Eat Like a King (or Queen) – Cupcake Royale

Sometimes when our sweet tooth rears its head we crave classic tastes and sometimes we crave decadent and rich.  Cupcake Royale gives us the best of both with handcrafted cakes generously topped with delicious butter-cream frosting all made from locally sourced ingredients.  The cakes themselves are fantastically moist, almost melting in your mouth.  The frosting is perfectly balanced between a smooth, creamy texture and an amazing flavor that leaves you wanting another.  With a selection of cupcakes  ranging from red velvet(my personal favorite), lavender, salted caramel and orange to a special monthly cupcake (this month is the Velvet Elvis, banana cake topped with a peanut butter, chocolate fudge icing) Cupcake Royale appeals to the kid in all of us.  http://www.cupcakeroyale.com/

Rock Out - The Crocodile Cafe

The Crocodile, previously known as the Crocodile Café and sometimes referred to as The Croc, is one of the oldest music venues in Seattle.  For the last 19 years the Crocodile has played host to an amazing array of musicians including Nirvana, R.E.M., Death Cab for Cutie and the Beastie Boys.  The club received a major renovation in 2008 after changing owners, but I’m happy to say the new layout opened up the stage area and made for a more enjoyable show.  I was lucky enough to catch the School of Rock: Smiths Vs. The Cure show as my first show at the renovated Croc and was impressed with the new digs.  The viewing area in front of the stage is huge and the addition of the loft area w/bar gives an incredible view of the bands. I didn’t get a chance to grab pizza at the Back Bar, but there’s always next time.  http://thecrocodile.com/index.html

Be A Tourist - Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market is alive.  Just standing on the edge of the pathways you can feel the ebb and flow of the people around you moving like a pulse.  The quantity and quality of merchandise is what draws both local and tourist alike.  From the legendary flying fish and the unique shops and stalls on the main floor to the boutique stores in the Down Under area, the market is a shopping oasis in an urban desert.  With the press of humanity all around you, people watching is an ideal way to take a break between browsing. The best part is that, after you peruse the multitude of venders’ goods and exhaust your people watching urges, you can grab some fresh fruit, cheese and sweets for an impromptu picnic.   http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/

Organic Goodness – Mighty O Donuts

When you have a craving for something sweet, one way to silence that little voice demanding healthy is to head to Mighty O.  The donuts are amazing, moist on the inside with just enough crunchy crust to create texture, and created with organically certified, vegan ingredients.  My personal favorites are the lemon poppy, A fantastic poppy-seed donut with a real lemon juice glaze, and the devil’s playground,  a chocolate donut with a chocolate glaze that’s topped with chocolate sprinkles (there may be a theme there).  Whether you’re buying the donuts one at a time or by the dozen, just know they won’t last long enough. http://www.mightyo.com/

Be A Kid Again - Sky High Sports

Trampolines! This entire space is loaded with them. Stepping off of the walkways onto the trampoline floor launches you back to childhood.  After getting accustomed to bouncing with every step, I started to test my lowered gravity abilities.  While I wasn't willing to try my hand at the multiple flips our friends were doing into the foam pit, I did launch myself into, and off of, the walls to the chagrin of those bouncing around me.  This place was too much fun for the price.  I can't wait to give it another try.  http://sea.jumpskyhigh.com/

Food - Than Brothers Pho

Pho has become ubiquitous with Seattle.  There isn't a neighborhood in the city that doesn't have at least one sign proclaiming the sale of this rice noodle delight....It's just that Than Brothers does it better.  This nondescript location on Aurora Ave may be passed by casual walker, but the people that stop in for lunch are treated to one of the most affordable, tasty lunches in the city.  Before you even order, the server has brought you amazing cream puffs that come complimentary with your meal.  Being a vegetarian, I can't vouch for the meat phos; however, the veggie\tofu pho is wonderfully full of vegetables and slices of fried tofu.  All in all, not a bad place to start this trek. http://www.thanbrothers.com/

What Would You Do?

If you only had 5 days in the Puget Sound Region what would you do?   3J3FHYSK7GXX