15 Romantic Ideas in Seattle

Taking in the Sunset from the Waterfront. On a clear summer day, the setting sun silhouettes the Olympic Mountains on the far side of Puget Sound and makes the view from the Seattle waterfront truly memorable. Try the rooftop park at the Bell Street Pier, Myrtle Edwards Park at the north end of the waterfront, or the lounge at the Edgewater Hotel.

Riding a Ferry Across Puget Sound. Sure you can spend $13 to $27 for a narrated tour of the Seattle waterfront, but for a fraction of that, you can take a ferry to Bremerton or Bainbridge Island and see not just Elliott Bay but plenty more of Puget Sound. Keep an eye out for porpoises, orcas, and bald eagles.

Eating Your Way Through Pike Place Market. Breakfast at Le Panier, espresso at the original Starbucks, lunch at Café Campagne, a martini at the Pink Door, dinner at Chez Shea, Celtic music at Kells, and a nightcap at Il Bistro--that's how you could spend a day at Pike Place. Between stops on this rigorous itinerary, you can people-watch, listen to street musicians, and shop for everything from fresh salmon to tropical fruits to magic tricks to art glass to live parrots.

Relaxing over a Latte. If the rain and gray skies start to get to you, there is no better pick-me-up (short of a ticket to the tropics) than a frothy latte in a cozy cafe. Grab a magazine and just hang out until the rain stops (maybe sometime in July).

Wandering Around Fremont. This quirky neighborhood considers itself the center of the universe, but it's really a little bit left of center. Retro clothing and vintage furniture stores, cafes, a couple of brewpubs, a great flea market, and the city's best public art make this the most eccentric neighborhood in Seattle.

Attending a Show at the Fifth Avenue Theatre. This historic theater was designed to resemble the imperial throne room in Beijing's Forbidden City. Can you say ornate? Nothing else in Seattle compares, including the show onstage.

Going to the Spring Flower and Garden Show. Each spring, gardening madness descends on the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in the form of one of the largest flower-and-garden shows in the country, with more than 5 acres of garden displays and hundreds of vendors.

Catching Concerts at Bumbershoot. It isn't often that you can agonize about picking one great music performance over another, but that's just what you have to do at the annual Labor Day music and arts extravaganza known as Bumbershoot. Whether your tastes run to Grieg or grunge, salsa or swing, you'll have plenty of choices.

Riding the Monorail. Though the ride is short, covering a distance that could easily be walked in half an hour, the monorail provides a different perspective on the city. The retro-futurist transport, built for the Seattle World's Fair in 1962, ends at the foot of the Space Needle and even passes right through the Experience Music Project.

Spending an Afternoon at Volunteer Park. Whether the day is sunny or gray, this park on Capitol Hill is a great spot to spend an afternoon. You can relax in the grass, study Chinese snuff bottles in the Seattle Asian Art Museum, marvel at the orchids in the park's conservatory, or simply enjoy the great view of the city from the top of the park's water tower.

Enjoying a Day at the Zoo. The cages are almost completely gone from this big zoo, replaced by spacious animal habitats that give the residents the feeling of being back at home in the wild. Zebras gallop, brown bears romp, river otters cavort, elephants stomp, and orangutans swing. The levels of activity here make it clear that the animals are happy with their surroundings.

Strolling Through the Arboretum in Spring. Winters in Seattle may not be long, but they do lack color. So, when spring hits, the sudden bursts of brightness it brings are reverently appreciated. There's no better place in the city to enjoy the spring floral displays than the Washington Park Arboretum.

Walking, Jogging, Biking, or Skating a Seattle Path. There are several paved trails around the city that are ideal for pursuing any of these sports. The trail around Green Lake is the all-time favorite, but the Burke-Gilman/Sammamish River Trail, the trail along the western shore of Lake Washington, the trail along Alki Beach, and the trail through Myrtle Edwards Park at the north end of the Seattle waterfront are equally good choices.

Sea Kayaking on Lake Union. Lake Union is a very urban body of water, but it has a great view of the Seattle skyline, and you can paddle right up to several waterfront restaurants. For more natural surroundings, kayak over to the marshes at the north end of the Washington Park Arboretum.

Exploring a Waterfront Park. Seattle abounds in waterfront parks where you can gaze out at distant shores, wiggle your toes in the sand, or walk through a remnant patch of old-growth forest. Some of our favorites include Discovery Park, Seward Park, Lincoln Park, and Golden Gardens Park.