Wonderguide by
Allison Hermann
Follow My Adventure - Seattle, Oct 2021
Follow my recent adventure to Seattle 10/14-10/18! We used Southwest points to book our flights there, and we got a great deal through Alaska Airlines and paid for our trip home which included free shipping of a full case of wine which we purchased on our wine tour!
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Thursday October 14, 2021
We landed in Seattle and took a $3 per person trip on the Light Rail train from Sea/Tac Airport to Westlake, which was a 2-3 block walk away from our hotel.
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Allison:At $800 for a 4 night stay 1 block away from Pike Place Market and walking distance to the shoreline, this quirky hotel was an absolute steal! The staff was incredible and the vibe is every Wes Anderson film rolled into one.
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Allison: Vacation doesn't start until the first sip of alcohol touches our lips. We decided after a long travel day to make night #1 easy on us by walking down to this beautiful waterfront brewery no more than 5 minute walk from our hotel. 2 flights, 2 pints, a chicken sammie and fish and chips plate later, we headed home and crashed for an early start the next morning!
Total after tip: $135
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Friday October 15, 2021
We had only one plan for this entire day: Pike Place Market. We had back pocket options for the rest of the day but knew that we didn't want to feel rushed so that was our actual only plan.
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Allison:I had my worries about the market since I am super anti-tourist traps when I travel but I have to be honest and say that this market absolutely blew my mind. So much so that we went back almost daily! We both agreed that we would center our stay around being able to walk to the market every morning for coffee and breakfast whenever we come back to the city!
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Allison: We came for coffee at this location multiple times throughout this trip, even purchasing beans to bring back home with us! Located directly under the thrown fish market and right next to the gum wall, you have to stop by this haunted coffee shop. We recommend the Smog with lavender.
Total for two 12 oz "Smog" and one sticker plus tip: $16.91.
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Allison:Another stop we came back to multiple times! These tiny little donuts are literally what my dreams are made of. A dozen sprinkle with a latte and water will set you back about $18.
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Allison:If you follow me on any form of social media, you have seen me die over how much we love Piroshky Piroshky. Russian pastries that are both sweet and savory.
3 Piroshky (Hashbrown, potato and cheese, and beef and cheese) cost $23.01
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Allison:After spending about 3 hours exploring everything Pike Place Market had to offer, we decided to hit a few different neighborhoods to really experience Seattle. One of my favorite wine producers has a tasting room South of Seattle so we took an Uber. This place blew my mind! Located right next to a small airport we were watching these huge planes come in every few minutes while sampling a couple of wine flights. This man makes the best Syrah I have ever had and I cannot recommend the Syrah flight more!
Two flights, an order of olives and 3 glasses plus a big tip for the server who brought us multiple extra samples cost us: $141.43
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Allison:We had to make our way back north for a dinner reservation but had enough time for one more stop. We hopped in another Lyft and headed to the Sodo neighborhood for a tasting at Efeste's Sodo tasting room. We were the only ones there on a Friday afternoon (the masses came when we were leaving) so we got an amazing 1-on-1 experience with Daniel who poured our flights, gave us extra samples and talked Seattle and whiskey with us. I fell so in love with their wines that I signed up for my first ever wine club! I could not recommend this place or these wines more. Two flights and two glasses plus a huge tip for all of the extras we got cost us: $60.04
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Allison:Full Disclosure on this one:
Every single vacation that we take we pick ONE night to have ONE elaborate dinner with a nice bottle of wine and the works. It's our thing. This was that dinner for us. You by no means have to spend this much money here or anywhere else for dinner, we just got a bunch of small plates and two entrees plus an expensive bottle of Champagne to share. Our waitress was also what dreams are made of so we tipped very well. You could easily spend $100-$200 here total.
Rock Creek was in the Fremont neighborhood which is north of where we stayed. A super fun Lyft from the winery and a 4:45 reservation (don't judge us, it was 6:45 in St. Louis time? haha) got us seated immediately. We started with multiple small plates, tapas style. Because we had been drinking the past couple of hours we were both famished so we got fish entrees as well and shared two sides. Total for a culinary adventure with champagne + tip: $440
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Saturday October 16, 2021
Our wine tour! We signed up w/ Bon Vivant Wine Tours to have them pick us up at our hotel in the shuttle, then take us northeast to the Woodinville wine district for 4 wineries. All of the transportation was taken care of through them and water was provided all day!
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Allison:A month before our trip I booked us a day tour with this company. They picked us up at our hotel around 10:10AM, picked a few other groups up at their hotel and we were off! They made sure we had bottled water all day, they handled all of the wine that anyone purchased all day and it was a really great experience! Not having to figure out transportation and routes and finding a table during a busy Saturday was absolutely worth it! I recommend and would take again in a heartbeat!
2 Day tours cost us $200
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Allison:The first stop on our wine tour was this historical winery! It was a beautiful property and I enjoyed having visited, but the primary tasting room was closed and we instead tasted at cousin winery located on property called Enoteca. I would probably skip this tasting ( Enoteca) because there were a lot of wines you can get anywhere and the price was really outrageous.
Two tastings only: $80
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Allison:This small winery made some absolutely incredible single-variety wines! I love that they never make blends and it was really exciting to watch them during harvest. 2 tastings of 6 wines cost: $32
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Allison:Third stop on our winery tour and it was one of the best! Same company as the winery we visited on 10/15 but this was their primary location. We had lunch and a tasting and different members of the family of owners stopped by to talk to us. It was just incredible. A beautiful spot that I would recommend to absolutely anybody!
2 tastings (waived because we joined the wine club), a charcuterie board and pizza + tip: $60
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Allison:Not taking away from Efeste because I love them, but since I went to their tasting room prior to this I have to say that Patterson was the highlight of our tour! Incredible tastings for $7 a piece (what a steal) or flights offered at $17 each. The staff were incredible and asked us to the back to take an impromptu tour of their facilities and to meet the winemaker (who was amazing, btw). I sincerely think they saved the best for last here!
2 tastings: $14
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Sunday October 17, 2021
The night prior we could have hit another spot for dinner or something fun but real talk, we got back to the hotel and Hocus Pocus was on so we got in our sweats and called it an early night. Sunday our only plan was to meet a friend for Brunch at 10:30 and then we were just going to do one of the multiple activities we had on our "back pocket" list!
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Allison:We had brunch plans with a friend at a restaurant in a neighborhood called Ballard on Sunday morning. Instead of hanging around we decided to head to the neighborhood early to just walk around and experience it. I am so beyond happy we did because the Ballard Farmer's Market was one of the best experiences of our entire trip! The overcast weather paired with the fall leaves made it feel like a little PNW Salem, MA. If I could afford it I'd be moving there as we speak! We just perused here so we spent $0
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Allison:Lining the streets of Ballard are little covered "patios" where street parking used to be. I'd have to imagine that these were a direct result from Covid, but I sincerely hope they never get rid of them! We were lucky enough to be seated in one of these little patio alcoves and it was the best. Also the best was our server, the cocktails and wine AND the food. For 3 entrees, an app, a wine flight, 3 cocktails and two bourbons plus tip we paid: $240
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Allison:The Ferry to Bainbridge Island was on our "if we get around to it list" and I am so fucking happy that we got around to it! For $9 a person you get a roundtrip ticket from Seattle across the sound to Bainbridge Island. The views are worth it enough, but in non-Covid times there is a bar and coffee shop. Even without those things we had the best time just being on the water and taking in the skyline from a new perspective. Pro tip: If you go on a Sunday, go early! Everything closes around 5:00 pm!
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Allison:Bainbridge Island is essentially two main walkable streets if you walk onto the ferry and don't have a car. We only made it to one of the streets before we had to catch the ferry back to Seattle, but even just on that one street we rolled up on three different wineries! We only had time to hit two, Eleven Winery being the first. This place was a fucking dream! We had two tastings but made friends with the tasting room attendant and he gave us a couple extras based on our palates. Two flights and two glasses, plus a great tip for the freebies cost us: $80
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Allison:Our second stop on Bainbridge Island we found by chance while getting a midday espresso and pumpkin muffin. Tucked in the back of a shopping area, Eagle Harbor Winery is a tiny hole in the wall. What we thought was going to be a quick pop in until we started sharing ghost stories with the server and three other people passing by joined us. It instead turned into one of those travel moments where you meet people and are suddenly sharing stories and laughing and end up having such an incredible time that you share social medias and talk the solo traveler into telling that life long friend that she loves him. It was a wild ride. Two tastings for: $40
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Allison:Finally to cap off our day we walked from the Ferry to Ivar's where we FINALLY got clam chowder (to die for, bro) and shared a couple of appetizers before calling it a night. 2 bowls of Chowder, 3 shareable plates, and a waterside view cost: $112
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"Back Pocket" options
Back pocket options are things that I research (location, hours of operation and price) and keep "in my back pocket" incase we have extra time come available or aren't in the mood to do what's planned. It just saves us time trying to figure out what's around and having to do all of the research during our trip!
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Allison:Admission for an adult is $35
Hours (As of 10/23/21) are Tuesday & Wednesday 10-8
and Thursday - Monday 10-8:30. Hours change around holidays.
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Allison:During our stay they were offering tasting menus on their balcony in "igloos" and if there is one thing I desperately love, it's a pre fixe meal and a rooftop bar. Seriously, I scope out rooftop bars every single city we go to. It's a sickness. Anyway, they have non-pre fixe as well. The tasting menu while we were there was $55 per person which I think is an absolute steal!
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Allison:FACT: Seattle is Asian food heaven. Additional fact: We had so much seafood that myself and my Asian-food-obsessed husband did not go to a single Asian restaurant! That is okay, however, because this was far from our last trip to Seattle.
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Allison:One of my biggest regrets and the first thing that will be on my list the next time we head back to Seattle. They had me at "dumpling house".
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My Recommendations
Wonderguide map
- Palihotel Seattle
- Old Stove Brewing
- Pike Place Market
- Ghost Alley Espresso
- Daily Dozen
- Piroshky Piroshky
- House of Smith Jet City Winery
- EFESTE-Sodo
- RockCreek Seafood & Spirits
- Bon Vivant Tours LLC
- Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery
- Martedi Winery
- EFESTĒ
- Patterson Cellars Tasting Room Warehouse District
- Ballard Sunday Farmers Market
- Stoneburner
- Bainbridge Ferry Terminal
- Eleven Winery
- Eagle Harbor Winery
- Ivar's Acres of Clams
- Space Needle
- Maximilien Restaurant
- The Nest Rooftop Bar
- Bangrak Market
- Dough Zone™ Dumpling House
- Amazon Go
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