Seattle Bound: Sol Travel Diaries

In early March, I visited Seattle for the first time. I spent a long weekend with my family in the chilly city, and I absolutely enjoyed it. We stayed in a gorgeous home in the Leschi neighborhood of Seattle. This house was complete goals. From the basement to the master bedroom, everything was perfectly decorated.

 

Pike Place

We didn’t spend too much time in that neighborhood, however. Right after we landed, our first stop was the iconic Pike Place. It was so busy! The amount of people who actually go there for their groceries is amazing. You would think that it was just a tourist trap, but no. There were so many people. They couldn’t all be tourists.

Wandering the hallways and looking at all the knick knacks, flowers, and groceries was so much fun. Eating all of the samples made it better, and the smell of fresh seafood made me ready for dinner. As we wandered around, my mom bought us some amazing loaves of bread that we indulged in for breakfast and dinner the next couple of days. But of course I couldn’t leave Pike Place without seeing the fish throwing.

My nephew absolutely loved this! We even went back a second day The second time around, I could not leave without visiting the original Starbucks. It was bigger than I expected, but too small to contend with the line of people. There wasn’t even a place for people to sit and enjoy their drinks. The feel of the original location was much more rustic. The color scheme was more monotone, and the mugs and trinkets you can typically buy at a Starbucks were geared towards the company’s founding. Naturally, I left with a new mug.

The Space Needle

On that second day, our first stop was the Space Needle. Naturally, it started to rain as soon as we got there. Luckily, though, it wasn’t too windy, which made being at the very top a bit more manageable. The views of the city were wonderful, and even though the inside was in a mid-renovation state, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

The Gum Wall

This was the most disgusting, amazing thing! I had heard about the infamous Gum Wall for years. I always thought it was just that– a wall. It was, in fact, an entire alleyway. The brick walls were completely draped in chewed up gum of varying colors. People had even written out letters, words, and other messages with the gum they had placed on the wall.

There was a good amount of people there taking pictures and making their contributions. The Gum Wall is an iconic location to visit when in Seattle. It’s right underneath Pike Place, which makes it easy to visit two places in one trip.

For a trifecta, there is a great coffee shop in the same alleyway as the Gum Wall. Ghost Alley Espresso is a very small cafe. There isn’t much room to sit, but if you’re at the Gum Wall, you don’t want to sit anyway. They have an equally succinct menu, which is always a good sign. If you’re thinking about adding to the Wall, but forgot to bring gum, Ghost Alley Espresso has got you covered. There’s a jar on the counter filled with pink bubble gum.

The Ferry and Poulsbo

Poulsbo, Washington is a small town with deep roots in Norwegian culture. From the architecture of their downtown to the food in some of the shops, you can’t escape the history. The tourist information center had a fantastic museum attached to it, where you could learn the history of the town. The woman who ran it has also lived there her entire life and was able to bring the pictures on the walls to life. In speaking with her, she couldn’t quite pinpoint why so many Norwegian people were originally drawn to town, but guessed it probably had something to do with the weather.

In order to get to Poulsbo from Seattle, my family and I hopped on a ferry and drove across Bainbridge Island and over a bridge. It was a little journey, but so beautiful.

Taking the ferry was such an experience. We arrived there early, so we had to wait about twenty minutes in a parking lot filled with others in their cars doing the same. Once on board, we left the car to sit inside, grab a snack, and enjoy the view.

If you make it Poulsbo, I highly recommend going to Sluy’s Bakery. It’s in downtown, so you can’t miss it. They specialize in individual pastries, and as you walk up, the window display will make you instantly hungry. At the time, I was trying to not veer too far from my personal trainer – prescribed diet, so I went with the old fashioned doughnut. My sweet tooth was still in heaven.

There’s nowhere to sit in Sluy’s Bakery, so my family and I went across the street to Hot Shot’s, a cute cafe with a little bit of everything that serves its coffee with a chocolate covered espresso bean. We all grabbed our warm drinks, ate our pastries from Sluy’s, and relaxed. It was so good.

I enjoyed my time in Seattle, and I can’t wait to go back. Have you been? Is there a place in the city that I’d have to visit the next time I’m there?

Happy travels,

TheWritingSol