Tis Me Michelle

Years ago, I found a wine company called Chateau Ste. Michelle. It’s available at any grocery store. With my namesake and Parisian flair, it really made an impression on me. And plus, I enjoyed the wine! I found out that the winery is based right outside of Seattle. So for years, I’ve thought about doing a birthday winery trip… Finally, to ring in my 34th year, I made the trip out there!

Here’s a quick recap of the trip. If you want any full reviews, let me know in the comments!

The Hotel: The Sound Hotel Seattle Belltown, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

The hotel was central to most of the touristy things in Seattle. A quick walk away from Pike Place and a few other spots that are probably on your to-do visit list. We had a good mixture of walking and driving in the city. The hotel itself was nice. Our room had two beds and enough space to move around, and a nice bathroom. It was clean and got the job done. Being that it’s in the downtown area, there’s no dedicated parking, and finding street parking can be a hassle. Getting a car was a last-minute decision, so instead of dealing with the self-parking struggle, I opted for valet. That was a bit pricy, but I suppose it isn’t crazy in comparison to other hotels. Aside from that accrued cost, I thought this hotel was definitely worth it and had great service.

The Activities

Honestly, there wasn’t anything I hated on this trip. Some things are a matter of preference and how much time you have!

Definitely Do:

Pike Place Market: Aside from the winery, this was the main event for me. There’s a lot to try and check out here. I did research beforehand so I had a few spots saved, we tried most, but not everything, cause there was so much. I like that it’s a leisurely time, with a combination of food and shops. My cousins and I split a bunch of things and enjoyed pretty much everything. The standout was the famous Pike Place Chowder. And fully admired the gorgeous, well-priced flowers!

Space Needle + Chihuly Garden and Glass: The needle is the staple of the city, so it only seemed right to go. And who doesn’t love a great view of the city? There are combination tickets with Chihuly, and that was a great deal. This was the museum visit of the trip, and it was a solid one. I love going to art museums, and this one was specific to glass blowing, which was unique and interesting. It showcases the work of the museum’s namesake’s pieces. Everything was so beautiful. Between the designs and bold, vibrant colors, it’s such an aesthetic delight. A great way to spend the afternoon.

Any bookshop: There were so many cute little bookshops everywhere. I’m sure you could find one anywhere you are in the city. My favorites were Elliott Bay Book Company in Capitol Hill and Eagle Harbor Book Co on Bainbridge Island.

If You Have Time:

Woodinville: Of course, this trip was planned around my winery stop at Chateau Ste. Michelle. It is a half-hour drive from Seattle, which is why I rented a car. It’s worth the drive out since there are a few wineries and farm-to-table options out there. You could totally make a half-day trip there.

I put it on the if you have time list, because I opted for the Grand Estate and Wine Tasting tour. I enjoy a wine tasting, but this experience was lackluster. For one, I had a party of 3, and we ended up needing to split up, because the seating was free-for-all. I wasn’t a huge fan of the tour guide. He was nice enough, but kept calling on people. It was like we were in class, and he was a teacher awkwardly trying to get his class to engage. But I did see people enjoying the estate with wine flights. The Chateau also has a summer concert series, so wine and music would be a great option too. I feel like those may be better experiences.

We also stopped by a neighboring lavender farm. The weather was beautiful, and it’s a nice place to walk, take photos, and, if you want, pick your own flowers. I’d still recommend taking the trip down and checking out one of the other wineries, or the Chateau, maybe just not that tour.

Starbucks Reserve Roastery: I was originally planning a dinner at The Herbfarm in Woodinville. It’s a tasting menu farm-to-table experience. I waited too long, and it got booked out. I still wanted to have some kind of experience on my birthday. I was torn because I didn’t want to support Starbucks… I saw there was an espresso martini class, which sounded like it could be fun. And Starbucks is a staple in Seattle… So I ended up booking it for my birthday activity. The experience comes with a mini tasting flight, light snacks, plus the full-sized original espresso martini that you make. The martini we made was my favorite. Our host, Ren, was fantastic and super sweet. He tried to give us recommendations around the city and kept pulling in his co-workers to help us, too. If you are thinking about the roastery, I’d recommend this activity. Overall, I do not support Starbucks.

Bainbridge Island: We took a ferry out to the island for an afternoon. The ferry ride is nice and relaxing. It’s only $10 round-trip, a steal. If we had a car or more time, there seemed to be some areas to check out more inland, but we stayed close to the ferry terminal. Even in that area, there’s a strip of cute shops and such. So we enjoyed the lovely weather and checked out the charming little shops.

Gas Works Park: On our first day, we had a nice walk around the park. It’s a chill way to get some fresh air and seems like such a community spot. They had a yoga experience while we were there. If I had come prepared, I woulda have joined, but we just walked around and enjoyed the view of Lake Union. I don’t think it’s a must-do, but worth stopping by if you’re close by.

SPIN: This isn’t specific to Seattle, but we were looking for a fun place to hang. If you have a group and want to do some activities, chill, and drink, this is a great option. SPIN is a ping pong bar, basically. You reserve tables to play by the hour. There are a few other games and space to chill. We had a great time playing ping pong, larger-scale Jenga, and Connect Four. Plenty of options for cute photo ops, too. After 10PM, it’s only $10 to reserve a table, pricier any other time, but totally worth it for $10.

Final Thoughts

Of course, I’ll make a separate post recapping all the foods.

The only thing we didn’t have time for that I would have wanted to do or see is not in Seattle proper, but checking out one of the many nature hiking spots. I’m not a hiker by any means. Mount Rainier and Snoqualmie Falls looked like great options.

I enjoyed Seattle! Aside from one drizzly day, we had perfect weather. The city is very chill, and I felt like all the people we encountered were super nice. It’s not a city I feel like I need to go back to, but I’m glad I have gone once!