A Vacation in Seattle with Kids

I really needed a break. I really needed some sun and most of all, I wanted some time with the family, unplugged, away from it all. Things are a little too busy to fly anywhere but I truly believe that life is what you make of it. And you can definitely find the simple pleasures in life, even in your own backyard. Literally.

So we decided to find a hotel downtown, and the weather man promised some sun and we were ready to go enjoy what Seattle has to offer (note: I live in Queen Anne, a very quick sprint to downtown but there is nothing like walking out your door and stepping into Pike Place Market)

We packed our bags for two nights at the Four Seasons Hotel.

Here is where it all started. No worries, the pool is heated. And they have lots of towels and you get comfy robes so all that you need to do is get yourself in the water and you will never want to get out.

Wait, let me tell you about the hotel room. It was beautiful and had the most comfortable bed. I just wanted to lie down all the time. Luckily, they have movies for kids that you can borrow for free, and a few for the big kids too. We had lots of entertainment for the after pool wind down.

I am a bath kind of girl, let me sit in the bath all day with a book and I may never get out. Needles to say, lots of my day was spent relaxing in baths of bubbles.

If you are a parent, do not assume that relaxing means without the kids because those smiles and giggles in the pool, the little touches like the water with strawberry slices, the snacks in the lobby and the view of the water from the window will keep even the most rambunctious two year old happy. Everyone knows that a happy child means an ecstatic parent.

They had a little game with letters ready for our little boy to play with in our room.

We had dinner the first night at Art attached to the hotel. Chef Kerry Sear highlights Northwest Ingredients from the Pike Place Market with creative takes on flavor. The food was wonderful. Here are just some of the dishes that we had.

Note: They were very accommodating with our son’s nut allergy and with our son in general. They gave him a colorful kids plate, crayons and a picture to color as well as a kids meal with his favorites, sliders and fries.

This is the sunchoke bisque with goat cheese spring rolls and chive purée.

The flavors in this dish worked so well together. We discussed how we would recreate this dish at home.
Slow Poached Wild Salmon with olive oil, meyer lemon and fennel salad.

We loved the play on flavors, the incredible service and the whole experience.

The next day, we woke up and did some Pike Place research. First we read a book that we borrowed from the concierge. Salt & Pepper at the Pike Place Market.. I also brought a book called “Fruit”, by local author Sara Anderson. We learned about all the fruit for a fruit hunting game we later played in the market. Every time we spotted a piece of fruit from the book, we shouted ” I found it’.

Then we went to the Pike Place Market to look at the flying fish. If you live here, then you know all about this but there are no words to describe the joy on your little child’s face when fish are thrown mid-air in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the market.

We got a balloon airplane and continued to count all the “Tawberries” and then headed for lunch to Seattle Art Museum’s Taste restaurant because little E wanted to see the Seattle Art Museum statue that he had been admiring from our window. They have a great happy hour and make delicious comfort food with seasonal ingredients. This time we came for the kids menu with items priced at $5. They were great with his allergy too.
Our weekend went by, a lot of the time, I got to read in bed and little E spent most of the time, admiring downtown out the window.

It was a weekend of relaxation, bonding and enjoying just what Seattle has to offer.