5:45pm, Cincinnati OH:
Alex: “Oh man, we’re outta gas.”
Me: “No way, we have to keep going or we won’t make it in time”
Sam: “I gotta use the restroom, too”
Hannah: “We’re going to have to stop”
6:08pm, Northern Kentucky Airport:
There’s probably no way we should’ve made that plane. It was to begin boarding at 6:28pm, and we still had to park, potentially check a bag, get through TSA, & run to our gate.
After stopping for gas & waiting through the heavy Cinci traffic, we had 20 minutes to catch our flight. Thankfully we skipped through a short line for TSA, and somehow, someway, made it to our gate at exactly 6:28PM. *phew* If one thing went wrong, we surely would not be here in Seattle right now. That was WAY too close.
…And here’s where our adventure begins!
Day 1 was all about exploring the city. Did you know people in Seattle consume more coffee than any other American city? Per every 100,000 residents there are 35 coffee shops…so you can imagine how difficult it was to choose the best brewed.
We started off at Storyville Coffee Co. It was your classic Metro-hipster, modern vibes café on the 3rd floor of the city.
From there we hit one of Seattle’s most unique staples: Pike’s Market Place. This. Place. Was. Awesome. It was the most amazing farmer’s market I’d ever been to!
Fresh fish, Beautiful floral bouquets, uniquely hand-picked fruits, and so much more. We had our fill of delicious samples–the true Seattle experience.
Hannah and I pointed out our favorite flowers, and also pointed out all the “REAL” men carrying bouquets in passing–hoping that maybe Sam & Alex would also want to be uh–*cough, cough* “REAL” men… (only kidding:))
From here, we passed by several street musicians playing unique houseware items of all kinds: mops, brooms, pipes, you name it.
And we landed at a recommended Seattle classic for breakfast: Biscuit B*tch. It was pretty hilarious. As soon as we walked in, we were greeted with a “Sup b*tches”, and then prompted with a “what can I get for you, b*tch.”
I got the b*tchwich, Alex got the spicy b*tch, Sam got the straight up b*tch, and Hannah got the Hot mess B*tch.
Now, from the name of this place, you wouldn’t believe the taste. These breakfast biscuits were actually SO good. Some fine b*tch sandwiches, for sure.
Anyways, moving on. We rode the monorail to the other side of town where we saw the space needle, visited the gum wall, visited the first Starbucks, and played on the coolest playground there ever was. Well, I should say–Sam & I climbed it and rode down the slide with the other 7 & 8-year olds, while Alex & Hannah stayed back like mature adults.
And did I mention the incredible weather? Man, it was perfect. 60 degrees and sunny all day, with leaves changing all colors of warmth–red, orange & yellow.
We had the best time just walking around and exploring the town. The rest of the evening we spent exploring the University of Washington (like the young, hip collegiate kids we are). & ended up eating dinner in University District at Just Burgers.
By the end of the day we were exhausted. We spent the night preparing for our great upcoming adventure, packing our backpacking bags, stocking up on the essentials (handwarmers, instant ramen, oatmeal, hot chocolate, granola bars, bear mace spray).
Then we slept early to gear up for our big day. The following morning, we would be off to backpack the Cascade Pass & Sahale Arm.
Thanks Seattle for a breathtaking skyline and an eventful city-scene. More to come in the mountains 🙂
Best,
Kaylen + friends
kaylentravels.wordpress.com 