Sen and I were invited by Visit Seattle to, well, visit Seattle earlier this month. This was Sen’s third time in Seattle but my first time.

February is Seattle’s Museum Month, where you get 50% off museum admission when you stay in a participating Downtown Seattle hotel. The weather forecasted 3 days of Seattle’s famous rain, so perfect for visiting museums. I was kind of looking forward to experiencing the weather as well!

Day 1: 

We wanted as much time in Seattle as possible, so we opted for a 6 am flight out of LAX and arrived around 9 am in SEA. Too Early? Yes! (especially for this night owl) Worth it? Oh YES!

We stayed at the Motif Seattle, a charming 4-Diamond boutique hotel with complimentary beer tasting daily and right in the middle of the action. The hotel also has a Visiting Art Program where they select and feature a local artist every two years. Featuring as in art displayed in the hotel and changing up the logo and marketing materials to match the art. A very costly and dedicated project that sets Motif Seattle apart from all the other hotels in the area.

Our first stop was the Pike Place Market, just about a 10 minutes walk from the hotel (more images).

The second stop was a sneak peek of the Seattle Asian Art Museum (more images).

Then went back to the hotel and tried out their restaurant Frol!k’s updated menu items.

We ended the night at Adana Restaurant for dinner with some contemporary Japanese comfort food. They offer a 3 or 5-course menu with choices or a 7-course Omakase; Sen and I opted for the Omakase since it was my first dinner ever in Seattle! (more images).

Day 2:

We headed over to the Starbucks Reserve for breakfast and coffee. This place is definitely not like any other Starbucks we have ever been to. It’s a gigantic roastery that offers many different types of coffee, baked goods, and a cocktail bar! Too bad it was the morning, or we would have had a cocktail there. No images of this place to share, but definitely worth the visit when you head to Seattle. 

The first museum of the day was the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP). I didn’t know what to expect but ended up loving it! Just one image of the exterior! Go explore without expectations, just like us!

Next stop, the Space Needle! It’s in the same “plaza” as the MoPOP and Chihuly Garden and Glass coming up next! The view of the city from the Space Needle was, of course, amazing. It has an observation deck at the top and a rotating glass floor that’s entirely indoors on a lower floor.

I had to stick my phone out of the observation deck window to capture the image below, haha!! If you do it, do it with caution! A fallen phone is not beneficial to you and could be dangerous for anyone down. 

Then, of course, we went to visit the Chihuly Garden and Glass!! I have seen so many photos of it on social media and finally called! The museum did not disappoint! I love the dark rooms filled with illuminated glass art. It felt like beautiful chaos in a peaceful room; somehow, it made me feel super calm! (more images).

The last museum of the day was the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience. I thought the “Where Beauty Lies” exhibit was fascinating, especially the story “140 LBs. How Beauty Killed My Mother”. I am delighted to have visited this exhibit first, which set the tone for the rest of my experience at Wing Luke. The museum used to be a hotel, and the admission includes the “Historic Hotel Tour,” where a tour guide takes you behind the scenes to what it once was. (more images).

Sen and I did what we usually do when traveling. We restaurant and bar hopped on the second day for lunch and dinner. We tried one of the first dim sum shops in Seattle, Harbour City, located next to the Wing Luke Museum. Then we went to Dynasty Room (bar) across the street, where we at the bar and made friends with the bartenders. They are now our favorite bar in Seattle! Apparently, they are a temporary bar open for around 2 years (many extensions due to construction delays) and won Eater’s bar of the year in 2018. I felt extra lucky to have visited it! I would highly recommend you pay them a visit while they are still open. We ended the night eating ramen and sharing sake with strangers at Momosan.

Day 3:

We checked out of the hotel early in the day, left our luggage at the bell desk, and headed out to General Porpoise Doughnuts for breakfast and coffee. The design of the shop was super cute with flying elephant lights. Their latte was creamy and delicious, and Sen loved the doughnut so much that he went and got a second one!

We also went to Chinatown for their Lunar New Year Celebration. There were dance and kung fu performances as well as a ton of food vendors. After trying a few food vendors, my favorite was the YS Street Food and their sizzling squid.

There was some time left over before our flight, so we headed to the Seattle Public Library, an architectural landmark.

Lastly, we visited Amazon HQ. We tried to get into The Spheres. Unfortunately, it is closed to visitors other than a couple of Saturdays each month. It requires a reservation, but it was still cool to see. Not to mention they have Amazon Go next door! We, of course, visited and “took” something!!

In summary, I feel like Seattle is a very artistic, diverse, and inclusive city. It is very similar to my home town Los Angeles, yet very different.

Although the weather forecasted 3 days of rain, it only rained on the first day. The rain definitely adds a moody “filter” to this city that sits by the water. I would definitely like to come back and see a greener version of this city in the spring/summer seasons.

Have you visited Seattle before? What did the city feel like to you?

I'm a travel blogger, and photographer, recently moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma from Los Angeles, California with my husband Sen, our cat Shadow, and dog Lumi.

Our current mission is to road trip and eat around the USA.

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