At the beginning of November, I headed to Bellingham, Washington for a conference with the Residence Hall Association of my school. We had to fly in and out of Seattle, so, on the last day, we spent a few hours in Seattle before going to the airport to catch our flight. Since I only spent a few hours in Seattle itself, I don’t feel as though I should write a review on it. However, I was so taken with the place, I want to let everyone know what I think. So, I have decided to write about the very few places that I got to see while I was in Seattle itself, and try to give everyone a hint on what to do should they find themselves in Seattle for less than five hours.
Pike’s Place Market
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This place is so cool. A friend of mine that was with me, Jen, was told that she had to go to Pike’s Place Market while she was in Seattle. So, as soon as we got off of the bus, we bolted straight to Pine Street. We ran up the stairs like Rocky and were completely awed with what we saw. To tell you the truth, it reminded me of Quincy Market in Boston. There are little shops everywhere! Fresh fish seems to be the biggest deal, as well as little knick-knacks you can pick up at little stand-type tables set up along the hallways. It’s like an enormous flea market, only better. There is so much to buy, and even more to look at. It’s open 7 days a week, except on major holidays. From what I understand, it was founded somewhere in the 1900’s-- 1907, I think. It’s a really neat place to go. You could spend hours there.
The Waterfront
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I saw a seal!!! There are actually seals that hang out on the docks at the Waterfront. Each block is broken up into piers. On one of these piers, you can find the Seattle Aquarium, which I shall write about a little later. It was rainy, so we weren’t able to spend a lot of time in this area. Apparently, though, Pier Six from The Real World is a major attraction. We were in the 50s, so we didn’t get to go see the loft they lived in. There are several restaurants, not to mention photo-op places if it’s nice out. I wish it was nice while I was there so I could have hung out on the pier a little more.
Malls Galore
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Alright, so maybe you’re not their to go to the mall. Perhaps you’d just like to see the sights. Not me! Jen and I booked right to the mall. Along the way, we stopped at See’s Candies, that famous candy store from San Francisco. Across the street was one huge mall. Across from that mall, as well as adjoining to it, were two other malls. You can find SO many stores there: Victoria’s Secret, J. Crew, Bath & Body Works... You name it, and it’s probably there. The subway (whatever it’s called in Seattle) runs through one of the malls and costs a mere $1.25 to ride.
Seattle Aquarium
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This aquarium is located right on the pier. I believe it’s pier 60, but I’m not entirely sure. I didn’t go in, but the other people in my group did. Apparently, there’s lots to see and more to buy in the gift shops. I wish I could have gone, but I just didn’t have the time. The people that did go, however, said it was one of the best aquariums they had been to. So, if this type of thing is your bag, maybe you should pay it a visit.
In conclusion, I really liked Seattle. I wish I had more time to visit. I do plan on going again, but I’m just not sure when. Maybe I’ll have a connecting flight through Seattle and get stranded for a while. That would give me more time to check out the city sights!
If you have a chance to go to Seattle, you totally should. Things I didn’t get to do were: get a cup of coffee, visit the Real World pier, go to the Space Needle, check out a museum, go to Planet Hollywood and/or The Hard Rock Cafe, and visit with a friend of mine. Maybe next time I’ll have more time.