Seattle

Starting strong, Seattle is chock full of delicious food. I am particularly biased towards seafood and Asian cuisines, and Seattle is stellar on both fronts. Some delicious seafood options are Local Tide in Fremont, The Walrus and the Carpenter in Ballard, and Chinook’s at Salmon Bay over in Magnolia (where we spent the past month!).

Seattle has rich Asian history, so of course it knocks Asian cuisine out of the park. On the Japanese front, Capitol Hill has an abundance of ramen. Our favorite is the Hybrid Tsukemen at Menya Musashi. We’ve also had delicious poke bowls Fremont Bowl. If it’s in your budget or you’re celebrating a special occasion, enjoy a delicious omakase experience at Sushi Suzuki.

My favorite thing about Lumen Field is its proximity to Seattle’s Chinatown! I quite enjoy the ube latte at Hood Famous Cafe + Bar, as well as the dumplings at Dough Zone Dumpling House. If you're looking for a quick snack before the race, Uwajimaya Asian Market has so many takeaway options (get the spicy salmon onigiri)!

We’ve also eaten at some great Italian spots. We keep returning back to San Fermo, a cozy Italian spot tucked in a cute little house right in the middle of Ballard. If you’re in the mood for pizza, check out the popular Cornelly’s in Capitol Hill, but go early to avoid a line.

If you’ve saved room for dessert, I’ve noticed an abundance of ice cream spots across Seattle. I’ve seen particularly high praise for Frankie and Jos and Molly Moon’s.

PNW is a classic for beer... a lot of the hops used by breweries across the nation come from the Yakima area just across the Cascades. The result? Lot's of great breweries spread throughout the Seattle area.

Our favorite neighborhood for beer is Ballard: so many great breweries all within walking distance. Our favorite for luscious IPAs is Cloudburst, but you you can't go wrong with any in the neighborhood: Rueben's, Stoup, Urban Family, and Bale Breaker just to name a few. If you like beer, get yourself out to Ballard!

Ballard isn't the only area for beers... South Seattle is much more industrial and is home to some large breweries: Elysian, Georgetown, and another Great Notion. Even downtown has some areas, with an Elysian tap room right near the stadium and Cloudbursts original location.

Overall, Seattle (and the PNW generally) is a must-visit for beer lovers! The beer itself might not live up to the best of Cali or New England, but the variety and sheer number of breweries makes up for that.

We’ve spent the past month in Seattle and have enjoyed every weekend yet. Here are some of our favorite ways to pass the time:

Hockey

Catch a Kraken game if you can! Climate Pledge Arena is a beautiful arena and has some nice touches, especially the "opening ceremony" of the game.

Parks

You'll find lush parks scattered all throughout the city. I love how easily accessible a little dip into nature is here. This past trip, I enjoyed running through the trails in Discovery Parks, the paths of Seward Park, and around Green Lake. It's likely a little too chilly / wet to venture out into the national parks or mountains near Seattle, but could be nice to drive through!

Farmers Markets

One of my favorite weekend activities is strolling through a farmers market. The Ballard Farmers Market on Sunday morning is lovely, albeit busy in the afternoon.

The general vibe of Seattle in early spring is ... an awakening city. The cherry blossom and magnolia trees are blooming, birds are singing in the mornings, and people are generally out and about on the town. It’s busy, but not bustling or overwhelming. My only semi-gripe is the generally overcast and rainy vibes of PNW winter and spring, but the greenery and florals brighten things up. Besides, a drizzly afternoon is the perfect time to duck into one of Seattle’s many coffee shops.