The Evergreen State
Ahh we finally made it to the Pacific Northwest! We were finally on the West Coast. Not that I don’t love the East Coast (Virginia born and raised baby) but the West Coast does have a beautiful factor that is hard to get around. NO HUMIDITY. Of course there are gorgeous views, incredible hikes, mind blowing mountain ranges, and tons of adventure, but my absolute favorite is the humidity thing. You can just breath forever without risk of drowning like some of my East Coast people I am sure have experience on a deathly hot August day. But regardless of your Coast preferences, we made it Washington.
We spent the night in Spokane, Washington and in the morning had an absolutely beautiful drive to Seattle. The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and Snoqualmie Pass looks beautiful in the fall, and the greenery will absolutely amaze you. Driving through these National Forest and by the waterfalls are defintely something that should be on your bucket list, if it isn’t already.
Once in Seattle, we wasted no time and hit the number one attraction: The Space Needle.
It’s a little pricey to get up there but definitely something you should do if you have the time and are in Seattle. We decided to go right at sunset so we could see the city at day, see a really beautiful sunset, and then see the city at night.
You are given a certain time to board the elevator, and then one quick trip up and vola you are on the top of the world. The exhibit at the top is quite larger than I expected, and they have glass everything. There are glass benches, huge glass walls, and even parts of the floor is glass. They have little stations set up so you can capture the perfect selfie. So you don’t have to worry about asking strangers to snap a quick picture for you.
The part I thought was the coolest is the “downstairs” viewing center. This part of the observation deck is actually spinning. It is spinning so slowly you almost don’t even notice. It’s actually pretty incredible. They have bars, seats, and places to eat so you could sit and see the whole city without even having to move. After exploring the upper deck, the spinning section, and watching an amazing sunset we decided to see what else Seattle had to offer.
Once we arrived back on a more solid ground we continued our Seattle exploration. We found ourselves down by the river and explored all along the boardwalk area.
We got some various snacks with our favorite being these little fried fish balls. They were almost like hushpuppies, but filled with fish and then deep fried. They are served piping hot with a creamy dipping sauce. Delish!
We ventured through all the little touristy sections and admired the themed spots. There was a lot of westerny vibes going along and we even found some Oregon Trail themed people. It’s a fun quirky little spot down by the river, and it’s beautiful at night with everything lit up.
We were lucky enough to have some friends Emily and Sam Hoover give us the insiders tour. They both went to college in Seattle so they knew all the local spots. We saw some neat little parks, the best places in town to eat, and even a nice overlook of the city at night. It was a nice late night adventure with a really fun couple!
In the morning, we decided our first stop HAD to be Public Market. It is well known for tossing the local catch of the day, but it is so much more than a fish tossing marketplace.
It is a community of vendors, fresh food, and basically a giant flea/farmers market. Definitely worth a visit, and if you get there early you can even witness them auctioning off the stalls or selling tables of the day.
You can walk the many different floors and find everything from street musicians to local art displays. My favorite section were the many booths selling fresh flowers and the unique bouquet arrangements.
Behind the Market there is a nice little picnic area where you can go if you need to take a break or a nice spot to eat lunch with a view.
There are tons of quirky little details you can find hidden all over the market. From sidewalk art to intricate building designs, keep your eyes peeled for some fun little treasures. Some of our favorites were the scattered light men hidden in unique places all over the market holding different lights as lanterns. See how many you can find!
The Lantern Men 
Hidden all Around
Another major attraction of the Public Market, is the First Starbucks. That’s right the world renowned coffee place was started in a tiny shop right outside the Public Market.
Usually you have to get there right as it opens to avoid hours of waiting in line, but we got lucky. It probably had a lot to do with us visiting on a week day in the middle of the off season, but we only waited about 10 minutes before we were helped.
All the original floors and logos are used in this Starbucks, so you get a really authentic feel for how it was back in 1912. There is a special version of Pike’s Place blend that is only served at this location, so naturally that is the one we had to try. We decided to get it as a pour over and it was a delicious rich deep blend of beans.
With our coffee in hand, we decided the only thing to complete our brew would be a treat. Thankfully just a few doors down is the delicious bakery Piroshky Piroshky. This tiny bakery makes their pastries fresh every single day and they are to die for! We got the pumpkin cinnamon rolls, but from the smell of it, anything would have been delicious. If you have a sweet tooth, this is the place to go!
From there we decided to head a few blocks down to the well-known Gum Wall. You can smell it even before you can see it, as all the rubbery sugars melt into one.
The alley is exactly what it sounds like, just a bunch of gum stuck on a wall. It is kinda gross if you think about it, but it’s pretty impressive the amount that has been collected over the years. Its a very colorful place to take pictures, but be careful not to stand too close. If you’re really brave you might even add a piece for yourself.
On the way out of the alley, there is tons of graffiti, wall art, and posters plastered on every inch and surface. It is pretty neat to spend some time checking out some of the creative posts.
Some of the posters and wall art 
Found leaving the Gum Wall
From there we decided to view a very different form of art and headed to Troll Ave. Under the Fremont Bridge is a huge troll sculpted into the sand. There is little parking, but its a fun quirky little thing to see before heading out of the city.
This massive sculpture was just the icing on the cake of a wonderful visit to the Emerald City. The troll pretty much wrapped up our time in Seattle, and we decided to head south to Oregon!
Thanks for reading my post this week, and I hope you get the chance to explore Washington for yourself.
Until next time, God Bless!
-McKayla