In the Pacific Northwest lies Washington’s gem Seattle.

A seaport city surrounded by Lake Washington in the East and Puget sound in the West, making it an ideal location if you enjoy water sports and sight seeing cruise based activities.

With a thriving food and drink scene, quirky neighbourhoods and a coastal setting, Seattle has become one of the more popular destinations in the US.

It’s the most populous city in Washington state and the Pacific Northwest region of North America.

Seattle was also the home of Bruce Lee, who moved there in 1959 and enrolled in the University of Washington in 1961. He was known for his martial arts prowess, and popularised martial arts films. He’s even credited for paving the way for MMA.

Pike Place Market

For more than a century, Pike Place Market has been the heart and soul of Seattle.

It continues to be one of the oldest operating public markets in the US with hundreds of farmers, crafters and small businesses calling it home.

You can even visit the first ever Starbucks opposite the market.

From the outside it might seem like a modest place if you’re not from Seattle. Walk inside and you’ll be forgiven for losing your bearings.

One sight you won’t forget in a hurry is the fish mongers launching fish at one another at a distance in front of a watching crowd. It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s entertaining seeing their enthusiasm.

I guess that’s one way to drum up interest and a crowd.

Schilling Cider House

It turned out I was in Seattle during a cider festival. I didn’t know such a thing existed.

I found Schilling Cider House by complete accident. I didn’t know craft cider houses even existed. As a cider drinker this is a dream.

Located in Freemont, Schilling Cider House is a pillar of the cider scene in Seattle.

It hosts the largest craft cider selection and is Seattle’s only 100% craft cider tap house.

You can choose from 35 draft ciders. If you’re undecided you can choose to have five tasting glasses if you fancy a variation.

Spoiler alert, I made the most of the tasting glasses. I even asked the bar staff to pick five random flavours as a surprise which they kindly did.

They do small bites but you’re welcome to go and bring food from one of the local businesses nearby. Though I went to Lucky Pho for a bahn mi beef sandwich to soak up all the cider I sampled.

Gas Works Park

Gas Works Park is a 19 acre park located on the north shore of Lake Union.

It sits on a former site of a coal gasification plant which operated from 1906 – 1956.

After the plant closed, the city of Seattle bought the land and cleaned it up before opening to the public in the 1970s.

You’ll find parts of the abandoned plant in the park today, and other parts have been painted. It’s interesting to walk around the old plant and see it up close.

Gas Works Park is a good spot to see the Seattle skyline. It’s good for a sunset which we sadly didn’t get to see due to the smoke in the sky from the forest fires from further north of the city.

Ballard Farmers Market

Ballard Farmer’s Market is Seattle’s first year round neighbourhood farmers market selling produce exclusively from farmers based in Washington State.

In 2016 the market expanded onto 22nd Avenue, having previously operated on the cobblestone street of Ballard Avenue NW between Vernon place and 22nd Avenue.

It feels more spacious compared to Pike Place Market as it’s outdoor. Unlike Pike Place which operates daily, Ballard Farmers Market only operates on Sundays between 9am – 2pm.

There’s plenty to do in Seattle that I didn’t get around to such as the Space Needle observation tower. It was originally built in 1962 for the world’s fair which attracted over 2 million visitors.

I don’t know why I didn’t go. Maybe I got caught up in exploring Seattle. I remember being told the Space Needle wasn’t worth a visit but I usually like to see for myself if I have the time.

It’s one of the most photographed structures in the world and ironically I didn’t take any photos and I usually snap lots of pics. I’m pretty sure I forgot to but if you look closely you can see it in the photos I took at Gas Works Park.

There’s always a next time.

Head to China Town and you can eat at Bruce Lee’s favourite restaurant, Tai Tung, Seattle’s oldest Chinese restaurant having first opened its doors in 1935.

For nearly 90 years, Tai Tung has been owned by the same family.

You can ask for his favourite meal which was beef and rice in oyster sauce (spoiler alert, it tastes good). You can even sit at the same table Bruce Lee would always sit at.

I’ve heard so much about how good and underrated Seattle was but this description did the place an injustice.

What’s not to love about Seattle? Food scene, check, night life, check, coast line, check, and a lot more to mention.

I wish I stayed longer to explore more but as always it gives us an excuse to go back. Seattle is one of the best places in the US I’ve visited, and it’s around three hours from Vancouver if you fancy a trip over the border.

Before signing off, I want to say a thank you to my friend Taylor who lives in Seattle. We kept in touch here and there from the first time we met in San Francisco in 2016.

We had a long overdue catch up, and were joined by his friends John and Georges. Appreciate meeting you both, thank you for a wonderful evening.

When you meet people who live abroad, you never know when you’re going to get a chance to meet again. We got to meet several times over the few days I was in Seattle so we made the most of it.