A few people have warned me that if I go west, I may not come back… probably because of my somewhat obsessive love of all things California.

I get it – mountains and oceans + great sport wear is very luring.

So my friends, the time has come… I am finally ready to find out for myself if the West Coast is the (second) best coast of Canada.

Mike and I are going to British Columbia in September for a wedding and the timing works out well to make it our ten-year anniversary adventure. And even better, thanks to the HIGH Canadian travel costs, it’s a lot cheaper to fly to Seattle so we’re adding an American city to the holiday. Let the planning and list making begin!

First up, what’s up in Seattle? I am looking for tips and suggestions for places to stay, coffee to drink, parks to run and neighbourhoods to explore. We will have 2 sleepless days in Seattle and I want to make the most of it. I have done a bit of research and have discovered the following:

A. Seattle likes purple. Me too! Go Huskies.

B. Seattle is green. It is the Emerald City. Seattle’s Emerald City nickname comes directly from this greenery. Emerald City also echoes Washington State’s nickname of The Evergreen State. (source).

C. Seattleites shop local. Markets seem like a big deal. Pike Place was the third thing I thought of when I booked flights to Seattle (right after Starbucks and Meg and right before the Space Needle).

D. Seattle does seafood. Sure, I will have a taco but I’m from Atlantic Canada – this will not be a highlight.

E. Seattle blows. Did y’all know about their thing for glass?

F. Seattle smells. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Death Cab For Cutie (kind of)… Music is big in Seattle. My hometown of Halifax is Seattle of the North so I get it.

G./O. Seattleites run. Although I do not own any of their gear, I want to. I love everything about Oiselle and am excited to go to their flagship store located in University Village. I will also be in the middle of marathon training during our trip so I need some good running routes out west.

H. Seattle already has a Meg. I like to research cities by watching movies filmed there. Sleepless in Seattle seems like an obvious choice.

I. Seattle is dreamy. I recently went down a deep dark Netflix hole and started Grey’s Anatomy S1E1… It totally holds up.

J./M. Seattle drinks. Coffee and beer. Oh my! 

K./N. Seattle is hip. I try to avoid the tacky and look for the designy souvenirs when travelling. Plus, our shot glass collection is bursting at the seams.

L. Seattle sews. Question… is the tour worth it? Seems like an iconic must-see when in Seattle. Yea or nay?

Please, please please let me know what you loved in Seattle.

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