Visit Pike Place Market in the morning through early evening. There's lots of art, fresh flowers, produce, and seafood. Stop at one of these restaurants for beautiful waterfront views: Old Stove Brewing, Pike Place Bar & Grill, Storyville Coffee, The Nest

Take a walk along the waterfront on the Elliot Bay Trail or Olympic Sculpture Park and watch the boats and ferries pass by.

If you're a history buff, check out the Seattle Underground Tour, to explore a network of passageways and basements from before the city was raised up after the Great Seattle Fire in 1889. You may also enjoy the Space Needle, which may seem touristy, but there's a ton of cool information about the 1962 World's Fair and Seattle throughout the decades. And if you're feeling fancy, you can even dine at the 360° rotating restaurant or get a dual ticket to the Chihuly Glass Museum

Bonus: if you're in Pioneer Square and need a moment of tranquility, grab a coffee or a book and stop by Christie's favorite hidden gem in the whole city, the Waterfall Garden!

Explore Seattle from the water on Lake Union! Christie lived a block from the water for 5 years and loved paddling the lake, looking at the different houseboats, and keeping an eye out for beavers (spot them in Portage Bay or Duck Bay!) ‎ • ‎ Rent kayaks from Moss Bay or Agua Verde Cafe (also a delicious lunch spot) or for a more relaxing day, put on your captains hat with the Electric Boat Co.

Grab a coffee, tea, or smoothie from Retreat and take a 3 mile walk around Green Lake before heading to Jacob's favorite spot in the city, the Woodland Park Zoo! With 92-acres of green space, and a focus on education and conservation, we love supporting this local non-profit.

If you want to check out our old stomping grounds, head to the Washington Park Arboretum where you can walk on numerous trails and visit the Arboretum Garden with lots of local plants for sale. Then head for a bite at one of our favorite restaurants, Cafe Flora or Bottlehouse

If you love plants and the Arboretum wasn't enough, stop by the Volunteer Park Conservatory, where we took our engagement photos ♡ If you want stellar views of downtown and the Space Needle, stop at the sculpture in front of the reservoir or climb up the historic water tower. And don't forget to grab a bite to eat from Volunteer Park Cafe!

If you want to soak up some nature, rent boats or check out the view of Seattle from Meydenbauer Bay Park or see some beautiful flowers at the free Bellevue Botanical Garden / Wilburton Park. If you prefer wetlands and boardwalks, try the Mercer Slough Nature Park, you can tour it on foot or by canoe, and make sure to stop by the blueberry farm. Or to stretch your legs and potentially see some horses, go for a longer walk or jog in the 482-acre Bridle Trails State Park where Christie kept her horse for 6 years (Discover Pass required, or free parking on the street or by Starbucks)

Summer Events: Listen to local music at Bellevue Beats & Bites Music Series, see local art and sculptures on display at Arts in the Garden, or see a Movie in the Park (more info at BellevueWA.gov)

Rent bikes/e-bikes and ride along one of Christie's favorites, the Sammamish River Trail. To make it even more fun, you can stop for lunch and tastings at various wineries, breweries, and distilleries along the trail. Rent from Edge & Spoke or Element Cycles and make sure to keep an eye out for eagles!

Eat at one of Jacob & Christie's favorite restaurants, Araya's Place (there's another location in U District, Seattle), they maintain it's the best Thai food around, be sure to try their "lunch set" where you get a great deal on multiple courses, and get a side (or two) of roti!

Grab a drink at Central Bar, W Living Room, Cantina Monarca, or Bake's Place. If you're feeling extra fancy try the rooftop bar at Ascend Prime

WARNING: IF YOU WANT TO VISIT MT. RAINIER, THEY NOW REQUIRE TIMED ENTRY RESERVATIONS. Required only if entering the park between 7am-3pm. Apply for your reservation as soon as possible. In addition to your reservation, you will also need a National Park pass. See recreation.gov for more info

There's lots of short hikes and viewpoints within the park but some of Christie's favorite hikes at Mt. Rainier are Tolmie Peak Lookout (7.5mi, 1,100ft), Glacier Basin / Glacier Basin Loop (6.5mi, 1,600ft / 11.5mi, 3,100ft), Fremont Lookout (5.6mi, 1,200ft), and Burroughs Mountain (9mi, 2,500ft)

IF YOU CAN'T GET A PERMIT but still want to see Mt. Rainier up close, check out these hikes just outside of the park (Northwest Forest Pass required): Summit Lake (6.1mi, 1,300ft), Bearhead Mountain (6mi, 1,800ft), Tatoosh Ridge (6.2mi, 2,900ft), High Rock (3.2mi, 1,365ft), High Hut (5.5mi, 1,600ft)

Check out WTA.org for hike details, it's better than AllTrails!

If you don't want to drive too far but want to take advantage of the gorgeous Pacific Northwest hikes, check these out:

Mount Si (8mi, 3,150ft), Granite Lakes (8.8mi, 2,270ft), Mailbox Peak (5.4mi, 4,000ft), Mason Lake / Bandera Mountain (7mi, 2,420ft / 8mi, 3,400ft), Talapus and Olallie Lakes (6.2mi, 1,220ft), Granite Mountain (8.6mi, 3,800ft), Poo Poo Point (7.2mi, 1,748ft), Snoqualmie Falls Lower Viewpoint (1.4mi, 250ft), Rattlesnake Ledge (4mi, 1,160ft - very busy on weekends)

If you want any hiking recommendations further away, email Christie with a general idea of what you're looking for and she'll send you some amazing options! Morton.Landrie@gmail.com

Check out WTA.org for hike details, it's better than AllTrails!

If you're planning an extended stay in the area, here's some general ideas of areas around Washington that we love to explore:

PUGET SOUND:

Take a ferry or a sea plane out to one of the islands! We'd recommend Bainbridge Island for a short trip, robust town, great views of Seattle, and great pizza at Bruciato - Vashon Island if you love food and artisans, check out The Hardware Store or May Kitchen - Whidbey Island if you like hiking, wine, and cute towns, especially the town of Langley - Lopez, Orcas, or San Juan Island if you want a quieter, more farm-to-table escape, stop by Buck Bay on Orcas or Downriggers on San Juan.

Favorite stay: Captain Whidbey (Whidbey Island)

OLYMPIC PENINSULA:

Port Townsend is a very cute town with interesting architecture, lots of local art, and a gorgeous waterfront, make sure to grab a coffee at Better Living. It's a great place if you love history because there are a lot of old Military bases you can walk around and explore like Fort Flagler. It's also an easy ferry ride from Whidbey Island if you wanted to combine the two. - There's tons of great hiking and walking out here, try Spruce Railroad Trail on Lake Crescent, Hurricane Ridge, or Mt. Storm King. And after a long trek, stop by Sol Duc Hot Springs to relax your muscles. - We also love the Olympic Game Farm, an animal rescue focused on conservation, where you can do a drive-through tour while bison, elk, llamas, deer, etc reach their heads into your car for snacks (purchased on site). We have never laughed so much in our lives!!

Favorite stay: Whiskey Creek Beach NW (Port Angeles)

EASTERN WASHINGTON:

Check out the tiny town of Roslyn (the filming location for Northern Exposure). Get food and a book or two at Basecamp and enjoy a drink in The Yard with some live music and lawn games. Or stop by The Brick Saloon (the oldest continually operating bar in the state), make sure to ask for the off-menu waffle fries. Rent bikes and ride the Coal Miners Trail or rent jetskis, pontoon boat, or kayaks down at Lake Cle Elum. Bring lunch down to Salmon La Sac or Cooper Lake for a refreshing swim. There's lots of lovely hiking and walking trails around here too, Christie's favorites are Lake Ingalls (9mi, 2,500ft) and Lake Easton Loop (5mi, 450ft)

Favorite stay: Kachess Campground (Easton)