Tag: seattle

Deals, Kids, Parenting, Seattle Area Attractions, Travel

10 Seattle Activities To Do With Kids feat. Seattle Family Adventures Guide

Erin Sluka

10 Seattle Activities To Do With Kids feat. Seattle Family Adventures Guide

Living near Seattle we are very familiar with heading into the city for a day of fun. There are so many things to see and do especially if you have kids. If you are moving to the area or planning to visit, I first recommend getting a copy of Seattle Family Adventures: City Escapes, Day Trips, Weekend Getaways and Itineraries for Fun-Loving Families by Kate Calamusa.

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We live north of Seattle and a lot of our family is south of Seattle so it makes the city a gathering place for us for birthdays and occasions. We just recently celebrated my Dad’s 70th birthday with the entire family beginning with the Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room then dinner at Cutters Point. We topped it of by riding the Wings Over Washington exhibit on the pier and a waterfront walk.

Seattle activities

10 Seattle Activities To Do With Kids feat. Seattle Family Adventures Guide

  1. Woodland Park Zoo – www.zoo.org – watch for ‘rainy day’ discounts they often offer
  2. Seattle Great Wheel – www.seattlegreatwheel.com – must like heights and gorgeous views
  3. Safeco Field and Centurylink Field – Seattle Mariners (MLB), Seahawks (NFL) & Sounders (MLS) games
  4. Firehouse Coffee – in Ballard neighborhood – When you need a coffee break and the kids need a play yard
  5. Wings Over Washington – www.wingsoverwa.com – this is brand new so not in the guide (next to the Great Wheel)
  6. Blue Highway Games – www.bluehighwaygames.com – they have tables to stay and play board games as a family
  7. Underground Tour – www.undergroundtour.com – ages 6+ 90 minute tour of the city…underground.
  8. Pike Place Market – www.pikeplacemarket.org – currently getting a fantastic update, browse vendors and shops. The home of the famous Flying Fish market
  9. The Museum of Flight – museumofflight.org – do the kids like war planes and a NASA training rocket? Must see.
  10. GameWorks – www.gameworks.com – surrounded by many fantastic restaurants, there are over 180 games with a bar and big screen so Dad can catch his game while the kids play

Seattle Sounders

If your family loves sports, I highly recommend attending a Seattle Sounders or Seahawks game while in town. They say around here that if you enter Centurylink Field as a visitor you will leave a fan. Seattle loves its teams and the pride is plentiful inside one of the loudest sports stadium.

**MLS Seattle Sounders game tip: If you score Sounders tickets, head to Occidental Park 90 minutes before kick off where Pre 90 starts with guest speakers and they will announce the starting 11. The last one we attended my son won a hat (above photo). At 60 minutes prior to kick off the crowd starts marching to the field with popular chants. If you are going to the game, this is a must do! Scarves Up! Want to see a video we made of the Pre 90 experience? Watch it here!

Find these activities and so many more in the book, Seattle Family Adventures.

Food, Food/Beverage, Seattle Area Attractions, Travel

Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room Review-Seattle

Erin Sluka

This is not a sponsored post. I was not compensated

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We live near Seattle and recently visited a spot near Capitol Hill I have wanted to visit for a while now. The Seattle Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room is must-stop in Seattle to experience the finest coffee crafting you can’t get anywhere else.

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If you are a Starbucks fan you have heard that CEO Howard Schultz stepped down as CEO to focus on these new roastery concepts that I feel can be a huge hit. The outside of the building is tall with very large wood doors and when you walk inside it is almost overwhelming to the eye because there is so much to see.

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Yes! It is truly the place to watch the finest beans from around the world being roasted in front of your eyes. I’d say about 40% of the atmosphere is the assembly pieces needed for the roasting and bagging of their special reserve beans. It is all around you and above you working to roast. You are simply intruding on the process to watch, taste and shop. It is an experience you won’t forget, not just a place to get coffee.

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Starbucks travels the world for the finest beans and develop a signature roast for the most special of those beans found. These signature roasts become the Starbucks Special Reserve beans for sale at the Roastery, online and some storefronts.

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When you walk in you are greeted then you can head into the gift shop or head to the first bar for some coffee or pastries and salads. Keep walking to the back and you get some museum-style decor to view and larger seating areas including a private area for large crowds you can try and hold down for you group.

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Walk upstairs to see a fantastic view of roasting from above.

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If you take a seat and choose to browse the house menu it can be confusing as there are recipes you have never seen anywhere else. At the front bar you can order your typical drinks you are used to but in the back you get some extra help. If you request an explanation of what you are wanting to taste a Barista will come sit with you like we had. He sat and helped explain the entire menu and choose a drink we may like based on our conversations and tastes we talked about.

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Below is the Smoked Butterscotch Latte my BIL ordered. This one is sweet and so creamy. It is espresso and whole milk infused with smoked butterscotch and black pepper. He challenged my BIL to try despite the pepper note and it was fantastic.

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They made my son a butterscotch hot chocolate. My son thought it had some orange flavor so perhaps it was a smoked butterscotch used or a special blend.

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What did I order? I had to try the Shakerato Bianco. I have no words-speechless to the divine taste. You need to love the espresso taste for this one. A Shakerato is Italian iced coffee drink featuring freshly ground espresso shaken over ice and poured into a martini glass. So you get some crunch of tiny ice particles in each sip.

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Because there were more of us we also ordered the taster which means we chose 3 of the days brews and had them in carafes with small tasting cups for sampling. This is a great way to give a few a try and please everyones palate at the table.

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From my 8 year old son to my Father we all enjoyed the visit. You cannot comfortably walk here from Pike Place as it is many blocks up hill. However in the day of Seattle traveling you can find a parking spot and visit perhaps after dinner at some of the fantastic restaurants within a block or two of the Roastery. Located at 1124 Pike St. Seattle, Wa.