Stunning Seattle

Though I’m not a coffee drinker and coffee shops don’t really thrill me, days prior my trip I was somehow obsessed on visiting the very first Starbucks. This, added with the notion of being in the city that serves as backdrop to hit television shows Frasier and Grey’s Anatomy – and of course who could ever forget the classic movie Sleepless in Seattle–fueled my romantic urge in the famous city.

Seattle, or the State of Washington in general, to Americans is synonymous to non-stop rain (The city is situated in the Pacific Northwest region and surrounded by great bodies of water, the Puget Sound and Lake Washington; thus, the generally wet climate). In fact, the mere mention of the city or state, would elicit an instinctive reaction: “It rains practically nine months, what are you gonna do there?”

Well, it’s all about timing. And I was just in the nick of time for my weekend jaunt. The coming Sunday was officially the end of the American summer, making way to fall. So Friday evening, I flew in with high hopes of experiencing the season’s finale in the Emerald City. And my, oh my, it was everything I pictured it to be, and more!

The Countryside. I woke up on a gloomy and cold Saturday morning but my summer yen kept my optimism for a sunny day. After breakfast, my friends and I began the day with a drive towards the city’s countryside. Though the sun was locked behind grey clouds, the ride gave a glimpse of the lush greenery that the state is endowed with. Pines, cypresses and maple trees are a few that stand mighty and glorious on verdant hills while corn or flower fields cover the flatlands. A few minutes later, we made our way into the Chateau Saint Michelle estate.

Sitting in the middle of nature, the heart of this sprawling property is of course its winery. Touring its facilities gives visitors the ABCs about the making of their award-winning vintages and a brief lesson on wine tasting. In fact, Washington’s hinterland is home to a number of wineries that will certainly bring out the connoisseur in you in every tour. Just make sure you’re not driving after all those tastings.

We then headed back to the city for lunch. Finally, there it was, creeping behind dissipating clouds, its rays beaming on segments of downtown Seattle. It was not until three in the afternoon that the sun blanketed the entire city, revealing the spectacular panorama of sky, land and water. It was picture perfect!

Food and the Night. My favorite part when traveling? Food. And when in Seattle, it has to be seafood! You are always assured of the freshest catch everyday. Seafood specialty restaurants abound in the city and most of them have spectacular bayside views. May it be fine dining or the nearest fast food stand, from gourmet to the simplest fish n’ chips, you will definitely have a meal worth the trip. And never forget that clam chowder to complete your gastronomic experience.

Nightlife is one aspect of the city that just has to be explored. Luckily evening fun is concentrated mostly in one district: Capitol Hill. The center of the city’s counterculture, the area is a synergy of residential, business and lifestyle. Grand historical mansion and old homes sit side by side with modern apartments while just around the corner is the local neighborhood restaurant. By nightfall a bevy of clubs, bars and bistros along Pine Street pumps the energy ready to welcome busy night bodies. The hotspots are literally within walking distance that depending on your party mode, you can certainly skip from one to the other. And should you pull an all-nighter and starve with all the dancing and prancing, you can always drop by Chinatown, where most diners are open until four in the morning, for a fresh hot bowl of wonton noodle soup or some dimsum.

Genuinely Seattle. Okay, I may have been a little distracted with my nightly romp and the countryside adventures, but hey, its part of the package. Oh, worry not, I still haven’t forgotten my agenda to experience “totally” Seattle—on my definition, at least. True, that very familiar coffee shop is literally in every corner (I guess with that climate, people would certainly be craving for their coffee). Though no longer the highest structure in the city, the Space Needle still stands magnificent in the Seattle Center, and how could the weather go unnoticed?

So, Sunday morning, to answer my clamor for “absolute” Seattle, our host brought us to Pike Place Public Market. Now, this is my idée fixe of the city. You’ll drown yourself in the midst of a bustle of flower and fruit merchants, art dealers, souvenir shops, cozy delis or patisseries and not to mention the by-the-minute influx of tourists. No wonder it’s “The Soul of Seattle.” It is a center for trading of life’s colorful assortments and miscellaneous eccentricities. A major market attraction are the gregarious fish vendors who always put up a show displaying their skills of throw-and-catch, tossing at each other their fresh catch. Hey, we even stopped by the little restaurant were Tom Hanks and a co-star shot a scene for Sleepless. And there it was, a hole-in-the-wall, the very first Starbucks. No, I didn’t get any coffee but I did go in to immerse in the aroma of caffeine. That was good enough for me. Inside I found out that their merchandise are stamped with the original Starbucks logo. (Trivia: this is the only branch that carries the logo, a two-tailed bare-breasted mermaid. The company began to use this logo in all its outlets but was under attack by conservative groups because they found it too provocative for children).

Making the most out of this crisp bright afternoon, we tried to cover as much destination as we could. We walked on the shore of the famous Alki Beach, surrounded ourselves with a myriad of flora and fauna in Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Gardens, marveled on contemporary art at the Olympic Sculpture Park, witnessed migrating salmons return to Lake Washington through a 21-level fish ladder built just right beside one of the world’s engineering masterpiece, the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. One of the few places on earth where the saltwater meets freshwater, the Locks was designed by Hiram to protect Lake Washington’s freshwater ecosystem from the potentially damaging saltwater from the Puget Sound. Designing the mechanisms and the canal allow passage of up to an 80-foot-wide vessel to elevate from the Puget Sound to the lake’s Salmon Bay level—the lake is actually of higher elevation against the ocean. I know. My technically impaired mind could not grasp the entire concept but watching this engineering achievement in function is a mind-boggling amazement.

Finally, capping our day was a very sinful milkshake from a local café. It was too decadent that we decided to stroll Green Lake’s 3-mile perimeter, to rid us of the guilty pleasure.  And just our luck, we were just in time to behold the setting sun after our walk in the park.