When traveling to Washington we usually fly into Seattle and use that as a home base to get a rental car or camper van, grab some groceries and stay at a hotel to clean up before heading back home.

With only a short amount of time to spend in the city we made sure to stay downtown so that we could walk around and see some of the most popular spots. We have stayed here twice now, once after our road trip through Olympic National Park, where we cleaned up and checked out a couple of spots before flying out early the next morning. The second time we got into Seattle in the evening, grabbed dinner and then breakfast the next morning before driving into the Cascade mountains.

Pike Place Market

One of the most iconic and popular places in Seattle, so you might as well be super touristy and go see what it’s all about. This place is bustling with people and traffic so be careful when you’re getting your photo for Instagram.

If you’re interested in attending the farmers market and seeing the fish being thrown, you’ll need to check their hours and come earlier in the day. We were here later in the evening so only a few markets were open. I would have loved to stroll the farmers market and buy some fresh flowers so, I’ll be sure to go back during the daytime one day.

Grab A Bite To Eat

There are so many good restaurants to choose from in Seattle. When looking for restaurants, I always do my research to find a good, quality meal and Local 360 Cafe & Bar completely surpassed our expectations. They focus on sustainable ingredients from local suppliers and only serve dishes that include foods that are in season and that are grown locally. The first visit, Kyle and I both ordered the steak which was their “special”. The second trip we came back because it was THAT GOOD and I ordered their short ribs which were phenomenal. I wish I could have grabbed a photo of the restaurant and what we ordered, but they only had candlelight so it was too dark. Another restaurant we want to go back and try is Carnivore.

On the way out of Seattle, heading towards the Cascade mountains, we stopped at Bulletproof Cafe for some breakfast and coffee. It’s walking distance to Whole Foods where we stocked up on groceries for our time at Tye Haus.

Take A Ferry Ride

Our first trip to Washington, we visited Olympic National Park and on our way back, instead of driving around and into Seattle, we tried out taking the ferry so we could the the experience and see some great views of the city. It was a Sunday afternoon and between waiting in line and the ferry ride over, it took almost three hours. If this is something you want to do, you’ll definitely need to make sure you schedule enough time.

Kerry Park

For a spectacular view of Seattle then head to Kerry Park where you’ll see the skyline, the space needle, and watch the ferries cross the bay. It is a little bit of an uphill hike but it’s picture perfect at the end.

Rattlesnake Ledge

About an hour outside of Seattle is a popular hike called Rattlesnake Ledge. It is a fairly moderate hike and only a couple miles.