I will be spending 5 days in Washington state in July. It will be my first time there. I'm looking for good restaurants in the Seattle area and outdoor activities like national parks. Also would like some winery recommendations. I plan on driving to Portland as well. Thanks!
I can't help you with the hiking, but I have some great restaurants/bars to recommend. My best friend lives on Capitol Hill Neighborhood, so that is where I reign when visiting. For breakfast or brunch, go to Skillet Diner - Capitol Hill and order something with the bacon jam. For lunch, stop by Po Dog. It's owned and operated by another friend. If you can dream it, she has put it on a hot dog. For dinner go to either Grim's Provisions & Spirits or Quinn's Pub. Grim's is great for flat bread pizzas or salads and the best tuna casserole I've ever had (weird, I know). They are also open until midnight for late night munchies. As for Quinn's, think rich and meat heavy with a vast whiskey collection. Also, if you get a chance to head up to Ballard Neighborhood, try Percy's & Co.. Another friend started this venture, with two other people, using apocathary inspired cocktails and southern creole food. Try the most unusual concoction that is guaranteed to make your tongue dance. Good luck and happy eating!
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Serious Pie is definitely my favorite place in Seattle for pizza. My all-time favorite restaurant is Ray's Boathouse. They have a casual cafe upstairs (awesome to sit outside close to sunset) or formal dining downstairs. Seattle has some of the best seafood restaurants around as well as great Asian restaurants (especially Thai, sushi and Vietnamese.) For hiking, Olympic National Park, North Cascades National Park and Mount Rainier National Park are all a day trip and beautiful. If you have time, spending a night at Paradise Inn at Mt Rainier is a fantastic way to see the park, great hikes from there. Granite Mountain is my favorite day-hike out of Seattle, it takes 4-7 hours for most people. A quicker hike with nice views of the city is Tiger Mountain State Forest. Have fun!
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Try the Wild Ginger restaurant. Think Pacific Rim cuisine. For the quality and creativity of food, wine list and service, I think it is the best dining experience in Seattle and that includes Canlis.
Easy Pass is one of my favorite hikes! It's definitely not easy but the views are beautiful. A cool restaurant to try is Tipsy Cow Burger Bar, one of the best burgers i've ever had.
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Easy Pass is a wonderful hike. Wilridge Winery, Lost River Winery LLC, and Almquist Family Vintners are all great spots.
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Valerie
AshleyEric
