Visiting Seattle has been a childhood dream, but visiting this gorgeous city didn’t become a reality until 22 years into my life. The first thing that comes into our minds when we think about Seattle is the tech boom with Microsoft and Amazon headquartered in the area. The city is also famous for some amazing music exponents including the legend Jimi Hendrix himself.

Before you set out to do sightseeing, buy a CityPass, which will help you save a TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY!!!!! (Applicable for most major cities in North America)

Seattle is a pretty rainy city, so before you come, do come equipped with a rain jacket and/or an umbrella if necessary.

Not too many F&B recommendations in this because I thought it was easier to cook through my travels, but I have included some of the iconic selections for those who can’t cook.

How to spend your time like a Brokeling in Seattle?

The Space Needle

Entry Price: $26 (included in the CityPass)

The first entry on this list is one of the most recognizable structure of Seattle’s skyline- The Space Needle. Check this out for some fantastic views of Seattle’s skyline and the fact that you can brag about visiting an iconic monument. The Space Needle has a rich history, so do read up and take your time absorbing everything. My view was pretty obscured because of wildfires from British Columbia, so do check your weather report before visiting (sounds necessary to do so, but trust me on this one). At the base of the Needle is a gift shop where you can get Needle specific merchandise at reasonable prices. The clearance section also helps cut back on your spend. (clearance sections always do, no shame about that homie!)

Pike Place Market

Entry Price: Free, that’s why we love markets everywhere!

Your visit to Seattle isn’t complete without a visit to the market, where you get some of the freshest produce and products made by the locals. You also have some great food and beverage options suitable to all palettes.

Personal favorites?

Beecher’s Mac and Cheese is the best mac and cheese I’ve ever eaten! Do try out Ellenos’ Greek Yogurt and carry away some amazing creations from Chukar Cherries made with special Rainier Cherries. Some great selections of fresh Apple Cider are also a really good beverage option.

If you’re a major Starbucks aficionado (as yours truly) you can’t miss the first ever Starbucks located right here. There’s always a massive line so think twice about when you arrive and what you plan to order.

And while you’re at the Pike Place Market, in a small alleyway called the Postal Alley, is the iconic Seattle gum wall, plastered on all sides with chewing gum from people across the globe. The whole place reeks of a very minty smell (clearly shows the global mint flavor preference) so make your contribution and immortalize your moment!

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bee6uZ2Bq4i/?taken-by=adigollakota

Entry Price: $24 (Included in CityPass)

It’s a mystical land that shows the creative genius of Dale Chihuly and the art of glassblowing. You cannot miss this! Try and slot out a minimum of 2 hours to absorb everything this place has to offer. Photography is very much encouraged here as you’ll still be in awe after getting out.

Inside the Chihuly Garden and Glass View of the Space Needle from Chihuly Garden and Glass

The Seattle Aquarium

Entry Price: $28 (Included in CityPass)

Loaded with some amazing exhibits, the Seattle Aquarium is one of the best places in the city to get your dose of knowledge. Look around, observe and ask questions. (Look closely and you’ll definitely find Nemo and Dory) And do contribute towards wildlife preservation. (Not only by donating money, but trying to be a vegetarian/ vegan? No? Alright, donate a reasonable amount at least!)

The Seattle Public Library

Entry Price: Free, FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

The best place to relax after a tiring day has got to be the Seattle Library. Head downtown and pick up a book and start reading while you give yourself some much needed rest! The building itself looks intriguing.

The Boeing Factory (Mukilteo, WA about 30 mins away from Downtown Seattle)

Entry Price: $25

For engineers who really appreciate the value of engineering and aviation enthusiasts, this place is a must-see! It has the record of being the ‘Largest Building in the World By Volume’. Being able to watch your favourite commercial jets during production is definitely a really cool sight. You get to view the various stages of building a jet including the 777, 747 and 787. The level of detail and care each aircraft gets is definitely important because hey! we all fly international on these. There’s also a huge Boeing store where you can get some amazing merch. At the Future of Flight museum you can check out the technical specifications of various airplanes and engines. Also, as an added bonus, I was able to see 2 Dream Lifters right next to each other (there are only 4 in the world which bring in components for the 787 DreamLiner – check out our Instagram) Photos of the aircraft assembly floor are not allowed for security reasons (you have to deposit your phone and belongings in a safe at the entry desk)

https://www.instagram.com/p/Be0YbyXhFIC/?taken-by=adigollakota

Museum of Pop Culture a.k.a MoPop

Entry Price: $28 (included in CityPass)

This is the place to be if you love movies, music and everything popular culture. The expansive exhibits on Star Trek and Jimi Hendrix are the highlights of this place. The building itself is very quirky and designed by the legendary architect Frank Gehry and built by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

The original T-800 from Terminator 2: Judgement Day The iconic jacket worn by Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2: Judgement Day

This is one of the most beautiful lakes you can see with a large number of rowers and kayakers enjoying themselves in the water while seaplanes take off and land in the water. The floating homes located on this lake also happen to be the setting for the movie ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ (I’m a huge fan of Tom Hanks) which is the main reason my journey took me here. Spend some time at Gasworks Park and soak in the sights.

The city skyline from Lake Union Gasworks Park at Lake Union

Entry Fee: $32.50 (included in the CityPass)

The Argosy harbor cruise through Elliott Bay is an exquisite experience, being able to hear all about the history of the city while on a leisurely cruise sipping on a cold one (sold separately, of course! Don’t push your luck!). You get some amazing views of the skyline and get to hear some great facts and stories from locals and the tour guides. The tour guides are so well versed with their subject and happy to answer any and all questions on tourism, don’t forget to tip them!

A sports experience – CenturyLink Field

The Seattle Sounders FC vs Sporting KC

https://www.instagram.com/p/Be2o5KSBq8t/?taken-by=adigollakota

Seattle has one of the most loyal fan bases for its sports teams, the biggest ones being the Seattle Seahawks (NFL), the Sounders (MLS) and the Storm (WNBA). Watching and chanting anthems with this crowd is an amazing experience in itself especially for my first futbol/soccer game. My company gave me the opportunity to go down to the pitch and experience the vibe. Oh man, was that awesome!

This is a small park but draws massive crowds because it is located in the hilly neighborhood of Queen Anne and offers an amazing silhouette of the city skyline with the Space Needle in the middle. Don’t miss!!

My first solo travel experience was quite fulfilling and I definitely recommend some alone time to everyone. I hope you get to see more places than me in the same time and budget constraints.

This post, just a beginning to a longer story has been written by a friend of ours, Adi Gollakota who is a tech geek, working for Deloitte Digital and is a sucker for all things sweet.

I’m pretty anti-social, but seeing the experiences that my broke friends shared using this platform, it challenged me to get out of my comfort zone and experience solo travel with all its vulnerabilities and difficulties, so here comes my story. I’d now like to think that I’m a touristy person gradually evolving into the Brokeling way of life.

All photos clicked on an iPhone SE, copyright of #AdiWithoutTheUPhotography (followers of a certain travel photographer may get the reference :P)

Follow @Brokelings for the continuation of my journey through the Pacific Northwest.

Check out our other posts traveling through Europe and across.