Horsing Around Does Seattle
We at Horsing Around hope you had a good weekend and that you are not having too bad a case of the “Mondays”. H.A. staffers were incommunicado for a few days as Monty and the gang were traipsing around Seattle, a city we have only begun to explore, and a destination that we hope to visit again soon.
We thought we’d mention a few highlights in case you are inclined to trek down there yourself (and we hope that you do)!
The Maxwell Hotel: we won’t kid you. As far as accommodations go, Seattle is an expensive town. Finding an affordable, centrally located hotel was no mean feat. The Maxwell is in the perfect location for travellers – adjacent to Seattle Centre and a five minute walk from the monorail (which runs every ten minutes and takes you within a couple of blocks of Pike Place Market). We loved the funky mid-century decor, the comfortable beds, and most of all, the free mini-cupcakes. Did we mention free cupcakes? Granted, “affordable” might be a misnomer as the Maxwell tallied up to nearly $400 Canadian per night (gasp) but this seems to be the LOW end for Seattle (we weren’t kidding when we said hotels are EXPENSIVE). If this is out of your budget (and frankly, we couldn’t afford this regularly ourselves) give AirB&B a try, or travel off-season where rates taper off down from heart attack inducing to mere palpitation and cold sweat.
Five Point Diner
Five Point Diner: the iconic Five Point is the longest run eatery in Seattle and the oldest bar still in existence in Belltown. Five Point is a 24 hour restaurant and serves up hearty, inexpensive fare day and night (you can order anything from the menu at any time of day). We loved the vibe here and when we go back to Seattle, we’ll probably visit Five Point every day for rib-sticking meals, bracing drinks, and lots of raucous conversation. I mean, who doesn’t love a diner with a sign in the window that reads “cheating tourists and drunks since 1929”? We loved the fluffy pancakes and the deliciously greasy, crispy brown-skinned breakfast sausages.
Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market: probably everyone who is anyone has heard of Pike Place Market. When visiting Pike Place, we always make a beeline for Le Panier.
Le Panier creations
Le Panier is, without exaggeration, one of the best French bakeries (if not THE best) in North America. Rated #2 of all restaurants with Trip Advisor, this bustling bakery is busy morning and afternoon. Sweet tooths line up for pillowy clafouti, rhubarb tarts, apple gallette and eclairs (we favour the coffee and chocolate variations). Pick up some prettily wrapped palmiers or macaron to take home, that is, if you can make them last that long.
Chukar Cherries
Once you are in the market, don’t forget to stop at Chukar Cherries. We are addicted to their juicy bing cherries dusted with bittersweet cocoa, or go for the dried Northwest cherries in premium dark chocolate. Staff will give you samples so you can choose your favourite. These would make great gifts unless, like us, you can’t bear to part with them.
Seatown Restaurant was featured on one of our favourite travel programs, Anthony Bourdain’s The Layover (when it comes to travel advice, we defer to misanthropic, ageing punk rockers every time). We enjoyed a breakfast sandwich al-fresco here. The famous bun contains a perfectly cooked fried egg with avocado, peppery jack cheese, and the piece de resistance, generous chunks of impossibly buttery, impossibly fresh Dungeness crab. Admittedly a splurge, but utterly amazing. If you don’t like seafood, you can order a version without the crab. It will still be good.
Water Taxis – If the weather is agreeable, take an idyllic ride on the water taxi to West Seattle and Salty’s. This waterfront eatery boasts a stunning view of the sea and downtown Seattle. The menu, predictably focuses on the ocean’s bounty. Try the oysters or the crispy pan fried rock fish. Alternately, if you aren’t in the mood to splurge, you could have an equally rewarding repast with a picnic on Redondo Beach (bring along a baguette sandwich and tarts from the aforementioned Le Panier).
If like us, you are fond of vintage kitsch, be sure to hit Fremont’s Antique Mall where you’ll find every sort of bric-a-brac from furniture and clothing to ephemera such as taxidermy animals, ventriloquist dummies, and plastic Colonel Sanders statuettes. This time around, we found some great creepy doll heads and vintage tin toys. No doubt, whatever your vintage, from millenial to baby boomer, you’ll find your own version of nostalgia nirvana here.
Cinerama Movie Theatre
As we at Horsing Around are fond of all things movie related, we were besotted with Seattle’s Cinerama Theatre. The decor is sleek and futuristic, seats are plush and comfortable, and you can eat hot dogs and slurp cherry coke while you watch Raiders of the Lost Ark or Labyrinth. Screenings are very well attended so it is a good idea to book in advance. As in an IMAX theatre, you can pre-book your seats.
As our time in Seattle was all too brief, there were a few places on our list we didn’t make it to. The famous Bakeman’s Sandwich shop where the infamous “Sandwich Nazi” serves his famous oven-roasted turkey breast sandwich for just $4.50. And we missed out on the sweet confections from Top Pot donuts. We’ll have to save those for next time!
So that is the recap. If any of you have favourite haunts in Seattle, don’t hesitate to let us know about them. You can email us or comment on our Facebook and Twitter pages. We love the city with its ample green spaces, vibrant streets and relaxed vibe and we hope to be back soon.
In the meantime, happy travels to you all! And if you can’t get away any time, we’ll do our best to keep you apprised of things to do right here in lovely Victoria. Take care, my colts and fillies!
xoxo Monty and the whole gang at Horsing Around.
