This Thanksgiving break, my parents and I took a trip to the beautiful Seattle, Washington. My mom has said that after 53 years she is DONE with cooking, so as a family of three, we’ve begun to trade the traditions of Thanksgiving to travel instead. We’ve spent past Thanksgivings in Nashville, Austin, and Washington D.C., but this year we headed up for our first time to the Pacific Northwest city and had such an incredible time together.
I’ve put together a list of some of my favorite Seattle places to go and things to do.
What to Do
Pike Place Market – America’s iconic fish and produce market. You will definitely regret missing this. As for highlights in the market, I suggest Ellenos Greek Yogurt, the ORIGINAL Starbucks Coffee, Le Panier French Bakery, and Beecher’s Handmade Cheese.
Chihuly Glass and Gardens – The exhibit by the Washington native—Dale Chihuly’s work will absolutely blow you away. The museum holds some of the artist’s original works as well as pieces from all throughout his career.
Space Needle – Okay, yes, the Space Needle may be touristy and campy, yet you’re in Seattle, so why not? You can get amazing views of Seattle from their observation deck, 520 feet up.
Westlake Center – Downtown Seattle’s shopping haven. I happened to be there on Black Friday, so I scored some great deals from All Saints and Madewell.
Food
Shiro’s Sushi – Edomae style sushi by the world famous chef Shiro Kashiba. I recommend the uni (you should try it anywhere you can anyways—uni is a bucket lister.) and sakeye salmon nigiri, as well as the shishito peppers and shrimp tempura roll.
Piroshky, Piroshky Russian Bakery – Russian bakery serving up traditional savory and sweet Russian pastries. It just celebrated its 25th anniversary at Pike Place Market—we aren’t shocked.
Ray’s Boathouse – Located in the Ballard area of western Seattle, Ray’s Boathouse is where we had our Thanksgiving meal. Although the roast turkey dinner is not on their menu permanently, I highly recommend the warm rosemary gougères and the deviled eggs.
The Pink Door – This quaint little restaurant is tucked away in Post Alley, right off of the market. You must try the lasagna and the crab caesar salad as you take in the beautiful views of Puget Sounds. They also played ABBA the entire time we were there and that wasn’t so bad either.