We appreciate you making the trek to celebrate with us. While you're here, there's plenty to do in and around downtown Seattle if you have the time.
DOWNTOWN SEATTLE
Downtown Seattle offers great restaurants, shopping and sightseeing. We would strongly recommend walking in Downtown Seattle, since parking can be difficult to find, or expensive. There are lots of hills though, so if you get tired you can always summon an Uber/Lyft etc. Here are a few suggestions to get you rolling:
COLUMBIA CENTER
Perched at the top of the Columbia Center you’ll find the Columbia Center Sky View Observatory. The Columbia Center is the tallest building west of the Mississippi and offers (weather cooperating) stunning views of Mt. Rainier, the Cascades, downtown Seattle, Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains. Use the 5th Avenue entrance and take the series of elevators to the top. Tickets are $14.75 per person and can be purchased online or at the top.
PIKE PLACE market & THE WATERFRONT
One of Seattle’s most iconic locations, don’t be scared off by the crowds as Pike Place Market features some great local vendors (crafts, vegetables, flowers, meat etc.), along with the tourist trap kitch. Just up the hill from Pike Place Market, you’ll find Post Alley. There are several bars and restaurants, including the Wines of Washington Tasting Room where you can sample some of Washington’s great wines (we’re particularly fond of Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignons). If the weather is nice (or not so nice) you can ride the Seattle Great Wheel, a large ferris wheel on the waterfront. It offers great views of Elliott Bay, the Olympic Mountains and the Cascades. Tickets are $13 per person.
EATING DOWNTOWN
The Thompson Hotel has a great restaurant and bar, the Scout. Steelhead Diner is right above Pike Place Market and an old school Seattle institution with remarkably good food. Casa Spinasse in Capital Hill has incredible Italian, make your reservation now. The Goldfinch Tavern at the Four Seasons is delicious, quiet and spacious. We've never been to Japonese, but it's very popular for american-style sushi. We also recommend Purple Cafe, it has a great wine selection, but recommend trying to make a reservation. A trip to Purple could be paired with a stroll through downtown shopping, which is fairly flat walking and features the Nordstrom Flagship store (along with a Mario's, All Saints, and the like.) Barolo, Stateside and Taylor Shellfish Farms are all great choices depending on your mood.
BALLARD
Welcome to our hood! In our opinion it has the best cluster of bars and restaurants, mostly along Ballard Avenue (and a few more on and near Market Street) - all within walking distance once you’re in Ballard.
food & Drink
There are at least 11 breweries in the neighborhood where you can get beer from the source. Most are very kid and dog friendly. When it comes to breweries, we’re particularly fond of Reuban’s which also features a rotating cast of food trucks. Stoneburner is a great Italian restaurant, but we recommend a reservation. Tin Apothecary makes great fancy cocktails and has a very odd Hawaiian-inspired menu...you'll see. Staple and Fancy has an incredibly and fairly affordable tasting menu, Walrus & Carpenter is a Seattle favorite but does not take reservations. And San Fermo makes delicious Italian handmade pastas and other dishes in a renovated farmhouse right on Ballard Ave. If you think our hood is as great as we do and would like to stay in Ballard, there is one hotel (Hotel Ballard) which is connected to Stoneburner. It's small and fills up quickly. If you choose this option you are about a 15 minute uber ride from the shuttle bus pickup downtown. Asadero is a great Mexican restaurant where remarkably you can't order chips and guac, but the guacamole is free and limitless. Percy & Co. and the Sexton make outstanding cocktails and have great patios in the nicer weather.
SIGHTS & WALKS IN BALLARD
Golden Gardens Park makes for a nice walk along the beach and marina, with both paved and sandy paths, and great views of the Olympic Mountains and Elliot Bay.
The Ballard Locks are fully functional locks connecting Lake Union to Elliot Bay. You might be able to see the salmon run, and sea lions feasting on salmon while there.
Ballard Avenue is the main drag in the neighborhood, and makes for a great casual hour long window shopping and coffee having walk. On Sundays there is a farmer's market from morning till around 2pm that's really worth checking out.
SEATTLE CENTER
Here you’ll find the Space Needle, the Museum of Popular Culture (formerly the EMP), the Chihuly Glass Gardens (incredible blown glass displays) and Key Arena (where the Sonics used to play, not really that interesting, just an opportunity to bring up the fact that the Sonics left).
We definitely recommend the Columbia Center Sky View Observatory over going to the top of the Space Needle if you're trying to choose. Nearby are The Butcher’s Table, a great (fancy!) steakhouse with a take out sandwich option (less fancy!), and Art Marble 21 is a sprawling sports bar great for large groups and cheap drinks. M Bar is above Kristen's office and has awesome South Lake Union views, but there can sometimes be a wait to be "let upstairs." And Maslow's is a new South Lake Union area restaurant from the folks behind Farestart.