I fell in love with Seattle rather quickly. In my humble opinion, the art, culture, and quirkiness of Seattle is something that makes it one of the most vibrant and unique cities in America. We happened to be there during Pride Fest, which ignited the streets with color, music, and happy faces. I have a deep respect for this funky city and its ability to promote individuality, creativity, and acceptance. I feel that this understanding bonds people within a community; it reinforces its ability to thrive – and the evidence of that can be seen in Seattle.

We walked downtown during the festival and visited Chihuly Garden and Glass. It’s an exhibit not to be missed! He has created glass sculptures in glass factories around the world, including Finland, Ireland, and Mexico, and has displayed installations and exhibits in the canals and piazzas in Venice. Luckily, this exhibit has a permanent home in Seattle. We also walked past the famous Space Needle, and saw art installations on the street.

We visited Coastal Kitchen – a very cheeky, charming, and seafood-centric spot on Capitol Hill. The food that is prepared originate from a variety of coastal regions and one location is featured each week. Their feature location this week: Casablanca. Off of their late night menu, my husband relished in the fresh shucked oysters and the “Fries with Eyes,” which were fried sardines (for the adventurous diner). I dined on the Dungeness crab cake and calamari which were both seasoned perfectly, well-balanced in acidity, and vibrant in flavor.

Unfortunately, we missed a visit to the Pike Place Fish Market, but it certainly won’t be our last trip to Seattle. Happy reading!