Being that Seattle is my newly adopted city I have found myself discovering some of the most unique places. It’s like the city hides these little pockets of amazing spots that at once seem random and yet awesome.
Seattle is extremely walkable with parks everywhere (hence the name the Emerald City) and if you can’t walk it the public transit is one of the best in the country.
So, if you are looking for the best places to visit in Washington, make sure to check out Seattle unique places.
Go on a brewery tour in Ballard
Ballard is one of the coolest areas, and one of my favorites, in the city. Once a rough fishing community of Norwegian descent, this area now boasts some of the best restaurants and breweries in Seattle.
If you want to get off the tourist trail a little bit, this is the place where you will find locals enjoying a pint. And there are a lot of places in Ballard to enjoy a pint, hence the brewery tour.
The vast majority of the breweries in Ballard are within walking distance of one another, so you can take your pick and create a tour based on your favorite beer type (head to Great Notion for amazing sours and Cloudburst for some IPAs).
Visit the Fremont Troll
Not far from Ballard is Fremont, home to the Fremont Troll a large sculpture hidden under the Aurora Bridge. In 1989, there was a competition to rehabilitate the area under the bridge that had been a haven for drug dealers.
The winner created the Fremont Troll and it has since become a huge attraction and one of the most unique things to see in Seattle.
He’s also become quite the celebrity, having appeared in such movies as 10 Things I Hate About You, The Twilight Saga, and Sleepless in Seattle.
Check out the gum wall in Pike Place Market
If you are looking to check out something random, check out the gum wall in Pike Place Market. It’s kind of gross and kind of fascinating at the same time.
Located in Post Alley, the gum wall started in the 90’s when local patrons and performers at Unexpected Productions started to stick their gum to the wall. Since then it has gotten bigger and bigger and now covers a huge area, obscuring the brick along the alley.
Take a Hike in Discovery Park
The largest green space in Seattle is Discovery Park. With 534 acres, trails meander along the roads, the water, through fields and forest. Situated the former Fort Lawton site, there are areas within the park that still have the fort buildings. Did I mention it was free?
Maintained as semi-wild, Seattle’s parks department maintains this park as a place of quiet and tranquility to allow it’s residents a place to get away from the craziness of the city and reset in nature.
It’s dog friendly and on a good day you can get views of both the Cascade and Olympic Mountains across the Puget Sound. You may even spot some wildlife from Magnolia bluff.
Have a picnic at Gasworks Park
Gasworks Park is a cool park to watch the sun set with views of the city and the mountains and if you are there on New Year’s or the 4th of July, it’s a great spot to watch the fireworks.
Lots of locals can be seen lounging around the park having a picnic, walking their dogs, or just enjoying a rare clear day.
This park is 9.1 acres and was the former Seattle Gas Light Company gasification plant and in 2013 was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Take the bus to Woodinville for some wine tasting
If you want to taste Washington’s best wines, head to Woodinville. Located on the Northeast side of Lake Washington every other building is a wine tasting room.
Take a bike along the Burke-Gilman from the University District all the way to Woodinville or hope on the bus.
Go for brunch at the Rusty Pelican and then stroll down wine alley for some wine tasting. I highly recommend Tsillan.
Walk through the Washington Arboretum
The Washington Arboretum is another beautiful and free green space in Seattle. Managed by the University of Washington Botanic Gardens and the City of Seattle, the Arboretum has both paved and dirt trails.
This 230 acre green space has a variety of areas with unique plants grouped together like oaks, rhododendrons, hollies, etc.
Make sure to head into the Japanese Garden at the south end (there is a fee for this area but it’s totally worth it). You can even reserve a spot for a traditional tea ceremony.
Concluding Thoughts
Seattle is one of the coolest cities I have ever been too. I love that I get to live here. There is a ton of green space and unique locations to explore. You are going to need to visit on the regular just to check them all out.
