Area Guide
Seattle
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Seattle
Taylor has spent the last 10 years calling Seattle home, and after seven years of long distance, Pat finally joined her in the Emerald City in 2021.
If you're planning to spend a few days there before or after the wedding, the guide below includes their favorite restaurants, neighborhoods, and things to do.
Pat's first day as a Seattle resident.
Things To Do In Seattle
Horsehoe Bend Trail (MILD)
Length: 2.4 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 220 feet
Pass: Northwest Forest Pass
To Chair 9 Pizza & Sports Bar: 0.7 Miles
To Maple Fuels: 9.6 Miles
85 Pike St, Seattle, WA 98101
To Seattle-Tacoma International Airport: 13.4 Miles
No visit to Seattle is complete without wandering through Pike Place Market. It's one of the few "touristy" spots that the couple and other Seattle locals visit, too. Open since 1907, Pike Place is one of the oldest continuously operating public markets in the country and sits right on the edge of the Seattle waterfront. Watch the fish guys toss fish, browse the flower stalls, grab a bite from one of the many vendors and explore the quirky shops on the lower levels.
Why she loves it
"I love the energy, the buskers, the flower stalls, the incredible produce and discovering various local businesses tucked into this maze of a place. There's always something going on."
Why he loves it
"I'll never get tired of Pike Place! Although this is the spot all the tourists know about, it doesn't feel like a tourist trap. We love coming up here every couple of months for the coffee, restaurants and vibes. And if you're an ice cream connoisseur like myself, go to Hellenika right next to the original Starbucks."
This is a lovely, forested walk on a well-maintained trail along the Nooksack River, and it's easy enough for the whole family. The trailhead is conveniently located in the town of Glacier.
Why she loves it
"It’s close to town and not a big time commitment. You can walk the whole trail or just down to the river for a bit.”
Why he loves it
“I love the roaring Nooksack River. It’s so peaceful. We’ve seen salmon spawning here a few times.”
Taylor and Pat love a good meal out! There are too many great restaurants and bars in the Seattle area to name them all, but some of their favorites include:
WEST SEATTLE: Cactus (Alki & Multiple Locations), Harry's Beach House (Alki), Il Nido (Alki), La Rustica (Alki), Marination Ma Kai (Near Alki), Molly Moons Homemade Ice Cream (The Junction), Moto Pizza (The Junction & Multiple Locations), Salty's on Alki Beach
DOWNTOWN & BELLTOWN: The Pink Door (Pike Place Market), Hellenika Cultured Creamery (Pike Place Market), Le Pichet (Downtown Seattle), Salt & Straw (Multiple Locations), Lola (Downtown / Belltown), The Nest Rooftop Bar & Lounge (Downtown Seattle), the Fog Room (Downtown), Old Stove Brewing Co. (Pike Place)
CAPITOL HILL: Stoup Brewing (Capitol Hill & Multiple Locations)
FREMONT: Cafe Turko, Fremont Brewing
SOUTH LAKE UNION: Tanoor, Tapster Tasting Room
West Seattle is Taylor and Pat's favorite neighborhood in the city, and it's where they shared their first apartment together. It has a laid-back, beach town feel that sets it apart from the rest of the city, and there's plenty to do.
ALKI BEACH: A long stretch of shoreline with restaurants, bars, and cafes, and stunning views of the Seattle skyline, Olympic Mountains, Puget Sound and Elliot Bay.
WEST SEATTLE WATER TAXI — The water taxi is a short, scenic, and inexpensive ride to or from downtown with amazing views.
KAYAK RENTALS: Alki Kayak Tours offers rentals near Elliot Bay, right by the water taxi dock and the casual lunch spot, Marination Ma Kai.
LOWMAN BEACH PARK: Lowman Beach is a quiet and beautiful little spot steps from Taylor and Pat's first apartment, and where Pat proposed.
LINCOLN PARK: This is one of Taylor's favorite places to walk in the city. Lincoln Park, next to Lowman Beach Park, has 4.6 miles of walking paths, including a 3-mile path along the water with beautiful views of the Olympic Mountains. It also has an outdoor heated saltwater pool and bathhouse.
THE JUNCTION: This is West Seattle's main commercial strip with local shops, restaurants, bars, and coffee spots.
In addition to West Seattle, there are lots of great neighborhoods worth checking out.
BELLTOWN: Belltown sits just north of downtown and Pike Place Market. It's known for its restaurants, bars, art galleries, and live music. The Crocodile is a legendary venue with deep roots in Seattle's grunge scene. The Olympic Sculpture Park on the waterfront is worth a stroll.
CAPITOL HILL: Capitol Hill is one of Seattle's walkable and vibrant neighborhoods. It's packed with coffee shops, bars, restaurants, live music venues and independent boutiques. It's the heart of Seattle's LGBTQ+ community and counterculture scene, with a lively energy day and night.
BALLARD: Ballard is one of Seattle's trendiest neighborhoods. The neighborhood's downtown strip along Ballard Avenue is lined with local restaurants, bars, breweries, and coffee shops and the Sunday farmers market is one of the best in the city. It also has the Hiram M. Chittenden Ballard Locks, where you can watch boats pass between Puget Sound and Lake Washington. Golden Gardens, a beachfront park on Puget Sound with fire pits, stunning sunset views, is one of the best spots in Seattle to spend a summer evening.
FREMONT: Fremont is a quirky, artsy neighborhood on the north shore of Lake Union, and it's full of character. Check out the 18-foot concrete Fremont Troll lurking under the Aurora Bridge. Gas Works Park has some of the best views of the Seattle skyline across Lake Union, and the local breweries, vintage shops, and restaurants make it a great place to wander for an afternoon.
SOUTH LAKE UNION: South Lake Union is Seattle's tech hub, home to Amazon's headquarters and the famous Spheres — three glass domes filled with thousands of plants — which are open to the public. But beyond the tech campus, it's a great neighborhood to explore, with Lake Union Park along the water, the Museum of History and Industry, the Center for Wooden Boats, seaplanes taking off and landing on the lake and plenty of restaurants and bars.
QUEEN ANNE: Queen Anne is a residential neighborhood on a hill just north of downtown, known for its beautiful craftsman homes and some of the best views in the city. Kerry Park, a small park on the south slope, has an iconic postcard view of the Seattle skyline, Space Needle and Mount Rainier on a clear day. The commercial strip along Queen Anne Avenue has a great mix of local coffee shops, restaurants, and boutiques, and Lower Queen Anne at the base of the hill puts you steps from Seattle Center — home to the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and Glass and the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP).
Things to do from Seattle
Just 30 minutes northeast of Seattle, Woodinville is Washington's wine tasting hub. The city is home to over 130 wineries and tasting rooms, spread across four districts. The grapes are grown in Eastern Washington, but many of the state's top winemakers have set up shop in Woodinville, making it easy to taste wines from across the state in one place. From large, well-known producers like Chateau Ste. Michelle to small boutique rooms where the winemaker pours your glass themselves, there's something for every palate.
Take a ferry to an nearby island
Seattle is well connected to several nearby islands via Washington State Ferries. Bainbridge Island is a 35-minute ride from downtown. Vashon Island is a quick 15-minute ferry from West Seattle with a laid-back, artsy farming community feel. It's home to Taylor's favorite restaurant of all time, Snapdragon Bakery & Cafe, as well as Point Robinson Lighthouse. Whidbey Island is a bit more of a commitment — a 40-minute drive north plus a 20-minute ferry — but worth it for the beaches, small towns, and Deception Pass State Park.
Want to take a day trip to Vancouver Island? The Victoria Clipper is a high-speed passenger ferry that runs daily from downtown Seattle to Victoria, BC, making the crossing in about two hours and 45 minutes. It departs from Pier 69 on the Seattle waterfront and drops you right at Victoria's Inner Harbour, where you can easily walk the city without a car. Note that you'll need a passport or enhanced driver's licenses to cross the border and booking in advance is recommended, especially in summer.
The Clipper also offers daily whale watching tours from Seattle.
Visit a nearby waterfall
Snoqualmie Falls, a stunning 268-foot waterfall on the Snoqualmie River, is about 30 miles east of the city. This is a popular stop with upper and lower viewpoints.
Franklin Falls is about an hour east of the city. It's a 70-foot waterfall at the end of an easy 2-mile round trip trail through old-growth forest near Snoqualmie Pass. A Northwest Forest Pass is required to park.
If you're extending your trip, Seattle is one of the main departure points for Alaska cruises. Most itineraries run 7 nights, sailing through the Inside Passage. Major cruise lines including Holland America, Carnival, Norwegian, Princess and Royal Caribbean all depart from Seattle's cruise terminal, with the season running through September.
Departing from Vancouver, Canada is also an option.