I was literally sleepless as I arrived in Seattle. Twenty-four hours had passed and I had only a 20-minute nap. It was 7am and my next flight to Atlanta was at 7:45am… but, it was SUNNY and I had never seen Seattle! So, I called my travel agent (aka mom) to see if I could change to a later flight to explore Seattle for a bit, perks of flying standby. My husband, who is always up for an adventure, told me to go for it! So off I went, carry-on luggage and all…

Seattle Sights

I had 4 things on my list of Seattle sights to see, first up… COFFEE!!! In Seattle, not just any coffee would do. I had to stop in the first ever Starbucks to pay my respects, if you know what I mean! *winks twice* So, I find my Uber driver and he whisks me away to find a caffeine filled bliss.

Original Starbucks Coffee Shop

My Uber driver, Yasmin, drops me off at one of the entrances of Pike Place Market, which happens to be the 2nd sight on my list but, also, in front of what I thought was the “1st” Starbucks, haha! I was so blissfully ignorant! I walked in to see only two other customers in front of me, thinking to myself this is awesome, I’m in “the” Starbucks and have it practically all to myself. I place my order (tall white mocha w/whip cream, in case you were wondering) and nonchalantly ask the barista how he likes working at the first ever Starbucks. He kindly replies, this isn’t the first, however, the original is only one street away. He also told me how this Starbucks was LEED® Gold certified; meaning they made sure to recycle as much of the construction waste as possible. For instance, the walnut used in the tables, doors and bar top was salvaged from a nearby farm. Cool! Wait a moment… ignorance can be b l i s s! I missed the extremely long lines at the original Starbucks, learned something cool about this Starbucks, and still got a peek in the original store that’s close by (coffee already in hand)! I love it when I’m smart on accident! Haha!! Read more about 1st and Pike Starbucks and Original Starbucks here!

Pikes Place Market

So many smells…scents of lavender and fresh flowers, freshly made baked goods, even aromas of fresh fish (not my favorite smell) filled the air as I wandered about this wondrous market. I have heard so many things about this place and was now experiencing it for myself! The fruit stands displayed the most vibrant of colors from the ripe and ready to eat array of fruits. I also found a bakery that sold day old baked goods for 1$, score! The raspberry bear claw I purchased went perfectly with my Starbucks as I continued to explore. I imagined what it would be like to live in a nearby apartment and was here just to pick up a few things to make for dinner. What a great place to have at your fingertips! I thought I might look a bit odd, eating and drinking while somehow still pulling my red carry-on luggage behind, but no one seemed to think it was weird. I found a bench at the end of the market, finished my breakfast, and watched Seattle life go by for a bit longer, it was a lovely time.

Chihuly Garden and Glass

A perfect word to describe this next Seattle sight’s artist…awe-inspiring, magical, glorious, beautiful are also some other words to describe this amazing exhibit that opened in 1212 at Seattle Center. Dale Chihuly was born in 1941 in Tacoma, Washington. Not only did he work at the Venini glass factory in Venice, his works of glass art can be found in over 200 museums worldwide, to include the Louvre in Paris. He is still alive today and a *fun fact* I learned while there, was that one of his eyes was injured in a car accident (not what I assumed would have been from glass) and he now wears an eye patch, somehow making him even cooler than he already was. I stayed for hours. I was in pure and utter amazement! After I went through the whole exhibit once, I found yet another bench inside the Glasshouse, a 40-foot tall, glass building that covered 4,500 square feet of light-filled space. Best place I’ve recharged my iPhone to date! If you find yourself in Seattle, whether sleepless or well rested, you must pay a visit to this incredible place! Chihuly Garden and Glass

The Space Needle

The last place on my list was the Seattle Space Needle. If I was better prepared, I would have known to purchase the 2/1 ticket with admission to both the Needle and Chihuly’s glass exhibition. I only viewed the 520 feet Space Needle with 360 views of Seattle from the ground this time because I spent most of my time at Chihuly’s. Next time, I’ll know better and buy a ticket in advance from here…two tickets one price! The saving grace was that I scored incredible aerial views from my window seat on the plane as I headed to Atlanta, to include Mt. Rainier. Maybe next time I’ll eat at Skycity, the restaurant at 500 feet that also has 360 views to enjoy.Well, that’s the story of my short but oh, so sweet sleepless stay in Seattle on a sensationally sunny day! I would love to hear any recommendations that you might have! What’d I miss? Leave a comment below, if you’d like and happy exploring!