Never sleepless in Seattle

Seattle

IAH- SEA, May 4-7- 2018

How did we get there?

I found $46 RT flights on Spirit up to Seattle, on my favorite type of itinerary. Thursday Night to Sunday afternoon/evening. I only burn 1 PTO day and the kids only miss one day at school. Perfect, no brainer. Called the MR. to confirm the dates and I booked!

Shuttle?

As we meant this to be a fun getaway for the kids we booked a Mercedes Metris Van from Sixt. As luck would have it, all 3 got into trouble a few days before we left and we opted to leave them home. We requested a different vehicle at pick up and lucked up and got a Volvo XC 60. Which was perfect for just the two of us. 

 Off topic just a bit: I literally fell in love with this truck. If I was a bit older, I would have definitely considered buying one. But you can't be a player in a Volvo. I don't make the rules, I just live by them. This is my attempt to stay young, don't judge me.

Where Did We Stay?

Not to beat a broken horse; As we meant this to be a fun getaway for the kids we booked at 80's Time Capsule for Kids at Heart hosted by Lisa. And since they didn't get to make the trip, me and the Mr. Had the whole house to ourselves. Based on comfort we opted to stay in the middle room on the bottom bunk bed. It was the most comfortable of all 4 beds. 

So to the fun stuff: The house is literally filled with everything 80's. From newspaper clippings, magazines, movies, games, toys, lunch boxes. It was super cool. The refrigerator had creamer, milk and water for convenience which was a nice touch. 

My Review:

The place is gorgeous! Me and my husband were really taken back to our childhood. There was not a lunchbox or movie missing from her collection. The drive to/from the airport is pretty quick. The personal touches are what really made Lisa’s place feel like home. Word to the wise the walls are a tad bit thin and you can hear any and everything going on upstairs. If they are loud it may not be as restful of a night.

If you haven't already signed up for AirBnB, Click my link here so that we can both get some credits. 

What Did We Do?

We woke up Friday morning and headed to the 1st Starbucks. That was definitely #1 on my to do list and unbeknownst to me because I don't always do my research Pikes Place and the 1st Starbucks are in the same place. YAY! I only had to do pay for parking once.

We parked across the street from Pikes Place, I think it was roughly $30. Way too much, but convenient when you don't really know where you're going. 

Click here for all you want or need to know about Pikes Place.

We walked across & made a beeline straight to Starbucks, which was a bit down the street if you enter where the Public Market Center sign is.  Where we indulged in all of the nostalgia of being at the 1st Starbucks. There was a bit of line, but it moved pretty quickly. They have more merchandise than any other Starbucks and they have several unique to Pikes street products. And of course, I picked up some new Swag.

https://ernestoybarra.com

With fresh drinks in hand, We started toward  the waterfront and I picked up two super dope prints from one of the local street vendors; Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to meet the artist himself because he wasn't around that day. But If you get a chance you should check out his work Ernesto Ybarra. He's super dope and you are able to purchase prints directly from his website.  


 

For Lunch we popped into Pike Place Chowder. The reviews rated this place off of the charts. There is a line and very limited seating. We split a Maine Lobster Roll, a Dungeness Crab Roll and the 4 Chowder Sampler. Opting for Seafood Bisque, Smoked Salmon, Lime & Coconut & New England Clam Chowder. The lobster roll was pretty decent, but I think I like the ones at our local Mainely a bit better. I didn't try the Salmon or Lime and Coconut chowders just not my cup of tea. But He loved them,To each his own. Decent, but it's not a place I must go back to. 

We spend the rest of the morning and into the early afternoon perusing the marketplace and taking it all in.

After wrapping up our visit to Pikes Place, we were at a loss as to what to do next. But then we thought about what Seattle was famous for and the next thing you know we were at the Space Needle.

The top of the needle was under construction, and there was a lot of work going on. The view was nice but the construction definitely took away from the ambiance and of course they didn't discount the tickets for the inconvenience. But hey we did it and its' another check off the list.

Before calling it a night we stopped for fish and chips and visited our dear old childhood friend the "Troll Under the Bridge". Unfortunately, we never found the 3 billy goats gruff. Supposedly they were above the bridge, along a path. Let me know if you find them on your visit.

Our final activity while in Seattle was none other than Starbucks Reserve. I didn't quite know what to expect, But I definitely knew that I had to check out before leaving Seattle. Well actually we visited twice. Once before heading up to Vancouver and then again after leaving Vancouver on our way to the Airport. 

I would initially describe it as "the" target for Starbucks. Its completely industrial looking in the inside. When you walk into the building you find yourself in the middle of a retail store, with all of the Starbucks Merch you could imagine. Shirts, Board Games, Mugs, Towels, Blankets, Dice, Cards, a vast assortment of different coffee makers and pretty much anything else you can think of. I was like a kid in a candy store. I didn't know what to buy first.

Immediately to the right there is an area to purchase different little snacks. Pizzas, Croissants, Cakes and the likes. To the left of that is the bar. The bar has a complete menu featuring cocktails centered around coffee & espresso. Starbucks Reserve even features bean packing for retail sale. There is another coffee bar where you are able to order an assortment of coffee beverages that don't include alcohol. Including a coffee float.  Its definitely an experience to try if you have an opportunity to visit one.