West Coast US

Sisters weekend in Seattle

Diana

You may recall that I spent part of spring break last year in Los Angeles with my sister to celebrate her birthday. We had a great time together; nonetheless, this wasn’t meant to become an annual occurrence.

But then, a few months back, my sister mentioned that her favorite band would be performing in Seattle on her birthday. I jokingly asked if she was planning to go, and though her initial answer was “I don’t know, probably not,” three days later we found ourselves buying concert tickets and booking flights and a hotel for a long weekend in Seattle.

March is not necessarily the ideal time for visiting the Pacific Northwest, and we knew we were in for a soggy few days. But that didn’t deter us; we simply packed our raincoats and some extra socks and shoes, and braced ourselves for the wet weather. And though we did get rained on, we also got a little bit of sunshine, which was a pleasant surprise.

We arrived late on a Thursday evening and caught the train from the airport up to our hotel in Seattle Center. Because it was late when we arrived, we didn’t realize until morning that we had a view of the Space Needle from our balcony.

(We also had a view of the hotel parking lot, and one evening we watched well over a dozen people completely fail at parking. Granted, the spaces were a bit narrow, but I’ve never seen so many people be unable to maneuver their car into a parking spot. It was, frankly, embarrassing.)

After heading across the street to the grocery store to grab some food for the weekend – and nearly falling down the most poorly designed set of stairs I think I’ve ever seen – we caught the bus into downtown Seattle to do some exploring.

Like… who thought this was a good idea?

Having gone to college in Washington, I’d been to Seattle many times before. However, it was my sister’s first trip, so she was excited to do some of the touristy things and just experience the city. It had been more than ten years since my last visit, so I enjoyed the chance to re-experience some of these places, and to visit a few new ones as well.

Getting around

For this trip we opted not to rent a car, and I stand by that decision. I’ve driven in and around Seattle before and it’s not exactly a fun experience. There’s constant traffic, the downtown area is full of one-way streets, and let’s not forget that the entire city is on a hill. I once drove a stick shift through downtown Seattle and it was one of the most stressful experiences of my life.

Compared to where we both live (Denver and Los Angeles), Seattle public transit is substantially better, and we had no trouble getting around. Between the light rail, the monorail, and an extensive bus system, there was just really no need to have a car. Though the frequency of buses was lower on the weekend, we were able to get everywhere we needed to go and only once did we have to wait more than about 10-15 minutes. We never had to worry about parking, and we never felt unsafe.

(While it’s true that Seattle has a pretty severe homeless problem – one that seems to have gotten much worse in the last few years – we didn’t have any issues. Everyone we saw was minding their own business and not causing any problems.)

Pike Place Market

Obviously, no trip to Seattle is complete without a visit to Pike Place Market. Pike Place was founded in 1907 and is one of the oldest continuously-operating public markets in the US, catering to tourists and locals alike and selling everything from fresh fish to artisanal foods to arts and crafts. There are also restaurants and multiple book stores, and many stalls offer free samples of their products. The market spans several city blocks along the waterfront, with some nice views of the Puget Sound.

Don’t forget to wander through Post Alley, AKA the famous (and yes, when you really stop to think about it, gross) gum wall.

Post Alley

And, of course, no visit to Pike Place is complete without swinging by the world’s first Starbucks!

(Truth be told, it’s no different than any other Starbucks in terms of beverage offerings or quality. Starbucks is Starbucks. However, this location retains the original logo and interior décor. Plus, you get a free drink on your birthday, and my sister was very excited to get hers from here!)

Seattle Center

Seattle Center is an arts and entertainment district located a few miles north of downtown. It was built for the 1962 World’s Fair and is most famous for the Space Needle, but there are also various museums, entertainment venues, and outdoor spaces.

Seattle Center

We spent quite a bit of our time here, as the concert was at Climate Pledge Arena and we wanted to visit a couple of the museums.

Scenes from the Fall Out Boy concert

While we only went into the gift shop of the Space Needle this time around, I visited Seattle on a high school trip and went up to the top. At the time, I’d spent very little time in big cities and I’d certainly never done anything like this, so it was a very exciting experience. As an adult, I don’t really feel the need to repeat it, and my sister didn’t feel like paying for it either.

View from the top of the Space Needle (taken in 2005)

Pacific Science Center

We spent about three hours one morning at the Pacific Science Center, wandering through exhibits on dinosaurs, the solar system, and the brain. We also walked through the butterfly garden and wandered around the small outdoor exhibit area.

Admission for us was free thanks to my Denver museum membership and their participation in the ASTC Passport Program, and I’m glad this was the case because I’m not sure I feel this was worth the $31/person cost of admission. I’ve definitely been to larger and more comprehensive science museums.

Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP)

That same afternoon, we visited the Museum of Pop Culture, formerly known as the Experience Music Project (EMP). Admission to this museum is also pretty pricey, but my sister’s friend gave her a gift card as a birthday present that covered most of the cost for both of us!

MoPOP

There was an exhibit on video games that we didn’t really spend much time in because all of the interactive stations were in use. There was also a sci-fi exhibit that my sister, a lifelong enthusiast of the genre, enjoyed immensely. But my favorite part was the musical section, including the interactive portions where you could try your hand at guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, and music technology.

Trying our hand at guitar pedals
Horrifyingly lifelike severed heads from The Walking Dead
Captain Picard
Collection of sci-fi weaponry

Bainbridge Island

One thing my sister really wanted to do during our visit was take a ferry out to one of the islands. Due to its low cost and easy of accessibility, we settled on Bainbridge Island. We caught the ferry from the Seattle Ferry Terminal for the 35 minute ride out to the island. It was too cold to spend much time out on the deck, but even from inside, the views of the city were pretty good.

Boarding the Suquamish for Bainbridge Island
Looking toward Bainbridge Island

Once we were on Bainbridge Island, though, our options were pretty limited. Without a car, there’s really no way to venture beyond the waterfront area. Which was fine, because the weather was supposed to deteriorate that afternoon and we were tired after being out late the night before. Still, I think someday I might enjoy returning to the island with a car and heading out to some of the more distant parks or other attractions.

I wasn’t expecting to see flowers in early March, but these lovely pink trees and some unexpected sunshine welcomed us to the island

But even on foot, we were able to visit a few shops, walk along the shore, and pop into the small (and free!) Bainbridge Island Museum of Art and Bainbridge History Museum.

A retort – which is an airtight container – from a former creosote plant, on display outside the history museum
Bainbridge Island Museum of Art
My wrists were too injured at this point to do any handstands, so here’s a stacked rock handstand instead
Waterfront path

Food and Drink

Since this was my sister’s birthday trip, I let her mostly take the reins in putting together our itinerary. My only request was a meal at Dick’s. This drive-in burger joint has been a Seattle staple since 1954. Currently, there are nine locations throughout the city, only one of which is not a drive-in. Their menu is simple and limited and has changed very little during its 70 years of operation.

When I was in college, we stopped at Dick’s after many track meets for burgers, fries, and milkshakes before heading back to campus. Thirteen years later, it tasted just like I remembered. The location nearest Seattle Center is the one that’s not a drive-in, so we were able to sit indoors and eat our meal, a nice escape from the rain. They have no non-meat burger options, and my sister is a vegetarian, but she was more than happy to share my fries and milkshake while I enjoyed my burger and basked in the nostalgia.

As previously mentioned, we ordered drinks at the first Starbucks. And we popped into a local non-Starbucks coffee shop one afternoon to meet up with my high school friend who now lives in Seattle. But since our hotel room was a suite with a kitchen, we prepared quite a few of our meals there, so I really don’t have a lot of insight into the Seattle food and beverage scene. If you like coffee or seafood, though, you’ve certainly come to the right place.

Lavender latte from Café Hagen

Our flights home weren’t until Sunday evening, which gave us the entire morning and afternoon to finish our itinerary before hopping on the train back to the airport. I landed in Denver around 11:30pm, knowing that work the next day was going to be rough after such a whirlwind trip and the late-night arrival. But I figured I could power through and then go to bed nice and early and be back to normal by Tuesday.

What I did not expect is that my trip would end like this.

Not pictured: me stranded on the side of the highway at 12:30am, alone, in 25°F weather, waiting for the tow truck.

Needless to say, Monday was a massive struggle. Tuesday wasn’t much better. It was a very unfortunate ending to what was otherwise a great weekend.

Published by Diana

Hiking, road-tripping, and handstanding my way around the US (currently) and the world (hopefully in the not-so-distant post-COVID future… if such a thing exists)

44 thoughts on “Sisters weekend in Seattle”

  1. Glad you and Caryn got to spend the time together. I wish your mom and I had lived closer together when we were younger. After visiting with her once in Montana and then here in Texas I wish I would have had the time and money to stay closer.

    Uncle Rick

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  3. Thank you for sharing your impressions of your fun weekend with your sister, Diana. Your great photos brought back nice memories of Seattle. It’s been many years since I visited and I didn’t explore as many destinations as you did. All the more reason to return there one of these days.

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  4. Aw looks like a great trip and another fun time with your sister! I particularly love the look of MoPop, I’d be fangirling over the Captain Picard uniform as a Star Trek fan 🙂 That is such a shame about your car, work really must have been horrific the next day and Tuesday (and probably all week). I’m just glad you were safe!

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  5. How fun to take a spontaneous trip to Seattle to celebrate your sister’s birthday. We were in Seattle last year and I second that about traffic being awful. That gum wall still skeeves me out. Your visit to Bainbridge Island looks lovely. That really sucks about your car, especially when all you want to do is get home at that point.

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    1. It was the worst, I was so ready to be home (and Pat would have much rather been sleeping than driving way out to the airport to get me… you guys know now how long that drive is!).

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  6. Oh that’s a terrible way to end such a great trip! I have never been to Seattle but always wanted to go. I love the MoPop and the Public Market. But the gum alley…I just don’t understand why that’s a thing. When I visited California a few years ago we went to a gun alley like that. It had a street sign and was listed as one of the top tourist attractions in the area. So gross but weirdly interesting that it is such a big thing.

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    1. Yeah, I have no idea how the gum wall got started. I suppose like so many other things, where one person does it and then another and suddenly it’s a whole thing. I think it’s one of those things people feel like they just have to see because it’s so bizarre.

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  7. Bad ending! It’s been decades since I’ve been in the city of Seattle (I’ve skirted it by car). Looks like a great weekend with your sister; you really might have to make this an annual thing!

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  8. Thanks for a wonderful tour of Seattle. Sister trips are always fun. Before my sister and I started families, we would go on a trip at least once a year. Sorry to hear your trip did not end as planned. Seeing a tow truck has a way of putting a damper on things.

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  9. Seattle is one of my favorite cities in the US! I went in the summer several years ago, and even then the weather was mostly overcast (bar a few sunnier days). The Space Needle and Pike Place were great, but the highlight was the Chihuly Garden and Glass. I didn’t make it over to Bainbridge last time, but I hope to upon a return visit! A shame you had a not-so-stellar welcome back post-trip, but at least you had a fun time with your sister in Seattle! Thanks for sharing, Diana 🙂

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  10. As I don’t know Seattle, I’m enjoying seeing the main sights, it’s one of the US cities I’m curious about and would like to visit one day. No luck with the car, the breakdown service came in very handy in such cases.

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  11. I had a great time when I was in Seattle several years ago and did most of the same things you did. We took a ferry to San Juan Island instead, though. There are so many islands there I’m sure you can’t go wrong with any of them. That really sucks about your car. I hope everything is ok now.

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    1. There are so many islands! I went out to Blake Island during my high school trip and it was very different from Bainbridge. It seems like each island is its own experience. What did you do on San Juan Island?

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      1. I went whale watching and we saw so many whales it was incredible! We also went to a lavender field and walked around and sampled lavender products including lemonade and teas made with lavender. We walked around the whole island, saw the lighthouse, went to the state park. We stayed in the Friday Harbour area in an Airbnb with a field where I would watch the deer graze every morning.

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  12. What a fun trip to take with your sister! I recently learned that NYC gets more rain than Seattle, I couldn’t believe it, expect this past year seems to rain every weekend. I’ve always wanted to visit Seattle, especially Pike Place Market. That is such an unexpected bummer to have had car troubles to end your trip, especially so late at night.

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    1. You know, I wouldn’t necessarily have expected that NYC gets more rain, but it does kind of make more sense, because in Seattle it’s often more gloomy or drizzly than rainy. It can drizzle all day, but the actual amount of water that lands on the ground is very small.

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  13. Going on a trip with a sister is heaps of fun and much cheaper then any therapy! My friend just came back from a trip to Seattle, and she was literally raving about it! Given that the Emerald City offers a full-on city with skyscrapers and must-see landmarks sandwiched between cascade mountains, lakes and the glory of the Pacific Northwest, and now seeing your photos, I can see where she was coming from. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

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  14. I love that you found a substitute hand-stander and got an unexpected view of the Space Needle. I once paid top dollar for a basic hotel room in Moab where I got a ground level view of a parking lot but no iconic tall structure to distract me (nor any bad parking to entertain me). I did my first petsit in Seattle a few years ago, and though I’d been before, like you, it had been many years. I (re-)saw many of the same things that you did. Was there still a Prince exhibit at MoPOP? And oh no about your car! It doesn’t look dented, so I’m guessing it just conked out??

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    1. There was not a Prince exhibit anymore, I think the temporary one was the guitar exhibit. Or no wait… there was a small one on a specific musician, I think, but I can’t remember who. Someone from before my time.

      And nope, not a car crash, just decided to stop working. Thankfully the part (which had been replaced recently and turned out to be faulty) was under warranty so I didn’t have to pay for the repair.

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  15. Pretty great weather for Seattle at any time of year let alone March. You managed to do and see a lot. It must have been nice to share it with your sister. That gum wall is even grosser this many years later. Whoever thought that would be a good idea. It has been about 23 years since we were last in Seattle. Happy Wednesday Diana. Allan

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    1. Yeah, we really did get lucky with the weather. The cold was the worst part. I have no idea how that gum wall started, but I don’t imagine it will ever go away now. I certainly wouldn’t want the job of removing all of it.

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  17. I’m so glad you enjoyed your visit to my hometown, but sorry to hear that your trip ended with you stranded. It looks like you hit the highlights and covered a lot of ground while there. Oh, regarding those funky stairs – tripping hazards like that are all over Europe! We see them daily.

    Did you happen to go to WSU? I know they have an excellent nutrition program. I went to CWU in Ellensburg, many years ago. Lovely post Diana!

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    1. Oh really? I guess I’d be falling down a lot of stairs if I lived in Europe 😂

      I actually went to WWU, which doesn’t have a nutrition program – but I didn’t know that’s what I wanted to do at the time, so it didn’t really matter. Cool that you went to CWU! I had many a track & field meet there.

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  19. You did the Northwest proud with your post (typical of a UW grad) and I’m sorry that you didn’t get to Portland. But at least you got to Dick’s which was worth the trip, just itself.

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  20. I’ve never been to Seattle, and really don’t know much about it. The ferry ride to the island looks like a great trip and the butterfly garden would be on the list for me. The car on a tow truck doesn’t look good though, what an awful way to end a great sister weekend! Maggie

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    1. Yeah, not a great ending, but an enjoyable rest of the weekend. I have a feeling you guys would enjoy a day in Seattle, followed by some hikes in the Cascade Mountains (which are so so stunning)!

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