SleeplessLY Sightseeing Seattle
I planned a couple of short trips to dip my toe in this nomadic lifestyle, but when I sat down to plan my first stop on a one way ticket to full time wandering, a ticket to Seattle and a sojourn down the west coast was top on my list. I legitimately planned my new life around a sandwich, and I am not ashamed. Honestly, it’s really on brand for me.
After two months of checking the Trusted Housesitters listings, I finally found my kickoff: 3 weeks in Tacoma, Washington. I figured I could keep checking back for Seattle before or after, but worst case I could make a field trip out to Seattle to hit Salumi for my coveted charcuterie. I randomly found a perfect South Seattle job watching a sweet chocolate lab and some pot bellied pigs. I am not blind to the irony that I came here to eat pork and looking after pigs made it happen- but we’ll just say the swine called me to Seattle.
I think the Space Needle is the single most iconic Seattle destination, and it only took me three visits to finally go up. The gift shop downstairs is very clever, as is the museum/history of the tower you experience while walking up to the elevator to the top. I want to point out that The Space Needle, The Pacific Science Center (which is currently closed), Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, and (MoPop) are all clustered together and offer timed tickets. It’s a busy day, but it’s very doable.
The Seattle City Pass lets you see most of the city’s main attractions including the Aquarium, Zoo, and take a harbor cruise for $100, so it’s a really affordable way to hit the highlights. The pass and the timed tickets came in REALLY handy. I left myself a little too much time to see everything, but each attraction let me adjust my ticket and go in earlier upon request.
I had a really rainy crappy day for this sightseeing extravaganza. Despite the limited visibility and obscene amount of obnoxious photos being taken at the top, I’m glad I went. Seeing the Museum of Pop Culture and the Sound from the sky was something you don’t want to miss. There is also a REALLY bougie bar called the Loupe Lounge and sunset cocktail on the deck situation if you want a seriously luxe photo opp, but I’m ballin on a budget these days.
I am obsessed with Dale Chihuly’s exquisite glasswork. I think I’ve only spent more time and money traveling to see Kenny Chesney play over the years. I fell in love with Dale’s work after countless trips to ogle his ceiling at the Bellagio lobby while in Las Vegas for the ACMs. Luckily, business trips played a huge part in my ability to experience these amazing exhibits, but my friend Andrea and I always make it a point to make a pilgrimage every couple of years. I’ve managed to visit traveling exhibitions in Toronto, London, Asheville, Atlanta, New York City, and I couldn’t resist multiple visits to the two installations at Cheekwood in Nashville. Dale is from this area, so the permanent opportunities to see his work are plentiful. The Garden and Glass Museum in Seattle, the Bridge of Glass and Museum of Glass in Tacoma are an absolute must if you have any interest in his work. I am so bummed the Union Station exhibit is Covid Closed to the public, it was very high on my list for booking Tacoma.
Seattle’s display is so incredible because you get to see a botanical garden display, demonstrations from his team using a modified airstream as a hot shop, a huge collection of chandeliers, the largest flower and boat displays I’ve ever seen, and some of the the beautiful things Chihuly collects. I’m an avid collector of pretty and completely random things, and Dale has similar interests. You can see his stunning Pendleton blanket collection and his Native American Art collection inside the gallery itself, but you can see his more lighthearted hoarding in the non-ticketed Collections Cafe. I never stop to eat here, but I made it a point to go in and wander through the incredibly displayed assortments on both of my trips. A hundred accordions (which he doesn’t even know how to play) hang from the ceilings, dozens of radios and vintage cameras are mounted on the walls, and small trinket collections are under glass for each dining table. It’s really remarkable if you enjoy unique vignettes and beautiful pops of color.
The Museum of Pop Culture (MoPop) is heaven if you’re into music, gaming, movies, Gehry Architecture, or pop culture of any kind. On my last trip I saw fantastic visiting exhibits on Jim Henson, David Bowie, and Star Trek on top of the permanent exhibits on gaming, Fantasy/Science Fiction/ Horror movies, tons of musical exhibits. I hadn’t planned on going again this trip, but a Disney Heroes and Villains Costume exhibit caught my eye and I had to go. Please note this is an additional timed ticket to the MoPop ticket, but it was only $6 over my City Pass ticket. If you don’t have plans to visit Seattle, there is a lot of great virtual events you can register for tied to this collection. I was also really pleasantly surprised by the current Nirvana/Grunge and Pearl Jam exhibits. That’s not really my music scene, but I learned a lot wandering the halls.
Obviously you’ll want to go to Pike Place Market. I love the market so much, I can’t get enough. I am obsessed with fresh flowers, food, and filming locations and this place combines them all. It’s no wonder that I’ve been there 5 times with plans to go again.
The flower stalls are beautiful, plentiful, and cheap! There are SO many food vendors. Fresh fruit, pasta, cheese, the famous flying fish and other seafood, hand crafted local goods, and some world class restaurants are all inside the market. My favorite spots are actually across the street, but I’ll cover that in the food post.
The famed Gum Wall is in Post Alley behind the market. I always seem to catch it after a recent scraping because it’s never all that gummy when I go. It is pretty fun to go and watch people try to outdo each other with ridiculous photos, and I always get a giggle thinking about what Elf would do here. We couldn’t manage bubbles with my ever present Orbitz Sweetmint, but we had great time trying to get a family bubble photo.
A short walk from the Public Market is Pioneer Square, the historic original downtown Seattle. I took a really fun underground tour exploring the subterranean roots of this amazing city. I couldn’t find availability for the adult only tours that focus on the Red Light District, speakeasies, and seedy underbelly of old Seattle, but the tour touched on it enough that I got good feel for the craziness that used to happen here. I learned that the pretty colored glass in the sidewalks of Pioneer Square are old skylights for the underground establishments, and you’ll notice them all over this part of Seattle.
Pioneer Square is a really charming area to walk, full of beautiful murals, gorgeous architecture, delicious food, and unique stores. It’s the original skidrow- so there are a lot of tents and panhandling, I got followed for a couple blocks by a guy who kept shouting that self defense was legal- so just be careful. I came to Pioneer Square a lot since it was an easy light rail ride, and pretty central to what I wanted to see, do, and eat. Some of my favorite bites (including Salumi) are located in this neighborhood.
It’s always nice to just walk along the water in Seattle. Maybe you’ll want to ride the Great Wheel on Pier 52. pop into the Aquarium, or take a sunset cruise. The ferry terminal is right here, and you absolutely have to hop a $7 ride to Bainbridge Island. We also went to Vashon Island, and you can read about those adventures here.
The view from Kerry Park is spectacular and often used as an establishing shot for film and tv. If you’re lucky, Mount Rainier will be visible too. From one beautiful scenic overlook you can really appreciate everything Seattle has to offer, and there is a LOT to see here.
Seattle was on my travel bucket list for years after repeatedly watching Sleepless in Seattle, Ten Things I Hate About You, and Grey’s Anatomy. They are two of my absolute favorite films, and even though Grey’s really shoots in LA, the establishing shots made me yearn to see this beautiful coastal metropolis. I recently realized that the reason I love going to film locations when I’m on the road is that my love for film and travel are really deeply intertwined. When you’re watching something that spotlights all of the wonderful things to see and do in a destination, it inspires you to visit and experience it for yourself. I love to travel, I’m super nostalgic, and it’s important to me to see the highlight reel of each destination… and that almost always involves a location I’ve seen on a screen somewhere. You can count on me to find the main attractions and ferret out some favorite spots from the silver or small screen on every trip I take. It made my mom and I smile to surprise my sister with a quick trip to The Grey’s Anatomy Intern/Meredith’s House on our way to Kerry Park for sunset.
My first trip to Seattle was all about food and film locations. If you want Ten Things Sites: you’ll also want to see where they played a fake game of paintball at Gas Works Park and the Fremont Troll. You also need to run down to Tacoma to visit Stadium High School and the Stratford’s House. The bookstore and music store are long gone, sorry! For Sleepless in Seattle: The Pine Street Entrance (at the door for Inn at the Market) is where Rob Reiner checks to see if Tom Hanks has a cute butt. The scene where Rob Reiner somehow makes Tom Hanks believeTiramisu is something you do to a woman is one of my favorite parts of the film, and happens at The Athenian. I’ve still yet to eat there, but I pop in and take a peek whenever I’m in the market. There are even commemorative placards at their seats at the bar- though you can’t sit there at the moment due to covid. The now defunct Duck Boat Tour was the only way to see the Sleepless House Boat on Lake Union, it took us by the beautiful Gas Works Park, and gave us a broad overview of the things to see and do in Seattle. I loved it and had a wonderful time. Unfortunately the original went under after a deadly crash, but a new fleet is preparing to launch.
The establishing shots for Grey-Sloane Memorial Hospital is Komo Plaza, a TV station between the three biggest Seattle attractions (Space Needle, Chihuly, and MoPop.) If you want to see Meredith Grey’s/The Intern House, it is right around the corner from that great view in Kerry Park. All of the old victorians in the Queen Anne neighborhood are beautiful. It’s a really nice walk, even if you aren’t a film fan. Other inspirational residences to see in the area would be: the Edith Macefield house which inspired the movie Pixar movie, “Up.” Or The Escala of Fifty Shades/Christian Grey fame.
Fremont is another favorite neighborhood in Seattle. It’s right on the edge of Lake Union, feels like a college town, serves some major tech campuses, and you really can’t go wrong here. My family and I brought a little picnic (including these epic mango daiquiri capri sun’s from Fiasco down the street) to hang out in Gas Works Park. There was a random band playing funky reworked star wars songs, friends and families playing lawn games and stand up paddle boarding. There is plenty to see here, including an excellent view of Mount Rainier, the Seattle skyline, the Aurora Bridge (but you have to go up the street to see the famous troll.) There are tons of great food options, adorable boutiques, murals, sculptures, neon signs, and some quirky installations. They call it the “Center of the Universe” and you’ll love exploring here. Especially if you stop and try a few beers at Fremont Brewing.
I had such an amazing time in Seattle, and I am so grateful for my real family for coming and my host family for having me. I loved their home, their sweet pets (Nola the pup, Snickers & Petunia Pigs,) and spending time with Brittany and Tatiana while we overlapped. I am so thankful fo Trusted Housesitters for giving me this opportunity to work from a beautiful safe space, write, explore, and giggle with some new friends. People ask me all the time how I’m finding these sits. I’ve linked my referral code if you want to join the agency. House sitting for one or two nights will more than recoup the membership fee. It’s like Air BnB with built in friends (two and four legged.)
