Explore Seattle Center and the City’s Quirkiest Neighborhoods

We love Seattle.  There is so much to do and see.  The city itself is beautiful.  And when the sun comes out, it is hard to beat this place. 

First Stop – Brunch

After our shenanigans the previous day (Day Drinking Seattle), we began our Saturday with brunch at Toulouse Petite Kitchen.  I had seen it on Best Thing I Ever Ate on Food Network and wanted to go there ever since.

Peggy made reservations, and I was super excited to soak up the previous night’s drinking with some creole brunch.  We loved this brunch spot.  The décor, the service, the food, it was amazing.  Beignets, crab and asparagus scramble, and a Madame Toulouse cocktail are outstanding ways to start any day. During breakfast we scored tickets to the opening session for the Chihuly Glass Museum.

Sister Side Note (ssn) – I had the Fried Oysters and Bacon Benedict. It was to die for!

Seattle Center could be seen from Toulouse Petit, so we opted for a beautiful walk through the city.  I was really hoping to walk through the Olympic Sculpture Park. But alas, recall my little stumble (ahem …overextended curtsy) the evening before. With my limited range of motion and slower pace we wouldn’t have made the Chihuly opening time.

Seattle Center

Seattle Center is someplace where you could spend the greater part of the day.  The Pacific Science Center is a great place for whole family, hands-on fun that we love. Additionally, this is where you’ll find the city’s most famous landmark – the Space Needle.

It is always worth a trip to the top, but is a do-not-miss spot on a sunny day.  The Center has fountains for kids to play in during summer, gardens and grassy spots, and a food court.  The Museum of Pop Culture (aka, The Jimmy Hendrix Museum) anchors one end and the brand new Climate Pledge Arena at the other. Climate Pledge Arena is home to the NHL Seattle Kraken and the WNBA Seattle Storm. Seattle Center also hosts many festivals, cultural events and live performances.

ssn – so many childhood memories going to the Science Center and later taking my daughter to her first ever concert at Bumbershoot Festival!

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Chihuly Garden and Glass

Seattle Center is also the home to the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum.  I love Chihuly’s glass work but have never made it to the museum.  Frankly, it seemed more like an exhibit you would attend at a bigger museum than a stand-alone kind of place to me. But Peggy convinced me.  And it was incredible!!  We walked through room after room of the spectacular art from Dale Chihuly -glass sculptures, glass chandeliers, paintings.

The outside glass garden area was gorgeous.  His artwork has been so beautifully blended into nature.  Afterward, you can watch a glass blowing exhibit in the courtyard, and then end in the gift shop. I was wrong, Peggy was right, (big dramatic sigh) AGAIN.

ssn – I am always right 😉

Killing a Little Time – random Seattle sights

We were left with about 5 hours to kill before our dinner reservation. Chihuly will only take you about an hour. So we decided to go do some drive-bys of things we found on Atlas Obscura.  This led us to the Fremont District. 

ssn – on the way to Fremont, we were trying to find something called The Wall of Death. Well that sounds macabre. Turns out it was tucked under an overpass by Peace Park and not really much to see. However, the multiple circling, re-routing & back-tracking was an adventure. We also came across this darling statue Origami Girl and some spectacular Puget Sound views.

Fremont Neighborhood

Fremont is the home of the big annual Fremont Solstice Parade, and is a bit artsy and a bit bohemian, and a huge hunk of fabulous.  Some “scientists” consider Fremont to be the Center of the Universe (although, I still believe it is Wallace, ID). Fremont has eclectic eateries, independent and peculiar shops. It is famously guarded by the Fremont Troll under the Aurora Bridge. 

ssn – we didn’t go see the troll this trip. We have seen it plenty of times but in case you are curious, here it is:

Our plan was just to wander and soak up the vibes. But once we got there, we joyfully discovered that the Fremont Street Market was back in post-covid swing. I love me a good street market, with crystal vendors, small cottage food vendors, and quirky little businesses. We did some shopping, found some amazing gifts, and then realized that one of my pre-chosen brunch spots was RIGHT THERE.

The Dreamland Bar and Diner

The Dreamland Bar and Diner overlooks the weekly market, with a big beautiful outside patio. Up a big staircase, and inside to an impressive indoor garden atmosphere with disco balls to highlight its own version of quirky.

We just wanted to split a snack, and the server recommended the Crunchy Rap Supreme (an upscale version of our favorite Taco Bell breakfast). She was spot on – it was amazing.  Not only great food, but paired it with a Passionfruit Whiskey Sour and a Caramelized Pineapple Mule – which both were fantastic. We love what they are making happen at the Dreamland, it was a great choice. 

After our nourishment, we found the Fremont Rocket. Hey, I warned you, Center of the Universe plans included launching a rocket! Also spotted the Stalin Statue that is a subject of much controversy, the center of the universe sign and other funkiness.

Additionally, there were so many great looking restaurants and bars we passed by. Next visit we’ll definitely spend an entire afternoon exploring.  Also, there are multiple breweries in Fremont, being an offshoot neighborhood of Seattle. For those beer nerds, Seattle is a definite beer town!

Capitol Hill Neighborhood

Next, we were headed for an early dinner at Nue, which was up in Capitol Hill. The drive was beautiful, overlooking the city.  Capitol Hill was the home of the 2020 protest known as CHAZ (Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone). So much of the area’s street art still has a lot of Black Lives Matter themes and graffiti.  It was incredible to experience at the time. The whole neighborhood and its businesses are very progressive and LGBTQ+ friendly.

The Unicorn Bar

We had just enough time to stroll down to The Unicorn bar.  This place is pretty iconic in Seattle’s bar scene.  It’s a circus themed bar, that is just fantastically over the top.  Similarly, the cocktails are sweet and sassy with names like Unicorn Jizz, Cheap Date and Montezuma Snapper. The food listings are circus-fare like corndogs, funnel cakes, and popcorn. Burgers, tots, and the amazing Narwhal balls are also options if you need to soak up some of that alcohol and sugar you’ve ingested. There is a photobooth, pinball arcade, and basement Karaoke in keeping with the theme.  It was pretty awesome, and iconic for a reason.

Nue

Lastly, dinner at Nue closed out our beautiful day.  Nue is relatively new (haha) and centered around global street-eats.  The inside of this little hole in the wall is eclectically decorated with memorabilia from around the world, and there is a little bar at the front for people watching on the street.  The food was extraordinary!

As usual, we ordered way too much so we could try a little of everything. Everything except the Thai water beetles, Peggy was having none of that!  It was all fantastic, and we took a chunk of the pineapple cornbread to go, because we were completely stuffed!  Their menu changes seasonally, so definitely check them out. And get the wings if they are available, best wings I’ve ever had, and made my mouth all tingly!

ssn – Nue was such a great experience. Food from everywhere in the world – if you’ve ever wanted to try it, you’ll find it here. Inventive, creative and delicious!

End of a Wonderful Day

Having grown up in Washington State, we have visited Seattle many, many times over the years for a variety of reasons.  I can honestly say, this trip was one of the best we’ve ever had. We discovered even more amazing new things to love about this city, even after 20 (or 30 or 40) years of experiences.

ssn – actually 40 years!!