How To Spend 24 Hours in Seattle, Washington

When you think of Seattle, rainy days may come to mind. But I’m happy to report that it’s actually possible to have amazing weather! My sister Carrie and I spent a few days in Seattle and Vancouver in August, and we were #blessed with blue skies and lots of sunshine.

While Seattle is a big enough city to keep you busy for weeks, sometimes you only have a short time to spend there. And if that’s the case, here are three things you can do if you have 24 hours in Seattle.

1. Visit Pike Place Market

Going to Pike Place Market is a given, right? Never having been to Seattle, I thought it sounded like a good starting point after arriving in the city. I didn’t realize how big of a deal it was until I got there.

Obviously, it’s a market, but it’s sprawling and it’s lively. Crowds are thick in certain areas, but it’s worth it. There are crafts and souvenirs and flowers and fish and produce and books. Being there in the summer, it was the height of fruit season — we circled back to vendors multiple times for samples of Rainier cherries and Washington peaches that were oh-my-god good.

Bonus: To get to the “Gum Wall,” head down the ramp pictured in the first photo. We had a hard time finding it, but now you have easy instructions. At the bottom, you’ll also find Ghost Alley Espresso — which sells pieces of Dubble Bubble for $0.25. Even if you only have 24 hours in Seattle, you can still make your mark on the wall!

2. Marvel at the Space Needle

When I asked Carrie what she wanted to do in Seattle, this was the first thing she said — “Go up inside the Space Needle.” I think it’s just human nature that when there are tall buildings to go in, we have some sort of instinctive need to do so.

It’s about a 20-minute walk away from Pike Place Market, which goes through the Belmont neighborhood and is a little less touristy than other areas of Seattle. When you arrive at the Space Needle, find the self-service kiosks at the base to buy your ticket for the Observation Deck. You’ll buy your ticket for a specific 30-minute window, and during that time you’ll be admitted to go to the top. It cost us $35 each, but it may be cheaper seasonally or to buy online. There’s some nice green space and sculptures at the base of the Space Needle, along with various tents and food stands, and an extensive souvenir shop inside, if you’re looking to kill time before you go up.

When you get to the top, you are free to stay there as long as you’d like. There are some snack bars and screens with interactive features, like adding your name and zip code to a map of Space Needle visitors. Unlike the CN Tower in Toronto, the last similar structure I found myself inside, you can actually go outside and get a 360-degree view of the city. See if you can find Mt. Rainier in the distance — it was too foggy for us.

3. Grab some brews

I dare you to spend 24 hours in Seattle without drinking coffee or beer. 😂

Seattle is well-known for being the birthplace of Starbucks. You’ll know you’re at the *original* when you see a line out the door that spans several city blocks. If it’s important to you, definitely stop there. I might have if I’d been alone — but Carrie, being a teenager, wasn’t a coffee drinker, and I didn’t want to force her to stand in line with me for who-knows-how-long. But friends have told me that 1. it’s worth it, and 2. the line moves a lot faster than it looks.

Besides The Original Starbucks, Seattle is littered with smaller, independent, coffee shops, and approximately one million other Starbucks. So take your pick.

Now — beer! There are plenty of places to get beer in Seattle. On our last day, we stopped at Old Stove Brewing Co. near Pike Place for a drink before heading to the airport. It was a cute little taproom with lots of local beers. I also paid about $12 for a can of Seattle Cider Co. cider at the Seattle Sounders vs. Sporting KC game at CenturyLink field, so sports beer-drinking is always an option too if you find yourself at a Seahawks/Mariners/Sounders/Reign game. At least mine was local?

Side note: I’m guessing there would have been more beer involved if my travel companion had been of legal drinking age. But there’s always next time.

 

What are your favorite things to do in Seattle, and what do you think of my list? How would you spend 24 hours in Seattle? Let me know in the comments!

-Cathy

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Originally Published on October 14, 2017.