How to Spend a Weekend in Seattle

My husband, Don, and I decided to celebrate 8 years together by taking a quick trip to Seattle. We had a blast and I want to share with you how to spend a weekend in Seattle.

Where to Stay For a Weekend in Seattle

When looking for a place to stay for your weekend in Seattle, location plays a big role on how much you will spend. For me, I was dead set on staying in a high rise in the downtown area. Although that meant the cost went up, the convenience of being able to walk to most of the locations we wanted to visit.

We chose to stay at the Hyatt Regency Seattle in downtown and requested a room on the highest floor possible.  It is a 45 floor building and we ended up on the 39th floor! The views were epic. Not only did we get a great view of downtown, but we were also able to see Mt. Rainier. At night, the glistening lights were just beautiful.

Where to Eat

Andare Kitchen & Bar

Located right inside the Hyatt Regency Seattle, Andare Kitchen and Bar was extremely convenient, just an elevator ride downstairs. With a modern look that was still comfortable, it was a place that was comfortable to go to dinner all dressed up or in your casual clothes.

The menu consisted of pastas, pizzas, chicken and steak. I opted for the Shrimp Linguine and Don had the steak with potatoes and veggies. Both dishes were very delicious.

Did I mention the full bar? Have a French Martini with dinner. Happy hour? They’ve got you covered with a margarita.

The prices at Andare are mid range for a nice dinner in the city. Expect to pay about $140 for two meals and a few cocktails.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House

Finding a restaurant on a Sunday evening on the 4th of July proved to be a challenge. By 7:45, everything was closing. Ruth’s Chris Steak House located in the lobby of the Grand Hyatt Seattle (a few blocks from our hotel) was open late. Although above the budget we wanted to spend, it was our anniversary and a holiday so we said “What the hell!” and went for it.

The price was a little steep for our taste so we opted to share a plate. This location is a la carte. You pick your steak, and sides separately. Even though that sounded great, it meant that every item had its own price tag. I spent much of the first half of the evening thinking we were crazy to eat here, but then, the food arrived. It was spectacular! The steak was seared at 1800 degrees and served on a 500 degree plate. The asparagus had such a unique smokey yet sweet flavor and the steak was so tender. We no longer regretted our decision to eat here, but we were glad we shared a plate.

This is a place to go if you want to splurge on an expensive dinner during your weekend in Seattle. Expect to pay about $150 per person as the steak alone is between $60 to $80, then add your sides and drinks.

Unknown Name Hot Dog Stand

When visiting MoPop and the Space Needle, we were in a rush due to timed entries during covid. With only a few minutes to grab a bite to eat, we found a hot dog stand between the Space Needle and MoPop. The food was fast, easy, cheap, and oh so good. Don lived in Seattle years ago and always raved about the hot dogs with cream cheese, onions and peppers. He finally got to have this again and enjoyed every bite. Unfortunately, I did not get the name of the hot dog stand.

Where to Explore in Seattle

There is so much to do in Seattle and the surrounding area that we found it hard to choose. Since we were trying to do the trip on a moderate budget, we decided to get a CityPass. This included admission to the Woodland Park Zoo, the Space Needle, MoPop, Seattle Aquarium and a few other activities/locations.

 

Woodland Park Zoo

Woodland Park Zoo was a great way to spend the morning. They have a large variety of animals. The highlight for me was the baby gorilla. As one of my favorite animals, I was so excited to see that since I did not know ahead of time that they had had a baby.

The landscaping at the park is beautiful. I was surprised by the number of large tropical pants they manage to have despite the colder winters in the Pacific Northwest. It made for pleasant walks between exhibits.

If you are planning on visiting, make sure to give yourself plenty of time as there is a lot to see. We ran out of time and unfortunately were unable to see the whole zoo.

Parking at the zoo is easy and a close walk to the entry gate. There is a fee to park. It is $6 dollars for the first two hours and $2 dollars for each additional hour with a max rate of $12. This is before taxes.

Cost: Adult Price $24.60 & Child Price $15

 

Space Needle

Probably one of the most iconic places in Seattle, the Space Needle is a must see for your weekend in Seattle. Take the outdoor elevator over 600′ feet up to the top of the Space Needle.

Once at the top, the views of the Puget Sound and the surrounding city are stunning. We chose to go on the 4th of July. It was, to say the least, very busy. Masks are still required inside, but on the outdoor portion, you are able to take them off. Inside, on the bottom floor (the top has two floors) the floor is glass where you can look down to the ground. As someone who is not a fan of heights, I was worried to walk on this, but it was actually not too bad.

On the top floor, there is an area called the Loupe Lounge where you can get wine and appetizers. It does require a different entry ticket that we did not purchase. Next time, we will. It seemed like a great place to relax and take in the views.

Cost: Regular admission cost for adults is $34

 

MoPop

The Pop Museum (MoPop) is a really cool place. There is a huge display of hundreds of guitars in the shape of a cyclone. It is two stories tall! All over the museum there are movie props and costumes for horror movies, sci fi movies, and fantasy movies. Where I really “geeked” out was at the special Disney Heros and Villans exhibit.

There were costumes from many of the Disney shows and movies from Pirates of the Caribbean to Once Upon A Time. They even had the dress and glass slipper from the 2015 live action Cinderella Movie and Belle’s dress that Emma Watson wore on Beauty and the Beast. Pictured here is Dorothy’s dress from the classic Wizard of Oz. This was such a cool experience and highly recommended.

Cost: Cost ranges between $28 and $35 depending on when you go. Weekends seem to be more expensive.

 

Pikes Place Market and the Gum Wall

Pikes Place Market is home to tons of shops. There is seafood, fruit, bakery’s, and even the OG Starbucks ( a popular place for an instagram photo op). It is also a good place to find some souvenirs. One place that I enjoyed was this tiny wine tasting spot inside the market, The White Heron Secret Wine Bar. For less then $10 I was able to try 4 different wines with a view of the Seattle ferris wheel and the Sound.

The famous Gum Wall is also located at Pikes Place. Once again, a great photo op for instagram. Don’t forget to bring a piece of bubble gum with you. They do have a gumball machine there that is change only.

Cost: Free. Just pay for what you buy.

Bundle your tickets by purchasing with GoCity. This will get you a discounted rate. We did and it saved us money and was so easy to use.

Our Weekend in Seattle

Overall, we had a great weekend in Seattle. If I have one last tip, avoid visiting on a Holiday weekend. We went to see the fireworks on the 4th of July. Despite research ahead if time, we didn’t realize they had been cancelled due to Covid. Luckily, we we okay with that and with the great view from our room, we were still able to see random ones being shot off across the city along with the lit up city skyline. I hope you enjoy your weekend in Seattle.