Some cities simply take you by surprise. You’ve heard about them, you’ve seen pictures, but it isn’t until you set foot there yourself that you really understand why its reputation proceeds it. That’s precisely how I felt when I landed in Seattle last week for our family vacation. Initially we had looked into taking off to an island for the usual getaway but realized we wanted something different. Dive in to check out our week in the Pacific Northwest!
Growing up in California I am a true believer of West Coast, best coast. Ironically I can’t say that I’ve visited much of the Pacific Northwest outside of a few trips to Portland. This summer when it came time to take a family jaunt for the summer we opted to visit a city that we had yet to explore. Seattle did not disappoint, with its lush green forests and beautiful parks; it turned out to be a perfect place to spend time with our family.
I will say I had heard all about the weather in Seattle and it’s lack of sun, but I did not expect that to be true of the summer months as well. In hindsight, I probably should have packed more layers for myself and the girls because it wasn’t as warm as I anticipated it would be. More jeans, sweatshirts, and even booties would have been more appropriate for our week. However in spite of a the slight chill we still had a great time.
One of our first adventures was hitting one of the local parks which was so awesome. Sitting in the middle of a forest the park had a fun playground where the girls had a blast running and jumping to their hearts delight. Living in California sometimes park days can be hard when it’s summer because of the heat and lack of shade. Seattle does not have that problem, which was great!
Where To Stay
While we stayed in Bellevue at the Hyatt Regency, we spent most of our days in the city taking in all Seattle had to offer. Luckily it wasn’t too far of a drive from the hotel that we could go out for breakfast come back for naps and then head back out to dinner. The Hyatt was such a great place to call home for a week. They really took care of us during our stay with snacks for the girls and even an upgrade to give us more space. It was in an optimal location in Downtown Bellevue with proximity to restaurants and shopping.
What To Do
Definitely head to Seattle Center to see the Space Needle, Artist’s Park, and the Children’s Museum. It was such a fun space to hang out for the day. So much so that we visited multiple times. Having gone to a few children’s museums I will say this was one of the better ones I had gone to. The girls definitely enjoyed it a lot too. There was so much for them to do and play with, which can be difficult when you have kids that are far apart in age. Luckily the Seattle Center covered all of our needs.
Where To Eat
During our stay we had a few great meals in Seattle, we kept it pretty tame in Bellevue and ate at some usual suspects since we were in the suburbs. It’s not typically what we do but it turned out to be a great alternative. One good meal we had was at Local 360, which is a sustainable restaurant. It was a definite treat. Good food, great vibe, and it proved to be good for families. I’d suggest the Washington Apple waffles and the Farmer’s Breakfast, both we’re excellent. Blue C Sushi was also a really fun dinner for us one evening. We love sushi and going someplace where the food is instantly available and tasty was perfect. Brunch inside the Hyatt at Eques was an awesome option as well, with free meals and 50% off for kids we ate here a few times and enjoyed it!
Later this week a video of our trip to see how we kept Seattle chic!
Ciao,
You have a very very beautiful family!!!
Looks like such a fun time! I’d love to visit the west coast. Seattle is definitely on my list.