. A gallon of gas was over $5. Meals were more expensive too even when in areas outside of Seattle.
Things I keep in mind when organizing a trip for myself: Leave something to go back for. I’d like to see the fish mongers toss fish at the waterfront. Visit Kerry Park, supposed to have great views. Dedicate time to spending at the Museum of Pop Culture.
Things I learned from writing this post: Seattle-Tacoma International airport isn’t in Seattle it’s about 12 miles away in a city called SeaTac (a blend of Seattle and Tacoma). The Space Needle upgraded their elevators and now can carry an impressive 48 people.
Some information, such as baseball game information and directions were sought by using ChatGPT and Perplexity. Brainstorming for blog titles too!
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