Dining and soaring over Seattle
Several weeks back I had the opportunity to be a tourist in the city I call home, to celebrate my boyfriend Tristan's birthday. I wanted his early birthday weekend to be special since we were going to be out of town on his actual birthday. While the weather only cooperated with us one out of the two days, we made it work and had so much fun on this weekend full of birthday surprises and getting to know our Seattle backyard a little bit better!
Saturday started off with brunch at the Space Needle. I don't recommend snacking beforehand because SkyCity at the Needle makes sure you leave feeling full. Weekends are typically the busiest time to visit the Space Needle, so I highly recommend making a reservation using Open Table if you plan on dining while you are up there.
The staff was amazing and so great at keeping the surprises coming! We were greeted with a card from the SkyCity staff as well as a birthday balloon at our table (for a guy who isn't a big fan of celebrating his own birthday, you have to be a little embarrassing, right?)
The weekend brunch as I mentioned, is very filling -- they start you out with one starter, one main course and one dessert. However, in our case, we had an extra dessert on top of our individual desserts since I opted for the 'birthday' surprise which comes out on a whole dry ice display. After all, my guy only turns 26 once!
The best part about the SkyCity restaurant is how the entire restaurant floor rotates as you dine, allowing you to soak in 360-degree views of the city below you the entire duration of your meal. It was fun to spot where we work, the places we have gone together and where we live from way up high in the sky.
Feeling full and leaving with plenty of leftovers, it was time to make our way to the observatory deck. It was a bit windy and rainy so we didn't last long, but we still were able to soak in a little bit of a view through the overcast which made it worth the trip! I'm hoping the next time we come back to the observatory we'll be soaking in a sunset or a warmer day.
The next day ended up being a beautiful, autumn day and I was so thrilled for the final birthday surprise! Thanks to Kenmore Air, Tristan and I boarded a seaplane on Sunday afternoon to soak in sights of Seattle, Bellevue and Bainbridge Island. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous (I've always been a nervous flier) but I knew the views would be worth it. Not to mention, Tristan and I had talked about doing a seaplane ride for some time. It was the perfect surprise and date!
*Pro-tip for those that get motion sick: I highly recommend taking motion sick medicine before riding in the sea plane. Because the plane is smaller you feel more of the bumps and turns than you would in a larger plane, it can make your stomach feel a little off. I definitely recommend medicine as a precautionary measure.
You wear narrated headsets as you soar over the sights to learn more about what you are seeing. The Seattle Scenic Seaplane Tour only lasts 20 minutes but the landscape is so fulfilling in that period of time. The views were incredible on this clear day to soar over downtown Seattle, along the east side to Bellevue, over the stadiums and skyscrapers of downtown and past Bainbridge Island seeing the ferries come and go. I highly recommend it for anyone visiting Seattle and those that are locals!
It was a bliss-filled weekend spent celebrating my guy's special day and I am so happy we were able to spend the time together soaking in the sights and gaining more perspective of the place we call home.
