Seattle in a Long Weekend

This past weekend my sister and her husband visited Seattle for the very first time! At first, I was totally overwhelmed with how to show Kayleigh & Bryan our city in just three days - there is so much to discover in Seattle, not to mention the surrounding cities which we totally didn't have time to explore. This was also the first time either of my sisters had ever visited me as a post-college, full-on adult, and this was a huge deal for me (I can't wait for my other sister, Heather & her family to visit us later this spring!). Showing someone a new city is a balance between checking off must-see tourist attractions and showing the local flavor (literally and figuratively) of things off the beaten path. I have so much fun curating activities based off the interests of our guests - it's like an awesome Seattle puzzle! We did SO MUCH so read on to find out what we did (& didn't) do in approximately 72 hours!  Day 1: The top of Bryan's must-do list was hitting the slopes, so first thing Friday morning, we headed up to Steven's Pass! We spent the day carving the mountains & sipping on hot chocolate at the lodge. Kevin & I have been able to snowboard quite a bit this year, but Kayleigh & Bryan hadn't been to the mountains in over ten years - both did an awesome job getting their ski legs back under them! We got back to Seattle around 4pm, showered up, and headed to El Camion for some tacos. Next we met up with some of Kayleigh's college friends for a mini brewery tour of Ballard, hitting Peddler's & Hilliard's. We were wiped out from the long day & these two were still adjusting to the 3 hour time difference!Day 2: It is March in the Pacific Northwest so weather was definitely something to keep in the back of my mind. I didn't want to plan a ton of outdoor activities incase it was dumping rain all day so that helped narrow down some options! Seattle did show a fair amount of sun, though, so we were pleasantly surprised with the good dose of vitamin D! We started day 2 with an epic brunch at the SkyCity restaurant in the Space Needle! Brunch was a pre-fixed three course meal (so. much. food.) including dishes with a ton of local flavors like Beecher's cheese curds, salmon & Dungeness crab, and Washington hazelnuts. The views of the Olympics were unbeatable & I had fun explaining all of the different bodies of water and neighborhoods in Seattle to them! Next we headed over to the iconic Pike Place Market - we were too full to even think about eating Piroshky or Beecher's, but we gratefully took in free smells from Le Panier & views of Rainier.Next we headed over to Pioneer Square for a 1 hour walking tour of the historic Seattle Underground with Beaneath The Streets. This is one of my favorite things to do with visitors because they get to learn a bit about Seattle's history in a quirky, fun way! Finally, we grabbed a cocktail at Rachel's Ginger Beer and headed back to Ballard for the evening. We swung by Golden Gardens just in time for a cloudy sunset & I stole 10 minutes of portrait time - I mean, how could I not?! I love getting these two in front of my camera! We made an easy dinner at home & watched House of Cards because the new season had come out that morning... #amiright?Day 3: Sunday morning started with our favorite brunch spot - Skillet. Bacon jam never disappoints. Next we walked the Ballard Farmer's Market, checked out the Locks & fish ladder, and then headed over to Fremont. Another favorite activity of mine is taking the Theo Chocolate factory tour. It is full-on Willy Wonka and they give you a TON of samples. How could you go wrong!? This is also a great indoor activity if the weather is being less than lovely.  We said hello to the Fremont Troll, climbed Gas Works, watched seaplanes land on Lake Union & eyed the adorable houseboats. We headed home & suited up (i.e. jerseys, scarves, waterproof clothing) for the first official Sounders match of the season! We grabbed drinks in the Pyramid beer garden & Kayleigh & Bryan had their first "Seattle Dog" - caramelized onions and cream cheese on a hot dog - which is surprisingly amazing! The Sounders unfortunately lost the game, but it was so much fun cheering them on with my poncho-clad sister. I was hoping to take them to Hotcakes (yum) for dessert afterwards, but understandably, they were too stuffed & too tired - it was a whirlwind trip!I am so glad these two finally got to visit the Pacific Northwest & I can't wait for them to come back! Visits are so different through the seasons here in Seattle & the second visit is often even more fun! Thank you so much for venturing cross-country, love you!! xxWhat are some of your favorite things to do with out-of-town guests?!  As always, be sure to follow along on Instagram @meredithmckee!