36 hours in Seattle

Seattle’s unique food, music and culture make it a tourist’s paradise. 36 hours might not be a lot of time, but in this city you can spend that time in almost any way you can imagine. If you’re having trouble deciding if you want to experience the beauty of nature or the hustle and bustle of a big city during your next trip, Seattle is the perfect place for you.

Friday evening

Head to the heart of downtown and visit Pike Place Market. It’s one of Seattle’s most famous tourist attractions for a reason. Get in line at the very first Starbucks cafe, which has been open since 1971. Take your coffee and browse through the stores and stalls. Don’t miss the underground section, which is home to a variety of quirky shops, including a second hand bookstore, the Market Magic and Novelty Shop, and a vintage poster collector’s outpost.

Take a picture with Rachel, the piggybank that weighs five hundred pounds, and wait for someone to buy some fresh fish at the Pike Place Fish Market, where you can watch as the fish is tossed from the freezer to the packaging station.

For dinner, choose a country restaurant. Go all-American and pick up food at Chicken Valley or Taxi Dogs, which is the place to have creative hot dogs. Other choices include Turkish Delight, Pike Place Chinese, Crepe de France, Kastoori Grill, Jasmine Thai Restaurant, Japanese Gourmet and La Mexicana. Take your food to the park at the end of the street where you can enjoy the views of Puget Sound and watch the ferry boats go by.

Saturday morning

Wake up early and experience the best of Seattle’s coffee obsession. Caffe Vita has a friendly, neighborhood coffee shop vibe, probably because it is owned by local coffee enthusiasts. They are committed to investing in farmers who practice sustainable agriculture and hold the highest standards for their coffee. Brewing coffee is both an art and a science at Caffe Vita, where they manually control every step of the roasting and brewing process and will carefully top your drink with a perfect leaf or heart.

Before the caffeine wears off, experience a favorite local pastime: hiking. Discovery Park is only 20 minutes from the center of downtown and occupies most of a former military fort. The old barracks and crumbling buildings contrast with the tall evergreen trees and moss covered ground, making for an interesting and beautiful walk that ends with views of the water.

Saturday afternoon

After spending the morning in the forest, spend the afternoon at Alki Beach. While most of the beaches in Seattle are rocky, Alki Beach has sand. It’s also directly across from downtown, offering incredible views of the Space Needle and the Seattle skyline from across the Puget Sound. If it’s a clear day, you can even see the Olympic Mountains behind the city. For an even better view, visit the old lighthouse and climb to the top. The lighthouse has been around since 1913 and is a reminder of Alki’s history as the first place of white settlement in what would eventually become Seattle.

Saturday evening

Visit the Seattle Art Museum. It will be hard to miss because just in front of it is the sculpture of the Hammering Man, which is nearly as tall as the building and has a motorized moving arm. As soon as you walk inside you will see antique cars hanging from the ceiling, which sets the standard for the rest of the incredible art throughout the museum. If it happens to be the first Saturday of the month, admission will be free. If not, admission is $12.50 for teens and $19.50 for adults.

For dinner, head to the pier and have fish and chips — American style — at Ivar’s. It has been around since 1938 and has reasonably priced food and the best view of the water. It’s also located right next to the Seattle Great Wheel, Seattle’s version of the London Eye, which offers great views of the city and is much more entertaining than the tourist trap that is the Space Needle.

You can’t visit Seattle without checking out the music scene. Best known for being home to Nirvana, Pearl Jam and all things grunge, Seattle continues to produce great musicians today. Whether you like electronic, alternative or classical music, you will be able to find a venue that specializes in it. If you are under 21, the Showbox puts on all ages music events and is right across the street from Pike Place Market.

Sunday morning

Before you leave, head east and have brunch at Snoqualmie Falls. The drive takes half an hour but is absolutely beautiful. You will pass over Lake Washington and see the Bellevue skyline, home to Microsoft headquarters. The lakes and small waterfalls you see on the way will seem insignificant once you catch a glimpse of the falls from the Salish Lodge Dining Room. Make sure you order the pancakes, which are so popular the restaurant sells the mix in grocery stores. If you have time, there is a two-acre park surrounding the falls that has hiking trails so you can work off those pancakes.

Sunday evening

Use Seattle Airport Shuttle. Get in the car, get to the airport, go home.

If you choose Griffin Transportation, a courteous, well-trained, professional chauffeurs will drive you to or from the airport in a fast, safe and relaxing manner.

Each and every one of our Vans are equipped with the latest technology and offer a lot of space for the passengers and their luggage.

Griffin Transportation offers the best Seattle airport shuttle service, with experienced chauffeurs, highly equipped cars. This combination of vehicles, technology and professional staff has allowed Griffin Transportation to provide “The Ultimate in Safety, Service and Satisfaction” to each of our clients, each and every time you call or travel with us.

We provide fast transfers from Seattle airport to city locations and beyond in our fully insured, well serviced vehicles. Start your holiday or business trip in the most relaxing way by pre booking your airport shuttle before you leave home.

Call us today and let a professional Seattle airport shuttle service exceed your transportation needs.