North by Northwest

We’re very enthusiastic when it comes to public markets.

Let me preface this post by saying the Pacific Northwest is the most beautiful goddamn place I’ve ever seen.

There are few places on earth where you find yourself positioned near so much natural beauty — the mountains, the forest, waterfalls, the beach — while maintaining access to some of the most progressive, cleanest cities.

Simply magical

On the tenth day of our cross-country trip, we had the pleasure of rolling into the Seattle area on a mild August-afternoon.

We actually stayed in Redmond with our Airbnb host, LoraLee — possibly the most professional and eccentric host we’ve had the fortune of staying with.

Typically, we stay in a guest room for most of our Airbnb stops, but at LoraLee’s we were treated to something a little different.  She apparently went through the trouble of converting a sizable storage shed in her backyard into a cozy guest cabin.

And this was no typical backyard, mind you. It was a garden paradise in the middle of suburbia.

The view of from her back porch. The guest cabin is somewhere in there.

Exploring the City

I guess I have an idealized image of Seattle after this trip. We’re exploring cities we’ve never been to before, and this is THE city that managed to leave the strongest impression.

It’s clean, it’s active, there’s a food forest, and you’re not far from excellent hiking spots. You really have to be trying to find something wrong with Seattle.

Anyways, Javier, one of Lis’s past roommates, guided us through the city, taking us to some of the cool, and oddly surreal, spots throughout the city.

Of course we got a glimpse of Elliott Bay, marveled at the Space Needle and pondered before the strangeness of the gum-wall — typical tourist stuff.

The Space Needle: I don’t know what purpose it serves, but it’s the best kind of strange.

But Pike Place Fish Market was an absolute blast. It’s effectively a cross between a farmers market, shopping mall and retail strip, and it’s home to the very first Starbucks.

Several of the shops have retractable walls, so as you walk past these store fronts, your senses are assaulted by a barrage of fresh seafood, baked pastries and — god knows — all of the coffee.

One of our last stops was at a truly exceptional restaurant looking over the fish market. Lis and I were jonesing for fish, and sweet Christ! It certainly wasn’t what we’re used to in the Midwest.

Not sure why we took a picture of the gum wall. Starbucks cup in hand, this is at least the most ‘Seattle’ picture anyone has ever taken.

More to come

Hit up the comments if you have any recommendations on other chill spots in Seattle. Though we were there for less than a day, the city really stole my heart. I’d love to make another visit someday.

Big thanks to Javier and LoraLee for being awesome. In the next posts we wrap up our stay in the Pacific Northwest with stops in Mt. Rainier and Portland.