9/3/24
Jaki and I love watching Scandi Dramas like the Bridge and Borgen.
Initially we turned our noses up at anything with a Sub Titles but when the content of BBC and ITV got so bad, we decided to give one of the foreign dramas a chance and we never looked back.
We watched a brilliant series called The Killing set in Copenhagen where inspector Sarah Lund investigates the murder of a young woman over a 21 day period. It’s dark and moody with some unexpected twists and it’s cold. Bloody cold.
So, when I saw a programe called The Killing on Disney (we get Disney free with our Lloyds bank account) we tuned in and started watching. As the plot went on we thought we recognised certain parts of the story and then it hit us. This was the same plot as the Danish version, but set in Seattle.
What was interesting were the nod’s to the original series. The lead detective in the US version is called Sarah Linden who investigates the murder of a young woman called Rosie Larsen over a two week period.
Interestingly a lot of the characters are the same, the clothing is similar and the locations, though set in the USA, are roughly the same though there was no native American casino on an island, in the original. At least as far as I can remember.
But the one thing that really struck us about the American series was the rain.
The investigation starts on day one and its pissing down.
It goes on day by day ( a bit like 24 with Kiefer Sutherland) and its hammering down with rain every single day.
Interestingly though, no one seems to wear wet weather clothing?
After watching this series Seattle dropped right down our bucket list of places to visit.
We hate the rain (though Jaki dislikes the wind just as much). So we are looking forward to getting back to Spain in April as the UK winter has driven us mad and my SAD is back with a vengeance, as is my arthritis.
So I was interested to read an article i received in an email from Jacks Flight Club , all about Seattle and I thought it might be worth sharing.
Seattle:
If you visit Seattle any time between October and April, you will get rained on. There’s no avoiding it.
There’s no “We’ll just duck into a museum if it starts raining!”
No. You will get wet.
But that doesn’t have to ruin the trip.
Fortunately, Seattle rain means less violent thunderstorms and more a gentle, near-constant sprinkle. I’ve spent two winters in Seattle — as a San Diegan, so you know I wasn’t used to wet weather before — and found myself barely even registering it.
If you accept that your trip will be a little damp and that it doesn’t have to put a damper (ha ha) on things, you’ll have a much better time than if you try to avoid the rain altogether.
Outdoor Activities for Seattle’s Rainy Days
1. Go for a rainy hike.
Because the rain in Seattle isn’t super heavy and most trails are through wooded green space with lots of overhead coverage, hiking in wet weather isn’t as damp and miserable as you might expect. It’s actually one of my favorite rainy day activities.
The woods just feel so much more alive! You can sit in a lush, mossy forest, close your eyes, and hear thousands of raindrops trickling through the leaves. You don’t even need to get too far out of the city to experience this – places like Carkeek and Discovery Park are right in town but can still feel pretty wild.
Hike to the water’s edge from Discovery Park, and you’re greeted by a misty coastline and this old lighthouse.
Plus, trails are way less crowded on wet days, and all the creeks and waterfalls are that much more impressive. Visit Coal Creek Falls during the dry season and you’ll be wondering where the waterfall went.
2. Hop on a ferry.
There’s plenty of ferries and boat tours that leave from the waterfront, but the most popular is the Bainbridge Island Ferry. That’s the one I’d recommend on a rainy day.
Because… it’s covered! While you can venture out into the wind and rain to pretend you’re a sailor lost at sea, you can also head straight for the sheltered outdoor decks or the fully indoor space by the café, where you’ll be cozy and dry.
No matter what season you visit, the sights from the Sound are not to be missed. This ferry lasts a little over half an hour and provides some killer views of the Seattle skyline and the nearby islands cropping up through the mist.
The island is gorgeous, but I’ve done the trip twice, and honestly? I think the ferry ride is my favorite part. It’s easily the best view you’ll find anywhere in Seattle.
3. Admire Snoqualmie Falls.
Yep, this is the Twin Peaks waterfall!
This whole area is super cute and packed with Lynchian pit stops, but now I want to talk about the falls themselves. They’re always roaring after a good long rain. And unlike other waterfalls, you don’t need to hike through the woods or up a mountain to catch a glimpse.
There are two viewing points, one near the base and one up top by the lodge, and both are practically drive-up.There are also some hiking trails nearby, if you want to get out a little further.
This is one that you probably don’t want to do in the dead of winter, however — rain here is no big deal, but the mountain pass frequently gets packed with snow and strands people on either side, so be sure to check the forecast.
Indoor Activities (that might not be on your radar!)
1. Hit some of the smaller, quirkier, or more underrated museums.
While the museums at Seattle Center are world-class, there’s plenty more to check out around town.
On the funky side of the spectrum:
- The Rubber Chicken Museum (Wallingford): super small but free exhibit inside Archie McPhee. Played deadpan serious. Archie doesn’t play around when it comes to rubber chickens.
- Pinball Museum (I-District): play decades old arcade games in downtown.
- “Official Bad Art Museum of Art” (Pike/Pine): a collection of kitschy, ugly, and oddly charming art inside a cafe.
2. Learn some botany at the Spheres.
You’ll definitely notice the Spheres driving through downtown. These glass geodesic domes are hard to miss.
They’re actually an arboretum! They host 1,000 different species of cloud forest plants in a futuristic, climate-controlled space. In typical Seattle fashion, it also has a coffee shop with a delightful name: General Porpoise.
Unfortunately, the building is owned by Seattle’s resident corporate overlords (Amazon), so it’s only open to the public on the first and third Saturday of the month, and you have to make a reservation. If you know someone who works for Amazon (about 65,000 people in the area), then they can get you in on any weekday.
Grab a brew (or two).
As mentioned, coffee is practically ubiquitous in Seattle.
But I highly recommend skipping the Starbucks stuff. The “first Starbucks” at Pike Place is just a normal Starbucks with a massive line, and the Reserve Roastery is overpriced and overcrowded. Take a photo of the storefronts if you must, but shop local instead.
Here’s some of my faves:
- Fremont Coffee Company (Fremont): a shop made out of an old house with seating in different rooms. Try the earl grey hot chocolate if they have it.
- Espresso Vivace (Cap Hill): old school spot known for their espresso bar.
- Victrola (multiple locations): 00s hipster vibes and reliable cappuccinos.
- Ghost Alley (Pike Place): spooky-themed walk-up window next to the gum wall. A good speedy stop while you’re shopping in the market.
And this is just a quick taste — you can wander in basically any local shop and get a great cup. Even my coffee-snob of a brother was constantly blown away by the omnipresence of excellent coffee in town.
But there’s more to drink in Seattle besides coffee. Let’s hit the bars!
Bars in Seattle tend to be novelty bars, dives, or craft cocktail lounges. There’s not a ton of places where you can easily bar-hop, but Pioneer Square and Cap Hill are pretty good starting points.
Here’s some of my favorite bars in Seattle:
- Unicorn/Narwhal (Cap Hill): circus-themed novelty bar with over-the-top decor and sugary cocktails. Try the mango cocktail with the unrepeatable name — you’ll know it when you see it, and it’s tastier than it sounds.
- Pharmacy (Downtown/Pioneer Square): lesser known basement space with chill vibes and incredible cocktails.
- Smith Tower Observatory (Pioneer Square): historical building with a killer bar on top. A bit touristy, but surprisingly affordable with a huge array of Old Fashioneds. Go early to skip the wait.
- The 5-Point Cafe (near Seattle Center): old school diner/bar combo. The food is nothing special, but the energy and drinks are awesome. A Seattle staple.
The Unicorn Seattle by Scott Moore on Flickr.
There’s about a million great breweries in town too, but since beer isn’t really my specialty, I’ll direct you to Hop Culture.
In conclusion?
Hopefully with these tips in your back pocket, the Seattle rain seems a lot less intimidating. It can be an adjustment if you’re not used to it, but with the right gear and good trip planning, it’s really no big deal.
And the rainy season is also best for poking around spooky movie sites… like the ones in my article about filming locations. You need the gloomy weather to truly feel like you’re in Twin Peaks or The Ring.
So if you see Jack’s Flight Club landing winter Seattle flights in your inbox, now you can click the button to book with no fear 🙂
Olivia is a San Diego native who splits her time between there and Seattle. When she’s not at her local coffee shop writing about the benefits of slow travelling, you’ll find her hiking or road tripping along the West Coast.
So, it seems the bad weather is seasonal .
“Seattle does get pretty steady rain in the fall and winter (and sometimes in the spring), often the summers are warm and dry. In fact, many years, Seattle summers offer some of the best weather in the country.”
So it might be worth a visit, but its ‘not’ gonna be somewhere we chose to go for Christmas.
Unless we want to get some winter woolies?
Bill and Jaki go Travelling 