Holiday Traditions: Winter in Seattle

Wintertime, to me, evokes a sense of joy, nostalgia, and the excitement of traditions to come. My family, like most, have built up traditions over the years and one of my favorites is our annual trip to Seattle during Christmastime. While coming into the city is nothing new for us, being downtown during the holidays has always had a special feel to it. Thanksgiving came early this year, which means trees and lights have lit up the city in late November and I am reveling in the festivities!

This year, Andrew joined me and my parents as we started our day by taking the Seattle Monorail from the Seattle Center to Westlake Center. From there, it was a short walk to Pike Place Market where we wandered around briefly, even enjoying a little secret garden, before heading to brunch at Red Cedar & Sage. The restaurant had been on our list of places to try for quite some time and the mimosas and Eggs Benedict did not disappoint. We did one more pass through the Market then walked back to Westlake Center where we rode the Holiday Carousel. The carousel is one of my favorite things about Seattle during the holidays because it just makes everybody feel like a kid. The four of us then walked to the Sheraton Grand Seattle to check out the 26th annual Gingerbread Village. Each year, the creations are centered around a theme and this year’s was “Welcome to Whoville”. Each gingerbread structure was based off the How the Grinch Stole Christmas universe and we were all amazed by each one. We then took the monorail back to the Seattle Center to check out the Winter Train and Village that’s been there since I was a kid. That sense of nostalgia was the perfect ending to an amazing day and tradition continuation.