Treat your sweetheart to a good time in the Emerald City
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Seattle is the perfect destination for a romantic getaway. Kurt and Courtney. Ana and Christian. The entire cast of Grey’s Anatomy. Seattle has long been a backdrop for plenty of pop culture coupling-up. Here is a Seattle romantic getaway that will leave you happily sleepless.
Seattle Romantic Getaway
Day 1 Morning: Canoodle on Queen Anne
Leave your lodgings and head for Queen Anne, a neighborhood not far from downtown and the Seattle Center. If you haven’t yet had coffee, stop in at Uptown Espresso, “home of the velvet foam,” on Lower Queen Anne between Republican and Mercer streets. Note the location of the Seattle International Film Festival’s year-round SIFF Cinema Uptown a few doors down. It screens the latest in indie movie fare, and it’ll be a good place to cuddle up at a mid-afternoon matinee if it starts raining later.
Head on up the hill to Highland Avenue and perhaps the best-known view in town at Kerry Park. Take in the sweeping vista there, then walk four blocks west on Highland to Parsons Gardens. This small city park is a hidden delight that you may well have all to yourself, unless a wedding is taking place. Either park is a good spot for a picnic, or you’ll find plenty of restaurants along or near Queen Anne Avenue
Day 1 Afternoon: A Glass Act
A showcase for the work of Dale Chihuly, the famous glass artist, Chihuly Garden & Glass at Seattle Center is one of the city’s most touristy sites. But the darkened galleries are fun to stroll, and the gardens outside are fun places to sit and snuggle. Ask about combo tickets to other Seattle Center attractions including the Space Needle.
Day 1 Evening: A Cruise and a Spin
The Space Needle’s rotating restaurant, always a date-night favorite, is closed for renovations until late spring 2018. For an equally romantic option, stroll the Seattle waterfront to catch a Washington State Ferry to Bainbridge Island. Have dinner along Winslow Way, just up the ferry dock, then watch the Seattle skyline light up on your return sailing. Back on the Seattle waterfront, ride the Seattle Great Wheel for some more city views. If you’re not yet ready to call it a night, the Belltown area near Pike Place Market has plenty of hot spots for drinks and dancing.
Day 2 Morning: Meander the Market
Morning is the best time to visit Pike Place Market. It’s usually less crowded then so you can wander among the stands and shops. Pick up some fixings for a picnic to enjoy at the nearby Olympic Sculpture Park. Or have a late breakfast or lunch at the Athenian Restaurant, open in the market since 1909 and famous for its Sleepless in Seattle cameo. Ask for a window booth.
Day 2 Afternoon: Another Secret Garden!
We’d recommend a nap after your morning at the market, because why not? But get up in time to visit Waterfall Garden Park, a lovely little enclave near Pioneer Square that closes by 3:45 p.m. It’s a favorite lunchtime spot for office workers but can be nearly deserted by mid-afternoon. After that, enjoy happy hour at the Smith Tower and its 35th floor observatory-speakeasy.
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Day 2 Evening: Dinner for Two
Check events for the Triple Door and Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley and book a table at one or the other. Both clubs feature full menus and cozy booths for a memorable meal and intimate live music experience. For serious foodies, Canlis is a Seattle stand-by, perfect for couples who like to dress up. Any of these will be a splurge; for something less expensive, Vito’s Italian restaurant on First Hill has old-school classy ambience and live music Wednesday through Sunday nights.
Where to Stay in Seattle
Seattle has many romantic places to sleep. Classics include the Fairmont Olympic Hotel (its Cascade Suite was seen in Fifty Shades of Grey), Hotel Sorrento on First Hill and the Edgewater Hotel, right on the rim of Puget Sound. (The Beatles stayed there.) The Thompson Seattle is one of the newest hotels, with a super-convenient location near Pike Place Market and Belltown nightlife. Seattle is also one of the world’s hottest housing markets so plenty of residents are making ends meet via Airbnb.