Seattle, Washington
Downtown view of Seattle, Washington from the Puget Sound
Ahh, the Emerald City, a fun + unique location with plenty of local gems to discover. Explore city sights with beautiful views of the Puget Sound. Then take time to escape the city and explore the beautiful nature of this crown jewel of America’s Pacific Northwest.
Where we stayed
Courtyard Marriott Seattle Northgate
Location wise, this was a good place to land. North of downtown, easy freeway access, multiple stores and restaurants within driving and some in walking distance. The rooms were clean and well-maintained. Some cons for our purposes included no continental breakfast, a very small mini fridge, and only 1 elevator for the hotel, which ended up making waiting for it surprisingly long. Parking spaces were also very small for our size of vehicle, which could prove to be a bit burdensome at times.
Where we played
Space Needle
You can’t say you’ve seen Seattle without a ride up the Space Needle, right?! L was ready to get up there and determined to look outside. We were also able to take them to the moving restaurant deck as the restaurant was closed for renovations, and the kids loved looking down through the moving glass as we spun. We were also lucky enough to see Mt Rainier peeking out of the clouds on our visit, which made us feel like real locals.
City Center Playground
Sitting just north of the Space Needle, this park was a fun place to wait for our ticketed times for both the Space Needle and the Chihuly Glass Museum. The MoPOP museum is next door as well as the Seattle Monorail, making for a lot of visual beauty and plenty to keep the kids entertained. I will say the playground is mostly built for older kids, around 5+, so be aware of that when planning.
Chihuly Glass Museum
Hands down this was my favorite location we visited in Seattle. The glass was incredible and so fun to walk around to see. The kids were fascinated with it. Pro travel tip with young kids here, give them a camera to take photos with so they won’t be tempted to touch or climb anything.
Woodland Park Zoo
Super large zoo with great exhibits and lots to see. The kids rode in our wagon a lot here and we are so glad we brought it. Their carousel was a huge hit for the kids and we all enjoyed exploring the exhibits.
Argosy Cruise
This harbor cruise was included in our City Pass and made for a great midday break to sit, eat a snack, and relax. The kids were contained in the ship and we were able to rest our feet while still exploring. Be sure to plan tickets ahead of time and I would recommend doing this with your kids only after they have been chasing up and down somewhere and need a break, otherwise it will be a very long hour of chaos.
Pike Market Place
We did a little bit of exploring of this famous market, but the kids weren’t able to hang very long when we arrived here. We also did not bring our wagon, which would have helped a lot, just be aware that there are lots of stairs in this location.
Seattle Aquarium
The aquarium was smaller than we had anticipated, but well put together. The kids were able to see most all the animals shown and they were very active. This is located right on the pier next to the Seattle Great Wheel, which was also a fun sight for the kids.
Seattle Great Wheel
We did not get to ride this as the wait time was outside of our timeline, but the kids loved being nearby and watching it move. The pier is being redone and that construction made it a bit inconvenient, but is supposed to be completed by 2024.
Golden Gardens Park + Beach
As a group, this beach and park was our favorite time spent. A local-known beach for its easy access, beautiful views of the Puget Sound, and inexpensive locally run food shops, the kids played for hours in the water and Jeremy was able to get in some beach volleyball. We loved this so much we came back a couple times to blow off some steam before bed time and have an easy + inexpensive dinner.
Alki Beach
Another recommended local beach, Alki is on the south side of the Puget Sound. It is a longer but slimmer beach with plenty of local eateries, a bike/walking path, and some volleyball courts available. Parking is street only and can be hard to come by but we were able to snag a spot close to the water.
What we ate
Alaskan Sourdough Company
This was delicious. Right on the pier near the Seattle Great Wheel, this local grown bakery serves amazing sourdough bread based dishes. The french toast was divine and the favorite according to the employee that day was the Klondike cold sandwich, which was also amazing. They also sell bakery items individually so you can take some back to munch on at a later time.
Patty’s Eggnest
A local breakfast diner, the food was excellent and cooked to order with plenty of ability to customize. The kids enjoyed their pancake spread, Jeremy enjoyed a good old fashioned breakfast skillet, and I loved the veggie omelet.
BurgerMaster
New to us, this was a fun fast food joint with a similar feel to Sonic but with a more local set menu. I recommend the turkeymaster and Jeremy enjoyed the double baconmaster, the kids ate their chicken strips and kids burger.
QFC Groceries
Owned/operated by Kroger, we chose to shop here for snacks and groceries to keep costs lower. Our kids enjoyed some easy dinners in the hotel, including pre-made sandwiches and packaged snacks, as well as some microwave prepared Kevin’s meals. This definitely helped save money from eating out every night, as well as kept us from having kids melting down in a restaurant when they were worn out from all the traversing of the city.
Armory Food Court
Located next to the Space Needle in the City Center, this food court is full of great local food choices and a few well known family favorites and is sure to please anyone. We enjoyed the Cool Guys Fry Bar and Kebab Mediterranean. This was a great stop for our lunch on our day spent at this location.
Things we missed this time but will be back for
We were not able to fit in these City Center locations during our visit but they looked fascinating and so fun, and I definitely recommend considering them for your family based on kids ages and interests: MoPOP, Pacific Science Center, Seattle Children’s Museum, Seattle Children’s Theater, and the Seattle Monorail.
Another option closer to the pier is the Underground Tour of the tunnels beneath the city. We chose to not attempt this with our young kids due to there being some more mature themes according to their website, but it looked like a great history tour of the city for the right group.
There were a few excursions outside of the city we hoped to squeeze in but couldn’t quite manage this time around: Gondola Ride to Mt Rainier, Leavenworth Bavarian Village, and Bainbridge Island.
Other Tips and Tricks
If you are traveling by car, download the Spot Hero app to find parking. It is free and easy to use and can help guarantee a spot for you to save time circling around garages and city roads through traffic.
Plan on a lot of walking downtown. Wear good shoes and consider a stroller, baby carrier, or other wheeled device for kids who may need it.
Washington State is a higher sales tax state so check on this before you leave. This will factor into the overall costs of food, shopping, hotels, and other costs. Also be aware of the gas prices compared to your area as they tend to be higher.
