Last week, my family came to Seattle for graduation. This was my cousin’s first time in Seattle and we had a free day, so I took them on a little tour of Seattle. We made sure to hit all the big spots while making sure we were able to get a lot of pictures. Late in the morning, we started off slow by driving downtown and walking to the market and around the pier. After lunch, we found out we could get city passes for everything we wanted to do so we hopped on those tickets. Here’s everything we did and saw!
Gas Works Park
The day before, I showed my parents around the University District, Fremont, and Wallingford.
One of my top places in this area is Gas Works Park. It provides an amazing view of the Seattle skyline, especially during sunset. This is the perfect spot for a panoramic photo of everything: the city, boats, Lake Union, and Alkai Beach.
If you’re interested in learning more about the park and gasification plant, walk around the picnic shelter off to the side. There’s more equipment and explanations on the park. Go up the hill and you’ll find a sundial and the perfect spot for watching fireworks on New Years and 4th of July!
Pier 55 and Pike Place Market
On Friday, we drove downtown, and after finding some expensive parking, walked to the market and pier. It was just warming up so it was perfect. It was crazy crowded with tourists but my cousin managed to get a video of the flying fish!
After lunch, we continued on towards the pier. This, of course, meant going by the Gum Wall.
It was gross but made for some fun pictures. I wouldn’t stay here too long because the smell definitely gets to you. After this, we continued through the alley way towards the water.
The pier has a ferris wheel, 3D indoor ride, aquarium, restaurants (check out Ivar’s!), and more. You can also take the ferry and boat rides from Pier 55.
MoPOP
Next, we drove to the lower Queen Anne around the Space Needle. Our first stop was the Museum of Pop Culture with exhibits on fantasy (manuscripts, costumes, and other tidbits from Harry Potter, LOTR, GoT, etc.), horror, sci-fi, music, video games, and more.
The outside of the museum is another cool spot for some photos. The whole museum will probably take about an hour and a half to two hours if you go through every exhibit.
Space Needle
Right next door is the Space Needle, which is where we headed next. Be sure to go to the ticket counter ahead of time or book tickets online because they go quick during the spring and summer. The whole trip up will take about 20-30 minutes.
Once at the top, we walked around the top and the view is amazing! You can see everything from up here from Alkai Beach to Pioneer Square to University District.
Try to come back at night to see the whole city lit up!
Seattle Chihuly Garden and Glass
Next up is Chihuly Garden! It’s a beautiful sight to see. All of the glassware is colorful and vibrant; no amount of photos can do this place justice!
Once you go through the gallery, walk through the garden to see glass mixed with nature. Right outside the garden, you might even be able to see a glassblowing demonstration.
Seattle Harbor Cruise
We ended our day of sightseeing by taking a harbor cruise. This hour and half trip provided a quick tour and history of many of Seattle landmarks. We even got to see a sea lion on one of the buoys in the water.
A boat ride is a perfect way to relax at the end of the day after all that walking.
Have you ever visited Seattle? What’s your favorite thing to do? Share down below!
