We were supposed to go to Seattle this weekend but it seemed the weather was going to be terrible so we cancelled. The falling Canadian dollar sort of helped that decision along, but in the end, it was wise to cancel because the weather was indeed dreadful. I stayed in bed working on this post with my memories of the last time I was in Seattle and came up with a stay/eat/shop/see/do list for the perfect weekend in Seattle.

Going by train is still my favourite way to get to Seattle from Vancouver. The relaxing scenic four-hour ride (with coastal views) beats the long border waits, plus going through customs is less painful and we save on parking fees by not driving.

The early morning train deposits us onto the beautiful King Street Station by late-morning and the rest of Seattle is ours to explore for the weekend.

On our last trip, we walked a few minutes from the station for a late breakfast at the London Plane, and then explored Pioneer Square before checking into our hotel in Belltown. Olympic Sculpture Park is a short walk away so we spent an hour or so stretching our legs from hours of sitting, by wandering the park.

We took off to Capitol Hill for some more explorations – I love the Elliot Bay Bookstore and can lose hours in there. Totokaleo is great for discovering superbly curated clothing and accessories; I joke to friends that most of what I want to own is in this store, but I’m half serious. Oddfellows Cafe next door is a favourite for a quick lunch or coffee break.

Our evenings are usually quite affairs that include dinner with friends – we tried Mamnoon on our last trip and loved the food, it’s a must-try if you’re into Middle Eastern food, and then we had a fun movie night out.

The next morning after a quick breakfast of waffles and coffee on our quirky hotel room patio, we found ourselves back at the London Plane for brunch, and since we were in the area we picked up some beautiful ceramics from Laguna Pottery.

We walked through Pike Street Market afterwards, gathering up delicious picnic supplies and spent the rest of the afternoon picnicking at Alki Beach, where we strolled the beach and took in the incredible views of the Seattle skyline.

After we’d had our fill of frolicking at the beach, it was back to the station for our night train back home.

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