Family Vacations in Seattle
Seattle was a trip that we took after an extremely hectic season in our life. We needed a rest and some family time. We also needed a distraction. We needed to get our minds off our life back home and Seattle was perfect. The city was beautiful and warm. We were excited to be in a place we had wanted to visit for so long. We arrived in Kings Street Station in Seattle at about 8:30 PM. I have to say that the station is beautiful. It was undergoing restoration but is a station in the old grand style. We were all tired, but excited to be off the train and ready to get to our hotel.
Unlike airplanes, luggage isn’t a big consideration on a train. We checked the stroller and didn’t think of it again until we tried to get it (and all our luggage) into the trunk of the Uber. For a few minutes, I thought we were going to have to walk to the hotel. That wouldn’t have been so bad as the weather and was nice and it was still light outside. But the thought of trekking up the 7 blocks to the hotel with luggage and kids in tow was a bit daunting. We managed to get all stuff into the car and we were off to the hotel and the wonderful surprise that awaited us there.
We splurged a bit on the room because we wanted to have some separation from the kids. I wanted a place where we wouldn’t hear every noise the kid made. We needed to rest. Upon our arrival, the front desk manager told us that we were being upgraded to one of their specialty suites. It was incredible!!! We had what was equivalent to an apartment without a kitchen. The Pacific Northwest Ballet Suite was to be our home for the next few days and after those days I wish it were our permanent home.
Pike Place Market
We started almost every morning with a trip to Pike Place Market for a cup of coffee and a simple fresh breakfast, usually at Le Panier-the very french bakery. It was always full of life. People buying fish from the famous fish throwers,
to buying flowers from the mosaic of color that spanned the length of the market. Souvenirs and a multitude of other fresh and unique foods abound. It was a full sensory experience; smells and sounds overtook in a moment, then the brilliant colors; it was no surprise our kids loved it here!
Perfect Weather
We loved Seattle. With all the sun and warm weather I’m not sure we had the typical Seattle experience–after-all, Seattle averages 155 days of rain a year! The perfect weather afforded us the opportunity to see almost the whole city on foot. Our hotel was in a great location; Waterfront Park and the aquarium were just blocks away. Pikes Place Market was just up the street and the SAM-Seattle Art Museum was across the street!
Seattle Shopping District
The Shopping District was a bit away, but still within walking distance with the stroller. From the Shopping District, we could take the monorail to the Seattle Center. We walked and walked and loved it. Walking gave us time to talk, to take in the city, to pop into a shop and dream of things that we wanted to buy for our home… to plan our day and to enjoy being a family together.
Waterfront Park & the Seattle Aquarium
Many afternoons before nap-time we ate lunch at Waterfront Park. The kids loved to be on the pier. Watching the boats go in and out of the harbor, looking throughout the planks to try to see fish, flags, kites, and birds all kept his attention as we sat and ate fish and chips. The Aquarium is there in the park and well worth the admittance price. They do a great job of highlighting the local ocean habitat. The stream profile and river section are especially wonderful! There is a carnival-type atmosphere in the park with fountains, benches, and vendors on the piers. It is typified by the boardwalk where there is a carousel, arcade games, and cotton candy.
Children’s Museum & Seattle Center
Seattle has so much to offer. We only scratched the surface but we did find another gem. The Children’s Museum in the Seattle Center. This place is like heaven for kids. There are toys, climbing areas, exploratory and sensory experiences. There are art lessons, live theatre, and storytelling all included in your admission price. Our little Emery, only 8 months old, had a blast and so did Jackson at 3. They had age-appropriate activities and areas for kids up to 12. I was chatting with a mom from Seattle and she said this was her salvation during the rainy times and that visited it several days a week!
The Children’s Museum is only one small corner of the Seattle Center. There is a huge park with fountains, skate parks, the Experience Music Project, Children’s Theatre, Space Needle, and carnival area are just a few of the other attractions here. It is worth at least a day there. You could spend a week in just this small part of Seattle! The entrance fees are steep for the museums so start saving now. We didn’t have the budget to visit many of these sites but just being there was fabulous and whet our appetite to go back.
Gas Works Park
We splurged on a cab to go to Gas Works Park. We were sorely disappointed! It seemed old and rundown. There wasn’t anything there except grass and an abandoned gas company. It may have been because we were there in June, but it just seemed dead and a bit unsafe. We couldn’t even find a cab to get us home and had to stop into a little deli and have them call us a cab. In danger of ruining our evening out, we decided to head back to downtown and have dinner. We had a drink at the Four Seasons (is there any better place to recover) and then walked up the road until we found a small Italian restaurant. They had the best Clam linguine.
Seattle was a true family vacation. As we flew home and landed in Santa Barbara we were refreshed not drained. We had made memories that would stay with us forever. Seattle was the perfect mix of family time and parent time that brought us all closer. That’s what family vacations are all about!