EVERYDAY EXCHANGE TRAVELS: SEATTLE WITH KIDS
One of my favorite things to do with our toddler is to see new places. Is it more difficult than traveling sans kids? Of course. But being able to experience new places and explore with him makes it so worth it! A traveling with kids tip: we always like to make sure we have separate sleeping arrangements (a hotel suite or adjoining rooms work great, as well as Airbnb!) so he can come back for a midday nap while we rest a little. It's nice to have our own spaces and a little room to move as well (and not be on top of each other). We had a pretty laid back itinerary coming into our trip to Seattle but looking back I'm amazed at everything we did! I've listed some of our favorites!
STARBUCKS RESERVE ROASTERY & TASTING ROOM
Our hotel was conveniently located just a short walk away from here (praise hands). This isn't your usual Starbucks. The Reserve Roastery is like Willy Wonka's factory for coffee. You won't find your normal blonde roast here, just Starbucks' most rare coffees, small batch roasted to order. Kids love it because they do all of the roasting in-house, so you get to watch it all happen in real time (and they have lots of yummy treats to snack on). If you are a coffee lover, this needs to be on your list when you visit Seattle!
Our favorite part of the trip was the sailboat ride we took one afternoon. We booked with Let's Go Sailing and had a wonderful time. The crew was so accommodating and SO good with our 2 year old - they even let him "steer" the boat when he asked. Being out on the ocean with breathtaking views of The Puget Sound and the Seattle area was just what the doctor ordered.
Yes, it's touristy. But it's something you HAVE to see if you are in Seattle! So much history and so fun to walk down up and down the sidewalk checking out all the different vendors. We had a hotel down the street so we visited a few times, picking up a snack of fresh blackberries and apples or grabbing some delicious mac n cheese from the famous Beecher's Handmade Cheese store (where you can actually watch them make the cheese). The flowers are like nothing I've ever seen before (and so cheap!). We even grabbed a bouquet to take back to the hotel. I would recommend going on a weekday morning when the crowds are smaller, much more enjoyable that way.
While we were there we caught a baseball game at Safeco Field. What an gorgeous stadium, one of my favorites for sure (and I've seen a lot of stadiums). Definitely a fun one and I would highly recommend going if you have little ones that love all things sports!
We took a day trip out to Bainbridge Island one morning. You get to hop on the big ferry to head over there and that's really part of the fun for the little ones! We got to the little town center and walked around, ducked into a toy shop, stopped at the Blackbird Bakery for a snack and found a great playground right on the water to burn off some energy. It's a quiet and laid back little coastal town that exemplifies the Pacific Northwest and definitely worth a visit while you are out there!
Well, our plans to spend the day riding the gondola up Mount Ranier were thwarted by intense wildfires but we plan on doing it next time we visit!
We made sure to stop here on our way out to Mount Rainier (before we found out everything up the mountain was shut down due to wildfires). It's a gorgeous waterfall with a few lookout areas and huge trees surrounding. We grabbed breakfast at The Salish Lodge which has a traditional 4 course breakfast that includes their iconic Honey from Heaven service where honey from their own hives on the property is poured from high above your plate onto your buttery house-made biscuits. Yum! Definitely worth the day trip for the breakfast alone!
This was where we ended up when Mount Rainier didn't work out, and we are so glad we went! If you have kids, you've probably seen your fair share of children's museums. I would rank this one in my top 5 as there is just SO MUCH to do and there was a lot of space to roam. Always a good plan to let the kids play before you do any "adult-y" things while traveling!
GRUBBING SO HARD
Food was a big part of our stay in Seattle. After all, you gotta keep the toddler and the pregnant lady fed! We visited a lot of great restaurants, cafes and ice cream shops during our time out west. I've listed a few of our faves below!
This cute little indoor/outdoor cafe is located in Capital Hill where we found a lot of great places to eat. Oddfellows had a breezy, antiquated but hip vibe and was a great spot for people watching. The food was great but our dessert - a salted choc chip cookie - was even better!
This was an old fashioned burger joint with some really tasty burgers. The place was definitely a hold in the wall but that added to its charm. Would go back again in a heartbeat!
Vegan ice cream, you say? I wasn't convinced until I tasted one of their many interesting flavor combos and actually couldn't tell the difference between it and regular ice cream. It was delicious! And the "healthy" factor made me feel pretty dang good about myself.
The CUTEST little coffee & donut shop you ever did see! We had a quick little morning stop here and we are so glad we popped in! The coffee was spot on and the donuts.....well let's just say they didn't last very long!
We had a blast and can't wait for our next trip!
Talk soon,
Casey