Smell The Ocean Air - Seattle Waterfront

 There is something about the waterfront of any city on the ocean.  Each has its own character that shines through. The Seattle waterfront is no different.  Packed full of restaurants, gift shops, tour groups and activities, the waterfront is an easy place to lose an afternoon.  We began at Pike Place Market and descended the stairs through the “Down Under” region and continued down along the Pike Place Hillclimb to the piers.   

Our first stop was the Bay Pavilion (or Miners Landing depending on your preference) at Pier 57.  Starting at the back of the pier, we watched the vintage carousel spin round, entertaining young and old alike.  In the arcade area, the sound of calliope music mixes with the more modern soundtracks of the assorted video games. At $1.50 per ride the carousel is worth a ride if you have the time.  

From Pier 57 we headed to Ye Old Curiosity Shop located at Pier 54.  No visit to Seattle is complete without a visit to this amazing collection of curios and gifts. The Ye Old Curiosity Shop was established in 1899 and is still going strong today.  Inside you will find an astonishing assortment of the weird and unusual ranging from fleas in evening wear and antique scrimshaw work to genuine shrunken heads and mummies.  Amidst the curious collection is perhaps Seattle’s only landmark gift shop or rather gift shop turned landmark.  The Curiosity Shop carries an eclectic array of knick-knacks and souvenirs to cover the entire spectrum of gift giving for every event ...or perhaps just for yourself.   

After a long look through Ye Old Curiosity Shop, the logical next stop is next door at Ivar’s restaurant.   If you have the time you can head inside for a nice sit down meal, but the true experience is outside at the walk-up windows.   They do things a bit different out here.  Once you know what you want, approach the window, get the workers attention and shout out the fried items of your order.  Don’t worry, they seem to have steel traps for minds and will not forget your order even if there are dozens of people yelling out.   When your items are cooked the cashier will add anything not deep-fried (drinks, coleslaw, chowder, etc.) and then get you on your way.  Around the corner from this chaos are rows of benches, tables and a covered eating area. The covered area is great for the rainy days, but if it's nice out you are denying yourself part of the experience:  Seagulls.  As you eat, these scavengers of the sky will creep ever closer until they are nearly sitting at the table with you.  As opposed to most of the areas in the city, feeding these wild animals is encouraged, with the sky filling with the sound of beating wings as soon as food is presented.  If you’re feeling daring you can hand feed these scavengers of the skies…Just count your fingers afterward.

http://www.seattlewaterfront.org/ 

http://www.pier57seattle.com/

http://www.yeoldecuriosityshop.com/ 

http://www.ivars.com/

Hidden Gems – Anita’s Crepes

Every neighborhood has its favorite haunts, local bars and secret eateries.  Anita’s Crepes may have just hit all three in a single visit. We arrived early on a Friday evening without a reservation not realizing how busy they would be.  The host (who also happened to be our server) was apologetic that there weren’t any available tables but was quick to locate seats at the “bar” for us.  Anita’s menu changes periodically based on seasonal availability of the ingredients, so each visit has the potential to bring new creations to your palate.  We started the evening with two amazing drinks: a hand-squeezed lemonade that was just the right balance of sweet and tart and a banana soda, which is comprised of banana and cream muddled in a tall glass and topped with a spritz of soda water.  We followed that up with a smoked salmon and spinach crepe that came with a homemade tzatziki sauce on the side.  To follow up the savory crepe we tried two of the desert crepes: The tried and true Banana/Nutella and one that combined two of our favorite things, the Crème Brulee .  Although the Banana/Nutella delivered as promised with a nice balance between the subtle sweetness of the fruit and the stronger chocolate hazelnut, the Crème Brulee was the stand out.  The warm, soft crepe was the ideal backdrop for the slightly salty, crunchy caramel and rich custard.  The food and atmosphere make Anita’s worth revisiting….Perhaps with a reservation next time. http://www.anitascrepes.com/

Explore Nature - Discovery Park

To fully experience the grandeur of Seattle’s commitment to green spaces, a visit to Discovery Park is in order.  The park’s 534 acres transition through a broad spectrum of habitats and environments ranging from heavily forested areas and large grassy fields to paths that wind through the beachfront woods to the expansive beach itself.  We began our hiking and exploring from the south parking lot, first heading to the amazing overlook with its magnificent views of Mt. Anderson and the rest of the Olympic and Cascade Ranges.   Once you arrive at the park, it’s easy to spend the entire day meandering through the area’s nearly 12 miles of trails. The large sandy patch at the head of several of the trails is the perfect meeting place, allowing you to head off in several directions each leading to its own unique locale.  We headed down the Loop Trail, taking time to explore the hollows in trees and keep an eye out for the Bald Eagles that are sometimes sighted along the tree line. One of the things that always strikes me about the park is the lack of intruding city sounds. Shortly after you leave the parking areas, the sound of traffic fades away leaving you with your thoughts.  Discovery Park has yet to fail us as an excellent place to visit amid the bustling city. http://www.cityofseattle.net/parks/Environment/discovparkindex.htm

                                 

Get Inked – artCore Studios

What better way to enjoy a city than to permanently mark yourself while there. On a night when we had just planned to have a nice dinner, we found ourselves sitting down in a parlor and letting a fantastic artist permanently mark us. Georgetown, once a largely industrial fueled area, has metamorphed into a burgeoning artist community complete with a Vegan Bar and Tattoo/Art Gallery.  When we visited the former only to be told their stove died, we found ourselves at the latter talking to Chris about possible artwork.  Chris is an easy-to-talk-to, laidback professional who eschews the standard "too cool" attitude so prevalent among most tattoo artists.  He listened to our semi-vague ideas about what we wanted and came back with great art that we’ll be proud to show off.  The shop also doubles as an art gallery with the current artist, Sullivan Giles, displaying her amazingly detailed hand-cut stencil spray paint artwork.  All in all, artCore delivers more than your average parlor, both in personnel and personality.  http://www.artcoreseattle.com/

Heart Healthy/Healthy Heart - Theo's Chocolate

Chocolate is meant to be decadent.  It’s a simple fact of life.  However, decadent can also be good Karma.  Take Theo’s Chocolate for example.  Theo’s makes their chocolate from organic, free-trade ingredients that are sourced locally when possible, which is then wrapped in sustainable packaging all while using green-sourced energy.  The Chocolate factory in Fremont provides the neighborhood with an amazing aroma and is available to tour, but my favorite part is the showroom.  Arranged on a variety of tables and surfaces, samples of every variety of their chocolate is available to try.  Ranging from artesian staples such as Dark Chocolate/Orange (just the right balance of bitter and sweet) and Dark/Mint (simply amazing) to the more unique Coconut Curry (Sweet and savory, well worth trying) and Bread and Chocolate (Sweet, salty, with crunchy bits of toasted bread) Theo’s packs classic and distinctive flavors into one amazing room.  With the assortment of tastes available, Theo's has something sweet for every occasion.   http://www.theochocolate.com/