My Morning Downtown Walk
Woke up early, grabbed a cheap coffee from my kitchen, and hopped on the bus heading downtown. My first stop? Pike Place Market, obviously. Got there before the super crazy crowds showed up. Just wandered, you know? Smelled the fish, saw the flowers, watched them throw fish – classic stuff. Didn’t buy nothing, just soaked it in. Then got grossed out looking at the Gum Wall – seriously, why do people do that?
Needed to stretch my legs more, so I just started walking towards the waterfront. Saw the giant Ferris wheel turning, but nah, wasn’t paying for that. Instead, took the pedestrian overpass down. The views of the water and the islands way out west were amazing, all for free. Watched a ferry chug out.
Waterfront & Sculptures
Walked north along the waterfront path, past the noisy piers. Saw a big cruise ship parked like a floating building. Hungry? Me too. Almost caved buying some fried seafood smellin’ good, but stuck to my plan. Packed a sandwich from home! Ate it on a bench watching boats. Easy.
My feet were kinda tired by then, so jumped on another bus heading towards Belltown. Target: The Olympic Sculpture Park. This place rules. Just wandered around weird metal things twisted in crazy shapes right next to the water. Felt artsy without paying a dime. Sat on the steps looking back towards the city skyline and Mt. Rainier playing peek-a-boo. Pure Seattle.
Ballard Locks Afternoon
Headed west this time, another bus ride up to Ballard. Wanted to see the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. This spot is cool. Walked across the top of the lock gates watching boats go up and down, like little boats in a bathtub with the plug pulled. Saw the salmon ladder too – couldn’t actually see fish jumping today, but the underwater windows showed them swimming. Bonus? Tons of green space just to chill.
Wrapping Up Without Spending
By late afternoon, I was bus-lagged. Final bus back to my neighbourhood. Took a detour past the Fremont Troll under the bridge – such a weird, fun landmark. No money needed here either, just a decent phone to take a selfie with the giant concrete troll.
Honestly? I planned almost nothing. Made some bad choices too – wore shoes that weren’t great for all that walking, forgot my water bottle once! But Seattle surprised me. You can actually see tons just by moving around, looking up, and watching the city buzz. Sure, stuff costs money inside places, but the city itself? Pretty generous with the views and vibe.
Key things I figured out:
- Get an ORCA card for the bus; saves hassle and cash.
- Wear decent walking shoes. Seriously.
- Pack snacks and water. Tourist spots charge a fortune.
- Don’t rush. Half the fun is watching the weird little city moments happen.
- Sites like Gas Works Park (cool old factory ruins), Volunteer Park Conservatory (free on first Thursdays!) are great backups if you get stuck.
The Space Needle’s nice and all, but my wallet stayed shut all day and I saw the real Seattle breathing. Maybe spend that cash on some killer chowder tomorrow instead. Whoops, thought about spending again!
