Yep, that’s us, at the bottom of the Space Needle
You can spend a weekend in Seattle for a lot less money than you realize.
I have a confession to make. Hubby and I have not gone away for one night together for over five years. When we did the math together this weekend, we were shocked. Had it really been that long? Sadly, it had been-but we were out to change that.
To celebrate our anniversary this month, we wanted to do something special. What could be more perfect than spending a night in Seattle and exploring the city together? The only problem: we’re used to spending a small weekly amount on our outings. This would take some creativity. Where would we go? Hubby and I sat down and wrote out a plan. The plan was not working. It would be too expensive. Just when we were about to give up, he remembered a Groupon and Amazon Local deal he had scored months ago, and was saving for future date nights. Those would take care of one lunch, and a fun activity. That opened up our options and made this whole getaway thing possible.
The next day, I spent a little time researching affordable hotels that were close to all the action in Seattle; and the Mediterranean Inn looked like it would do the trick. I bounced around all the hotel discount sites and found some great rates. To make sure we got a good room, I gave them a call. They quoted me a lot higher price than we could squeeze into our budget, so I pointed out the prices I saw on the online discount hotel sites. Just for asking, our hotel price was knocked down by $34. Score! (moral of the story-never be afraid to ask!)
A week before the trip, Hubby and I sat down and wrote out an itinerary. We find there’s less confusion, and we spend less money when we know what we’re doing and where we’re going.
But there was one small thing we forgot, which I realized the morning of our getaway.
“The dog! What are we going to do with the dog?” I looked at Hubby, eyes wide with panic.
We certainly couldn’t leave her at home for 24 hours. She’s way too much of an escape artist to stay with any of our friends, and boarding would be too expensive.
“We will have to take her with us.” I said.
“Really? On our anniversary trip?” Hubby wasn’t thrilled.
But with no other options for Fido, we agreed that we could make this work. She would have to stay in the car in her crate overnight, which she has done before and been perfectly fine.
Later that afternoon, we left our kids at our good friends’ house, and headed to the city with bags packed, cell phones charged to take lots of pictures, and a bunch of snacks in a cooler to get us through the in-between times till the next day.
Traffic last Friday night through Seattle was amazingly smooth. The weather was made to order. Perfect sunny spring weather.
The Mediterranean Inn was in the perfect location, just blocks from the Seattle Center and the Space Needle, as well as the famous Pike Place Market. We were within walking distance of everything. We had never done anything like this before. It was exciting, and we were like bouncy little kids as we walked into the hotel.
The room was clean and classy looking, with a queen bed, fridge, microwave and coffeemaker. Very unpretentious. We were okay with that. The last time we spent a night in Seattle, it was waaaay more money than we wanted to pay and the hotel was rather….stuffy. This was not like that and we were grateful. And, we had a tiny peek-a-boo view of the Space Needle out our hotel room window.
Rooftop view from our hotel
Of course, the first thing Hubby had to do after we set down our bags was race to the elevator to take us to the roof of the hotel. The view was knock-you-over-amazing: It was a clear day and you could see the Space Needle and downtown Seattle skyscrapers.
“Honey!!! Look at this!” He shouted as we took our first steps onto the roof. (I love to see how excited he gets about things like this!) I felt like Spiderman looking at the city below us. Rows and rows of green plastic adirondack chairs were laid out for seating. We just walked around and gawked for a few minutes.
Then, it was off to dinner. Hubby had selected a Passport Unlimited participating restaurant: Domani Pizzeria on Queen Anne Hill. We parked and went on a nice little jaunt through a little strip of shops, boutiques and restaurants. The place was bright and colorful. We could see it from the sidewalk as we walked closer. Their Windows were open and it smelled hot and fresh and Italian. As we took the first steps in a piercing cry stopped us. Then wailing. The acoustics of the restaurant carried the screeches all throughout the restaurant and into the outside surroundings.
“Uh-oh.” Hubby said.
We looked to see a cute little family in the corner of the restaurant trying to enjoy their meal, while their newborn belted out his discontent. We waited a minute. Then another minute. Still, the screeching carried on.
“Let’s go to plan B.” I said
“Good call.” Hubby said as we walked back to the car.
As we got back in, Hubby pulled out his handy Passport Unlimited iPhone App and showed me all the options we had for spots close by. He gets a thrill every time he shows me a new App he has on his phone.
“Hey Babe, check this out! Isn’t this cool?!” He always says, like he just found twenty bucks on the sidewalk.
This was one of those times that he may as well have been wearing a cape and a superhero uniform. It made him feel so good to let me know our night wouldn’t be ruined over one crying baby. I think it’s cute that he gets this excited over Apps on his phone.
I glanced and made a split second decision. “Racha Noodle and Thai” (in Lower Queen Anne)
“Sounds great. I’m in the mood for Thai food anyway!” Hubby said, pulling out of our parking spot.
As we drove past Domani Pizzeria, Hubby said:
“Take a look. Are they still in there with the crying baby?”
“Yep,” I said. “Only now the Mom is pacing around the table and trying to calm the baby.”
“Oh man,” Hubby said sighing. “That would not have been good for our anniversary dinner.”
We breathed a sigh of relief and agreed that we will try Domani on a future date. It looks like a fun and delicious place to eat.
A great place to get Thai food
Racha Noodle and Thai Cuisine was just a few minutes away from our hotel, so we walked there. It was nice to go to a restaurant we could walk to.
This place fit the bill perfectly. Tasty food, exotic and palatial decor. Very friendly service. We will definitely remember this spot as a find. And the crazy thing? With our Passport Unlimited card, it came to only a little over $13! Yowzers. So, we left a tip and got out of there for a screaming deal and with full bellies for a little over $18 total.
And the night wasn’t over after that. We then went to Kerry Park, the top rated park in Seattle. Why is it the top rated park in Seattle? Go there and you will know why.
We parked the car, pulled out our doggie (Scout) and walked through the luxurious neighborhood surrounding the park, on the lower slope of Queen Anne Hill. Four million dollar homes were for sale, and we were oohing and ahhing at the endless variety of mansions.
And then, there it was: twinkling night-time lights, the whole span of the city of Seattle, Elliot Bay, the West Seattle Peninsula and a spellbound gathering of people gazing at the wonder of it all. People were taking pictures, high school kids were jumping out of limos to get prom pictures. It was amazing and unforgettable.
We took a bunch of pictures, but the camera on Hubby’s phone wasn’t getting the clearest shots. Too bad we didn’t have one of those super-duper telescopic adjusting lens ones like the other guys had. Those probably cost them as much as some cars do brand new. We were happy to at least have our cell phone cameras.
Hubby did get an amazing shot of the view, as you can see in the picture on the right.
Magical Seattle view from Kerry Park
If you haven’t been to Kerry Park in Seattle, you gotta go there-especially at night. It’s magical and you will never forget it. It’s totally worth the drive.
So, after that we drove through and looked at the houses a little more. Hubby saw a Spanish style three-story palace like home with a terracotta roof and palm trees in the enclosed yard and said:
“Look Honey, it’s your dream home!”
That was really sweet. I’m glad he knows what I like so he can buy me one of these houses one day. Someday…..
When we laid out our plans, we were hoping to go somewhere for dessert, but it would have squeezed us out of our budget. So, instead we did this:
Conveniently, there was a chic little Safeway situated about 25 steps away from our hotel, across the street. We went there and grabbed ourselves a half-gallon of low-fat chocolate brownie ice cream, and a spray can of whip cream. It came to just under $8. Not bad for dessert, right?
Then, we went back to our hotel and scooped it into the courtesy coffee mugs the hotel provided. (Incidentally, plastic spoons do not make good ice cream scoops.) It took quite a while to get the ice cream to melt but we enjoyed it when we finally filled up our cups.
The next morning, we were off to The Shanty Cafe, a historic little breakfast and lunch spot situated on Elliot Avenue, just across from the train tracks and Seattle waterfront.
One our way to the elevator, Hubby confused me and pressed R, instead of the 2nd floor, where we needed to go to exit the hotel.
“Let’s go to the roof one more time!” He said. Hubby wanted to get some good pictures of us together, with the view behind us.
The “cheesy” shot
There was another couple up there, enjoying peace and quiet, sunshine and a breathtaking view. Then, we came.
“You are cheesing Honey,” Hubby said after the first picture. “What? That’s how I always smile!” I said.
“No you don’t.” He said. “Smile for real this time.”
So, I did-or at least I thought I did. He kept laughing and re-taking them.
“That one is good!” I said, looking at the next picture.
“Are you kidding me? I look like a Gomer.”
Our favorite picture of the bunch
That made me laugh. Really hard. He did look like a Gomer, whatever that is. And those people were looking annoyed, which made me laugh some more.
Do I look like a rabbit here?
After about the seventh try, I said.
“Okay. That’s a good one.”
“Really?” Hubby said, sticking his teeth out over his lips and acting like a rabbit. “That’s what you look like in that last one.”
“What?!!” I was laughing so hard my stomach hurt.
“Okay….now, I just need to press this button here and upload it to Facebook, ” Hubby said, as I grabbed him and unsuccessfully tried to get the phone.
Thankfully, he was joking and didn’t put it on Facebook. He was just messing with me.
Hubby trying to smile while avoiding the glare, and me having fun
So, we walked to the Shanty, and they had a line. We put our name on the list and waited outside. All was well until some people started walking in ahead of us, and Hubby went in to find out what was going on. We were seated immediately, which was very nice.
This was a very neat spot. The cheery and friendly waitress informed us that The Shanty is the oldest surviving (continual) restaurant in Seattle. It’s been around since 1914, and it’s always been called The Shanty. On top of that, she proudly told us that it has had four owners, all of which have been women. Very cool tidbit of information! This place has a lot of history.
Food was served fast and it hit the spot. Prices were pretty darn good too. We got out of there for $25 with a huge breakfast for each of us, coffee and tip.
Our new favorite Seattle breakfast spot
Then, we went for a nice walk with Scout at the base of the Space Needle, and it was so hot, I decided to run through the Seattle Center International Water Fountain. Hubby couldn’t believe I did that, but it was fun. He
told me I might want to rearrange my hair as I stood there, dripping wet. Hubby never notices how I style my hair, so I figured it must have been pretty wacky looking and did my best to fix it.
While Hubby was taking pictures of Scout with the Space Needle in the background, I took a short nap on the lawn at the base of the Space Needle. Ahhhh…what a place to relax!
Our dog Scout, at the Space Needle
Then, it was hotel checkout time and we were off to the place Hubby got the screaming Groupon deal for: The Columbia Tower Observation Deck. (only $9 for both of us!)
That was a keeper and another huge highlight of Seattle. It was like being in an airplane, only the airplanes that were flying by were lower than the tower’s observation deck, which is nearly 1,000 feet above the ground! We spent about half an hour just staring at the entire City of Seattle, and surrounding areas. The cars looked like toy cars below us, and everything seemed quiet and still and peaceful. A very beautiful, romantic, memorable spot.
Jaw dropping view from Columbia Tower
On the way home, we made a quick stop and Seattle’s University District Farmers Market, which was free and fun to look at. I tried some Apple Cider Vinegar from Enumclaw that was very tasty, and people were selling turkey eggs for $3 each. I had no idea people ate turkey eggs, or that they were so prized.
Last stop-The Ship Canal Grill, situated across the street from the Ship Canal on the Lake Union side. Hubby had prepaid for an Amazon Local deal here, so ate well and only had to pay for the tip. This is a neat spot that we’re excited to come back to, as they have live jazz music, which we are fans of. The food was good and I liked the blue walls and classy aqua color tones everywhere.
After all that, we picked up our kids and went home and lived off of the high of a very jam-packed yet long overdue anniversary weekend.
The Ship Canal Grill, view from our table
All in all, we got a heck of a lot of good deals, amazing walks, and managed to do a Seattle overnight with dinner, dessert, several walk, Saturday morning breakfast, went to the top of the tallest building west of the Mississippi, and had a filling late lunch for $218. Who can beat that?
We can’t wait till the next overnight trip we take, and it’s not going to be six years from now. We’re going to start saving up so we can explore more places and cities close by.
So, stay tuned for our next overnight trip review. We hope to do one in a few months.
Whether you’re in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago or Atlanta, you need a weekend away, too! Until then, it’s back to our weekly date nights, which are always a fun adventure too.
By the way, this was a 5+ rating for an overnight trip!
Happy Dating!
Details:
The Mediterranean Inn
www.mediterranean-inn.com
425 Queen Anne Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98109
206-428-4700
Racha Noodle and Thai Cuisine
www.rachathai.com
23 Mercer Street
Seattle, WA 98109
206-281-8883
Kerry Park
211 West Highland Dr.
Seattle, WA 98127
The Shanty Cafe
350 Elliott Avenue West
Seattle, WA 98119
(206) 282-1400
Columbia Tower Observation Deck
701 5th Ave.
73rd Floor
(between Cherry St. and Lane St.)
Seattle, WA 98104
206-386-5564
Hours:
Mon-Thu 10 am – 6 pm
Fri-Sat 10 am – 10 pm
The Ship Canal Grill
www.shipcanalgrill.com
3218 Eastlake Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98102
(206) 588-8885
