Carolyn Always Earley

Updated September 15, 2025 (see below)

Weekend trips to Seattle, Washington – July 2024 & Sep 2025

My husband, Zach, and I went to Seattle for a quick weekend trip to visit friends (he lived there for several years during high school) and attend the NHRA race. I didn’t post about it initially because it was such a short trip, but then I thought maybe it would be useful for someone who is going to Seattle for a weekend trip like we did.

We have been to Seattle several times over the past decade, so we weren’t sightseeing for the first time. My recommendation if it’s your first time is to 1) go up the Space Needle, 2) visit Pike Place Market and 3) take a boat tour around Puget Sound (we didn’t do that this time, but we previously took a ferry from Bremerton to Seattle, which was pretty cool). There are also underground tours where you can learn about the city’s history, which I’d love to do next time we visit, and a Starbucks Reserve Roastery (in addition to the original Starbucks). If you have time, I highly recommend driving to Snoqualmie Falls also (pictured above- we went on a previous trip and it was so beautiful).

Day 1:

It’s a short flight from Phoenix to Seattle, so we left mid-morning and arrived in the early afternoon. (There was also no time change, which was great!) We rented a car and checked into our hotel in Renton, Hilton Garden Inn. We used credit card points to cover the cost of this hotel and we chose the location for its price and proximity to both downtown Seattle and the NHRA races, which are held in Kent. The hotel itself was nice and had free wi-fi, but we learned that it was very challenging to find parking when returning in the evening. I would probably choose a different hotel next time we visit.

Day 2:

This was our free day to go into downtown Seattle and do some sightseeing. First, we wandered around Pike Place Market. This place is so huge, you could honestly spend a whole day here. We spent several hours walking around and we still didn’t see everything! One of the things Pike Place is best known for is its fresh fish (which I believe they’ll ship anywhere in the U.S.) and the people who work there tossing the fish around. Very cool to see! I also recommend checking out some of the many food vendors. There was one out front that had all different varieties of fresh-made apple cider, which was delicious!

Around the corner and downstairs from the front entrance (pictured above) is “The Gum Wall”. This is apparently very famous so we walked over to see it – but be warned, it’s literally as described. (I thought it was disgusting and could only stay for a minute.) Across the street from the market is the original Starbucks. There was a huge line of people waiting to take a picture at the front of the building so I just took mine from across the street.

We wandered around the downtown area a bit over by the pier, then got back in the car to head to the Space Needle. We bought our tickets on site and headed up after waiting in a pretty long line (honestly, I don’t think it would have made a difference if we bought them in advance as all the lines converged into one big line before the elevator).

The views from up top were well worth it! There is a main observation deck where you can go outside and another one below with a glass floor (that one was not for me). I loved that there was an option to sit down at the bar and have a drink and/or snack with a view outside as the Space Needle slowly rotates and you can see the whole city. Zach and I sat there for about an hour before we felt we should give our table up to some waiting visitors.

Fun fact: My dad took me to the Space Needle as a kid (I think I was 11 or 12), and I remember sitting at a very nice restaurant up top and having a cheeseburger. It appears you can still sit down for a full meal 500 feet above Seattle, but it’s now 21+ only: The Loupe Lounge.

We met up with friends for dinner at Serious Pie. They had a great selection of pizzas and drinks, and everything we had was delicious! We walked over to Jupiter Bar to play some arcade games for a while, then wrapped up the evening with dessert at Le Pichet. Zach tried port for the first time and loved it!

Day 3:

We met our friends bright and early at a local grocery store to get coffee and then carpool to the NHRA race. I’d never been to a drag race before, but Zach’s dad used to take him and his buddy when they were kids. We had purchased our tickets in advance and had pretty good seats on one end of the bleachers (where the cars were loading and taking off from). The weather was mostly nice and sunny, but there were some minor delays due to intermittent rain. (Also, if you go, be sure to bring ear protection – we had the over-ear kind, which I prefer, in addition to regular earplugs. Those cars are loud!)

*Update* September 2025:

Zach and I returned to Seattle to visit the same friends – this time, it was for their wedding! Since we flew up a couple days early, we decided to check out some new spots in Seattle on Thursday after arriving and Friday during the day.

We stayed at Hotel Murano in downtown Tacoma, which is apparently the same hotel we stayed at in 2021 (I completely forgot, but Zach remembered it and we had both really enjoyed our stay there last time). We chose this location because the wedding we were attending was actually in Yelm (about an hour south of Tacoma) and the airport is in Seattle, about 30 minutes north of Tacoma. The hotel itself is interesting in that there is a ton of glass art all around the lobby and hotel room floors that you can check out. They have a nice bar in the lobby and a full restaurant on the 4th floor, in addition to a snack bar on the 25th floor. (Pro tip: If you’re like me and don’t need housekeeping when you’re only staying for 3 nights, this hotel offers a $5 credit that can be used at their restaurant or bar for every 2 days that you choose to decline housekeeping.)

When we arrived in Seattle, we headed straight to the downtown area and found parking near Pier 54. We wanted to peruse a bit and grab dinner at Ivar’s, but first, we urgently needed a public bathroom and those can be hard to find. A worker suggested the nearby ferry terminal, so we walked over there and, on the way back, I snapped the below photo – so if you’re looking for a great vantage point, I’d suggest the 2nd story of the ferry terminal.

We always like to eat at Ivar’s when we visit and we generally grab ours in the to-go line and either sit outside along the dock or in their patio area. They also have a sit-down restaurant with more food options, but the items we get (3-piece fish and chips and clam chowder in a bread bowl) cost twice as much in the restaurant. After eating and feeding the seagulls (signage encourages this, but don’t feed them too early or else they will try to join you at your table), we headed to Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe. This store is so fun – I think we could spend hours here! We eventually picked out a magnet and mug that we wanted (since we don’t anticipate being able to visit Seattle as often once we move to the East Coast).

Walking back to the car, we decided it would be fun to visit Smith Tower – but, unfortunately, it was already a few minutes past 8 PM when we arrived and they were closed. If you decide you want to go here, definitely buy your tickets in advance so you can try to avoid a long wait – or if you don’t buy them in advance, just know that the last elevator goes up one hour before close so you’ll want to get there at least 15 minutes beforehand to park and walk over. (Their website also provides a parking recommendation and promo code that can be used for a discounted rate.) Instead, we grabbed a quick drink at a nearby Irish pub and headed to the hotel.

On Friday, we wanted to grab breakfast at Black Diamond Bakery & Restaurant, an off-the-beaten-path restaurant that Zach loves (it’s about 35 minutes from the hotel in Tacoma). Unfortunately, the restaurant was closed for renovations, but we were able to grab a delicious apple cinnamon roll and apple fritter from the bakery area. In addition to tons of pastry options, they also have cookies and fresh-made jams/preserves that they sell, plus a small coffee shop.

We had a few wedding-related errands to run, and yet we still managed to make it into Seattle to hit the place I had on my wish-list: the Starbucks Reserve Roastery*. Now that I’ve visited the Chicago and NYC locations, I want to see them all – and each time I’ve gone to one, they have had different offerings so it’s never the same. For fall, there were pumpkin spice options, of course – Zach tried the pumpkin spice latte (which he said was even better than the ones at regular Starbucks locations) and I tried the iced pumpkin spice whiskey barrel-aged cold brew (it was so good!). Unsurprisingly, this place was packed, but the line moved quickly and the workers were very friendly.

*The Seattle Starbucks Reserve Roastery location permanently closed in September 2025.