So we booked our flights for the July 4th weekend.
1st day.
Our flight was (PHL) 3:54pm - (SEA) 6:48pm. Duration, 5 hours and 54 minutes. We drove to Smart Park (hubby's favorite airport parking) around past noon, and from there we were shuttled to the airport.
When we landed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and claimed our luggage, we headed straight to the shuttle that would take us to our Enterprise Rent-A-Car location. I kept pestering the hubby to stop by Jollibee first since it was only about 1.5 miles away from the rental office. He’s a huge fan of Chickenjoy and actually loves the spaghetti too, so he was looking forward to it just as much as I was.
Unfortunately, they had closed early that day at 7:00 PM even though their usual closing time was 10:00 PM. I’m guessing it was because it was the Fourth of July.
We ended up heading straight to our hotel instead, then later went out to explore some of the restaurants around Post Alley. Since it’s right near Pike Place Market, and our hotel, The Westin Seattle, was only within walking distance, it turned out to be the perfect area to stay and wander around in the evening.
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| our hotel from the monorail |
Most of the restaurants are closed and we ended up having dinner at a French Brasserie called Cafe Campagne. I ordered their Duck Confit and the hubby ordered Coq Au Vin. We both enjoyed our dinner.
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| Duck Confit photo from their Cafe Campagne's website |
2nd Day.
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| outdoor dining place |
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| dry blood anyone? |
I woke up early determined to finally get my Jollibee breakfast fix. I ordered the beef tapa while the hubby happily went for his favorite combo: Chickenjoy and spaghetti. Some traditions simply travel well. 🤣
After breakfast, we headed back to downtown Seattle to buy tickets for the Bill Speidel's Underground Tour. Unfortunately, we arrived about five minutes too late for the noon tour, so we had to wait another hour for the 1:00 PM slot.
To pass the time, we spent the next 45 minutes at an outdoor restaurant called Delicatus. The hubby ordered wine while I asked for a Diet Coke, which they apparently didn’t have. Instead, they offered me something they claimed was “similar”, a Dry Blood Orange Soda. Let’s just say it tasted more like flavored club soda pretending to be soda. I drank about half before surrendering the rest to the hubby.
The Bill Speidel's Underground Tour was fascinating because of the history behind it, along with all the interesting stories and random trivia shared throughout the tour. That said, if you’re a bit finicky or sensitive to certain environments, this may not be for you.
There are some, let’s call them “mysterious historical smells,” and at times it genuinely feels like you’re trespassing through someone’s abandoned century-old basement. 🤣
But if you think you can handle that part, I’d still recommend trying it at least once for the experience alone. It’s one of those uniquely Seattle things that’s equal parts educational, eerie, and oddly entertaining.
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Then we headed to the Pike Place Market next, just because I really want to go to the First Starbucks store (yeah, yeah, jologs alert, I don't care, lol).
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| piroshky bakery |
I’m not exactly a die-hard Starbucks fan, but I still wanted to see the original store at least once for bragging rights. 🤣 So off we went.
The market was full of colorful artwork, quirky little items, and of course the fresh fish, fruits, and vegetables it’s famous for. We didn’t stay too long though. We mostly just wandered through and soaked in the atmosphere while passing by.
On our way to the original The First Starbucks Store, we noticed this insanely long line at Piroshky and got curious. So the hubby and I decided to divide and conquer. 🤣 I jumped into the Piroshky line while he bravely marched toward the Starbucks line that looked like it might require its own survival kit.
One of Piroshky’s best sellers was the Beef and Cheese, so I ordered that. I also noticed almost everyone around me ordering the Potato and Cheese, so naturally I got that too. We absolutely loved the Beef and Cheese. The Potato and Cheese wasn’t bad at all, but unfortunately for it, we tried the Beef and Cheese first, and it tasted so good it overshadowed the Potato and Cheese, so it never really stood a chance. We might have appreciated Potato and Cheese better if we tried that first.
Surprisingly, the Piroshky line moved really fast despite how long it looked. The Starbucks line, meanwhile, was apparently frozen in time because the hubby swore it never moved. But we survived both lines in the end. We bought the famous “First Starbucks Store” mug, and I also couldn’t resist picking up one of their vintage-style tumblers.
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| inside the first starbucks store |
The highlight of our second day was definitely our dinner inside the Space Needle. This iconic structure has been standing since the early 1960s and is one of those landmarks you instantly recognize the moment you see the Seattle skyline.
At the very top is the revolving restaurant, Sky City Restaurant, and we made sure to book our reservation well in advance.
Little tip: try to dress a bit nicer when you go. Think, no jeans or shorts if possible. It’s not an official rule, but I honestly think it increases your chances of getting one of the better tables. Yes, the coveted window seat. You're welcome :D.
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Our hotel was very close to the Seattle Center Monorail, so we took the monorail to the Space Needle. The fare was only around $2.25 one way, and honestly, it was part transportation, part mini tourist experience. 🤣
Once we arrived at the Space Needle, we discovered that SkyCity Restaurant has its own separate elevator entrance. From the monorail exit, just walk toward the Space Needle and keep to the right until you see another entrance with the SkyCity sign.
At the reception area, we checked in for our reservation and they handed us one of those lighting/vibrating pager thingies that let you know when your table is ready. Since we arrived early, the receptionist told us that even though our reservation wasn’t for another 30 minutes, we should still head up to the observation deck first (the elevator’s first stop), then immediately go one floor down to the restaurant level and request a window seat.
Now here’s the funny part. We noticed there were other SkyCity diners in the elevator with us wearing capris, shorts, and jeans, but they weren’t given the same little “tip” we got. Now, you know the secret *wink*
So of course, the hubby and I followed instructions exactly. The moment everyone else exited onto the observation deck, we quietly went one level down to the restaurant reception area. I let the hubby do the talking, and we were both amused when the receptionist immediately said, “We actually have one available right now!”
Which basically meant we completely skipped the waiting process. No need for the vibrating pager to buzz or light up, they escorted us straight to a window table right away. Mission accomplished. 😂
Awesome.
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| view of downtown Seattle from the revolving restaurant |
The awesomeness of the night didn’t stop there because the food was exceptionally good too. I ordered the Carlton Farms pork chop while the hubby went for the Wild King salmon. To go with dinner, we shared a bottle of Beringer White Zinfandel, my go-to alcohol choice.
To finish the night, we ordered a dessert called the Lunar Orbiter (see video). Originally, we planned to order just one and share it, but while I was handing the camera to the hubby, he somehow managed to press the “stop recording” button right before the dessert’s little presentation/show started and didn't realize it wasn't recording until it's too late. 🤣
So naturally, the only logical solution was to order another Lunar Orbiter just so we could record it properly this time. I know it doesn't make sense, but, well, you know, for ka-artehan's sake, lol.
But honestly, it was so good that it still didn’t feel like a waste of money at all.
LunarOrbiter bluemarlinfish on Vimeo.
Oh, and another nice touch at SkyCity Restaurant is they give you a complimentary professional photo too. A lady photographer was going around the restaurant asking diners if they wanted their picture taken (of course we said yes 🤣). She took our photos and handed us a card that we later needed to scan to retrieve the pictures digitally.
We were lucky because ours was taken during sunset, so the lighting and the view turned out really beautiful. After dinner, we simply scanned the card at the observation deck level one floor above the restaurant. From there, they just give you the option to have the photos sent through email. Sadly, no printed copies.
After dinner, we briefly considered going out for drinks because there was a bar we had seen featured in a magazine that looked interesting, although neither of us could remember the name anymore at that point. 🤣 But in the end, we decided to skip it. We had an early morning ahead of us since we’d be driving to Portland and Mount St. Helens the next day.
So we officially called it a night around 11:30 PM.
...coming up next: 3rd day - Voodoo Doughnuts and the Hike/Helicopter ride to Mt. St. Helens...update: done! click me
all photos and videos by yours truly, please do not use without permission.
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