When we were in the airport on our way home from our girl’s trip to Tempe, we had already decided that our next one would be to Seattle. It’s always so funny when people ask us about our trips when they find out about them because they’ll ask “why [insert city name here]” and we’ll just shrug and say “Why not?” Because it’s really that simple. We just pick a city on a whim. There really isn’t any rhyme or reason to it, haha. Every March my best friend and I take a long weekend together (no kids!) and explore a new city! This year we went to Seattle and it did not disappoint!
Our Stay
We flew out of Boston on a Friday morning and arrived in Seattle in the afternoon. We stayed in the cutest little air bnb in Beacon Hill and we loved it. It was still close enough to everything but just far enough away that we were in a reasonably quiet neighborhood. Brittany and I utilized the heck out of the public transit system in Seattle, and it was awesome. I love seeing how different cities do it. Their system was easy to navigate and super affordable! Not once did we take an uber anywhere! We used a mix of the Link rail (goes right to the airport!) and the buses.
On Friday we just chilled out and ordered take-out from a local restaurant within walking distance. On Saturday we really packed it in! Saturday was the perfect day for weather! It flip flopped between sunny and cloudy and was so perfect.
- Pike Place Market | We started our morning exploring the market and waterfront after getting breakfast from Biscuit Bitch. This was a fun experience, haha. We got the full market experience. We saw them throwing fish around, the gum wall (which was both weirdly beautiful and super disgusting), tried free samples, got warm drinks (and a free mug!) from Storyville Coffee, and just really soaked it all up!
- Discovery Park | This was a bit of an adventure to get to, and we ended up taking a bit of a round-about way to get to the lighthouse, but it was SO pretty, and we both found a solid amount of sea glass!
- Space Needle | Obviously this was a must. Can you even say “we went to Seattle” and not visit the Space Needle?! This was so cool to go up and see, and to see the floor rotating! People watching is also super fun at a spot like this. The people who worked there were funny in the elevators, speed talking a bunch of facts in the 43 second ride up.
- Chihuly Garden and Glass | We did the combo ticket for the Space Needle and the Chihuly Garden and it was SO beautiful! Neither of us really knew what to expect, but it was some of the most beautiful displays of blown glass that I’ve ever seen. And we also got to watch a live demonstration of how blown glass is created. We even got to watch the person make a horse! So fun.
We ended our day at a little tavern that had a LOT of personality haha. But the nachos were super yummy!
On Sunday we really took our time, and spent most of our morning reading. In the afternoon we took the train up to the University of Washington to see Suzzallo Library (it ended up being closed for spring break) and the cherry blossom festival! We didn’t know that was going on before getting there, and that was a fun and gorgeous surprise! It was a very rainy day, but we came prepared with rain jackets and boots and such so it was fine. I think the University of Washington is one of the most beautiful campuses I’ve ever seen. After that we checked out a unique little used bookstore in Capitol Hill that had resident cats! Brittany loved finding them and petting them. Overall, we walked about 15 miles across those two days!
We had to wait for the 4:07am train to the airport on Monday morning, and while we were waiting an announcement came on saying that the approaching train was not in service, do not board this train. So we didn’t, but other people did so right as we were going to get on because everyone else did the doors closed and the train left. Not a big deal, we knew another was coming in about 20 minutes. Before that, another train came but with the same announcement. But this time it actually said “not in service” on the train itself. When the third train came, with the same announcement, we got on the train because it did NOT say not in service, haha. It was such a weird experience. We made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare.
You can check out this fun reel I made of our trip!
The Finances
If youāve read any of my other travel posts, you know that I love sharing the financial break down so that people can get an idea of whatās possible in their own lives! Whenever Brittany and I travel together, we split everything 50/50 except for individual purchases like souvenirs and Brittanyās coffee, haha.
For this particular weekend, our flights were covered 100% by our points. But, for the sake of transparency, if we had to pay out of pocket for it, our flights would have been $753 total for both of us round trip from Boston.
Joint expenses:
- Air BNB : $533
- Parking at the airport: $148
- Joint food: $188
- Space Needle + Museum: $145
My individual expenses:
- My food: $49
- Public transit: $22
- Souvenirs: $45.77
Overall, my portion of the weekend was $653, and the bulk of that was for the lodging and the parking!
The Photos
Traveling with your best friend? Still highly recommend it š
Linda is a Portland-based photographer specializing in weddings and creating family legacies from Portland to Boston and across New England. You can see more of her work online atĀ lindabarryphotography.com, onĀ Instagram, or onĀ Facebook. If you want to reach out directly: linda@lindabarryphotography.com.
If you liked this post, you might like these also!
comments +