Travel Tips

Ask the Locals City Guide: Seattle, Washington

Locations in this article:  Columbia, SC Los Angeles, CA Seattle, WA

Mount RainierPeter is broadcasting his radio show from western Washington’s wine country at Château Ste Michelle in Woodinville.

With all the great wine, food and outdoor adventures available in Seattle and surrounding areas, we wanted to find out the top spots from the local perspective.

Read on for local recommendations on restaurants, activities and much more that’s not in the brochure.

Shelli Gonshorowski, PGW Radio Producer and Washington native

Stock photo - BreakfastBlue Star Café and Pub in the Wallingford neighborhood is my absolute favorite place for breakfast. Scones, eggs Benedict, house fries, coffee … the list goes on. After gorging yourself, drive over the freeway and head into the University District and shop around or tour the University of Washington Campus—a beautiful place to be in the fall.

For high-end, seasonal cuisine, Palace Kitchen is Belltown is my favorite Seattle restaurant by far. Owned by Chef Tom Douglas (he owns five restaurants), each dining experience is remarkable—from the vast selection of red wine to the goat cheese and apple appetizer to the delicious entrees including salmon, crab and pasta. Every time I visit I’m impressed by the dimly lit ambiance and the incredible staff. www.tomdouglas.com

Find more off the brochure experiences and wine-country getaways in Off the Brochure Travel Guide: Seattle, Washington.

For the very best muffins/breads/pastries/cakes/cupcakes, just head to Macrina Bakery in Upper Queen Anne Hill. What they do to frosting is illegal, and the pastries are worth smuggling home on the plane. Fortunately, they sell a cookbook so you can make it all yourself at home. Be sure to sit down with a harvest muffin and a steaming cup of coffee. www.macrinabakery.com

Caffe Ladro SeattleForget Starbucks. A favorite Seattle coffeehouse chain is Caffé Ladro, located all over the city. This place has the best cup of espresso—a great roast with thick cap of crema—plus friendly and fast baristas who really know their craft, and dozens of yummy muffins www.caffeladro.com

Once you’re done eating and drinking, work it off with some kayaking on Lake Union. Kayaks are available to rent at Northwest Outdoor Center, and visitors get to experience Seattle from an unusual vantage point—take in views of local boaters, Gasworks Park and views of the city and mountains all around the lake. Rentals start out from $13 for an hour (single) to $90 for an all-day excursion on a triple kayak. www.nwoc.com

PaddleEasy to get to by car or bus (or even boat or kayak!), Fremont is a funky, artsy neighborhood that’s worth a visit. Visitors can watch the boats go from Lake Union to Elliot Bay under the famous Fremont Bridge; eat or drink your way to some amazing cafes, pubs and restaurants; or just put on your walking shoes and go for a trek on the Burke-Gilman Trail, which goes on for miles (don’t miss the giant, concrete Fremont Troll!).

Quench your thirst at the Red Door or one of several other dining establishments. And don’t forget the window shopping! Fremont boasts a collection of unique clothing/accessory shops.

Wine grapesWith more than 600 wineries in the state, Washington is actually the second-largest producer of wine in the country. Although Château Ste Michelle is perhaps the best-known winery in western Washington (as well as being the oldest winery in the state!) there are plenty of other stops that visitors can make along the way. In fact, Woodinville alone has more 30 wineries, including Columbia Winery, Matthews Estate and Woodhouse Family Cellars.

Check out www.washingtonwine.org for a complete list of Washington wineries.

Darcy Larson, teacher and Washington local

A great day trip would be a ferry ride from Anacortes to Friday Harbor (www.fridayharbor.com), one of the many San Juan islands. If you take a car, you have the option to drive out to the southern tip to Lime Kiln Point State Park and have a picnic in scenic and rustic surroundings (an outhouse is available, but there is no running water).

Seattle ferryThen drive back up the island and stop by Long Beach (www.funbeach.com) which has a gorgeous, half-mile rocky shore that’s ideal for skipping rocks and just hanging out.

Next, drive up to Cattle Point Lighthouse for a gorgeous photo opportunity and an easy, quarter-mile hike down to the lighthouse. If you visit between May and September, you might get really lucky and see orca whales swimming about.

Around here there is also an American Camp, the site of the infamous “Pig War,” a major American-British conflict in 1859 that began with the shooting of a pig that nearly sparked a war. There are historic re-enactments every Saturday during the summer. Then head back to town for some ice cream and call it a day.

For more local adventures and for a peek inside the Boeing factory, check out The Qatar Chronicles: From Rainy Seattle to the Desert City of Doha.

Meagan Bryson, Director of Career Services, Bellingham Technical College and Derek Bryson, Web Designer, Bellingham locals

Brewery exteriorBellingham is a scenic, waterfront town about an hour and a half north of Seattle. Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro could possibly be the most “Bellingham” you can get. It is a popular spot for all ages and tastes, especially for beer lovers. Boundary brews several popular local beers and always has a few interesting seasonal options on tap. (Instead of deciding on which to try, just order the sampler. Boundary has an outdoor eating area and lower beer garden where they have summer concerts, trivia nights, etc. www.bbaybrewery.com

Little Cheerful Café is the first breakfast spot we found in Bellingham and it’s still our favorite. Just one tip: get there early on weekends. After 10 a.m. there is quite the wait and it stays crowded until 2 p.m. Breakfast and lunch items are the highlight and include many local fresh and organic ingredients.

Skylarks Hidden Café and Wine Parlour is located in the heart of historic Fairhaven and has a large menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner—however we prefer to go there for drinks and desserts. The vodka-infused Bloody Mary is a highlight and it could easily be the best Bloody Mary in town. The dessert menu features delicious options including bread pudding, chocolate brownie a la mode, and a traditional, rather large portion of crème brulee. Delicious! www.skylarkshiddencafe.com

Another great local experience is the Coast Starlight, one of 5 American Train Trips You Can’t Miss.

This one is a must! Walk the Taylor Avenue Dock and Boardwalk along the waterfront in the late afternoon and watch the sun set.

Rowboat Bellingham offers some amazing sunsets and there’s no better way to catch them than over the water. On summer nights, the boardwalk bridge can be a popular spot by walkers, runners, bikers and even swimmers taking the plunge into the chilly water. And if you’re lucky, you may catch sight of a train chugging by.

Take a hike to Yellow Aster Butte. The views from Yellow Aster are nothing that can be explained in words. There are amazing views of both Mt. Baker and Shucksun in the distance and to the north are the jagged peaks of Canada. When you reach the top of the hike there is an array of small lakes to look down upon, or you can even hike down to them. Many hikers stay overnight but it can easily be accomplished as a day hike.

The experience begins with significant incline of switch-backs through trees and meadow areas and then transitions into hills and more trees. As you move toward the top the views of the nearby mountains only get better. Keep an eye out for a marmot or two grazing or cooling on the packs of snow.

By Shelli Gonshorowski for PeterGreenberg.com.

Get more from our Ask the Locals City Guides with our radio map:


View Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio in a larger map