48 HOLIDAY HOURS IN EMERALD CITY
Mom and daughter reconnect during Seattle trip
A weekend away from the daily routine can reconnect aspects of a relationship you think might be forever outgrown. My daughter, 16-going-on-25, and I embarked on a rebonding roadtrip heavy on retail therapy to downtown Seattle. It was American Thanksgiving weekend and the Emerald City was already decked out with seasonal festivities, decorations and sales.
FRIDAY 5 P.M.: CHECK IN
Checked into Embassy Suites Seattle Downtown Pioneer Square, greeted by a front desk staff who seemed more excited about our arrival than we did. So helpful during our entire stay (and I’m not just saying that because they upgraded us to the Presidential Penthouse).
You can’t get a better base of operations in downtown Seattle, with all the ballparks in easywalking distance, and Pike Place Market, the shopping district and Seattle Art Museum less than two kilometres away.
And if you do need to go a little further afield (Space Needle, Museum of Pop Culture) there’s a light rail transit station beside the hotel.
Better still breakfast is free, and not just some pastries and coffee but hot fare, and there’s a Manager’s Reception every day from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. featuring complimentary wine, beer, cocktails and snacks.
7 P.M.: FRENCH CUISINE
A nice 20-minute walk takes us to RN74 (named after Route National 74, the major road that passes through the Burgundy region) for some amazing French cuisine. The original RN74 closed up shop last year in San Francisco, but its Seattle namesake has kept alive its simple-yet-delicious menu items and its iconic ‘rolling ’ wine board featuring ‘last bottle’ deals on fine French Burgundys and wines from Washington and Oregon boutique vineyards.
We spent over two hours there and after a couple of decadently French desserts, we both welcomed the walk back to our hotel.
SATURDAY 8:45 A.M.: PIKE PLACE MARKET
With a morning food tour on the agenda, we reluctantly skipped our hotel breakfast.
The two-hour VIP Savour Seattle Tour is a ‘first tracks’ sort of affair, with early morning access to Pike Place Market and some one-on-one time with merchants before they open their shops to the public.
It’s a bit of a whirlwind with 16-plus tastings; everything from maple-bacon doughnuts to hot-smoked salmon to Turkish flatbreads to double chocolate brownies.
2 P.M.: CATCHING THE NUTCRACKER
We caught an Uber ride from the hotel to Marion Oliver McCaw Hall for the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker.
A perennial bestseller for the world-class company, Tchaikovsky’s score is beautifully interpreted by the choreography of George Balanchine.
Difficult to get a teenage girl to put down her phone for two hours, but this spellbinding production managed just that.
6 P.M.: ENCHANT CHRISTMAS
We had planned to eat at Le Messe, a highly recommended pasta and seafood place in the Eastlake district, but we were still fuelled from that food tour.
So it was over to Safeco Field for Enchant Christmas, billed as the world’s largest Christmas light maze. The holiday theme was underscored by a bustling Christmas market, complete with Santa and reindeer; the light show covering the field of Safeco can be seen from space; and we had to ask for directions twice to find our way out of the maze.
My daughter was a little too old to help Santa find his nine missing reindeer in time to save Christmas, but we did have fun watching all the little kids swept up in the spirit of the hunt.
8 P.M.: 13 COINS
All that maze running — OK walking — finally restored our appetites, so we settled into the hotel-adjacent restaurant 13 Coins.
A Seattle institution since 1967, famed for its high-backed booths and swivelling captain’s chair at the bar, its 24-hour menu serves up breakfast all day and night, though the Chicken Picatta and Calamari Steak are showstoppers.
SUNDAY 9 A.M.: BRUNCH
Sunday morning means brunch, and though the choices are numerous, we settled into Scout PNW in the base of the Thompson Seattle hotel.
We reluctantly passed on the avocado toast and instead chose some delectable apple pancakes and granola clusters. We did seriously debate the fried chicken sandwich but erred on the side of caution.
10 A.M.: RETAIL THERAPY
We hit the streets and stores. There’s stocking stuffers for the dog at Mud Bay in Belltown, stops at the Patagonia and North Face boutique stores for the coming ski season and then some serious quality time at Macy’s and Nordstrom’s flagship store.
1:45 P.M.: UNDERDRESSED
We found ourselves in the very-civilized setting of Holiday Tea & Pastries in The Georgian Room at the grand Fairmont Olympic.
Tables of multi-generational, and impeccably well-dressed families made us feel a little underdressed, but we enjoyed the crust-less sandwiches and exquisite pastries.
3 P.M.: LAST STOP
Before we hit the border, we pulled into Seattle Premium Outlets off I-5 near the Tulalip Casino.
Despite being a couple days after Black Friday, the deals came thick and fast and it’s all we could do to pull ourselves away as the sun sets and the highway home beckoned.