Seattle is the Goodness We Needed

I don't know what happened - i planned to write about Seattle much earlier, but as i learned 'life got in the way.' I can't believe i've been back from vacation for 2 weeks already. Seems like i never went (work is already so busy and i have become that irritable person again). Good thing i'm going camping this weekend cuz i think i need a bit of a break!

Anyway, i digress. I wanted to share with you my final leg of the west coast extravaganza we took. I found some amazing shops, restaurants, and places to wander. And, just like Vancouver, it was filled with time with good friends. Vacationing with friends, or at least visiting them, does add such a nice therapeutic side to a vacation. Very warm and loving stuff - good for the soul to get a break too!
So, here are some highlights again:

Food
1) Georetown Liquor Company - hands down one of my favourite sandwiches ever. Despite the name, this is a vegetarian/vegan hang-out complete with retro Atari games and pinball. Very cool and very dark inside. I had a fantastic vegan tuna sandwich, and our non-vegetarian friends also raved (and raved!) about their sandwiches. You have to go there! Edited to add this photo, courtesy of our friend Janice, who had this amazing sandwich at GLC!
2) Flying Apron Bakery - wow, who knew! We were strolling around in Fremont, and literally just walked by this vegan and gluten-free bakery. The selection is superb, and the servings are of (ahem) typical American monstrous sizes. Try the PBJ torte if you can!
3) In the Bowl - another great find. Very fresh and healthy plates of fake meats, with a Thai influence. I had a lovely soup that was just what i needed after days of travel. J had a fantastic coconut milk noodle bowl. It's also in a lovely part of Capital Hill, so go there after walking around a bit!
4) Other places i heard wonderful things about but couldn't get to: Cafe Flora, Carmelita, Squid and Ink
5) Of course, one can't go to Seattle without trying some good coffee - Stumptown is by far my favourite. Luckily, they also have a spot in Portland, so i got it twice!
Shopping
1) Impulse - this store doesn't disappoint. While it's pricy, it was worth it just to window shop. And then - voila - i found my dream bathing suit. And that's a hard thing to find, we all know! So, Impulse will always have a special spot in my heart...
2) 20Twenty - We strolled around Ballard, and came across this fun store. It seems to be a mix of vintage clothing where they also add silkscreen work to things. I bought a fun pair of shorts here as well as a lovely necklace from Megan Leone3) Anthropologie - i know it's not officially local or indie, but what a wonderful treat for any Canadian girl. And, i picked up these lovely hair pins, and then recognized them to be made by a fellow craft blogger, Wren Handmade. She incidently posted about having a pin-making party to make her deadline. How wonderful that such a retail giant supports small business women!
4) Other lovely looking shops i only got to window-shop at: Les Amis, Promesse, Stitches (a great resource for craftsters!)

We also got to go to the monthly I (heart) Rummage indie craft fair that was held at the annual Fremont Fair. It was fun to check out the local indie craftsters at another city. There were some great notebook stalls and pottery there.

All in all, from my quick experience here, i love how the west coast embraces indie creative folks, from craft, to food, and more! It was a lovely trip and i am already planning when to go back! And, feel free to check out more photos here on my flickr site!