Spring in Seattle: Travel Guide

March in New York is still winter time. I decided to escape the coldness for a couple days and go to Seattle during my Spring Break. Seattle has been on my list for a long time. It's a perfect combination of nature and urban life. Flowers were about to bloom on the street. I could sense spring in the air. Seattle is a city full of sunshine, passion and has its own relaxing pace. I didn't rent a car. You can get to all the places I recommend here via public transportation. The bus is the most used public transportation here and it is very convenient, or you can choose to rent a public bike on the streets. There were plenty of them!

Pike Market Place

My absolute favorite place in Seattle! During the couple of days that I visited Seattle, I came to Pike Market Place almost every day. There are so many amazing foods and shops around and never enough time to try them all. The fish market here is iconic, especially the fish throwing. You can find all the fresh products here: vegetables, fruits, seafood, meat, spices. I was very jealous of people who live in Seattle and get come here every day. Several flower stands were selling tulips. I was so in love with this springy, colorful view.

Those Seattle Flavors You Can't Miss:

· Ellenos Greek Yogurt

What did I want to bring back to New York with me from Seattle the most? This yogurt! There were lots of flavors you could choose from and I tried a couple: Passionfruit, Marionberry Pie, Lemon Curd. They were all delicious! The richness from the Greek Yogurt balanced perfectly with the delightful flavors of the fruits. I can call it the best Greek Yogurt I've ever had. Now writing down this review, I miss it so much! They also offer samples for you to try. To me, every flavor I tried was incredible. You could find this yogurt in some of the supermarkets in Seattle. So when will it come to New York?

· Moore Coffee Shop

This is the coffee shop I went to twice during my short vacay here in Seattle! They have delicious waffles that lit up my morning! The latte art is adorable. I love that they gave me a piece of chocolate on the side. I melted it in the coffee and it was wonderful!

· The Crumpet Shop

This cafe near the Pike Place is one of the must-goes! My Seattle friends highly recommended this place to me, so what could go wrong? I've never had a crumpet before, but the crumpets from here made me want to have it again and again. It's a perfect combo with some hot tea. I went there in the early morning, so luckily there wasn't a long line. Of course, I had a difficult time choosing among all the yummy options. I ordered The Vermont- it's a crumpet topped with walnut, maple, and cream cheese. Omg, it was delightful. The crumpet is soft inside and crunchy on the outside. All the beautiful flavors of the toppings just melted in my mouth. You can't miss this when you visit Seattle!

· Biscuit Bitch

A fun spot for a perfect breakfast! As soon as I walked in, I was overwhelmed by the smell of bacon in the air. There is always a long line because the food is spot on, the price is reasonable, and the portion is huge! The food was fresh and hot, but I couldn't wait that long to taste it haha! The biscuits and gravy were so rich and savory. It was almost impossible for me to finish all of it but I just wanted to keep eating and eating. If I had a chance to go back to Seattle, I would absolutely revisit this place and try out more biscuits!

· Pike Place Chowder

A small joint in an alley, but always has a super long line. This is another spot that I went twice. To avoid the crowd, I went there in the late afternoon. The chowder here indeed deserves the reputation. It's so flavorful, rich and creamy. Savory chowder plus sourdough bread, makes me miss Seattle so bad now.

· Pike Place Market

Don't miss the fresh fruits at Pike Place Market. I was dazzled by the vibrant colors. Almost every day I brought back some fruits with me. There were fruit stands that gave out samples too. There are also plenty of restaurants and fresh produce in the market. That was the first time I saw elephant garlic. They are so huge!

Chihuly Garden and Glass

The New York Botanical Garden had an exhibition of Chihuly's masterpieces. I was so impressed by them, especially how his glass work integrated into nature. In fact, Chihuly drew inspiration from nature and recreated them with his skillful craft. Visiting this museum was a mind-blowing experience. His work is so creative, imaginative, with wild and vibrant color combinations. In the museum, there were also many design sketch of his works. I was so amazed to see how a two-dimensional idea was transformed into a vivid, intricate masterpiece. In the garden, the glass work, flowers, and plants beautifully contrast and blind together. There were short films throughout the museum about glass sculpting. I learned a lot about this amazing art. It was extremely relaxing to walk among all the huge, gorgeous glass sculptures and drown in colors. This was definitely the highlight of my trip!

The Pier

The waterfront area was my first stop in Seattle. Of course, all the amazing cities have a big Ferris Wheel. There are lots of restaurants and souvenir shops around the pier. I took my chance to have seafood. There is also the aquarium. It's walking distance to Pike's Place Market. A wonderful place to enjoy the charm of this seaside city!

University of Washington

The Harry Potter library, lovely cherry blossoms, stunning architecture...Yes! You know where this is. I finally got a chance to visit UW! The library has been one of the most important places throughout my student life, even now. I always feel so jealous of students of UW, who can study in such a fascinating library. Be aware that everyone has to follow the rules and respect the campus. The reading room is a quiet place, we should not disturb the students! This library is truly as gorgeous as the images I saw. It would be a joy to study here. It was too early for the peak blossom of the cherry trees. But the campus was already filled with delightful pink. I hope one day I'll get a chance to appreciate the full blossom here on this beautiful campus.

Gas Work Park

This park gives a special characteristic to Seattle. I'm always a fan of steampunk, and the old gasification plant here just brought me to a dystopian movie immediately. From the hill, you can see Lake Union and Downtown Seattle. The gasification plant has its uniqueness, and yet blinds so well with nature and the modern city.

Fremont Vintage Mall

I walked from the Gas Work Park to this Vintage Mall in Fremont. This is a jam! There were so many amazing vintage pieces here, and you could almost find anything! I have a special love for vintage stores. They are a marvelous combination of fashion, history, and arts. I recommend this place to all the vintage fans!

Alki Beach

I had been seeing the yellow bikes everywhere in the city and hadn't yet got a chance to bike. Finally, I took the bus to Alki Beach. It was a long ride, but also a good chance to see other areas of Seattle on a bus tour. Alki Beach has a great side road for biking. Here you can see Downtown Seattle across the water. It was a peaceful and relaxing afternoon.

Bainbridge Island

Bainbridge Island is connected to Seattle by Ferry. I was blessed to have a couple of sunny warm days in Seattle, so I decided to put on summer clothes. The view from the ferry was amazing. I saw the pier from a different angle. I only explored a small part of Bainbridge Island, but my time there allowed me to get away from the bustle of the city.

Bellevue Botanical Garden

March was still a little bit cold for flowers to bloom, but that didn't stop me enjoying nature at Bellevue Botanical Garden. I loved to just breath in chill air and walk among the trees. I'm sure it is beautiful when the flowers are blooming. If you are looking for peace in a big city, take a walk here!