Salty Seattle in 2-Days: Music, Food & Epic Play

I've been a Portlander with a crush on Seattle my whole life. I even moved to the Emerald City for a short stint - straight out of college - as a young reporter.

Over the years, my husband and I have used any excuse for a quick business trip to downtown Seattle - with the kids. We've explored a good portion of the city by stroller and foot.

The free playground outside the Museum of Pop Culture is a amazing for kids up to teenagers and even adults. (Climbing high with my kids was a really cheap thrill for me!)

Seattle is close to Portland, but just big enough that it feels like we flew away for the weekend. On this recent one-night trip, we made the Museum of Pop Culture or MoPop (formerly Experience Music Project) our main destination.

Ballard is For Eaters & Kids

Seattle is a 3.5 hour drive from Portland and we drove straight to the historic Scandinavian maritime neighborhood of Ballard just north of the city for a mid-week lunch.

While on foot, we Google-searched lunch spots and hit up Skillet Diner where I proceeded to have the finest day cocktail - aptly named: “Fall in a Jar” - served in a mini jelly jar. Skillet delivered all-day breakfast fare and fried chicken sandwiches in a bright modern space. (Still it really is hard to not stumble on amazing food here.)