How We’d Spend 48 hours in Seattle

If we had just 48 hours to spend in Seattle, we would most definitely start close to home. Spire is located at the junction of three dynamic downtown neighborhoods with easy access to all the action, yet it’s the perfect place to hang your hat and unwind at the end of any day. Let’s dive into some of our favorite nearby Seattle spots “not-to-be-missed” and tips on how to best enjoy your time here.

Pike Place Market, ~0.9 miles from Spire, is a wonderful place to wander around to start the day, but there are a few quick stops to make along the way. Swing by La Parisienne Seattle for a Latte and Pain au Chocolat as you make your way to stroll through the Amazon Spheres indoor gardens, ~0.3 miles from Spire. These ultramodern spherical conservatories comprise part of the Amazon headquarters campus with lush botanical gardens. The Spheres were first envisioned as a curved glass building filled with plants and tall trees. Eventually, three distinct buildings emerged, and their shape and geometry evolved over the course of the design process. It’s hard not to tip your hat to great Seattle architecture. When it’s time to lunch, Willmott’s Ghost is located in The Spheres on Sixth and Lenora, patio lovers can unite at a charming series of shaded tables tucked right up against the Spheres to dine on the flavors of Rome. Order the focaccia, which is handmade with love and baked fresh every day. Pro tip: always pair your focaccia with the meatballs to soak up the sauce. Continue on to Pike Place Market, stopping to pick up a sweet peanut butter sandwich cookie from Dahlia Bakery on the way.

Beyond the fish and flowers, Pike Place Market is much more than just its namesake street. It’s Seattle’s largest incubator of small, independent businesses and a sprawling neighborhood comprised of 220+ independently owned shops and restaurants, 150+ craftspeople, 70+ farmers, and 60+ permitted buskers. Be entertained by buskers and street performers as you take in the energy of the waterfront. Be sure to also snap your obligatory shot of the historic neon entrance sign and a selfie with Rachel the Piggy Bank. Legend has it that if you rub Rachel’s snout and make a donation, you’ll have good luck! Seattle is known for its coffee so stop by Storyville for another sampling of Seattle’s finest located on the top floor of the Corner Market building at First & Pike. This spot also has cozy corner seats with a view of the Market below. Don’t leave Pike Place Market without visiting the infamous gum wall and spying the secret garden.

Catch the sea breeze at Waterfront Park and continue down the waterfront to Miner’s Landing at Pier 57, ~1.2 miles from Spire, offering up various fun options if you have time. Take a spin on The Seattle Great Wheel, the tallest Ferris wheel on the West coast standing at 175′ and reaching 40′ out over Elliot Bay. If you spy it at night, it’s covered in over 500,000 LED lights. Wings over Washington is a state-of-the-art “flying theater” that will transport you on an aerial adventure using 5K drone cameras and innovative art laser projections. Take a one hour Salish Sea Tours cruise aboard a newly custom designed catamaran during which you will get a comprehensive audio tour of Seattle and the surrounding areas. The cruise offers two full-service bars with beer, wine, spirits, non-alcoholic beverages, salmon meal, sandwiches and snacks. Along the waterfront you’ll also find the Seattle Aquarium – the region’s premier resource for hands-on marine experiences and conservation education.

On to the Seattle Center! Whether you pop over to Westlake Center and take the Seattle Center Monorail over or just take a roundtrip for fun, the Monorail is the nation’s first full-scale commercial monorail system and a beloved Seattle landmark.

The Seattle Center, ~0.6 miles from Spire is an active civic, arts and family gathering place in the core of our region. Have a creative cocktail and orbit a while at Loupe Lounge on the world’s first and only revolving glass floor for a cocktail experience like nothing else around at the Space Needle. The Space Needle is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world and is a treasured Seattle icon. Make sure to take your sky-high selfie on the outdoor deck with the city as your backdrop.

Visit a museum like no other on earth. Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), located next to Seattle’s historic Space Needle, houses some of the world’s most legendary pop culture artifacts. There’s plenty to see inside MoPOP, but you shouldn’t enter without first taking a look at the impressive architecture that makes MoPOP just as attractive on the outside as it is on the inside. Hands-on experiences, iconic artifacts, and award-winning exhibitions featuring luminaries in the fields of music, literature, television, and film make MoPOP a destination unlike any other.

Check out the amazing glass art at Chihuly Gardens and Glass, located at the base of the Space Needle on the grounds of the Seattle Center and ~0.3 miles from Spire. The glass art is so inspiring that we’ve incorporated Chihuly’s work in the design of Spire’s own Gallery on Level 40. Explore a garden full of glasswork in lieu of flowers bursting with color year-round. Pro Tip from CityPass: The garden is at its most spectacular under sunny skies as the reflectivity of the glass will make the works pop even more. However, the museum is an entirely new spectacle at night when the glass in the garden is lit up against the dark sky. If you only have time to tour the museum once, plan your visit close to sunset so you can see the moving sun transform the glass. Munch on handmade stone-fired Neapolitan pizza at the Art Plaza, situated outdoors between the Glasshouse, Chandelier Walkway and Community Hot Shop, which offer the opportunity to watch live glassblowing demonstrations while enjoying lunch.

Meander through Olympic Sculpture Park and catch a sunset. The park is covered in monumental artworks and right on the water so you get epic views of the Puget Sound. This award-winning nine-acre sculpture park on the waterfront is Seattle’s largest downtown green space. Wander the park to discover sculptures among native plants, dip your toes in Elliott Bay, or bike along the waterfront, taking in stunning views over Puget Sound to the Olympic Mountains. Stroll along the 2,200-foot Z-shaped path that zigzags from the pavilion to the water’s edge to tour the park and its surroundings. You’ll have plenty of wonderful photo opportunities, and may even consider biking along the waterfront for optimal views of both the park and the Sound beyond.

If you want to see Seattle from a unique view, Atomic’s premier over–water tour is the best way to take in all of the breathtaking birds-eye views of the Seattle-area Puget Sound. Prefer the water? You can relax in style and comfort as skilled crew take you sailing on a custom Sparkman & Stephens and Santa Cruz 70ft sailing yachts during a 2 Hour Sunset Sail.

Whether you’re looking to call Seattle home or have already found your way here and are ready to settle into a spot all your own, don’t forget to book your private tour of Spire and take in views like no other. Life on the edge allows for a life well-lived with some of Seattle’s best year-round cultural destinations and experiences within reach.