Seattle, the largest city in the Pacific Northwest, is home to glassy skyscrapers and tech giants,…read morealongside the historic stalls of Pike Public Market, Puget Sound, and two mountain ranges; the city is all about nature without sacrificing its cool food and culture scene. Built on the edge of a steep hill overlooking Elliott Bay and Puget Sound, Pike Public Market is known as the "soul of the city." Here locals have shopped since 1907 for fresh produce from hundreds of farmers, artisans, and specialty vendors, and it is proud to promote the fact that almost half of its businesses are female-owned. Since our hotel was within walking distance, my partner, his family, our friends, and I visited this most popular tourist attraction with more than 20 million annual visitors several times. It can get a bit overwhelming, especially with the large crowds and the maze of shops. It is definitely worth a look.

In Seattle for the day and just had to visit Pike Place Market…read more The market is honestly the busiest open air market I've been to in the country and there's something for everyone there. Seafood vendors galore all who are selling some of the freshest and largest pieces of seafood I've seen, floral vendors galore all who are selling the most beautifully full and beautifully arranged flower bouquets and food galore from vendors of all kind offering ethnic delights, local seafood and local favorites. The views of the market itself from the street and the views of the water from inside the market are breathtaking as well. Oh and we stumbled upon the "gum wall" ... even though I took a pic of it it's absolutely GROSS lol. Only reason it's not 5 stars is because it's wildly confusing to navigate and the maps don't help at all lol. So glad we got to experience the market!

I love art and I love the Seattle Art Museum! I love most of its permanent exhibits---especially…read moreits African arts collection, PNW tribal art and the Porcelain Room. But I enjoy the temporary exhibitions they install. I've been going to the SAM for more than 20 years. I can't afford to be a member or pay the regular admission, so I'm excited to go on Free First Thursdays. It's such a wonderful opportunity and program to those who can't afford to view art, but appreciate it.

First Thursday means free entrance to this lovely Seattle Art Museum…read more Amazing display of art, Pacific Northwest art and culture. Lots to see. Love seeing this place. Today we witnessed a traveling art by Calder and Tara Donovan.

I peeked into Fireworks Gallery minutes after deplaning in Seattle. Not because I'm an idiot who…read moreshops for souvenirs on the first day of a trip, but because I'm an idiot who forgot to put shoes on her two-year-old before leaving for the airport back home. I kind of thought you could buy most essentials at the airport, but it turns out children's shoes are not a typical travel need, at least when they aren't being worn by traveling children. Fireworks did carry children's slippers, which caught my eye as I passed, as well as a nice assortment of unique, crafty toys and gifts. Unfortunately, my five-year-old followed me into the store and zeroed in on a tiny, colorful finger puppet in the shape of a parrot. He asked me to buy it for him, and I declined, telling him we weren't getting a souvenir before we even left the airport. He was upset by this to the point of tears, but I managed to get us out of there. We had a wonderful time in Seattle, and to his credit, the five-year-old behaved well the whole trip (and the two-year-old got new shoes). When I saw Fireworks Gallery again by our departure gate, I decided at the last possible second to stop in and get him the parrot. It was one of several Folkmanis finger puppets in a wire basket. I picked it up along with a bunny rabbit and went to check out. There was a short line at the register--I guess this shop gets decent traffic--and by the time I was up, my husband was calling to tell me we were boarding. This is how I paid $36.36 for two finger puppets that cost $10 apiece online. Fireworks got me good, but my boys do love their little puppets, which are soft and cute and well made. The wares here are definitely nicer and less generic than at your average airport store. It might cost you, though, if you wander in there with your kids.

I mean EVERYTHING but the kitchen sink is in this joint!…read more Expensive jewelry, stationary, candy, books for the kiddo's, charcuterie boards in the shape of Washington, knick-knacks just perfect for souvenirs to bring home and to carry on board. Service was a plenty here and I was there after 9:30pm on a Wednesday evening. Respectfully Reviewed

So much to see here! All of the staff we spoke to were so friendly and gave great customer service…read more- a true rarity these days. We most recently visited so my kiddo could check out the Dino exhibit. Online/on the website they had mentioned fossil digs so my kid was really looking forward to that. When we went through all 4 levels of the museum though, there was no fossil dig to be found. After asking staff , they mentioned it's only once or twice a year. A bit of a bummer since that's the main thing my kid wanted to do! Just 1 star off for that. The husky scavenger hunt kind of made up for it! If you're coming with a kid they'll offer the scavenger hunt & I'd highly recommend it to make the visit more interesting for the little ones! All in all I definitely recommend checking out the Burke Museum & also stop by Off the Rez (connected cafe) while you visit!

The natural history sections aren't the biggest, but the Burke uses the space well and has good…read moredensity. It's small but they manage to pack in some surprisingly big Dinos and Mammals. To me, where this museum really shines, is the Native exhibits offering both past and present history on rotation and access to working scientists. I always learn a lot when I go. When the wet lab is active may be my favorite part. Watching animal skeletons prepped. Might be a little gross for some people so check the schedule if you are squeamish. Another note for Parents is that there is a small play area on the top floor. Perfect for rainy days with the little ones. The surrounding University grounds are great to let them run around as well. There is a Starbucks at the Suzzallo Library and bathrooms too if you left the Burke and have a kid who needs to go even after they were prompted a million times before you exited the Burke! There are also tons of food options and a couple small grocery stores nearby. Which is great if you/your group have dietary needs. The light rail station is very close by and many buses drop off / pick up right across the street. Public transit to this location is quite good and I recommend it, especially since youth 18 and under are free to ride.

Seattle, oh how you surprised me! Every major city I can think of has a landmark I have seen on a…read moreshow or a movie. Ok so Grey Sloan memorial may be in my head and not a real place but second to none is the space needle. No way could I have come to Seattle and not go to the Space Needle. I live in Los Angeles, so high rises and observation decks I am not a stranger to. I don't want to discourage anyone from going but most observation decks are almost a dime a dozen once you have done a handful. But no matter what the standout special that is sharing the courtyard of the space needle is this lovely glass garden. I have no idea why no one from Grey Sloan has made their way over there (Yeah, yeah, I know it's really filmed mostly in Los Angeles) When people talk about the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden should be mentioned right along with it. It was such a beautiful and refreshing place to visit. The only thing I could ask would be for maybe 3 more exhibits. The glass blowing demonstration was so cool, well it was hot, and visually cool. So when you buy the tickets to the Space Needle and it asks you if you want the combination ticket for Chihuly Garden, you should absolutely click that option. The ticket as an addon or solo is a bit pricey in my opinion for the size of the exhibit, but so is everything else in the world now. I took some cool pics, but I am going to keep them to myself. I don't want to ruin it for you. Really go check it out, it's worth the visit for sure.

This museum is very well organized. Staff are highly trained and very professional…read more There are also glass blowing demonstrations, talks and guided tours. Displays are very colorful. The artistic displays and the works themselves are an incredible blend of styles and colors. A lot of these works reminds me of visuals from an active sea floor full of life. You can almost see the still life works as if they are in motion. The fluidity and organization make this a must see event that is definitely worth the cost of admission.

A Seattle gem, free admission and donations appreciated. Small enough to be comfortable and large…read moreenough to be always interesting. Permanent collection housed in a large room of very well hung various interesting paintings. Always new art collections in other smaller rooms. Excellent programs offered like Wednesday meditation and See You at the Movies. Staff is welcoming and knowledgeable. Highly recommend!

I haven't been here in years and was pleasantly surprised! The exhibits were unique and…read moreinteresting to look at. It was free to get it, too! The store had random items in it that didn't really seem to match with anything that was exhibited, but my teen son was excited to find a little mini crow puppet there. All in all, it is a great museum right in the middle of town to check out every once in a while.