Quick Link: Brood-Approved Travel Recommendations in Seattle

I don’t remember when our love affair with Seattle started… From the countless visits to Pike Place, becoming regulars at our fave coffee shops, bakeries and chocolatiers to finding peace with the rain– it’s almost our second home. The kids also have a lot to love about the emerald city: this is a place where many memories have been made with local family and friends enjoying the many parks, museums and sights that Seattle has to offer.

It’s impossible to see everything in just 3 days, but here’s how we would attempt it. This itinerary is a mix of popular attractions, as well as local favorites that are off-the-beaten path.

The Traveling Brood in Seattle

PIKE PLACE MARKET

Start early and head to the oldest operating farmers market in the country (and Seattle’s most visited attraction). Pike Place Market is on everyone’s hit list for good reason: it just never loses its charm.

From watching the famed fishmongers toss salmon like feathered pillows to standing in line to get coffee at the oldest-operating Starbucks store, there’s something for everyone here. In fact, there are too many things it can be overwhelming!

Here are a few brood-approved musts:
– Beecher’s: grab grilled cheese sandwiches while the kids enjoy the cheese-making process
– Le Panier: if you must just get one pastry, make it the pain au chocolat
– Starbucks: this is the oldest operating location and one of a few that sells the Pike Place Special Reserve beans
– Ellenos: you can pat yourself on the back for tricking your kids into eating “healthy ice cream” — this is some seriously creamy yogurt goodness.
– Sausage and bratwurst at Uli’s or Bavarian Meats: We know — why eat sausage in a fish market? But these are pretty darn good sausages!
– Alderwood smoked salmon: because you’re at Pike Place & you must take some fish home

SEATTLE WATERFRONT

All that goodness at Pike Place must have you bursting at your seams, so it’s time to walk it off at the Waterfront. To get there, you can take the stairs from the southern end of the fish market or walk down the streets past the Gum Wall (that kinda gross spot where people still stick their candy waste! It’s popular with the kids though, I wonder why…). You can also walk a little south towards the Seattle Art Museum and walk down the Harbor Steps for a grand view of the waterfront.

Start at the waterfront park, where you can decide between riding the Great Wheel or visiting Seattle Aquarium. We have bigger kids, so gigantic Ferris Wheel it is.

After your chosen diversion, walk north towards the Olympic Sculpture Park to admire the structures and the views.

SEATTLE CENTER

Now it’s time to visit Seattle’s other famed tourist attraction: the Space Needle at Seattle Center. Every visitor must do a rite of passage and head up to its viewing point. The amazing 360-degree views of metropolitan Seattle, Puget Sound and Lake Washington is worth the climb.

If you have time for another attraction, choose between the EMP Museum (Experience Music Project Museum, a.k.a. Museum of Pop Culture or MoPOP) or the Chihuly Garden and Glass.

*Note: This day is best done by car or Uber.

BALLARD

Venture out of downtown to discover other neighborhoods that make Seattle unique and fun. Start northwest of downtown with the quaint neighborhood of Ballard, once a Nordic fishing town but now home to many hip food joints, bars and boutiques. If you’re lucky enough to be here on a Sunday, make a beeline to the popular farmer’s market on historic Ballard Avenue to find produce exclusively from Washington State farmers. For foodies, try your luck at grabbing a coveted seat at Renee Erickson’s infamous oyster bar, The Walrus and the Carpenter (Note: patience is a must as the lines at this small outpost are also legendary). Our personal fave hangout is Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakes — because: coffee, chocolate, cake (and bread pudding and butter beer and boozy milkshakes…)

Walk off your brunch and head 3/4 mile west to Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (a.k.a. Ballard Locks). We’ve visited this place countless times as the kids never get tired of watching boats pass through the complex of locks. It also has a fish ladder where the kids patiently wait to spot a salmon (peak viewing season is July and August). It is also surrounded by the lovely Carl S. English Jr. Botanical gardens, which makes for a pleasant picnic particularly on weekends when a local group is performing. Now for the best part: all these wonderful sights are admission-free!

FREMONT

Drive/uber 3 miles to the quirky neighborhood of Fremont. There are many art installations in this liberal town, including the Fremont Troll and an unlikely and highly-contested statue of Lenin. But really, we come here for the chocolate tour and cafe at Theo’s, because if you don’t know by now, The Traveling Brood likes the decadent C’s.

If chocolate and coffee ain’t your thing (wait, what?!) — you can spend the afternoon enjoying the view of Seattle and Lake Union from Gas Works Park or head 1.5 miles north to Woodland Park Zoo, definitely worth a visit if you have young kiddos.

LAKE UNION

Ever watch “Sleepless in Seattle?” If you like that movie, then a drive around Lake Union is a must. We usually find a quiet spot where we can admire houseboats from a distance, try googling “Lynn Street Mini Park” for an intimate viewing spot.

Head over to South Lake Union (SLU), once an industrial lakefront but now home to Seattle’s technorati. You can enjoy museums and sights celebrating Seattle’s maritime history or take a boat tour around the lake. We skip that altogether and just enjoy watching seaplanes from Lake Union Park. Dinner can be at one of SLU’s many trendy restaurants, or walk/drive to nearby Capitol Hill, another popular neighborhood for food enthusiasts.

Note: Car/uber is a must for this day.

DOWNTOWN

On our way south, we usually drive through other Downtown sights, like Pioneer Square, International District and the sports arenas. If you’re a sports fan, try to catch a game at Safeco Field, home to Seattle Mariners, or CenturyLink Field, home to Seattle Seahawks.

WEST SEATTLE

Drive southwest of downtown to West Seattle, a relaxed beach town with an indie vibe. We usually pop into our fave neighborhood bakery, Bakery Nouveau, to grab some sweet and savory pastries (try the twice-baked almond chocolate croissants!). Make a picnic out of it and head over to Alki Beach Park to enjoy your treats with a view of Elliott Bay. You can also enjoy brunch at Salty’s, overlooking the Seattle skyline.

MUSEUM OF FLIGHT

Usually when we are in Seattle, we cave in to our kids’ repeated requests to visit the The Museum of Flight. The museum has an impressive collection of aircraft ranging from war planes, recon drones to the first Air Force One (which you can even visit inside!). There’s enough here to keep the young ones and the young once busy for an entire afternoon.

DINNER @ DTF

Ok, here’s another thing about us: we love Xiao Long Bao. We dream about these soupy dumplings. We hate waiting in lines, but we do it anyway for the love of XLB. Well, here’s the deal: the holy grail of Xiao Long Bao is the Taiwanese chain, Din Tai Fung. It only has 9 restaurants in the US: San Francisco has 1, with months-long waiting periods. Seattle has 3 — yes, 3 locations. So, no trip to Seattle is ever complete for us without visiting one of the 3. We especially like the University Village location because we get to chill at the Amazon Bookstore while waiting or grab ice cream at the also-popular Molly Moon’s if we still have some space left after dinner.

IF YOU HAVE MORE TIME...

 

STAY:

• Comfortable – Sheraton Seattle 
• Splurge – Fairmont Olympic Hotel 
• Budget – Ballard Inn 

EAT:

• Pike Place – Beechers, Le Panier, Ellenos, Uli’s, Bavarian Meats, Three Girls Bakery
• Ballard – Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate, The Walrus and the Carpenter, Cafe Besalu, Volterra
• Fremont – Revel, Paseo (Cuban sandwiches), Theo’s
• Capitol Hill – Monsoon, Altura
• Queen Anne – Storyville Coffee
• West Seattle – Bakery Nouveau
• University Village / Bellevue / Pacific Place – Din Tai Fung
• Woodinville – Barking Frog

DO:

• Pike Place Market
• Seattle Center (Space Needle, Chihuly Gardens, EMP)
• Seattle Waterfront
• Ballard Locks
• Museum of Flight
• Woodland Zoo
• Alki Beach
• Woodinville
• Mt. Rainier National Park
• Lake Chelan and Leavenworth weekend trip

SHOP:

• Cheese at Beecher’s
• Pastries at Bakery Nouveau or Hotcakes
• Smoked salmon at Pike Place Market
• Coffee at Storyville or Ballard Coffee Works or Caffe Ladro or La Marzocco
• Chocolate at Theo’s or Fran’s