It was my first time going to the state of Washington, which is the western-northernmost state of mainland USA, bordering Canada (let’s not talk about Alaska). I had expected this but until I experienced it myself, I must tell you – it was VERY cold. It was mid January, very much winter. The kind of cold made me just want to stay indoor all day long. Without a car, you probably wouldn’t want to go out at all. The air was chilly and dry, even in the day. It dried out all the mucus from my nose and saliva in my mouth, making my face uncomfortable. The air was so dry, laundry dried super quickly, even with no heat or sun. That said, I will not encourage winter (but honestly I was never a fan of winter. I always prefer climates of 20 – 25degs C, where I can just wear normal clothes) and I’m sure Washington has a lot of beauty that is better appreciated in summer, like their national parks and outdoor places, if you’re a fan of being close to nature. Thankfully I only had 2 days here.

My first meal in Seattle was seafood at Elliot’s Oyster House. It’s located at Pier 56 on Seattle Waterfront and I suppose this is more of a tourist trap restaurant than one locals would go to. The food was decently good however, though not something I would call unique.

Elliot’s Oyster House
1201 Alaskan Way Pier 56 Seattle, WA 98101

I’ve never heard of crumpet prior to Seattle, so I didn’t know what to expect. This shop at Pike’s Place specializing in crumpet has many good reviews and seemed like a great choice for breakfast.

Basically crumpet is a griddle cake – think of the bun of your McGriddles from McDonanalds (I used to love that stuff, 10 years ago). That’s the closest I ever had!

They have in both savory and sweet combinations and there were many to pick from. I decided on a sweet maple cream cheese flavour and it was so good. I highly recommend this place for something unique and delicious to try in Seattle.

The Crumpet Shop
Pike Place Market, 1503 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98101, USA

Probably the most famous thing from Seattle would be the chowder. Specifically, Pike’s Place Chowder. They open at 11am daily and there was a line waiting for it opened for the day. Winter is the low season and this crowd was considered to be really mild. Expect long queues and no where to sit when it’s summer!

They serve several different flavours including some daily specials.

I tried their New England Clam Chowder and the daily special which was a lobster based chowder and I personally liked the lobster one better. It was good, very flavourful, but not something that’s worth queues and squeezing I feel. It’s probably just crowded because of tourists.

 

Pike Place Chowder
1530 Post Alley, Seattle, WA 98101, USA

A random cafe in Pike’s Place with lovely view.

My favourite part of Seattle was the Boeing factory in Everett. I actually didn’t plan this ahead but realised only when I saw brochures in my hotel that there’re Boeing tours available for the public. The Boeing facility in welcomes tourists on guided tours which takes place every hour. No photos or even any phones are allowed though, so no pictures. But we saw the ACTUAL assembly line for 747 and 787 and it was really cool. I highly recommend visiting Boeing!

These photos are of the public area. Reservation is recommended in advanced because this is quite a popular attraction, but as mentioned, winter is a really off peak season in Seattle, and I was here on a weekday, so I was lucky to get to walk in! Tickets are US$23 for adults.

This Boeing building in Everett is actually the largest building in the world by volume.

Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour
8415 Paine Field Blvd., Mukilteo, WA  98275

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For a panoramic view of Seattle, Columbia Center is the best place. Don’t bother with the Space Needle. Tickets are US$14.75 for adults.

Sky View Observatory – Columbia Center
701 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104, USA

One last thing about Seattle – Starbucks.

I am not a fan of coffee or Starbucks but since Seattle is the birthplace of Starbucks, it’s worth checking out. There’s Starbucks almost everywhere. It’s almost as common as 7-11 in Singapore. I didn’t check out the famous Starbucks HQ but instead I checked out Starbucks Reserve, which is a better version of a usual outlet.

Not a must see, but it’s nice to see if it’s convenient! The fireplace kept me warm and toasty and was just what I needed in the freezing weather.

Starbucks Reserve
1124 Pike St, Seattle, WA 98101, USA