Seattle Trip (1.5 Days)

Our Seattle trip was only 1.5 days, but we were able to pack a lot in a short time.

We arrived in the Emerald City by ferry after spending a week on Orcas Island. Then, we checked into our hotel, the Seattle Kimpton Monaco.

We’d reserved a tour at 3:30, Beneath the Streets Underground History Tour. On this tour, visitors explore sites above and below ground and learn about the intriguing history of subterranean Seattle. It is fascinating!

Next up, we took an Uber to the Center for Wooden Boats located on Union Lake. This organization focuses on wooden boats and their role in the area’s maritime history. They offer boat rentals, exhibits, and educational programs.

At dinnertime, we walked alongside Lake Union to Duke’s Seafood. We enjoyed chowder and pasta with a view.

Seattle Trip – Full Day

We started our full day in Seattle at Pikes Place Market with a visit to Storyville Coffee for a cup of joe and a cinnamon roll.

Then, we explored Pikes Place Market. Of course, we saw the famous flying fish. However, I was most surprised by how many vendors were selling beautiful cut flowers.

Pikes Place includes various types of vendors like jewelry, clothing, accessories, and of course, food. There are so many appealing food vendors that we decided to have a second breakfast at the Honest Biscuit.

No visit to Seattle is complete with a ride to the top of the Space Needle. So after breakfast #2, we took an Uber to this Seattle must-see. The views are spectacular!

Seattle has a short monorail built for the 1962 World’s Fair. The Monorail Station is steps away from the Space Needle.

We rode the monorail to West Lake Center and ate lunch nearby at Yard House.

After lunch, we returned to Union Lake for a 3:30 boat tour with Argosy Cruises. The 2 hour Locks Cruise departs from Union Lake, travels through the Hiram M. Crittenden Locks, and ends at Pier 54 on the Seattle waterfront. I loved this tour!

After the cruise, we walked down to Miners Landing at Pier 57. Here there are several restaurants and attractions.

We rode the Wings Over Washington attraction. If you’ve ever ridden Soarin’ at Disney, it’s similar.

We ended the day with dinner at the Fisherman’s Restaurant at Miners Landing.

While we certainly didn’t come close to seeing everything in Seattle, we had a great time and got to experience several excellent highlights.

Note: During our short time in downtown Seattle, we saw overt drug use (heroin) in tourist areas. We were never threatened, but we avoided walking at night and used Uber instead of public transportation. I share our experience, so you can research this situation before you visit and plan accordingly.