Seattle - Lisa Fann

★
Seattle
July ’08
ThreePerfectDays
Seattle
By Lisa K. Fann / Photography by Todd Pearson / Seattle summers are as near
perfection as you can get this side of Paradise. Yes, fall, winter, and spring can be gray
and rainy; that’s why Seattle is the caffeine capital of the universe. But July is sublime.
Who needs coffee with temperatures in the 70s and 80s and a golden sun shining 16
hours a day? ¶ To the east and the west, the city is bound by water—Lake Washington
and the Puget Sound, respectively—and mountains—the Cascades and the Olympics—
that constantly woo you outdoors. In the middle is a city with a quirky sense of
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DAY 1
July 2008
Seattle
Washington
Bounded by water and mountains, Seattle offers plenty of
outdoor options. And you’ve picked the perfect time to visit:
July is both the sunniest and driest month of the year.
humor (exhibit A: the Space Needle), a vibrant downtown, and a serious focus on art of all kinds: performing,
visual, culinary, public, and that provided by nature.
With a robin’s egg–blue sky and the white triangles of
sailboats skimming across the glittering water, Seattle
pulls out the stops to show you a good time and a
world-renowned sense of place.
Wake up at the ➊ Inn at the Market, an oasis
of quiet in the midst of the bustle and cacophony of the
nine-acre Pike Place Market. This boutique hotel offers
rooms with stunning views of Elliott Bay. The sun
reflecting off the water is mesmerizing, but drag yourself
away from the window, walk out through the hotel’s
courtyard, and immerse yourself in Seattle’s hubbub
of colors, sounds, and smells.
➋ Pike Place Market showcases Seattle’s bounty from
land and sea—local fruit, vegetables, flowers, and the
morning’s catch of fish—as well as creations by local
artists and exotic goods crammed into tiny shops. Quarter
notes painted on the sidewalk denote where buskers can
regale you with their music. Along with the men singing
gospel music in harmony and a Peruvian band, there is
the man who plays guitar and harmonica and keeps a
hula hoop circling around his hips—all at the same time.
Cobble together a breakfast from the restaurants and
farmers. Don’t miss Piroshky Piroshky’s apple cinnamon
rolls and the fresh fruit juices at Bacco. As you wander,
take note of the shops you’ll want to visit later. Right now,
though, you have a 10 a.m. appointment with a kayak.
The inn’s town car drops you off at ➌ Agua Verde
Paddle Club on Portage Bay. Slip into a kayak and point
the bow west toward the Saskatonia, a retired ferry that
can be rented out for parties. Make a loop around the
bay, paddling past the front porches of Seattle’s houseboats. The enormous logs underneath them shelter
salmon swimming upstream. As you glide past the shore,
notice the dozens of inlets—many are public-access
DAY ONE /
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(previous page) an Emerald City
Charters sloop on Elliott Bay;
(this page, top) the Seattle skyline;
(above) breakfast at the market;
(right) Master Chef Shiro Kashiba
July 2008
Appeaing to your good taste: a
delightful modern work at the
Seattle Art Museum (left) and 100
wines by the glass at The Local
Vine, a Belltown wine bar (above).
points leading to parks, green spaces, or roads—but stay
in the boat for now. You’re headed for the Montlake Cut
and under the elevated highway to the Washington Park
Arboretum. Gently forge your way through the water
lilies and look for turtles, beavers, great blue herons, bald
eagles, and other wildlife. This is a vibrant ecosystem
with an urban soundtrack. If you feel like exploring it
on foot, just pull your kayak onto the shore.
Soon, your stomach urges you on, and the inn’s town
car awaits back at the paddle club to whisk you off to
➍ Macrina Bakery and Café in Belltown, frequently
voted the best bakery in Seattle. You can’t go wrong with
anything on the menu, but the meze platter lets you
choose three scrumptious items from a list that includes
the soup du jour and rustic galette with roasted fennel,
portobellos, fresh red peppers, and toasted pecans.
Walk down the hill on Bell Street to Alaskan Way,
where you can catch the Waterfront Streetcar to Pioneer
Square and buy tickets for the Underground Tour. You’ll
likely have some time before your tour begins, so walk a
couple of blocks south to ➎ Elliott Bay Book Company.
For those who love to read, the old wooden floors and
warren of rooms filled with books whisper a seductive
siren song. Lash yourself to the mast or simply give in
and stay for good. If you escape, don’t miss the art
galleries between First and Second avenues.
The kitschy ➏ Underground Tour begins at Doc
Maynard’s Public House, a restored saloon from the
1890s, with a short history of all the rapscallions and
rogues who made their fortunes by founding this
town. The history itself sounds like urban
legend. Sure there’s a deserted shopping
arcade under the sidewalks. And the street
level was raised to the second floor of these
buildings, which then became the ground
floor? Yeah, right. That must mean the
purple squares embedded in the sidewalk
are skylights, you say. After a little spelunking
in Seattle, you’ll discover it’s all true.
Catch the streetcar back to Pike Place Market,
which is now at full-throttle. Visit the shops
you missed earlier, making sure to see Rachel
(the market’s brass porcine mascot), the “Public
Market” sign, Market Spice (with its plethora of teas and
spices), Moon Valley (natural health and honey products),
and the Dragon’s Toy Box (unique children’s toys).
Take your purchases back to your room and dress
for the evening. First on the agenda is ➐ Shiro’s Sushi
Restaurant. Though not the fanciest sushi restaurant in
Seattle, Shiro’s is the most traditional. Sit at the bar and
watch the chefs perform their magic while you tease your
appetite with the tender giant clam sautéed in butter and
mushroom sauce, broiled kasu black cod, and monkfish
liver paté with ponzu sauce. For the main course, order
whatever Master Chef Shiro Kashiba recommends.
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cyber
cybersidebar
July 2008
Walk north to Seattle Center for a different sort of
performance. Your destination is ➑ Intiman Theatre,
which won the 2006 Tony Award for outstanding
regional theater and is one of Seattle’s half-dozen
professional companies. Two of the Intiman’s world
premieres have gone on to Broadway. At this intimate
theater you’ll see “the same old line, the same old act,
and the same old hooey” that is the brilliance of A
Streetcar Named Desire. After the show, cap your night
at ➒ The Local Vine, a Belltown wine bar close to
Shiro’s, where you can choose from more than 100
wines served by the glass.
(below) Pacific Northwest works
of art at the Seattle Art Museum;
(bottom) passengers crossing
the walkway from the Bainbridge
Island ferry
Rise early and ride the Waterfront Streetcar
to Pier 52, where you’ll catch the ➊ Bainbridge Island
ferry. Crossing “the moat,” as islanders call it, takes 35
minutes and offers gorgeous views of the Seattle skyline
and Mount Rainier. When the ferry docks, walk up
the street and turn left on Winslow Way. Breakfast is
at ➋ Streamliner Diner, a Bainbridge Island institution
with plastic red and white–checked tablecloths and
delicious food.
After a hearty breakfast, catch a taxi to ➌ Bloedel
Reserve for your 10 a.m. reservations. The trails
through the 150 acres meander across a field of tall
grasses and explore a dense Northwest forest of evergreens, ferns, and mosses. Farther along the trail, you’ll
see gardens—Japanese, moss, and reflection—and the
Bloedel house sitting on a hill overlooking the Puget
Sound. Drink in the tranquil surroundings, then taxi
back to Winslow Way, where small shops tempt you
with artistic wares.
For lunch, retrace your steps back to Pike Place
Market and duck into the cozy ➍ 94 Stewart. The
menu changes constantly, depending on what is freshest.
Try the summer salmon salad with cantaloupe and
champagne dill vinaigrette. Chef Celinda Norton also
can concoct something delightful out of ingredients of
DAY 2
DAY TWO /
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Seattle
Washington
On your second morning in Seattle, take the ferry to Bainbridge
Island, where you’ll have breakfast and explore the outdoors on
trails through 150 acres of forest, grasses, and gardens.
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For a slideshow of bonus photos, a
PDF of this story, and
100 more 3PD stories,
visit hemispheres
magazine.com.
Seattle Weather
Seattle’s gray, wet reputation
takes a summer vacation
when the polar jet stream,
responsible for the Pacific
Northwest’s soggy winter
season, heads north. Plentiful
sunshine and pleasant
temperatures are the
rewards. Temperatures range
from the 50s in the morning
to the 70s in the late
afternoon. July is both the
sunniest and driest month of
the year. The Pacific storm
track returns in earnest late in
the fall, delivering bouts of
rain and wind.
The Weather Channel
Weather information
is provided by The
Weather Channel. For
more Seattle climatological
details, visit weather.com.
Getting Around
Forgo a rental car; nothing is
very far away, and there are
several public-transportation
options for when your feet
fail you. The commercial core
of the city—bounded by the
waterfront and Interstate 5 to
the west and east, by Jackson
Street to the south, and
Battery Street to the north—
is a free-ride zone on the
bus. The Waterfront Streetcar
runs, predictably, along the
waterfront, and the monorail
runs from the shopping
district to Seattle Center.
Seattle for Kids
A Center for Wooden
Boats (cwb.org) A hands-on
maritime heritage museum.
B Twisted Flicks
(twistedflicks.com) Standup
comedians improvise dialog
to cheesy “B” movies.
C Carkeek Park (seattle.
gov/parks/environment/
carkeek.htm) Trails, a
playground, the beach, and
views of passing trains.
D Seattle Aquarium
(seattleaquarium.org) Sea
otters and other wildlife and
an underwater dome.
Pa
ssa
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35th Av SW
Lake Washington
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160 SE Sedgewick Rd
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MANCHESTER
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Aurora Av W
Elliott
Bay
son
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Spokane St
ELLIOTT BAY
S Main St
BOOK COMPANY
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Seattle-Tacoma
Int’l Airport
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405
VASHON
SEATTLE
OVERVIEW
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S Jackson St
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DINER
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Broadway
5
s St
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PADDLE CLUB
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BAINBRIDGE
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UNDERGROUND TOUR Yesler Way
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E Pine St
E Pike St
WASHINGTON
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UMMELINA INTERNATIONAL DAY SPA
Ave
3rd
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ska
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5
E John St
Cal
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E Republican St
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SEATTLE AQUARIUM D 99
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Minor Ave N
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CANADA
SEATTLE ASIAN 1
ART MUSEUM
Volunteer Park
E Roy St
E Mercer St
Harrison St
Terry Ave N
4
Republican St
Westlake Ave N
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MACRINA BAKERY
AND CAFÉ
5th
Valley St
Mercer St
9th Ave N
Av
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WOODEN BOATS
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St
8th Ave N
ern
We
st
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8th Ave N
2
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Park
Denny Way
THE LOCAL
VINE
Westlake Ave N
Dexter Ave N
Aurora Ave N
John St
6th Ave N
7
W John St
Myrtle
Edwards
Park
OLYMPIC
SCULPTURE
PARK
Aurora Ave N
1st Ave N
2nd Ave W
3rd Ave W
SPACE
NEEDLE
W Thomas St
6th Ave N
INTIMAN
THEATRE
d
Broa
TEATRO ZINZANNI
5th Ave N
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W Harrison St
Valley St
Ward St
Taylor Ave N
Roy St
Prospect St
4th Ave N
Aloha St
Nob Hill Ave N
2nd Ave N
W Roy St
3rd Ave N
W Olympic Pl
Queen Anne Ave N
W Prospect St
W Kinnear Pl
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Highland Dr
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✈
3PD seattle / DAY ONE / ➊ Inn at the Market 86 Pine Street; Tel: 206-443-3600
➋ Pike Place Market Tel: 206-682-7453 ➌ Agua Verde Paddle Club 1303 Northeast Boat Street; Tel: 206-545-8570
➍ Macrina Bakery and Café 2408 First Avenue; Tel: 206-448-4032 ➎ Elliott Bay Book Company 101 South Main Street;
Tel: 206-624-6600 ➏ Underground Tour 608 First Avenue, Pioneer Square; Tel: 206-682-4646
➐ Shiro’s Sushi Restaurant 2401 Second Avenue; Tel: 206-443-9844 ➑ Intiman Theatre 201 Mercer Street;
Tel: 206-269-1900 ➒ The Local Vine 2520 Second Avenue; 206-441-6000
DAY TWO / ➊ Bainbridge Island ferry Pier 52, Tel: 206-464-6400 ➋ Streamliner Diner 397 Winslow Way East;
Tel: 206-842-8595 ➌ Bloedel Reserve 7571 Northeast Dolphin Drive; Tel: 206-842-7631
➍ 94 Stewart 94 Stewart Street; Tel: 206-441-5505 ➎ Seattle Art Museum 100 University Street; Tel: 206-654-3100
➏ Pacific Place Sixth Avenue and Pine Street; Tel: 206-405-2655 ➐ Teatro ZinZanni 222 Mercer Street; Tel: 206-802-0015
➑ Purple Café and Wine Bar 1225 Fourth Avenue; Tel: 206-829-2280
DAY THREE / ➊ Seattle Asian Art Museum Volunteer Park, 1400 East Prospect Street; Tel: 206-654-3100
➋ Olympic Sculpture Park 2901 Western Avenue; Tel: 206-654-3100 ➌ Entre Nous 216 Stewart Street;
Tel: 206-905-1633 ➍ Ummelina International Day Spa 1525 Fourth Avenue; Tel: 206-624-1370
➎ Steelhead Diner 95 Pine Street; Tel: 206-625-0129 ➏ Emerald City Charters Pier 54; Tel: 206-624-3931
➐ Space Needle 400 Broad Street; Tel: 206-905-2100
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BOARDING PASS / See You in Seattle / United and United Express serve Seattle (SEA) from seven domestic cities and one international
city, with six flights per day from Chicago, seven from Denver, four from Los Angeles, eight from San Francisco, three from Washington’s
Dulles, and one from Tokyo. United Express offers regional service from Portland (eight flights per day) and Spokane (four per day).
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July 2008
your choice. Despite the upscale food, the restaurant
doesn’t take itself too seriously. Afterward, stop by
The Confectional in the market for a mini cheesecake,
choosing kahlua white chocolate, Mexican chocolate,
or one of the other dangerously decadent flavors.
Dab the chocolate from your lips and walk a few
blocks south to the ➎ Seattle Art Museum. A recent
expansion doubled its size, and holdings include ancient
and modern art from across cultures. You reserved tickets
for Inspiring Impressionism, which explores the links
between the impressionists and the major European art
movements that preceded them.
By now the shopping bug has bitten, so make your
way to ➏ Pacific Place, with its selection of chi-chi
shops—Barneys New York, MaxMara, Cartier. Or, if
you prefer carabiners over carats, make a pilgrimage to
REI’s flagship adventure cooperative with its climbing
wall, mountain-bike test trail, and mother lode of
outdoor gear perfect for the lifestyle led by the locals.
From the street, you’ll walk wooded trails past a waterfall
just to get to the store. You’ll almost forget you are in
downtown Seattle.
After your excursion, it’s back to the inn to dress for
dinner at ➐ Teatro ZinZanni. If you have a top hat or
boa, this is definitely the time to wear it. You also can
purchase something festive in the boutique before the
show. The five-course dinner designed by celebrated
chef Tom Douglas shares the stage with cirque, comedy,
music, and dance performed above and around you
as you dine.
After the zany whirlwind of ZinZanni, decompress
with a glass of wine at ➑ Purple Café and Wine Bar. A
two-story cylinder of shelves in the middle of
the room shows off the global wine collection.
The Purple Café and Wine Bar
(left), Ummelina International Day
Spa, and Seattle Art Museum
(above) all stand ready to nourish
your body and your soul.
DAY THREE / Start your day off with room
service, then take the town car to ➊ Seattle
Asian Art Museum. The historical art deco
building features a collection of Chinese,
Indian, Japanese, Korean, and Southeast Asian
works of art. Explore the East, then head to
some of the best real estate in the city. The
➋ Olympic Sculpture Park opened a year ago
on a former petroleum-distribution site that
took 10 years to clean up. Start at the Western
Avenue entrance and walk downhill along the Z-shaped
path linking three land parcels. The art ranges from
playful (huge eyeball chairs, a typewriter eraser) to
earnest. Sit on the benches by the shore and take
in the glittering artistry of the Puget Sound and the
distant Olympic Mountains.
Lunch is served at ➌ Entre Nous, a friendly French
tapas and fondue café, where owner and chef Stephane
Ohayon uses recipes from his grandmother in Nice.
Partake of the salade confetti—finely chopped fennel,
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DAY 3
July 2008
Seattle
Washington
The Seattle Asian Art Museum, a jewellike historic art deco
building in Volunteer Park, is a lively international hub for Asian
cultural activities and the perfect place to explore Eastern art.
bell peppers, baby spinach, pears, and Gouda tossed
in lemon vinaigrette.
If you need a little something sweet, stop by the
Chocolate Box on Pine Street between First and Second
avenues on your way to ➍ Ummelina International Day
Spa. The entrance to Ummelina is tucked in between
City Kitchens and a Hallmark store. The spa is removed
from the street, and the package treatments lure you even
farther away. In The Equator, you start under a waterfall,
then enter the steamy rain forest for a salt scrub and
massage, continue on to the desert for a mud treatment,
and end in a monsoon to wash away any remaining bit of
stress. Afterward, lounge in the Tea Spa and sip herbal tea.
Eat an early dinner at ➎ Steelhead Diner in Pike
Place Market. Note the museum-quality fishing lures
tied by Pacific Northwest masters. Your appetizer must
be the crab cakes with huge chunks of meat. For the
main course, try kasu-marinated black cod with baby
bok choy, shiitake mushrooms, and ginger salad, or
simply order anything the servers recommend. Chef
Kevin Davis creates exquisite, complex dishes that can
leave you giddy from sensory overload. But keep some
of your senses about you for dessert. Try the quadruplelayer chocolate cake with almonds and coconut ice
cream or a dessert cocktail such as the oatmeal cookie
cocktail or the chocolate pudding martini.
Dinner done, wander down to ➏ Emerald City
Charters at Pier 54 for a 2.5-hour sail around Elliott
Bay. The two high-performance, 70-foot sloops offer
views of Seattle’s skyline and summer’s late sunsets.
Goodbyes are hard. Prolong yours from the observation deck of the city’s odd ➐ Space Needle. Here you
can relive your three perfect days as you walk around the
perimeter and look at the city below you. Rest your eyes
on Elliott Bay, where just a little while before you were
skimming across the water and planning your next trip
to Seattle. u Lisa K. Fann is Hemispheres’ Seattle-based
contributing editor.
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(top) Seattle Asian Art Museum;
(above) the iconic sign at Pike
Place Market; (right) the Space
Needle looms large in a view from
Capitol Hill.