Travel Tuesday // Seattle [pt. 1]

Oh, Seattle, how I love thee. 

I lived in Seattle for two years while attending grad school and fell in love with the city. I learned so much about myself while living there, plus I challenged myself to get out of my comfort zone and explore my new home. This developed a deep love of adventure and traveling that took me on all sorts of memorable trips these last few years. 

Seattle is a mixed bag of architecture, landscapes, and attractions. You can stick around Belltown and catch the iconic skyline from the Space Needle, walk through the seafood-aroma and fresh flower-filled stands of Pike Place in central downtown, relax in Ballard's Golden Gardens and Shilshole Bay, eat at the myriad of award-winning restaurants, jog or bike around Greenlake Park, or picnic on the hills of Gasworks Park. And I am only beginning! The possibilities are endless in the Emerald City!

I visited my home-away-from-home in March to attend the wedding of a roomie from my Seattle days.

It was only a short weekend trip, yet I managed to catch a lot of my favorite sites.

My first stop was in the University District. I attended University of Washington while up in Seattle, so this was my stomping grounds. My favorite Mexican restaurant in this part of town is Agua Verde Cafe & Paddle Club, which is right alongside Portage Bay. I had the Bacalao taco (Alaskan cod, shredded cabbage, creamy avocado sauce). I enjoyed reading while eating lunch, then walking around this area and enjoying the gorgeous view of the boats in the bay.

Around five minutes of driving along Northlake Way will get you to one of my favorite Seattle parks: Gas Works Park. Formerly the Seattle Gas Lights Company's gasification plant, Gas Works is on the north shore of Lake Union. Cool fact: It is the only former coal gasification plant that still stands (though not functional anymore) in the U.S. 

 Just look at that view of the Space Needle and downtown! What a beauty!

 University Bridge

 I walked up the hill and got this beautiful view

 I was trying to work on my reflective water angling in this one:

 Continuing down Northlake Way for another three minutes and taking a few sharp turns, you'll come face to face with a beloved resident of Seattle, our very own Troll!

The Fremont Troll resides in the quirky, artsy Fremont neighborhood, under the Aurora Bridge. Can you spot the real VW Beetle? Below is the Trolls view under the bridge. 

 The day was far from over, but I want to share the second part (in my most beloved park, Greenlake, next week! Stay tuned!)