Want to see Seattle's top attractions (The Space Needle, The Aquarium, The Museum of Pop Culture, the Chihuly Garden & Glass, the Woodlandpark Zoo, the Pacific Science Center or a Harbor Cruise)? The CityPASS will get you into many of these attractions for one (deeply discounted) price compared to booking them separately. All of these attractions come highly recommended by us, and by most tourists who have visited the Emerald City. Check out the website to buy online, or buy at one of the partner locations (such as the Space Needle).
Have you really been to Seattle if you don't make a stop at Pike Place? The answer is a definite NO. Will there be a ton of other tourists there? Yes. But will there also be cute local vendors, Beecher's AMAZING Mac & Cheese, Seattle chowder, delicious Moscow Mules at Rachel's Ginger Beer (we might be regulars), greek yogurt that almost passes for dessert from a little shop called Ellenos, a gum wall, flowers for days and BEER! at Old Stove Brewing (for a somewhat reasonable price and an unbeatable view of the sound). There's a reason that tourists and locals alike flock to "the market"-it just never gets old.
Love wine!? Want lots of options to taste it in one convenient location? SODO Urbanworks is your jam! It's in the city (actually only about 2 miles straight down 1st Ave from the wedding venue), has 10 wine tasting rooms, 1 brewery and 1 pizza place. It's a one-stop shop for excellent wine, and a beautiful place to spend a sunny afternoon. If you want every more wine...Across the water (Lake Washington) on the "East Side" is the charming city of Woodinville. This place is known for it's plentiful number of wine tasting rooms/breweries/distilleries etc. It's an awesome way to spend the day, and has a much larger variety compared to SODO Urbanworks. We love Woodinville, but we're partial to SODO because it's a 5 minute drive from our house. If you want to spend an entire day enjoying good food and great wine, then Woodinville is the place for you. They have lots of cute Airbnbs, a few hotels and plenty of Uber availability if you want to stay in the city but escape for the day.
If you're like us and enjoy exploring local breweries and spending a summer afternoon in a hop haze, Ballard is near to heaven! We recommend making your way to Stoup Brewing (via your favorite mode of transportation that doesn't require you to drive home) as a starting point. Start with one of Mark's favorite beers, the NW Red and enjoy the food truck and large patio. Once you've finished there, we recommend exploring the area - there are over 10 breweries within an EASY walk from here! Almost all of them will have a food truck nearby, and below are a few of our favorites - enjoy! Populuxe Brewing: Pinball! Lucky Envelope Brewing: Where Nicole met Eric & Alicia the first time Rueben's Brews: The original, try the Crikey IPA! Obec Brewing: If you're feeling fancy Peddler Brewing: Yard Games!
If you've got an itch to ride one of the many ferries you'll see crossing the Puget Sound, then we'd recommend taking the Bainbridge ferry and checking out the town. There are tons of fun shops, restaurants, breweries and wine tasting rooms to make a full day of it. One thing to know, you pay only one way - from Seattle to Bainbridge and then the return trip is free - just make sure you don't miss the last ferry of the day!
Are Museums your thing? Seattle has LOADS of them. Some top choices include the SAM (Seattle Art Museum), the Chihuly Glass Museum, the MOPOP (Museum of Pop Culture), the Museum of Flight, the Burke Museum of Natural History, the Seattle Pinball Museum, and the Center For Wooden Boats (free sailing trips on Lake Union on Sundays!). There are many others as well (including a new Nordic Museum in Ballard which we haven't heard much about), but these are some of our top choices. Many of these museums are FREE on the first Thursday of the month, so if you're in town the day/night before the wedding, Thursday would be a great day to check out some of the best museums in the city (at no cost!).
Are you looking for Seattle's closest thing to a Boardwalk? If so, Alki is just that place. While its got nothing on real beaches, Alki is a great place to spend an afternoon exploring and taking in the awesome views of the Puget Sound, Olympic mountains and Downtown Seattle. Just a 2 mile walk from the water taxi, this is a great place to rent a bike and cruise down to the shops and restaurants at Alki point.
If you'll be in town the night prior to the wedding, you're in for a treat. There is a FREE art walk every 1st Thursday of the month in Pioneer Square (right near & actually including our venue) during which different galleries and shops display mostly local art. If you are interested in art and will be in town, we would definitely recommend checking it out!