Treat yourself to a staycation in the Emerald City.

This time of year as trees are blossoming, flowers are blooming and the sun is shinning, staying home is more exciting than traveling. With people looking for new ways to enjoy their home city, “Staycations” have become the latest in traveling fads. Here’s your guide to setting the mood on your staycation in Seattle.

Setting the Tone

Visiting a new city brings out the best in us. We become more tolerant, lighter spirited and carefree, opening up to the newness that surrounds us. Traveling awakens and restores our childlike wonder. Honor this feeling and begin a staycation with that frame of mind. Allow yourself to be open to new ideas, new people, and new places. Try not to compare every experience you have to something from your past but rather live in the moment and enjoy this beautiful city, even all of the stinky fish and sticky gum at Pike’s Place. Next time you walk through Pike’s Place Market, take the time to chat with the venders and stop and sample the “Oh-My-God-Peach.”

Treat Yourself: The Inn at the Market

Whenever a Seattleite finds themselves at Pike Place Market there is generally a smile that reads, “Yeah, I get to live here,” to tourists. Stay at The Inn at the Market, a quaint boutique hotel, and you will have that same smile as you drift to sleep, knowing that the market is rests below your feet. Much like living in Europe in flat above a market, staying at The Inn at the Market gives a sense of being connected to this vibrant setting. The three restaurants below, Marché, Bacco, and the local’s favorite Café Campagne offer the café settings ripe for daydreaming, as if you were a world away musing about your stay.  The vantage point overlooking Elliot Bay lulls you to sleep and when you wake up, you can peek out your window and see the coming and going of fish, produce, flowers and breads getting ready for the long day ahead. Watching the action makes from so intimate a setting makes it seem as though Pike’s Place Market is it’s own living and breathing citizen of Seattle. The experience truly elevates the city and will reinvigorate any grumpy Seattleite with fresh eyes on the city.

Take a Tour: The Seattle Underground Tour

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Every Seattleite stuck in traffic on a sunny day knows that we live in a tourist town. Even though we can’t blame tourists because we too love Seattle, we all have our quips with them. On your staycation, beat them at their own game and join a tour group. The Seattle Underground Tour will teach you all about Seattle’s dirty laundry while making your belly ache with laughter. Once I recognized my tour guide doing stand-up at the People’s Republic of Komedy at Chop Suey… it’s a small town, and yes, the tours are that funny. Road Dog’s Seattle Brewery Tour is great for locals wanting more exposure to our micro-brewery scene. On this tour, your local brewery expert will safely drive you around town to different spots, giving you a taste of the beer and a taste for the brewing culture Seattleites are so grateful to have. Many Seattleites have been to the International District for dim sum on a busy Saturday at the Jade Garden but few have spent the time to learn the history of this small, but thriving community. The Chinatown Discovery Tour is a unique neighborhood tour that lays out the history of different businesses and families. Foodies will love this tour because the guide will give suggestions for some of the local favorites.

Bucket List

No matter where you live or where you are in life you should always have a “Bucket List” for that place. Maybe it’s biking in Fremont’s Solstice Parade, canoeing in the Arboretum, renting a Duck  and going bar hopping on the water, biking on the Burke Gilman Trail to the Redhook Brewery, having a crumpet at The Crumpet Shop, or going to all of the Seattle distilleries there are many things we all leave “undone.” With modern lifestyles so taxing it’s easy for people to get into a routine, find what they like, and fail to do some of those local things they have always been meaning to. The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is on right now, I’m sure some people could check that off their list. Do something you haven’t done before in this city, write a bucket list and then start checking it off.