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Sleepless in Seattle(because we brought the kids)

The most fun things we did with our kids

Many years ago we had planned a family vacation to the Pacific North West mainly because as a child through young adulthood where any traveling adventures took me, it was never to that region of the country. When I first watched the movie Sleepless in Seattle, I fell in love with the idea of Seattle. I watched that movie so many times, friends and family made fun of me.  It became very clear that after being quarantined this past year our family made a pact that our first summer trip would be finally getting to Seattle.

Take Flight

Post COVD travel with children is a bit different. It’s not that you still don’t need to arrive early, have snacks in the bags and all the other little tricks of the trade. You just need to bring a lot more patience and expect everything you may or may not have taught your kids about traveling is a bit out the window. My biggest take away… have tons of extra masks only you know where they are so when they magically are gone like the extra sock from the dryer, you are prepared. I am very much looking forward to the mask mandate being lifted at airports.

Arriving, driving and getting to our hotel

We decided to Uber XL, we are a large family and need all the seats we can get. Our driver was wonderful and the masks were optional if you were vaccinated and for small kids.  It didn’t feel a lick different other than that and the drive from the airport to our hotel was perfectly splendid. We stayed at a hotel in the Pikes Market area. There are so many wonderful hotels we decided to not plug the one we stayed at. We picked a hotel close to the action. We wanted to be close to the main attractions we were planning on seeing. We didn’t want to rent a car, and we wanted to be close to snack shops and a Target just in case someone forgot something or we needed something we didn’t know we needed.

All the places we went

Pikes Place Market Place

The smell of the flower markets and fresh lavender had us quoting, You had us at Hello. It’s truly a feast for the senses, with plenty to entice tots and teens. Encounter myriad delectable food options, quirky street performers, Instagram-worthy views, and unique sites for kids to discover in the nine-acre historic district. We almost missed the fish being thrown around by the guys at Pikes Place Fish Company. So thankfully the kids had something to tell their friends back home about flying fish.

The Gum Wall

Okay I don’t get it but it’s one of the most Instagram photo places in the US.  We would have never knew about it if a friend of mine who lived there said to us to make sure to bring the kids to The Gum Wall. The story is around 1993 when patrons Seattle stuck gum to the wall and placed coins in the gum blobs. Theater workers scraped the gum away twice, but eventually gave up after market officials deemed the gum wall a tourist attraction around 1999. Some people created small works of art out of gum.  

Seattle Aquarium

Our daughter loved the aquarium so much. They have a live touching tide pool with sea life  that included sea anemones and sunflower sea star. We finally to drag her away from it to see the rest of the aquarium. The entire family loved the awesome octopus and cute sleeping cute sea otters that looked like those posters you would put on your bedroom wall after a scholastic book fair.  We experienced native Washington marine life.  Also, three times a day, divers take to the waters wearing specialized masks that allow them to interact with and answer questions from the audience.

Seattle Great Wheel

On the recommendation of a friend they said to do this at night in order to get the spectacular city night lights. I would also now recommend this if asked. Built in 2012, the 175 foot tall, 170,000 pound Ferris wheel sits on Seattle's waterfront over the Puget Sound on pier 57 near the Pike Place Market and Seattle Aquarium. The wheel is the only one of its kind to be built over water. The wheel also includes one special reservation gondola with glass floors for the ultimate viewing experience.

The Space Needle

I’ve been hearing about the Space Needle and World Fair from my grandfather since I was a little girl. At this point I felt like I had already been there. We went in the late afternoon to evening and closed the place down we enjoyed it so much.  We got to experience  on the evening night on the 4th of July with fireworks as well as a proposal to wed on the observatory deck. The Space Needle is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world and is a treasured Seattle icon. Our Family couldn’t’ agree more. The tower’s 520’ saucer-shaped “top house” offers visitors Seattle’s only 360-degree indoor and outdoor panoramic views of downtown, Mount Rainier, Puget Sound, and the Cascades and Olympic mountain ranges. Our kids could not stop talking about getting to be rotated around and around looking down on beautiful Seattle.

Bainbridge Island

Let’s start with this can be a lovely trip all on its own, and as a family we feel like the one day excursion to the island was not enough time. We have this on our list of places to return and stay longer. Bainbridge Island is a quick ferry ride from the middle of downtown Seattle, but it feels a world away with it’s charming shops, beautiful gardens, forests and beaches and history and culture. Add to that some delicious food, local wine and craft beer and spirits and you really can find it all here.

City Tour by Electric Scooters

The kids were all about taking electric scooters to go all over town. The only thing we found difficult about this was finding enough of them in one spot of the city for all of us. But once we did, this was a blast.  We used the Scooters to go to Pioneer Square, China Town, the Seattle Art Museum, recommend breweries, hot shopping spots, the original Starbucks and motor around the piers. They can be a bit pricey but a fun way to get around town and stop at a lot of places to learn the city.  WE HIGHLY recommend this as a different way to be a tourist in a big city. Highlight is once you are done, you leave it. No need to bring it back to a location. I enjoyed this a so much and I wasn’t expecting it to be so much fun.

The End

By far this was one of our favorite trips. Even in the strange traveling times we are all experiencing, it felt mostly normal, and the kids had so much to do and see. It was a perfect place with mid 80’s weather to get into a Summer Vacation Vibe. There is so much do for everyone’s tastes and interests. We absolutely did not get to everything on our list which is a great thing for us. Because the whole family agrees we didn’t get much sleep in Seattle but we can’t wait to return to the Pacific Northwest for more family adventures.

Noteworthy Eateries We Loved 

1. Cafe Campagne: located at 1600 Post Alley was a perfect place to enjoy amazing an amazing brunch before heading to market. The Les Croques Madame and Ouefs Brouilles dish are not to be missed

2. Jade Garden: in the heart of Chinatown and a local favorite will make your visit worth it. Expect a wait but well worth it for this Popular, lively spot for dim sum at budget prices in a no-frills Chinese spot that's open late.

3. Mora Ice Cream: after  a scenic ferry ride from Seattle, to Bainbridge Island, we couldn’t be more excited about this ice cream in small batches using fresh milk, real eggs and cane sugar. We walked around the shops and sites and enjoyed eating our ice cream with the sea breeze in our hair. 

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