Fort Ebey—Fort Ebey made me love Whidbey Island. It’s this cool little park on the coast. Like other places in Whidbey Island, there are these extremely steep banks jutting down to the beach and meadows above with biking and hiking trails cutting through the grass. I took my kids mountain biking here. It was fun and easy and one of my kids was riding a balance bike the whole time. Also on Whidbey Island, Langley seems pretty cool and the Bluff Hike is quite nice.
Modern Japanese—I was completely blown away by this place. It’s this unassuming Japanese restaurant that accidentally looks like a bakery. Everyone who worked there was Japanese and no one seemed to know how to run a business which is why no one knows about this place and why it looks like a bakery. But it also happens to have the best Japanese food in Seattle in my opinion.
Bellingham Farmer’s Market—this may be the best farmer’s market I’ve ever been to. Bellingham is a truly weird place and this farmers’ market showcases that weirdness center stage. There are miniature “stages” set up all around the market with one-man, two-man, at most 4-man bands playing some incredible craft music. Plus, it’s a localavore’s paradise in a non-pretentious, non-fancy, non-Ballard sort of way. I love Bellingham—the mountain biking, the trails everywhere, the run-down way it is certainly not Seattle—and this farmers’ market is the epitome of that Bellingham-ness.
Kizuki—there’s a ramen craze going on in Seattle and most of it is not that good. Kizuki, on the other hand, is awesome. The atmosphere is horrible. It feels like it was built for millennials by IKEA and it drives me crazy when a Japanese restaurant fully staffed with Americans and frequented by predominately Americans make the wait staff yell “Irashaimase!” whenever anyone enters. But, dang, they make the best ramen in town. I could eat here twice a week.
Guemes Island and Guemes Mountain—this island is the closest of the San Juan’s and certainly the least visited. It’s only a 10 minute ferry from Anacortes. If you go, ditch your car and bike to Guemes Mountain which is a great, relatively easy hike with Mount Constitution-esque views without the Mount Constitution-esque crowds. After that, just hang out at the general store, taking ‘er easy. People here are weirdly nice which takes some getting used to but once you’re accustomed to it, you can be nice too. It feels a little awkward at first after all that time in Seattle but put a little guemes into it and you can do it too.
Lake Dorothy—this hike about 2 hours outside of Seattle is only 4 miles round trip so it’s easily doable with the kids or out-of-shape grandparents or whoever. And the payoff for such a short hike is stunning. The lake seems to appear out of nowhere and all of a sudden you’re sitting on the shores of a mountain lake surrounded by small but breathtaking peaks. It’s good to make the little ones endure a little hardship to attain this slice of tranquility.
Seattle Center—I didn’t really want to put this place on the list but I had to and not really for the Space Needle (which is actually cooler than it should be. It’s interesting because in most places like that that I’ve been to, the computer screens are all crappy and pixilated and every other one doesn’t work but at the Space Needle, the technology actually works and its fun and if you get a view of the Olympics, that’s awesome.) Anyway, there’s actually some really cool stuff here. The enormous fountain is somewhat mind-blowing in my opinion. The playground is absolutely insane. MoPop is here (not a fan, just saying) and so is the Chihuly Museum (never been but want to.) And finally, the Monorail is here! I’m the only person I’ve ever met who loves this thing so take what I say with a grain of salt, but the Monorail is incredible!
Evo/REI—I’m an outdoor person so I guess it’s no wonder that these are two of my favorite places to shop in Seattle. REI’s flagship is a little overwhelming but it has everything you’d ever need and a lot that you don’t need and still want. At Evo, I’ve always gotten amazing beta from the ski crew on local hidden stashes. No one acts like a know-it-all gearhead here. We’re all in this fucking grind together, right, so let’s keep it peaceful, folks. I’m like a decade too old to be shopping here so I appreciate the lack of jargon, too.
Cloudburst brewery—this brewery flies completely under the radar somehow, given its Belltown location and its beer. Maybe it’s because you feel like you’re experiencing your buddy’s half-completed project in their garage. I always walk out of here wasted after two measly beers, psyched about my own half-completed projects.
Stevens Pass Backside—Stevens Pass is no big secret. It’s not uncommon to drive 2 hours to get here and sit in ski area traffic on the highway, only to be turned away because all the parking lots are full. The whole setup is chaotic and just plain idiotic in a lot of ways. Plus, by noon most of the mountain is skied out. Which is why it’s so crazy that parts of the backside stay untouched on a powder day. With a short bootpack, you can get in fresh turns run after run. I’ve had some of my best days out here just lapping this stuff up, hooting by myself, taking in the loneliness I get far too little of out here.
The Starbucks Roastery – I’m not a Starbucks fan and you would never catch me outside that shitty “original” Starbucks near Pike Place Market. This place on the other hand is more a celebration of the art of coffee. It’s like it was created by Willie Wonka right after he shipped the Sonics off to Oklahoma City.
Wataru sushi—the best sushi in Seattle and nothing else comes close.
Paradise (in Mount Rainier NP) in the winter—I imagine Paradise is pretty incredible in the summer too but I haven’t been because I’m worried about the crowds. But in the winter, it’s not crowded and it’s incredible. It’s a backcountry skiing paradise. Everything seems so safe (even though it ain’t) and the skiing is dang good. There was even a little area where kids were sledding which seemed a little weird to me but whatever, this is Paradise.
Pestal Rock—best Thai food I’ve ever had including the two weeks I spent in Thailand. I couldn’t really understand my waiter either which is always a good sign.
Analog Coffee – nothing super special about this small Capitol Hill establishment but it’s still the best small coffee shop in Seattle. And this is Seattle so that’s a big, big deal.
Bloedel Reserve—this nature reserve on Bainbridge Island is amazing. I took more pictures there of beautiful little paths and moss gardens than I took on my daughter’s birthday. It’s big and diverse and perfectly sculpted and perfectly wild at the same time. The little Japanese guesthouse is the type of building that conjures up dreams of the simple life. As an added benefit, it gives you an excuse to hop on the ferry to Bainbridge which has a cute downtown with a more than decent crepe shop and pastrami shop and just a cool laid-back way upper middle class feel.
Rock Island – this has probably been the best dining experience I’ve had in Seattle. Food, drink selection, and ambiance were all fantastic. It was pricey but still felt like a great deal at the end of the night. But what really impressed me was the wait staff. It takes real skill to make everyone feel perfectly at ease in your presence and the staff at Rock Creek nailed it.
Sounders games—I wasn’t quite prepared for this level of fan-dom or this level of just flat out sports fun. The whole tradition beforehand with the marching band and the singing and the march of the fans from Pioneer Square to the stadium is so absurd that at first I couldn’t decide whether to be appalled or simply go with it. And once you let go and allow your inner fan to come bursting out in a stadium surprisingly packed with American soccer fiends, that’s when you truly start to believe there is something to this whole Seattle thing after all.
Skookum Flats Mountain Bike Trail—for an area that has a whole lot of mountain biking and a whole lot of people who are really passionate about mountain biking, there is a dearth of epic trails. This is the exception. From the moss-lined singletrack to the white, glacial river running alongside, this trail is fun, beautiful, and flowy as all heck on the way back.
Seattle Bouldering Project—I go here more than any other establishment in Seattle. This place is dedicated to bouldering and doesn’t even pretend to waste any space on top roping. I love it. Plus they have the two best kids sections I’ve ever seen so my kids love it too. They have yoga and a gym and workspaces and to top it all off, they have a kick-ass coffee shop tucked into a back room. Damn! How Seattle is that?
Sunrise (the place, not the event) in Mount Rainier National Park—Mount Rainier is stunning and as far as I can tell, this is the place to experience it in all its glory. It’s best to just go and not have me try to muddle my way through a description.
La Marzocca/KEXP—this is best coffeeshop of all time combined with the best radio station of all time. And the coolest thing about it is that it isn’t too cool for me to show up with my kids and my dorky-ass sneakers.
The Hoh—the moss drips from the trees like a saturated, slobbering monster out of a Miyazaki movie. Being here feels like you’ve been transported to some supernatural world and conjures up memories of being a kid and thinking you could move to the forest and live in a tree. The Hoh is special because it’s unlike any place I’ve ever been. I went in November so there was hardly anyone around and it had been raining and the sun suddenly peeped out when we arrived so everything was sparkling and magical. We walked both loops and were fascinated the entire time. Our timing was impeccable but I think it’d be a pretty wondrous adventure no matter how crowded with humans it might get.
Orcas Island—the San Juan’s are incredible. But Orcas deserves a spot of its own. Moran State Park is an absolute gem. The view from Mount Constitution, while not awe-inspiring the way a place like Hurricane Ridge in the Olympics is, is really some special. I feel like true Pacific Northwesterners feel the same way about this view as I do about a Vermont general store. There is something so quintessential about this place that is unique to this part of the country—the ocean, the trees, the mountains in the background. And don’t get me started on the mountain biking here. I wasn’t expecting the mountain biking to be this good which is partially why I so impressed. But expectations be damned, this place is amazing.
Ballard Breweries—this is why you came to Seattle after all. For the beer, for the Pacific Northwest laid back style, for all those converted warehouses and food trucks. Rueben’s brews, Lucky Envelope, Stoup, Populuxe, Peddler, and more. You can walk from one to another or just park yourself at one (Stoup and Populuxe are my favorites) and let the kids annoy the hell out of someone else. Bring your dog and don’t emote. You’ll fit right in. This is as good as it gets. Especially if you’re from the East Coast.
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Fremont Vintage Mall—this is probably the most fun place to shop in Seattle. I generally have a fondness in my heart for places that have a small entrances that lead to large underground spaces. So even if the shit in here wasn’t cool, I’d probably like it anyway. But the shit is Things seem a little overpriced but not like West Elm overpriced. Plus you can negotiate which doesn’t work so well at West Elm.
Taylor Shellfish—Taylor shellfish itself is a pretty cool place to hang out and eat oysters at a couple locations in downtown Seattle. Not a restaurant, more like a bar where you don’t have to feel bad about ordering only a couple things and being cheap. But that alone wouldn’t make my list. It’s the oyster farm market that they have off Chucknut Drive up by Bellingham that really tickles my fancy. Here’s what you do. You order yourself up some delicious oysters to go because they’re cheaper that way. The guy will show you the best way to shuck ‘em. Then you step outside and eat them on one of their picnic benches and chuck the shells into the ocean. Shuck it then chuck it, as they say.
Lake Tipsoo—out past the entrances to Mount Rainier there’s this tiny alpine lake surrounded by wildflowers in the spring. A short path goes around the lake and on the far side you can look across and see Mount Rainier towering in the background. The juxtaposition of this cute, small lake (pond, really) and the rugged, massive mountain make this location a truly special one. Perfect for a peaceful picnic if your heading east towards Yakima.
Georgetown—everyone will tell you that Capitol Hill is the best neighborhood to walk around in Seattle. While that’s probably true, I actually like Georgetown better. It’s much much smaller so it’s probably not an apt comparison but it’s gritty, it’s cool, it’s laid-back and it still has a neighborhood vibe to it. Plus it has some little shop trailer homes in the back of an otherwise worthless parking lot.
Kuma Coffee—probably my second favorite coffee roaster of all time (to Blue Bottle). While you can get this coffee all over the country if you wanted to, it’s roasted here in Seattle. They don’t have a retail store here anymore so it’s kind of pointless for me to include it on this list but it gives me some sort of unmerited pride to know it hails from the same place I do. Victrola is my second favorite coffee in town and they actually have some retail establishments if you’re interested.
Capitol Forest—this forest down past Olympia is huge and is a mountain biking mecca. You can camp out down here and if you plan it right you can spend the weekend on singletrack without getting into your car. And it’s uncrowded for the time being though I’m sure that will quickly change in the next few years.
Manolin
The Walrus and the Carpenter—if you ask most people in Seattle for their local restaurant recommendations this cozy, submarine-esk establishment in Ballard makes the cut. They serve seafood that melts in your mouth in a lively setting that good for a date or night out with friends.
Freeway Park—this park behind the convention center that straddles the freeway is straight out of an MC Esher painting. It’s amazing that they were able to squeeze this park right into the middle the city, almost as if it doesn’t exist at all. It snakes its way between buildings with waterfalls cascading over concrete walls and “secret” staircases that lead to “hidden” gems. Perfect place to eat your lunch on a sunny day.
MIIR—not only is this place a cool place to hang out or work, not only does this place serve a mean cup of coffee and have a dang good beer selection, not only does this place sell fabulous coffee cups and accoutrements, but you can also feel good about yourself knowing that every dollar you spend here is going to a great cause.
Winthrop Hike
Oyster dome—one of my favorite hikes not too far from Seattle. This hike was about 6 miles but the trail up was interesting enough that the kids were entertained the whole way climbing little boulders and didn’t complain until the end. The top has a great view of Chuckanut bay and plenty of room and small perches to eat lunch. At the bottom, you can sit and watch the paragliders and hang-gliders launch and float over the bay in a scene you don’t get many other places. I watched a bunch of people scream at this one hang-glider for god knows what faux pas and it made me feel happy in an indescribable way, knowing these guys care about this shit the way I care about my own shit and people wonder why.
Giddeup Burgers/Uneeda Burger—these two joints have the best burgers I’ve had in Seattle and they’re up there with the best burgers I’ve ever had. While they’re both great, if I had to, I’d give the edge to Giddeup. It’s a little less pretentious, a little bigger, a little less well-known and less crowded.
Chuckanut drive/Bow-Oxford—I think after the first time I drove on Chuckanut Drive, I compared it to Big Sur which was an absolutely idiotic thing to do but regardless, it’s pretty stunning in its own right. I can picture orcas soaring through the air in the bay as I cruise down this winding road in my Tesla but since I haven’t actually seen that orcas and I don’t have a Tesla, it doesn’t count. Still the bald eagles and my Altima are cool. And Bow Oxford. All of Washington’s town are shitty. This ain’t no Vermont after all. Bow Oxford though, is pretty much Vermont. Sure, it’s fake and small and weird, but it’s still probably the coolest small town in Washington. People will try to convince you that Leavenworth or Winthrop are cool, but really those place are shitholes surrounded by some incredible natural places.
South Lake Union—you’re in Amazon country here so don’t expect to be blown away by the kindness or modesty of the people. That said, I love it here even as they continue to tear down the old warehouses that used to define this place. This neighborhood is new and has the fresh sheen of dollar bills but they’ve done a great job keeping it small-feeling. Pedestrians have the right of way, food trucks rule the streets during lunch, and the SLUT (South Lake Union Trolley) provides easy access. Also, if you can get to the roof of Amazon’s Dawson building, you’ll have one of the best views in town. Finally, the lakefront park is here, complete with the Center for Wooden Ships which has more to offer than just a fantastic name.
Lunch—this is my chance to reel off some restaurants in and around downtown that on their own wouldn’t make the cut but in aggregate do. Best sandwich in Seattle: Market House Meats. Korean: Bamboo. Poke: Alice Poke. BBQ: Cask and Trotter. Pizza: Serious Pie and Biscuit (SLU location. This place is great and I considered making it an entry of its own.) Caribbean: Pam’s Kitchen (this place used to be in SLU but now only the Wallingford one is open. I haven’t been to the one in Wallingford but if it’s anything like the SLU one I’m sure it’s awesome.) Breakfast-for-lunch: Portage Bay.
Ice Caves—an easy hike on the Mountain Loop Highway. This is a pretty well-known hike so it gets crowded but it’s worth it. Every few years, people go into the caves and die when the snow collapses on them. Don’t do that. I actually don’t know why you would do that anyway. The best part of the hike is looking around at the alpine views beyond the caves which you wouldn’t be able to see if you were in the caves and you definitely wouldn’t be able to see if you were dead.
Seattle Public Library-Central Library—this is easily the most impressive building in Seattle. Go up the elevator to the top floor and try not to puke on the glass floors. Then get lost in a sea of rare and beautiful books, appreciating the juxtaposition between the content and the architecture. The building is somewhat controversial given how out of place it is, but don’t judge a book by its cover is what I say.
The Amazon Spheres—Amazon built these biodomes for its employees to be inspired by natural beauty while being crushed by consumerism and corporate-ism. They often get a bad rap for being wasteful and ostentatious. But I say, go for it, Bezos. Create something beautiful and original for its own sake. There’s no place like this in the Pacific Northwest maybe not in the world as far as I know.
Teanaway—this “community forest” isn’t on anyone’s radar which makes for a great outdoor weekend getaway. The rogue camping up here is the best I’ve found close to Seattle. When I first came upon this place, I thought I would spend every summer weekend up here. There’s mountain biking up here too. Like you, I have no idea what a community forest is.
Seattle Japanese Garden—small but exquisite. Meticulously cared for, this walled-in garden off of a busy road that cuts through the arboretum is surprisingly serene. Its poor location allows it to fly under the radar and the attention to detail subdues the sound of traffic outside.
Summit Public House/Cozy Nut Tavern—the way Seattle should be. Period.
Ba Bar – way overpriced Vietnamese food but these guys step it up a level and make it classy. Add in an incongruous coffee shop at your register and you have yourself an awesome little establishment.
Revel—this stylish place in Freland but temporarily located in South Lake Union has unique Korean fusion food, is delicious, and is actually cheap. Everything about this place is great, including the wait staff. The kimchi pancakes are not great though for some reason.
Voxx Coffee (Downtown location)—dang, style. The coffee is good, the service is meh, but damn those tiles and those mid-century light fixtures are just so freaking chic. This coffee shop is small but it feels like a true anaba and packs a mean punch of cool.
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I-5 Colonnade—this abandoned mountain bike park under I-5 in Eastlake has been taken over by homeless people. I can’t tell whether this apocalyptic, 12 Monkeys-esqe aspect to it adds to its charm or not. The huge ramps and insane props still remain with a few syringes scattered around for good measure.
Cookies from Metropolitan Market—Dang! Do it, man. Shell out that dough for one of these bad boys. You’ve earned it after another hard day of being a homo sapien.
La Wis Wis—my favorite non-rogue campsite in the Seattle area. This place is big and there’s plenty of room and unlike most campsites in the Seattle area, it doesn’t feel like your sleeping in the same room with a bunch of gypsies. It’s actually a stretch to call this the Seattle area since it’s on the west side of Mount Rainier National Park, but I’m doing it anyway. It’s not insanely beautiful like some of the other Rainier campsites but it’s close enough to Grove of Patriarchs and the west gate to the park.
Craftworks Coffee—an all-together excellent coffee shop with possibly the worst location in town. There’s nothing wrong the location per se, it just happens to be a block away from the best coffee shop on Earth, so I’m not sure why you’d ever go here. But in a vacuum, this place would be awesome.
Anjou Bakery—why would I include a bakery way out past Leavenworth that no one in their right mind is going to go to? It’s that good, that’s why. I don’t know how it is that someone hasn’t convinced these guys to move to Seattle and get rich or at least move a few miles up the road to Leavenworth and get funky. But they’re making it work out in Cashmere somehow. And thank god for that.
Ada’s Technical Bookstore—it’s typical of the Nuevo Seattle to have a bookstore dedicated to all things technical and to have a rad little coffeeshop in the back and a big room with a big table so all the nerds can hunch over their thick books on Perl. It’s atypical to be able to pull this off without being obnoxious and too Nuevo for Seattle’s own good.
Richmond Beach Park/Discovery Park—two very different parks, both with incredible beach-side views of the sound and the land beyond. If I had to choose between the two, I’d go with Richmond Beach because it’s less crowded and the whole layout with the terraced slope and the playground and everything is simply stunning.
Tacoma—I’m not joking. Tacoma is pretty cool. And not just in a gritty, dirty, warehouse-y way though there’s quite a bit of that too. It has a cool zoo and nice downtown with some nice restaurants and it’s not crowded at all. It smells a little funky and it has an opioid aura to it so there’s that whole underbelly. I don’t want to live there, but I also don’t want to give it the short shrift.
Brimmer and Heeltap—the best thing about this stylish restaurant in Ballard is that it’s not crowded. I sat at an outside table in their cute little garden when I was here and I didn’t need a reservation. The food was good, the atmosphere and wait staff great, and it was only a little bit overpriced. Not sure why it wasn’t a zoo like every other place in Ballard.
Talullah’s for brunch
Magnolia—Magnolia is the best neighborhood to just drive around. You can cruise along the sound in your Honda Civic hatchback and look out over the Olympics and think about how this would be a nice place to live if you could use your poor second-born child as a down payment. While you’re there, go to Family Urban Brewing which in addition to having a cool name, has some of the best beer I’ve had in Seattle.
Peter Miller Books—this is a design bookstore in Pioneer Square. I’m not a designer so it’s not the selection of books that has me excited about this place. It’s the atmosphere. It’s down an otherwise empty alleyway in a somewhat shady part of town. When you come upon it, it’s like stumbling upon a serendipitous accident. It feels nice to be there surrounded by beautiful things in large hardcover books and Peter himself behind his desk up to something is an intriguing speciman.
Kedai Medan
Preserve and Gather – this coffeeshop in an inconvenient part of Greenwood is great—in a sleek, concrete and wood sort of way. The coffee and pastries are incredible. And best of all, no wifi! It’s as if they thought that by taking away the lifeline of our society, they could make us all talk to each other again. Instagram that, dude?!
Elliot Bay Bookstore—it ain’t no Powell’s but it’s Seattle’s best bookstore.
Teku Tavern
Thai Tom—the University District is dirty and disgusting in the sort of charming way that allows you to fool yourself into thinking Seattle probably hasn’t changed much since the days of Nirvana. And in the heart of the University District, Thai Tom is a dirty and disgusting little Thai restaurant that feels like it’s in Bangkok and hasn’t seen an inspector since the days of Nirvana. The food can’t compare to Mai Thaiku or Pestal Rock but if you can get a seat, it’s cheap and it’s worth every penny.
Captain Black – dirty old rooftop bar in Capitol Hill. For those fleeting three months where the sun deigns us with her presence, this place is awesome.
Boat Street Kitchen—this place is weird. The location is horrible. There is no way you would ever find this place accidentally. It feels like you’re walking into some ill-conceived parking garage. And then once you’re inside it feels like some kind-of cute but poorly laid out dining room in your buddy’s house. But overall, I found this weirdness charming and the food much better than good.
The Tommy Bahama building in South Lake Union—I think this is the coolest building in Seattle. I’m not sure what it’s actually called but it’s on Fairveiw between Republican and Harrison. A few reasons why it’s so cool. It has a great sandwich shop, the Vancouver chain, Meat and Bread. It has the rooftop bar, Mbar on the roof, which I’ve never been to but hear is amazing. It has a Uwajima Japanese grocery store offshoot on the ground floor. But most of all, this building looks cool as all heck. It’s white and shaped somewhere between a rectangle and a trapezoid, and it’s windows are all different sizes which gives it a surreal appearance in a neighborhood that gets cooler every day.
Bellevue—in Seattle, it’s a little shameful to admit that you like anything on the eastside (of Lake Washington) but I actually kind of like Bellevue a tiny little bit. The whole place smells like Microsoft and money. It seems somewhat devoid of personality. But sometimes that’s nice. Bellevue Downtown Park is really nice and the playground there is beautiful. I don’t know how they made that ground so squishy and bouncy. Bill Gates can do anything.
