Seattle's Best — Helen Wildy Comedy

This is not a coffee ad! It's a list of my fave Seattle spots! I have gotten loads of messages since leaving Seattle asking for advice on what to do there. I lived there for 2 years and loved every second of it. I’ve been sharing my recs with friends and fam, but thought I’d post it here in case any of you were heading to Seattle!

If you're into touristy things (and who isn’t? Come on. They’re touristy for a reason!), I highly recommend getting the City Pass! It's a great deal on all of the most touristy things for one low price! You get admission to Space Needle & Seattle Aquarium, and then your choice of 3 of the following: Chihuly Glass Museum, Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), Woodland Park Zoo, Argosy Harbor Tour. All of these things are cool but if you go to Chilhuly, make sure you time it for a glass-blowing demo.

PRO TIP: If you’re flying in, get a seat on the left side fo the plane for this sick view of Mount Rainier:

Peep Rainier in the distance! 👀What a town!

Here are some other Seattle gems:

1. Gas Works Park - 2101 N Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98103

The Skyline from Gasworks Park. Fraser much?

Gas Works is an adorable park at the top of Lake Union with a gorgeous view of the skyline. You can see Lake Union, hot tub boats, Seattle herself (including that wee stud Space Needle of ours) and the bay in the background. This is the perfect place for a picnic or to just sit and watch the seaplanes land. McDreamy loved to watch the ferries, but I personally love to watch the seaplanes. While technically in Northlake, this park is just a block or two from the Fremont neighbourhood. Fremont is super cute -- it has loads of cool restaurants, bars, breweries, and coffee shops and is the self-described "center of the universe." There are great breweries in the area (one aptly called “Fremont”) AND there is a troll under a bridge a few blocks from Gas Works Park. (Though some say Kerry Park is THE spot to get a Seattle pic. For you Pittsburghers, Kerry Park is sort of the Mount Washington of Seattle ;) I always found it to be a wee bit out of the way from where I was, BUT, you can see Rainier along with the Skyline from Kerry Park on a clear day. And it is in Queen Anne which is a cute neighbourhood. (Fun fact: 100% of fictitious, Seattle-based TV doctors live in Queen Anne! AKA Meredith Grey and Fraser Crane.)

2. Pike Place Market

ICONIC 🤩 Taken from Matt’s in the Market

This is a morning activity. I highly recommend going early in the day. It's a great place to grab a coffee and a pastry. (You can't go wrong but I love this one) There are also loads of wee places to have clam chowder or fish and chips, if that’s your jam. Seattle has great seafood because "sea" is in the name. Is this thing on? Also, the first Starbucks is in Pike Place! The first one ever! Get yourself a wee cuppa at a local coffee shop! That Pike roast you order at Starbucks is going to make a lot more sense now. Regardless of how you feel about Starbucks, it’s fascinating to see the original wee coffee shop that turned into a global empire. The first one has the original logo of a very frumpy mermaid — you'll see why they updated it — and feels like an old-timey coffee shop. SIDEBAR: Did you know Starbucks is named after Starbuck, a coffee-loving character in Moby Dick?! That's the kind of incredible fact you'll learn at the first Starbucks! Or in Moby Dick. It’s super touristy and small so be prepared to wait up-to an hour to get in, especially with COVID protocols.

There are also special Starbucks Reserves that also have bars in them where you can get delicious coffee cocktails. The Roastery is another special Starbucks farther up Pike Place towards Capitol Hill, where they send all the best baristas from all over the country to come up with new drinks. So that's cool! Let's call this section "I wish I had asked how you feel about Starbucks."

** Other honourable mentions in Pike Place are Post Alley staples like Kells Irish Pub (have a pint with the locals, run by an actual Irish lad! Have a pasty!), the gum wall, OR have a pint (and $5 fish and chips!) during happy hour at Athenian Seafood Restaurant right in Pike Place, overlooking the Puget Sound. There’s also a terrific improv theater in Pike Place if you’re looking for a laugh! I had the pleasure of performing there! Go check it out!

**** IMPORTANT NOTE BECAUSE I PLAY HARD FAVOURITES:

My fave restaurant in Seattle is Matt's in the Market, overlooking Pike Place. It's beautiful and the menu changes based on what ingredients are available in Pike's Place Market. How wouldn’t you love that?

3. The Pier:

Fun Fact: On a clear day, you can see Mount Rainer just to the right of the Ferris wheel. But the clouds have their own charm 😍

Are you a tourist nerd like your old pal, Hellie? Then take a good, old-fashioned walk along the pier! The city! The ocean! The mountains! The bodegas! The buskers! The smell of legal weed! What's not to love? It's great people watching and sight-seeing. You can walk by and/or go on The Great Seattle Wheel. It's such a joy and you can walk down to the Pier from Pike Place. Booom!

HOT TIP if you have a car: Park on Elliot Ave and walk across the footbridge at Pier 66 for ridiculously cheap parking with the Pay by Phone parking app. It's about $2 for 4 hours vs crazy parking along the pier.

4. Pick a beach, any beach!

I'm assuming you're going to have a rental car and also recommending that you get one if you want to explore outside the city. There are beaches GALORE in Seattle and they're all beautiful. Pocket Beach is gorgeous and in Seattle proper, and it's just below / maybe even in Olympic Structure Park.

Speaking of terrific beaches! Alki Beach in West Seattle is a bit of a drive but has gorgeous skyline views and was featured in Sleepless in Seattle. Bring a kite! Be Tom Hanks! I recommend getting a reservation at Salty’s for the views (Thursdays they have specials on beer and oysters!). And/or have delicious Italian food at Il Nido. Really cute beach with fire pits available for you to bring wood and have a snug and a fire! What a delight. There'll be a few more sneaky beach recommendations in #5 (i.e Golden Gardens Beach)!

5. Ballard!

Ballard is honestly so cute. If it's neighbourhoods with hip shops you're after, Ballard is the place to be. My partner, Victoria, and I love it. If you are a fan of oysters, go to The Walrus and the Carpenter (which was voted the best oyster bar IN THE WORLD by Conde Nast Traveler. It's also where Victoria requested to have her birthday meal 3 years in a row. #febtoria

*** For my fellow vegetarians out there, this is probably not your restaurant if you’re looking for a proper meal. I always got some snacky snacks and drank some wine and had a lot of fun but never left feeling full. If I were you (and in a way I am), I’d go to Life on Mars in Cap Hill (see number 13 below).

While you're out this way, hit up Golden Gardens Beach for a lovely, sandy beach with views of the mountains. Another terrific place for a sunset and a firepit! While you're there, go to Ray's Cafe and sit outside if the weather is nice. Ballard also is home to GORGEOUS outdoorsy magic like...

6. Discovery Park. #freefun

One wee 40-ish minute hike in Discovery Park and you'll find yourself overlooking the glorious Puget Sound! Wow! It’s gorgeous and free! It feels otherworldly. There are so many views in Seattle where you can’t believe this is the USA let alone our planet. What a wee stunner. Seattle can be expensive but there is so much to do outside for free. It’s really overflowing with nature’s bounty and nature’s beauty.

Discovery Park! Photo by professional photographer and all-around legend, Andrea Ahedo

7. Brunch at The Four Seasons This is a random, fancy thing we did for The Oscars recently and it was so fun. A multi-course with bottomless mimosas for $59 per person and nice views of the Bay. (The view isn't as great as Ray's but it is much more downtown.)

8. Segway Tour!

Are you fun? Are you quirky? Are you Gob Bluth? Then I recommend seeing Seattle by Segway! It’s a joyful (and slightly scary) way to get your bearings in the city.

Channeling my inner Gob. — “They’re illusions, Michael!”

9. Take a Ferry to an Island! Seattle is surrounded by gorgeous islands and ferries are such a fun, PNW activity! I recommend Whidbey Island for an easy day trip, or Bainbridge Island for something a wee bit futher out. Those are still quick and easy trips. If you're looking for something further out, hit up The San Juan Islands. Orcas Island is easily the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. Hike (or drive up 😒) Mount Constitution for stunning views of the islands from above. You’ll have views of Washington and British Columbia. It was a real life hack for us to peep into Canada as the border was closed almost the entire time we lived in Seattle.

10. Washington Coast

Speaking of far out, we love going to Washington's coast. it's worth the 2.5 hour drive out to Port Angeles (and honestly super worth the extra 1.5 hours from there out to the Olympic Peninsula and the HOH Rainforest. (Check for COVID closures online before heading out!)

Pro Tip: March - June the whales migrate up along the WA coast. You don’t even have to go to the coast to see them. Check out Seattle’s Whale Trail!

Zip up that Patagonia jacket and hit the beach!

11. Skagit Valley Tulip Festival:

If you’re in Seattle, ask yourself “Is it April?!” If the answer is yes, go to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival about an hour north of Seattle. You’ll find a tulip festival that would catch even Holland’s eye. A tulip festival? In the USA? You kidding me?

12. Seaplane Tour.

DO THIS if you aren’t afraid of heights and don’t mind being weighed on a luggage scale. My dear friend, Emily, came to visit and we did this activity for her 40th birthday! It was gorgeous and very PNWy. We did the Seattle sights tour, but you can also go to Bainbridge Island, the San Juan Islands, and when the border is open: VANCOUVER! We used Kenmore, but there are other companies around!

13. CAPITAL HILL 🏳️‍🌈

If you’re looking for gay bars, go to Capital Hill! Though, Seattle is so LGBTQ+ friendly that you’ll be able to find that anywhere. But if it’s rainbow crosswalks you’re after, go to Cap Hill. It’s an easy walk straight up Pike from Pike Place Market.

Cap Hill also has one of my fave spots, Life on Mars! It’s completely plant-based but Victoria and I ordered a few things before we even noticed that! The food was outstanding and they have a wall off records from which you can choose a record and ask the bartenders to put it on. I always pick Brandi Carlile’s “By The Way, I Forgive You” because she's the best and she’s from Seattle.

** IMPORTANT FAVE NOTE: If you’re in Cap Hill and you’re the type to consume alcohol, swing by Canon on 12th for some of the best and most interesting cocktails of your life! This one came in a disco ball. You kidding me? 🕺🍹

That’s all for now, sweeties. If you have any questions, DM me on IG @howthehelen

Safe travels! ❤️❤️❤️