Things to Do in (mostly) Metro Seattle

Yeah, I know you didn’t ask but I’m a planner and Chris has lists of restaurants, bars, etc. so here’s a list you can reference in case you ever want to visit Emerald City and are at a loss of what to do.

Cocktails

• Bad drinks and Mario Kart at Jupiter Bar
• Bathtub Gin & Co – Downtown
• Essex – Ballard
• Rumba – Capitol Hill
• The Backdoor – Freemont
• The Octopus Bar – University District
• Triangle Spirits – Freemont
• More

Food

• A curated list of our favorite and/or want-to-try food spots
• Eat Seattle Tours ($57)
• Asean Streat – Asian street food in a food court setting

Ice Cream

• Salt and Straw (Totem Lake, Capitol Hill, Ballard)
• Snoqualmie Ice Cream (Snoqualmie and Snohomish)
• Frankie and Jo’s plant-based, GF, vegan (Ballard, University District, Capitol Hill)
• Molly Moons (Redmond, Capitol Hill, Bellevue)
• Nutty Squirrel Gelato (Phinney Ridge)
• Acme Valley Ice Cream (Bellingham)
• More

Gluten Free Stuff

• Ghostfish Brewing Company – SODO
• Umi Sake House – Belltown
• Thai Ku – Freemont

Hiking and other nature stuff

• Seattle based
  o Seattle Japanese Garden
  o Washington Park Arboretum
  o Discovery Park Trail Loop (2.8 miles; 140’ elevation)
  o Mirror and Cottonwood Lakes (2.2 miles, 870’ elevation)
  o Heybrook Lookout (2.6 miles, 850’ elevation)
• Outside of Seattle
  o Ebey’s Landing (5.6 miles; 250’ elevation)
  o Icicle Gorge Nature Loop (4.2 miles, 150’ elevation)
  o Sharpe Park (1.9 miles; 425′ elevation)
  o Upper Twin Lakes (5 miles, 300’ elevation)
  o Deception Pass
  o Crystal Mountain

Museums

• Boeing Future of Flight 25 miles north of Seattle ($6; Thursday – Monday | 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM)
• Bonsai Museum (Free; open 10-4)
• Burke Museum of Natural History University District ($22; Tuesday – Sunday: 10 AM – 5
  PM)
  o This place is home to Off the Rez Café which is so good
• Chihuly Garden and Glass; 10-5 most days
• Connections Museum ($5 donation; Sundays 10AM to 3PM)
• LeMay Car Museum Tacoma ($22; Mondays 10-8, Thur – Sun 10-5)
• Museum of Flight near Dunlap and South Beacon Hill ($26; Daily, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM)
• National Nordic Museum Ballard ($20; Tue – Sun 10AM-5PM)
• Northwest Railway Museum Snoqualmie (Free; 10am – 5pm, daily)
• Pacific Science Center; Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Seattle Aquarium; Open daily, 9:30am–6pm
• Seattle Children’s Museum; Wednesday – Monday 10 am-4:30pm

Seattle skyline from scenic locations

• Gasworks Park
• Joe and Jack Block Park
• Mt. Baker Ridge Viewpoint
• Volunteer Park Water Tower; apparently Bruce Lee is buried in this park

Sports Ball

• Baseball – Mariners
• Basketball – Seattle Storm
• Football – Seahawks
• Hockey – Kraken
• Soccer – Sounders

Live Performance Groups/Venues

• 5th Avenue Theater
• Seattle Men’s/Women’s Choirs
• Seattle Public Theater
• Seattle Theater Group (Moore, Neptune, Paramount)
• Seattle’s Children’s Theatre
• Taproot Theatre

Touristy Things

• Freemont Troll
• Pike Place Market; best first thing in the morning to beat the crowds
• Seattle Space Needle; daily 10 – 7 (later on weekends); expensive for what it is
• Seattle Great Wheel; 11-9 (earlier on weekends)
• The Gum Wall; 24/7/365 bring your own ABC gum

Water Adventures (river floating, kayak/SUP rentals, etc.)

• REI Boathouses
• o Enatai Beach Park – Bellevue
• o Meydenbauer Bay – Bellevue
• Fall City River Floats
• Lake Sammamish Rentals
• Kayak Tour of San Juan Islands – San Juan