Seattle, Washington in 36 Hours 8 Minutes

Additional Photos by Jessica Bissa

City Highlights

• City: Seattle, Washington, United States

• Population (metro): 4.02 million

• Known for: Space Needle, Headquarters to Amazon, Microsoft, and Starbucks, the largest city in the US Pacific Northwest, gateway to the Olympic and Cascade Ranges

• Distance travelled (on foot): 31.69 km (19.69 mi)

• Weather during visit: Mostly sunny, 9-16ºC (49-61ºF)

• Time in Place: 36 Hours 8 Minutes

Seattle, Washington, is the emerald jewel of the Pacific Northwest, showcasing much of what the region has both in cityscapes and natural landscapes. A combination of tall skyscrapers and even more towering mountains in the same vistas leads to a unique experience that will delight travelers—especially travelers from the exceedingly flat midwest, such as myself and my travel partner. However, the natural beauty of Seattle is not limited to land alone, as the city’s central district and metro area are built upon the Puget Sound. This inlet directly leads to, yet is not a part of, the Pacific Ocean. Home to various world-famous attractions and corporations, there is more to experience in the city than just the famed Space Needle. During our time in the city and surrounding region, I was blown away by how the city's urban core never feels far from its rustic roots and how changes to urban landscapes can drastically improve the experiences tourists and locals have.

Arriving in Seattle

The Seattle metro area’s primary airport is Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, located in the very originally names suburb of SeaTac, approximately 10 miles due south of the CBD. Seattle is home to several smaller airports, such as Paine Field, about 20 miles north of Elliot Bay. You can also reach the city via King Street Station on Amtrak services from Portland, Vancouver, Chicago, and more. There are also services to King Street Station via Sounder commuter rail services. There are not too many other cities in the US near Seattle, so getting there is one of the most significant difficulties in visiting. However, the isolation makes for an interesting arrival, as lush wilderness landscapes are suddenly transformed into suburbia when approaching the airport.

My flight arrived at the far D gates, and my travel partner (arriving on a different airline) arrived at the A gates, meaning I walked nearly the entire length of the airport’s terminal space. SeaTac is a remarkably attractive airport, featuring a lovely atrium space in the center of the airport with a food court, shops, plenty of seating, and even live music. Perhaps my favorite part of the atrium was the wall of windows overlooking the apron and Olympic Range.

There are plenty of passenger amenities in SeaTac. While not cheap (though still better than New York), the restaurants and shops in the airport provide a healthy variety of food options. My favorite shop was Planewear, a small retailer just outside Checkpoint 3 dedicated to aviation-themed goods. It fitted for a city with such an aviation-rich history. There are also plenty of lounges at the airport, catering to airlines (Alaska, British, Delta, and United), credit cards (AmEx and Priority Pass), and a USO.

One note about SEA is that the long terminals can narrow at points, and there are few travellators for passengers connecting between terminals. This means travelers with mobility concerns attempting to connect between different terminals may want to coordinate accommodations with their airlines. Additionally, the narrow spaces can act as chokepoints for travelers, making spaces feel more crowded. Despite this, plenty of seating and charging locations were available during our visit. The only other complaint about SeaTac was that navigating the airport can sometimes confuse first-time visitors (present company included). While the wayfinding is decent, increasing the number of signs may prove beneficial.

Sound Transit: More than a Brand Name

After exiting the terminal, we followed the signage to the Link Light Rail system. The walk between the terminal and the station is not a short one, but it is direct. Due to the ongoing construction during our visit, the airport authority operated a free shuttle approximately every 5 minutes with electric golf carts for those with mobility concerns. Arriving at the station, you are greeted by a few card scanners, vending machines, escalators, an elevator, and even public restrooms. What is missing are proper turnstiles, as Link operates on a proof of payment system. Passengers simply need to tap their contactless ORCA card at the scanners before boarding.

We purchased our ORCA cards and loaded them with $10 each, which proved to be enough for our entire trip. In addition to the preloaded fares, there is a $3 card fee, which I found to be worth it thanks to the lovely card design. Link operates using a fare zone system, and the ride from the airport to Westlake in the central transit tunnel costs $3 one way (more expensive than some other Metros like the WMATA Metro in DC, but less than the London Underground). There is also a transfer period of two hours, which makes for straightforward changes between transit modes thanks to the contactless tracking system.

After waiting about 10 minutes for the next northbound train to arrive at SeaTac, we boarded for the approximately 40-minute ride to Westlake. The trains are incredibly easy to board thanks to their low platform design and wide doors, and all trains feature priority and ADA-accessible seating. Trains also feature (limited) bike hooks and luggage storage. The clean and quiet trains lead to a very comfortable transit experience.

Overall, getting around using Sound Transit was an easy and enjoyable transit experience. The versatility of the ORCA card along all different types of transit made for a seamless experience. My only problem with the system was remembering to tap off, as the lack of fare gates makes it incredibly easy to forget this step (user error more than anything). As a system, Sound Transit has lower frequencies than other similarly sized networks. Still, the continued expansion of the Link Light Rail system will continue to make visiting Seattle easier and better in the future.

Novel Transit

After the ride to Westlake, we made my most unusual transit connection in a long time to the Seattle Monorail. The monorail was the first proper stop of the trip, and I would recommend this at least once to anyone visiting the city. Seattle Center, home to many of Seattle’s museums and the Space Needle left as remnants of the 1962 World’s Fair, is located about a mile north of the CBD. The monorail is a great way to get between the two destinations quickly. Upon exiting Link station at Westlake, we followed the signage into the Westlake Mall and up the three stories to the Monorail station. The monorail only has two stations, meaning it’s more of a tourist attraction than actual transit. Despite this, the monorail operates on a decent frequency of every 10 minutes and accepts ORCA cards as payment. It is also included within the transfer system, meaning our ride on the monorail technically only cost 50¢ due to paying $3 for the ride from the airport.

When the trains arrive at the station, the platform screen doors (!) open to the impressive retro-futurism trains, allowing you to find a seat. Being more of a novelty than a means for daily commuting, the seating is varied but not the most comfortable due to short seat backs. There is an accessible entrance at the front of the train (when leaving from Westlake). The ride is short, around 1.4 km (less than a mile), or about 5 minutes in total, but you are treated with views of Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood and parts of the Seattle Center during the ride. Towards the end of the northbound ride, you pass through a cutout in the Museum of Pop Culture. Seemingly just as suddenly as we boarded, we were at Seattle’s most iconic landmark, the Space Needle.

I'm Afraid of Heights, but I Respect Them

As previously mentioned, Seattle Center (occasionally also called Expo Center) was built for the 1962 World’s Fair and is perhaps the largest tourist district in the city and the greater Pacific Northwest. Departing the monorail station, we entered a plaza and were immediately greeted with a fantastic view of the Needle. Located directly at the base of the tower are vending machines where you can purchase tickets to the attraction.

The Space Needle is not cheap to visit. Our two tickets into the tower cost $75 in total, but we considered it money well spent. The base of the structure leading to the elevators is dedicated to a small history exhibit about the construction and history of the Needle. The ticket also includes a souvenir photo at the base of the tower that can be redeemed online after. While some went directly to the elevators, my travel partner and I took our time and read more about the structure's history. As Roman Mars says, “Always read the plaques.”

The history of the needle is almost as interesting as the attraction itself, and we found some fascinating details about the construction process. The spire’s construction occurred within a year before the Expo started. There were no fatalities during the construction process. I am also convinced that the Space Needle will outlast everything else in Seattle as the structure is designed to withstand 320 km/h (200 mph) winds and a 9.0 magnitude earthquake.

After the history exhibit, it was time to ascend to the top of the tower. The Space Needle has two observation decks: an open-air top deck and a rotation bottom deck. The elevator from the base drops off passengers on the top deck before picking up passengers on the bottom deck before descending back to the ground. The view along the ride to the top of the tower is pretty good, but the view from the top is phenomenal. We were speechless when we arrived at the top and exited the lobby area to the open-air observation deck. The vista before us was awesome and astonishingly beautiful.

We were treated to unobstructed views from the top of the tower in every direction. Instead of a traditional railing that may obstruct views, a wall of glass panes runs around the outer edge. There are also benches along these walls, angled backward into the panes so you feel like you’re falling from the tower if you aren’t expecting it. This led to a pretty comical reaction from my travel partner when she tried it for the first time. To the west lies the Olympic Range across the Puget Sounds and several islands like Bainbridge and Vashon. To the north are the suburbs of Seattle, namely Queen Anne, Magnolia, and Fremont. There is also a decent view of Mount Baker in the distance. Continuing to the east are Lake Union and Lake Washington. Lake Union is home to seaplane operator Kenmore Air, which had several arrivals and departures during our time atop the needle. Finally, to the southeast is downtown Seattle, including the tallest building in the Pacific Northwest, the Columbia Center. Behind downtown is Mount Rainer, the tallest mountain in the Cascade Range. Shipyards, SeaTac, Boeing Field (yes, that Boeing), and the Stadium District are also visible. You can hypothetically catch an American football game (Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field), a baseball game (Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park), and either a basketball game (Seattle Storm) or hockey match (Seattle Kraken, both in Climate Pledge Arena) from the top of the Needle.

Facing West

Facing Northeast

Facing Southeast

After spending about a half hour on the top deck admiring the scenery, we decided to check out the bottom deck. The quickest way between the two is a spiral staircase within the structure, but it isn’t the easiest walk down. Those who prefer to or have mobility concerns may take the elevator instead. The bottom deck features a rotating platform, allowing visitors to look at the entire vista before them effortlessly and a glass floor to see the ground 150 m (500 feet) directly below. The first time stepping onto the glass was a rather unusual feeling, probably best characterized by the quote seen in the museum at the base,

“I’m afraid of heights, but I respect them.”

Finally, after having our fill of the panoramic views for about an hour and a half, we descended back to the tower's base and deposited into the gift shop. I am always down to check out a museum gift shop, and this was no exception. The usual suspects and a few unique items like Space Needle socks and a 1m (3 feet) tall tower model were present. Going into the Space Needle is expensive, but I highly recommend the experience to anyone visiting the city for the first time.

Aside from the Space Needle, Seattle Center’s other attractions offer a variety of ways to spend the day. Although we walked around a bit after returning to the base, we didn’t experience any of the other attractions present. However, we look forwards to visiting the Museum of Pop Culture on a future visit. Instead, we wanted to book a hotel, drop off our gear, and continue our adventure with our backs a bit less sore. It was only mid-afternoon by this time, but we were not adjusted yet to Pacific Time, and it felt much later into the evening for us.

Evening on Elliot Bay

After quickly booking our hotel, we walked along 5th and 6th Avenues, exploring more of the city along the way. One such area we passed was part of Amazon’s headquarters, including the Spheres. After about a 1.5 km (1.2 mi) walk, we arrived at the Hilton Seattle, where we found a good discount on the nightly rate. I highly recommend to anyone traveling and making last-minute reservations to find a good discount hotel reservations app like Hotel Tonight. The time between when we booked the hotel and when we arrived was a bit over a half hour. As soon as we were checked in, found our room, and dropped our bags off, we returned to the city to explore more.

The next destination was the Seattle Waterfront and Pike Place Market. Throughout the trip, we found ourselves drawn again and again to the waterfront in Seattle. With an impressive cityscape on one side and stunning mountain ridges on the other, walking along Elliot Bay or simply relaxing on one of the piers is necessary while visiting the city. Also located along the waterfront are many attractions, such as the Great Wheel and the Seattle Aquarium.

Pike Place is an artisan market with a variety of products available. In addition to all of the vendors, the market is home to some specialty shops, several restaurants, and the famous Pike Place Fish Market. The design of the market is as unique in character as the vendors it houses, providing a multi-level labyrinth of different experiences to explore over the various levels. There were even a few times in the market when we got lost. When we first arrived at the market, it was past closing time for many vendors, though the facility stays open 24/7. We were able to scope out the sights before returning the following day. As impressive as the market is during the daytime, I recommend visiting at night too. The contrast between the two is stunning and allows you to appreciate the scale of the market better when it is operating.

After exploring the area a bit more, we decided to eat our first actual meal of the day. Not wanting to walk much further or leave the incredible evening views of the bay, we opted for the Old Stove Brewing Company. We were fortunate enough to snag a picnic table overlooking the waterfront, although all of the seating at the market is public, neither owned nor controlled by the restaurant. The menu was a decent size, and while the prices were steep, my travel partner and I thoroughly enjoyed our meal. My partner went for the green chili Mac and cheese, while I opted for a classic clam chowder (it was a goal of mine to get seafood on this trip). We also split orders of pretzel bites and everything bagel fries. Of course, being a brewing company, we each sampled some of the local beverage offerings, and they have flight options available for those looking to try a bit of everything. If you want to enjoy a scenic dinner in Seattle, I’m not sure there are many better places.

After finishing our meal, it was getting dark, and we were exhausted due to the time change. We decided to end the night with a brief walk along the bay before returning to the hotel. Along the way, we found Post Alley, home to the Seattle Selfie Museum.

A Surprisingly Sunny Seattle Morning

After an excellent night’s sleep at the Hilton, we awoke the next morning ready for more adventures. The hotel graciously comped breakfast at the hotel restaurant due to a small problem with our check-in process the previous evening. This was not a standard continental buffet but a full menu of offerings, each incredibly well prepared. While we each indulged in a large offering (trying to save on lunch costs), we skipped the coffee in favor of our next stop.

Seattle is home to many corporations, but one of the most well-known and iconic is Starbucks. While we did not visit the original location near Pike Place on our trip, we did stop for our morning brew at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery. The flagship location for the Starbucks Reserve brand is in the Capital Hill neighborhood, and this caffeinated wonderland is a must-visit location for anyone who enjoys a good morning cup of coffee. Inside is an impressive single-source coffee lineup that cannot be found at other Starbucks locations and specially branded merchandise, alongside what makes it a Roastery, the roasting and packaging of Starbucks coffee for sale. This process is fully on display for visitors to watch, as is a complete pastry kitchen. My personal favorite touch from the Roastery is the Solari (or split-flap) board displaying different information about the coffees currently in the lineup.

I chose a dark chocolate mocha while my travel partner ordered the praline latte. Both were quite good and were served in rather attractive mugs we were tempted to pocket but ultimately decided against. Starbucks as our first stop was a great idea, not only because a bit of caffeine before the rest of a long day was helpful but also because the Roastery is located higher up along the slope Seattle is built into. Our walk down to the waterfront area was much easier than walking up to get the coffee.

At the bottom of the hill, we were greeted with a much livelier version of Pike Place than we saw the previous night, filled with vibrant stalls and flying fish. The market felt jovial and pleasant compared to the empty space we had seen before. Fresh fruits, fish, flowers, and other wares were all available from local merchants. The weather had cleared up from the night before, and we were treated to brilliant bluebird skies that enhanced the astounding azure beauty of the Sound and imposing Olympics beyond, acting as a backdrop for the market. We could have spent the entire day at the market, pursuing the products and enjoying the scenery, but we had a ferry to catch.

Other Side of the Sound

After a brief (and rather spirited due to running behind schedule) walk through the market and waterfront, we made our way to the Ferry Terminal. The State of Washington offers many ferries to reach the various islands dotting the state’s Northeast shoreline. The ferry terminal was undergoing a major renovation while we were there, but it will be a world-class facility when completed from what we saw. Even during our visit, the main portion of the new terminal was open and a spectacular gateway to the islands that lay beyond. A spacious waiting hall and automated fare gates provide a wonderful space to ensure visitors have a pleasant journey.

We could purchase our tickets easily, taking no more than a minute and costing $9.65 for a round trip. For foot passengers, you technically only buy a ticket for the voyage from Seattle; they do not check tickets from outside departure points. Also of note is that cyclists pay the foot passenger fair and only add a $1 roundtrip surcharge, a nice addition if you want to take a bike onto the island. We could have used our ORCA cards to pay for the ferry but we wanted the physical tickets. Fares paid and tickets in hand, we walked (quickly) down the gangway and stepped onto the MV Suquamish for our excursion to Bainbridge Island.

The MV Suquamish is a large car and passenger ferry capable of fitting 144 vehicles and 1500 passengers onboard. Plenty of seating, clean restrooms, and even sockets for device charging are available, providing a pleasant way to cross the sound. However, the best part of the ferry is the large viewing decks on each end. While the sundeck was closed on the day of our travels, we could still get phenomenal views of Seattle, the Olympic Range, and Bainbridge Island as we approached.

There are a variety of ferry operators in Seattle offering both transit and pleasure cruises in the Sound. If you’re traveling on a budget and want to see the city by water, I highly recommend taking the ferry to Bainbridge from Seattle. It’s under $10 per passenger, and the views you can see are still phenomenal compared to others, which may be 3-6x the price for an hour-long tour. The biggest difference is the lack of narrated experience. What you do get, however, is the chance to explore the city on the other side of the Sound.

Bainbridge Island

Bainbridge Island is a, well, island in Puget Sound home to approximately 25,000 people. With idyllic sights and proximity to Seattle, the city has become a resort town with various shops and restaurants catering to tourists and locals alike. Another interesting note about the island that came up while doing post-trip research is that the island is the birthplace of Pickleball.

When we arrived on Bainbridge, we exited the ferry terminal and began following the sidewalk up the side of the hill into the area known as Winslow. Winslow is the island's traditional downtown area, with many famous shops located along Winslow Way. Along the way, we passed a bike rental shop, a few small businesses, and a sign welcoming us to Bainbridge.

When we reached the top of the hill (or at least the part where it flattened out and we didn’t want to climb further), we could see the length of the main street and explore some of the shops along it. Of particular note were two bookstores: Backstreet Beat, a used book and record shop, and Eagle Harbor Book Company, an adorable shop selling new books from every genre imaginable. Bainbridge is also home to a fair share of renowned restaurants, including the world-famous Seabird Sea Food restaurant that was out of our budget.

We then headed down on the other side of the hill towards the marina in Eagle Harbour. The waterfront area and the entire town reminded me of many resort towns along the West Coast of Michigan, like South Haven and Holland. A small town based on the water, catering heavily to tourists, felt like a bit of home while away. It reminded me that whenever we travel, we will always compare and contrast the places we visit with where we decide to go at the end of the trip. The marina had a few more shops, restaurants overlooking the water, and an impressive number of boats. Also along the waterfront trail were a few different sculptures. Boats, food, and public art? This place has it all!

The marina trail is a lovely way to enjoy more sights of the island and some distant shots of downtown Seattle with the mountains beyond the Puget Sound. After finishing up at the waterfront, we walked back up the hill to remind ourselves why we don’t skip leg day. Along the way, we passed the Bainbridge Island City Hall and learned a bit more about the island we were on. One such interesting fact is that the city of Winslow annexed the rest of the island in 1991. There was also space next to the city hall for a farmers’ market, which was unfortunately not running while we were on the island. Finally feeling a bit hungry, we decided the next logical step would be to get some ice cream. The delightful Mora Ice Creamery was located not too far from the city hall. My travel partner had brownie cheesecake ice cream and I had the lemon bar ice cream. Both were quite delicious; we would get them again if we returned in the future.

We were starting to get close to the return time for the next ferry back to the mainland, but we had one more stop: the post office to mail a postcard to my travel partner’s family. After that, it was a simple walk back down the hill to the ferry terminal, where we boarded without any waiting. The fact that your ticket is an implied roundtrip is quite nice since we didn’t need to worry about getting another ticket to keep track of or even hold onto our previous leg tickets (though we did). One note about this structure is that roundtrip pricing is only for foot and cycle passengers; motor vehicles will pay a fair each way. With the ferry headed back across the sound, we sat back and watched the mountains fade smaller and smaller away as we gently glided towards the Emerald City once more.

A Walk on the Water

When we docked again in Seattle, we disembarked and exited the station along a rather interesting catwalk structure. With new and old sections alike and more under construction, it is evident that this was the terminal's way of delivering people into the city, and they were not keen on changing that. It made sense, as the ferry terminal is rather elevated against the waterfront, meaning that you don’t have to walk up the often steep sidewalks in Seattle to reach many of the core areas of the CBD.

As soon as we exited the walkway, we turned around and headed back towards the waterfront, returning to walk along Alaskan Way. We decided to play tourist for a while, visiting some shops and attractions along the way, like Pier 57 and the Seattle Aquarium (although we didn’t go in, we just watched the sea lions from the outside for a while). Then, we found our favorite spot of the trip, Pier 62. Pier 62 acts as a city park along the waterfront. There was plenty of seating, restrooms, fire rings, and even some games for public use at the pier. It even seemed like the venue was occasionally host to public concerts. While there wasn’t a scheduled activity while we were on the pier, we stayed for quite a while, resting our legs and enjoying the passing ships transiting the Sound with the Olympics reaching beyond in the background. It was a stunning sight to see, and I am glad we could take the time to enjoy it. Ultimately, we spent nearly an hour at the pier, watching the world go by.

From the pier, we continued northward along Alaskan Way. We passed the Seattle Cruise Terminals and Victoria Clipper Terminal, another method for visitors to enter the city. At the end of the street, near Pier 70, is the beginning of several parks and trails. Amongst these are the Olympic Sculpture Park and Elliot Bay Trail. It was also at that point that I took my favorite pictures of the trip.

A Quick Sidebar/Rant about City Planning

One thing that I found fascinating while we walked along Alaskan Way is how the city was trying, actually putting effort and investing money into revitalizing its waterfront district. Seattle has been cut off from the water for several decades by a concrete, double-decked viaduct. The giant structure was constructed between 1949 and 1959, with the first section opening in 1953. Almost as soon as it was built, there were issues with the viaduct, and proposals to replace it began as early as the 1960s. The concrete structure acted as a barrier to Elliott Bay for the city, and there were safety concerns due to seismic activity in the region. Eventually, after a similar structure collapsed in Oakland, California, in a 2001 earthquake, the city began working earnestly on a replacement. Finally, a deep bore tunnel was dug, and the freeway was buried. The viaduct was demolished in 2019, and work to replace the former structure with a more modest boulevard, including bike lanes and bus lanes, was under construction during my visit.

Cities are constantly changing landscapes, just like natural landscapes, and they should adjust to the needs and uses the people of the city demand from it. We now know how detrimental traffic can be to an environment, be it urban or rural, and this redesign will improve the livability of Seattle for generations to come. While not perfect in design, it does signify something important: a change for Seattle. As urban spaces continue their natural evolution over time, they need to look to other cities worldwide to improve the lives of citizens and visitors alike, and Seattle is certainly trying to become an example for other cities.

Back to your regularly scheduled trip report...

Having reached the end of Alaskan Way, we continued up the hill through the Olympic Sculpture Park towards Seattle Center. Many delightful public artworks were available to see in the park, and there was also no shortage of people walking their dogs. Seattle appears to be a very dog-friendly city, though I have no solid proof of this other than seeing more dogs walking around the CBD than I have in other cities like DC or London. As we continued towards Seattle Center, another destination came to mind, Komo Plaza. Komo Plaza is the fiction Grey Memorial Hospital in the medical drama Grey’s Anatomy. When we reached the famed location, the resident fan was slightly disappointed in the facility, though it did provide a rather unique shot of the Space Needle.

Finishing up with our last Space Needle pictures of the trip, we walked along 5th Avenue, much the same way we passed through the night before, towards Westfield Mall. Along the way, we did see a few more interesting points of Seattle, including one of the South Lake Union Line streetcars. Reaching the mall, we went to the bottom floor, boarded the Link Light Rail Line 1, and headed southbound. We had just one more stop on our trip before returning to the airport for our flights home.

Dinner, Dessert, Depart

We exited the train at International District/ Chinatown and immediately saw why it is called the International District. There were many different restaurants and shops dedicated to various East and Southeast Asian cultures. I had been craving some good Asian cuisine while on the trip, and Dough Zone had been recommended to me by someone on TripAdvisor, so I figured it was worth a shot, especially as I love dumplings.

Overall, I quite enjoyed the food at Dough Zone. While not always the most authentic Chinese food experience, the food was tasty, and the atmosphere was enjoyable. You simply mark what you want to order and the quantity on a notepad and wait for your food to arrive. This is not a dining experience most Americans are familiar with, so the change was nice. Wanting to get the “best of” experience, we sampled the Xiao Long Bao soup dumplings, the Q-Bao pan-fried buns, and the potstickers. My travel partner, wary of dumplings as she hadn’t had them before, also ordered garlic noodles and informed me they were excellent. All of the dumplings were fantastic, though be warned, they are served incredibly hot. It took a solid week for my mouth to recover from an overeager first bite of the soup dumplings.

With a bit of room left for dessert and wanting to explore more of the surrounding area, we paid our tab before venturing out. At neighboring shops, my travel partner got a pineapple boba tea, and I went for a black sesame mochi donut. As with dinner and all of the other food we tried on the trip, both choices were excellent. Next time I visit Seattle, I will make sure to spend more time in the International District.

Finishing our treats, we descended back into the underground light rail station, catching a glimpse of King Street Station along the way. Thanks to the ORCA fare system, our stop in the International District was essentially free as we tapped off and back on within the 2-hour transfer window, a nice system feature that would allow for a quick excursion at various points along the way. We waited about 7-8 minutes for the next train, and then we were off to the airport again. The return trip was quick and painless, just as our journey from the airport had been. Thanks to the digital wayfinding, we easily could see where our stop was (though there were a few people who still managed to get off a stop too soon at Tukwila instead of SeaTac with luggage in tow, and another few who asked us if this was the airport stop). When we did reach SeaTac, we tapped off and followed the signs back tint the terminal for our flights home.

Entering the airport, we quickly found TSA, only to be told that the PreCheck line was not located at all checkpoints. According to the SeaTack website, PreCheck screening is only available at Checkpoints 1 and 4, though only Checkpoint 4 was open between the two at the time of our visit. One thing I appreciated about SeaTac is the number of places to sit and the ease of finding a quiet spot. It required a bit of walking, but having an area where we could relax after the past day and a half of nearly non-stop exploring was helpful. My biggest complaint about the return trip is that all the restaurants in the S gates were closed by 7 pm, meaning we didn’t have food options besides a bag of chips while waiting for our flight. I also was disappointed that the S gate bridge was not yet open during our visit, but that is no longer the case.

Seattle was a truly wonderful city to explore, and we greatly enjoyed our time there. The stunning views and various attractions we visited were spectacular experiences. We did not get to see everything the city has to offer, though, and we plan on returning. On the list of things we missed are things such as Pioneer Square, MPOP, and the Boeing Museum. We would also love to return to Bainbridge Island and spend more time along Elliott Bay, admiring the passing ships with mountains as a backdrop. Despite some of the missing sites to visit, we felt we had successfully completed this trip's task; we had about a day and a half to enjoy a new city, and enjoy it we certainly did.