Friday, January 22, 2010

Whirlwind Seattle Weekend

Last weekend, Ross and I decided to make a quick overnight trip to Seattle since he had a rare two days off work in a row.  Also, we couldn't pass up the amazing deal that Travelzoo was offering for a stay at the W hotel.  Ahem, a room that normally goes for $300 per night was discounted to $129 and was graciously provided as an early birthday present by my folks.  Sooo, on Friday we packed up our things and headed up north.


Enjoying a huevos wrap from Starbucks in honor of Seattle.  During our short 24 hour trip, I visited Starbucks 4 times... geez.  But at least I got hot teas, so I don't feel too bad!

Goodbye Oregon, hello Washington!

Finally here :)
When we checked into our hotel, we heard about a service that they offer called the "Acura Experience".  Basically, the hotel has a few Acuras that are available to take guests anyplace within a few miles of the hotel.  It was super fun to be chauffeured around and we were thankful for the ride, especially since I was dealing with a nasty cold and it was pretty drizzly outside. 

First stop, a cute little sandwich shop... we sat at the counter and people-watched!  We saw some hippies with an adorable puppy and a bum that relieved himself on a brick planter, among other things.

Ross really enjoyed his Apollo sandwich.

While walking around Pike Place, we made a wrong turn and ended up in an alley by this wall covered in gum.  It was so funny and totally reminded me of Bubblegum Alley in San Luis Obispo.  Apparently, this is called the Gum Wall, and a scene from the movie Love Happens was filmed here in 1999.

Of course we had to revisit the first Starbucks... please ignore the partially dressed dressed Starbucks mascot (what is it?)

After the Market, we headed to the mall that was down the street from our hotel.  My goal was to find a solid, brown, one strap bag and I ended up with the opposite.  Funny how that happens!

The monorail that runs between the mall and the Space Needle was really fun!  Yep, that's the 3rd Starbucks of the day in my hands :)

The view from the top is so pretty!

Ross says "adios" to Seattle.

After checking out of our hotel the next morning, we decided to take the ferry over to Bainbridge Island.  Instead of taking the 5 fwy back to Portland, this route allowed us to experience the gorgeous Kitsap Peninsula and parts of Puget Sound.  Starbucks count...4.

Seattle definitely has its own funky vibe.  All of the cities in the Pacific NW have their own distinct character and I can't wait to explore it more.

Wish we could have stayed longer!  There is so much to do here!