Seattle is such a fun city to explore, especially for a quick weekend getaway. Surrounded by mountains and water, you’ll find stunning views of the Pacific Northwest, plus a buzzing downtown filled with amazing shopping and even better food.

Where to Stay
You’ll find tons of hotel options within the downtown area, including the Ace Hotel, Thompson Seattle, or the Four Seasons for a full retreat. But if you’re doing a trip on a budget, I’d recommend Airbnb. There are so many great condos and apartments listed in the area, all within walking distance of Pike Place Market, shopping, and amazing dining.

Attractions
Pike Place Market is always at the top of my list while in Seattle. The year-round market sits on the waterfront and is filled with fresh produce, quirky shops, and the legendary fish market. You’ll see huge salmon being tossed around, fresh flowers lined down the whole market, basically the market of my dreams (although a little more packed). A few stops you won’t want to miss are: Beecher’s Handmade Cheese a downtown staple that sits right outside the market. Their world’s famous mac and cheese is a must try. Also, don’t leave without picking up one of Cinnamon Works gigantic cookies. They’re incredible, and vegan & gluten friendly too!

The shopping downtown Seattle is on point. All of my favorites stores within just a few blocks: Nordstrom, Sephora, Zara, Allsaints, Lush, Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Club Monaco, Eileen Fisher and more. Perfect for a quick spree, or you could make a whole day out of it!

Although we didn’t make it out this trip, if you’re an out-of-towner you must hit see the iconic Space Needle and Monorail. Take a ride up to see some of the greatest views in Seattle, and don’t miss the local dining and drinking spots nearby!

Food & Dining

Coffee, Breakfast
For the coffee lovers, you’ve got to make a stop at the original Starbucks, parked right outside Pike Place market. Even if you don’t end up grabbing a cup (lines can be pretty long), it’s totally fun to see the original design that hasn’t changed since 1971.

Currant Bistro located inside the Sound Hotel is also a fave, if you have a love for açaí bowls, this is the place for you. During our most recent visit I went for the City Bowl that ended up being the size of my face! They have a great selection of locally sourced ingredients for breakfast and lunch, plus a chic bar area too.

Dining, Cocktails
Honestly, there are tons of great dining spots in the city, it’s hard to go wrong. My recommendation would be to always go for seafood. Indulge in all the crab, shellfish and salmon! One of our favorites is Pike Place Chowder, famous for their award winning New England chowder. The lines are long but move fairly quickly, you won’t regret it.

If you want to take it up a notch I’d recommend Wasabi Sushi & Izakaya. They have a great selection of creative sushi (our spicy tuna rolls were amazing), fun drinks and I’m obsessed with their miso soup with clams, a must if you go! For cocktails, PennyRoyal was a great spot to end the night. It has a loung-y vibe with emerald green accents, black velvet booths and a fun selection of infused cocktails, I dig it! The Nest Rooftop Bar, although we didn’t make it this trip it came highly recommended for a summer’s evening. It’s located inside the Thompson Hotel, and I mean who doesn’t enjoy cocktails on a rooftop??

Overall, we had a fantastic stay in Seattle. Always so fun to wander around the Emerald City, already looking forward to future visits!