Friday I-Wish-I-Were-There (Seattle, WA)

Welcome to my Friday I-Wish-I-Were-There Blog.

Today I’m heading to the Pacific Northwest of the U.S.A and one of the coolest cities I’ve been to, Seattle, in Washington State. Okay, I admit a teensy bit of the reason I like this city is a) Grey’s Anatomy is set there (and FYI I did manage to find the building they use in the outside shots!) and b) I got second place in the Greater Seattle chapter RWA ‘Emerald City Opener’ contest this year. The main reason though, is Seattle is a not-too-crowded picturesque city, and also a quirky, fun place to spend time exploring. Oh, and its coffee - Seattle LOVES coffee, ergo, I loved Seattle...

Highlights:

Bank of America tower on Columbia/5th Ave. While it may not be as ‘romantic’ as the Seattle Space needle, for an unhurried and amazing view over Seattle from the 73rd floor for $19.00 (3 adults, 2 youths) the saving of $60+ felt pretty darn worthwhile. We could see the snowcapped mountain ranges of the Olympic mountains and the Cascade mountains, but Mt Reinier was hard to see because of the bright sun and the fog rolling in from the southeast, which was both beautiful and eerie. Then we descended to the 40th floor and yet another Starbucks to have a hot drink while we enjoyed the view some more. God Bless Starbucks!

Ride the Ducks Tour. Yeah, it’s a little cringe worthy (especially when your blabbermouth mother-in-law dobs you in to the whole duck-bus for having a birthday coming up and then they all sing an off key rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ in the middle of a parking lot) but still fun. Nothing beats viewing Seattle sights while trundling around in an open air, can’t-miss-it WWII amphibious landing craft with ‘YMCA’ blaring from the speakers and blowing on a little quacking duck beak. Cos’ I’m just that sophisticated in my traveling tastes…

Pike Place Market. Wow. We were so knackered after our full-on day in Seattle that we only managed to cover less than a floor of this market – but what a bustling, fascinating place. The fishmongers in action (throwing fish back and forth!) on the street level of the market was memorable!

The quirkiness. I just loved Seattle's sense of humour! (Sign on car door says: Anything of value already stolen!)

Surrounded by beautiful, snow-capped mountain ranges and the beside the serene Puget sounds, Seattle is a must-see if you’re in this part of the country.

Tracey