I’m at the very beginning of what promises to be one of the best vacations of my life. My mom, aunt, and I are spending 11 days together, flying to Seattle, riding a train to Vancouver, and then cruising around Alaska. And although it’s an extended adventure, our time in Seattle was limited. And we were determined to make the most of it.
We started by selecting a cozy hotel in the perfect location. With the comfiest beds, walkability to a cluster of tourist stops, delicious in-hotel restaurant, and quick cab ride to the train station, the Sheraton Seattle was the perfect choice.
We were greeted with chilled champagne, fruit-filled pastries, and a panoramic view of Seattle’s skyline. It was the most incredible spot to have our first champagne toast.
The second we hit the street, we faced a sign that guided us in the right direction. This sign appeared before Google Maps loaded, that’s how close we were to our destinations. Everything was falling into place quite nicely.
Our first stop was the Seattle Aquarium. Growing up in Florida, it’s always fascinating to me to see sea life from the other coast. The fish were electric and the sea lions and otters were as adorable as could be. I also spent too much time staring at the octopus, which made me oddly hungry for polpo.
After the museum, which took less than an hour, we walked over to Pike Place Market. My mom and I visited the market during a recent Seattle trip, but my aunt hadn’t been since she was a flight attendant over 20 years ago. It was definitely worth another visit – we all dreamed about having a market like this near our homes. And we also picked up some pastries for early morning train ride the next morning.
That was about all we could fit in before our dinner reservation. I dine super early these days so I have appropriate amounts of daylight for photos, so 6pm reservations are a real thing for me. But we promised ourselves we’d make it back out for more touristing after dinner.
Upon first glance at Loulay, you could tell it was going to be a lovely meal. The scale of the restaurant was intimate and unlike an ordinary hotel restaurant. And the hostess guided us to a window seat, which made me happier than you could ever imagine.
We were presented with some more bubbles, which was such a wonderful surprise. And from there we ordered both innovative and classic cocktails while we glanced over the menu.
Dungeness crab everything grabbed our attention. The Dungeness crab salad and Dungeness crab risotto were must-order-dishes for us. And we supplemented our crab fix with the oysters on special and a charcuterie plate. After we finished each dish, it was the consensus among the table that we were beyond pleased with every single dish that hit our table. We were the perfect amount of satisfied.
After dinner, we changed into lounge clothes and headed to the Seattle Great Wheel. On the way there it dawned on us that it was about to be sunset, which was an ultra exciting revelation.
I highly recommending riding the wheel at sunset. The water and the city had the most beautiful glow and it was a super memorable way to spend an evening. And walking to and from, with all of the hills and stairs, allowed us to sneak in some much-needed steps.
After a fun-filled half-day in Seattle, we were pleased to post up in the fluffiest bed with crisp, white covers {perhaps my favorite thing about hotels}. And in the wee hours of the morning, there were cabs waiting outside that carted us to King Street Station, which was only one mile away.
Regardless of how much time you spend planning and how perfect an itinerary looks on paper, it’s always a beautiful thing when your experience exceeds your expectations. If you find yourself in Seattle for a quick trip, whether it be for work or before a cruise, I highly recommend staying at the Sheraton Seattle to make the most of your stay.
Disclosure: Although the Sheraton Seattle kindly hosted our stay, the opinions in this post are completely my own and based on my experience.
i’ve been to that aquarium !
Love it! I didn’t realize I had already been until I saw the scuba diver/tadpole thing that you can take pics with 🙂
I’ll be in Seattle in the Fall! This post was super helpful. I follow you on Instagram and am so obsessed with your recipes, photogaphy, everything. Keep it up!
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this post! Hopefully you’re in town for more than one night – Seattle is such a wonderful city! And thank you so much! 🙂