4 months ago I said screw it and bought myself a $150 round trip ticket to Seattle. 4 months later I finally found time to pick up my blog and write about my experience. I don’t do many solo trips, but this one is of my favorite trips.
When I landed sometime in mid-July, Seattle was grey and rainy. I thought to myself: “Ah, bummer”. I was hungry, so I took an uber straight to Il Corvo, a popular Italian spot for fresh pasta. I ordered the Pesto pasta – definitely worth the 15 minute wait outside. I then checked into my hostel with a satisfied stomach. Because it was still rainy, I looked up some coffee shops in order to stay dry. Storyville Coffee, the place I chose, ended up being my favorite coffee shop in Seattle. I ordered a Vanilla Latte – it was delicious. The sweetness was just right and the latte art was pretty. I spent 2 hours there and a miracle happened. The sky turned bright blue and the rain stopped. Ecstatic, I packed up my belongings and walked around Pike Place Market, where Storyville is conveniently located.
I spent the rest of the day wandering around the city. I stopped by the Seattle Public Library to take some photos of the stunning architecture. When I got tired, I rested at the Elliot Bay Book Company with a book. After, I walked over to the Starbucks Reserve Roastery, a must-go when visiting Seattle. I didn’t purchase any coffee there since I wasn’t in the mood for another cup of coffee, but it was interesting to witness baristas sampling all types of coffee that they brew right in front of customers. Kerry Park was next. The park itself is quite tiny, but the views are stunning. You get to see the whole city skyline. I pulled out my tripod and shot some photos as the sun set.
The next morning I was up and ready to explore Seattle. First, I stopped by the iconic Gum Wall. As you could imagine it was packed with tourists. As soon as I took some photos I escaped the area. Still an iconic place nonetheless. I then continued my foodie journey, stopping at Piroshky Piroshky for some fresh pastries, visited the first Starbucks in Pike Place Market, and got a cup of coffee with cute animal latte art at Moore Coffee Shop. I visited the Space Needle in the afternoon. Again, another iconic place that every tourist should at least visit once in Seattle. I spent the evening hanging out with my hostel roommates who made my hostel experience super positive as a solo traveler. Some of us went to the ferris wheel for some night lights. Another girl and I went to a bar called Unicorn at night. They serve unique cocktails and have late night bites like corndogs. Such a lively place, highly recommend!
I started my third day with a delicious bacon, egg & cheese biscuit at Biscuit Bitch. Nothing’s more refreshing than being called a “bitch” in the AM. In the afternoon, I met up with one of the managers I work with at Adobe in Chinatown for some traditional dim sum. Then, I went to my most anticipating place of the trip, Chihuly Garden and Glass. The overall exhibition is filled with beautiful glass art, but my favorite spot is definitely the popular glass garden at the very end of the tour. Of course, I took a photo there to document my visit.
The trip so far has been nothing short of great food and hospitality. When I thought I have experienced it all, I met up with Jacob who is a grad student at Washington University. He reached out to me on Facebook prior to my trip and kindly offered to show me around. No, I did not get kidnapped. He treated me to happy hour at Pablo & Pablo (to break a stereotype called “Seattle Freeze”) before we wandered around Gas Works Park. It was a beautiful day in Seattle; we could see a clear skyline with some interesting gas plants around the park. Jacob has a car so he drove us to the WU campus for a tour. Unfortunately we missed the cherry blossom season but I could see Mt. Rainier from afar. Breathtaking views. Again, I’m appalled with the hospitality, thanks Jacob!
I spent my last day in Seattle with an unfortunate wisdom teeth infection. Not going to go into details but I’m just happy it wasn’t infected on my first day there. I went to Pike Place Chowder for lunch since that’s the only thing I could eat. My final stop was Storyville. I had to go back, the coffee was just so good. Overall, I had an amazing time in Seattle. It’s such a walkable city that I barely relied on transportations. The weather was in my favor despite some slight drizzles in the beginning. I am still amazed by the hospitality I received and the great company I had along my trip. I was alone but definitely wasn’t lonely.
More pictures of my trip below.
