Seattle, a city in the northwest corner of mainland United States, is a seaport city well-known for being the headquarters of Boeing. The city didn’t leave me with particularly strong impressions, either positive or negative, during my two-week stay. However, it did offer a variety of attractions and experiences that were worth exploring.
Within Seattle, there are several must-see spots, and two full days should be enough to get an overview of the city.
Chinatown
My first stop was Chinatown. While my visit was partly because I’m Chinese, the highly-rated Asian restaurants were the main attraction. Hong Kong Bistro quickly became one of our favorite Dim Sum restaurants, and we ordered from there multiple times. A+ Hong Kong Kitchen is another Cantonese restaurant that offers a more down-to-earth experience. The curry fish balls and the pineapple buns were particularly delicious. Chengdu Memory, a hotpot place, was the best I’ve ever had outside of China. My husband loved the service, but I was captivated by the taste.
After my additional visits to Seattle, I’ve discovered even more great dining spots. For a complete list of restaurants worth checking out, head over to my Foodie Map.
Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market is a famous fish market, but it also has various other shops. The street is lined with snack shops, seafood markets, fruit stands, and handmade goods. I left more than full, so be sure to save some space in your stomach before visiting. If you go down to the platform, you can enjoy a sea view and see the snow-capped mountains in the distance, which I bet are in Canada. The gum wall is right next to the market, but I couldn’t really appreciate this “art.”
Kerry Park
Kerry Park is not just a small park, its natural hill and ideal distance from downtown make it the best place to enjoy the Seattle skyline. On a clear day, you can see the downtown skyscrapers with Mt. Rainier in the background. I timed my visit to capture the skyline during the blue hour.
Lake Washington
Lake Washington is a large lake within the city. One weekend, my husband and I went biking along the path next to the lake. It was a long but awesome trip. Part of the route offers views of the city across the lake, and on the city side, there are many cute houses. Seeing those, I couldn’t help but imagine how wonderful it would be to own one!
Bainbridge Island
On one of my visits, a friend who had a car brought me to Bainbridge Island. You need to take a ferry to get there, and the island is pretty big and really nice to drive around. The scenery I saw there was unlike anything I’d seen anywhere else in the US – I can’t really describe the feeling. The windy coast with those views reminded me of the east coast, maybe around Newfoundland in Canada.
At one point on the island, you can see the skyline of Seattle from across the water. It’s a completely different experience from seeing the skyline from Kerry Park – something about viewing the city from the island gives you a whole other perspective.
Other Noteworthy Spots
There are also many other landmarks worth visiting. The Space Needle is a symbol of Seattle and features in many TV shows and movies. You can enjoy a meal while taking in the city from above. The Spheres, part of Amazon’s headquarters, is an indoor garden also open to the public. Unfortunately, we arrived too late, so it was closed. Seattle is also home to Boeing, and the Museum of Flight offers a lot on aviation history. It’s a bit far from the city, which is why we didn’t visit, but it’s accessible via fast trains and buses.
There are also many isolated landmarks and recommended places worth visiting. The Space Needle is a symbol of Seattle and features in many TV shows and movies. You can enjoy a meal while enjoying the city from above. The Spheres, part of Amazon’s headquarters, is an indoor garden also open to the public. Unfortunately, we arrived too late, so it was closed. Seattle is also home to Boeing, and the Museum of Flight offers an extensive exploration of aviation history. It’s a bit far from the city, which is why we didn’t visit, but it’s accessible via fast trains and buses.
I wouldn’t say I definitely love the city because we accidentally walked through a shady area that made me feel quite frightened. However, there are nice places to visit and good restaurants where you can find great food for sure. The more time I’ve spent in Seattle, the more I’ve appreciated what it has to offer – especially the food and those unexpected discoveries like Bainbridge Island.
Seattle’s Best: Parks, Markets, and Scenic Views
Seattle, a city in the northwest corner of mainland United States, is a seaport city well-known for being the headquarters of Boeing. The city didn’t leave me with particularly strong impressions, either positive or negative, during my two-week stay. However, it did offer a variety of attractions and experiences that were worth exploring.
Within Seattle, there are several must-see spots, and two full days should be enough to get an overview of the city.
Chinatown
My first stop was Chinatown. While my visit was partly because I’m Chinese, the highly-rated Asian restaurants were the main attraction. Hong Kong Bistro quickly became one of our favorite Dim Sum restaurants, and we ordered from there multiple times.
A+ Hong Kong Kitchen is another Cantonese restaurant that offers a more down-to-earth experience. The curry fish balls and the pineapple buns were particularly delicious.
Chengdu Memory, a hotpot place, was the best I’ve ever had outside of China. My husband loved the service, but I was captivated by the taste.
After my additional visits to Seattle, I’ve discovered even more great dining spots. For a complete list of restaurants worth checking out, head over to my Foodie Map.
Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market is a famous fish market, but it also has various other shops. The street is lined with snack shops, seafood markets, fruit stands, and handmade goods. I left more than full, so be sure to save some space in your stomach before visiting. If you go down to the platform, you can enjoy a sea view and see the snow-capped mountains in the distance, which I bet are in Canada.
The gum wall is right next to the market, but I couldn’t really appreciate this “art.”
Kerry Park
Kerry Park is not just a small park, its natural hill and ideal distance from downtown make it the best place to enjoy the Seattle skyline. On a clear day, you can see the downtown skyscrapers with Mt. Rainier in the background. I timed my visit to capture the skyline during the blue hour.
Lake Washington
Lake Washington is a large lake within the city. One weekend, my husband and I went biking along the path next to the lake. It was a long but awesome trip. Part of the route offers views of the city across the lake, and on the city side, there are many cute houses. Seeing those, I couldn’t help but imagine how wonderful it would be to own one!
Bainbridge Island
On one of my visits, a friend who had a car brought me to Bainbridge Island. You need to take a ferry to get there, and the island is pretty big and really nice to drive around. The scenery I saw there was unlike anything I’d seen anywhere else in the US – I can’t really describe the feeling. The windy coast with those views reminded me of the east coast, maybe around Newfoundland in Canada.
At one point on the island, you can see the skyline of Seattle from across the water. It’s a completely different experience from seeing the skyline from Kerry Park – something about viewing the city from the island gives you a whole other perspective.
Other Noteworthy Spots
There are also many other landmarks worth visiting. The Space Needle is a symbol of Seattle and features in many TV shows and movies. You can enjoy a meal while taking in the city from above. The Spheres, part of Amazon’s headquarters, is an indoor garden also open to the public. Unfortunately, we arrived too late, so it was closed. Seattle is also home to Boeing, and the Museum of Flight offers a lot on aviation history. It’s a bit far from the city, which is why we didn’t visit, but it’s accessible via fast trains and buses.
There are also many isolated landmarks and recommended places worth visiting. The Space Needle is a symbol of Seattle and features in many TV shows and movies. You can enjoy a meal while enjoying the city from above. The Spheres, part of Amazon’s headquarters, is an indoor garden also open to the public. Unfortunately, we arrived too late, so it was closed. Seattle is also home to Boeing, and the Museum of Flight offers an extensive exploration of aviation history. It’s a bit far from the city, which is why we didn’t visit, but it’s accessible via fast trains and buses.
I wouldn’t say I definitely love the city because we accidentally walked through a shady area that made me feel quite frightened. However, there are nice places to visit and good restaurants where you can find great food for sure. The more time I’ve spent in Seattle, the more I’ve appreciated what it has to offer – especially the food and those unexpected discoveries like Bainbridge Island.