Early morning Seattle with kids?
 

We're headed from NYC to Seattle tomorrow morning for 4 day weekend. I have two little girls, aged 7 and 3. I know they're going to be up at 4 or 5 am with the jet lag. Any suggestions for very early morning activities with kids? We'll be staying downtown at the Hyatt. Thanks to anyone who has some suggestions.

Well that's pretty darn early for anything much to be going on -haha.

Are the kids good walkers, will you have a stroller? - You could first head down along the Waterfront, that would be beautiful in the early morning. Then walk back up thru the Pike Place Market to see it open up (vendor set up & things open ~6am). I'd suggest breakfast at La Panier very french bakery but they don't open until 7am.

Thanks, Suze. I know it's way to early. I wish there were a magic button I could press to get my kids to understand jet lag.

Walking is a fine. I was hoping to avoid a stroller, but it's probably a good idea.

Thanks again!

I was trying to think of a park or outdoor area closer to the Hyatt, but I don't think there is anything that part of town. Maybe some open spaces around the Convention Center?

(I wish there was a magic button I could press to get MYSELF to understand jet lag -haha).

If it's raining (which it may be) and you can't make it all the way to La Panier for breakfast, there is a cheerful place for a light breakfast in Pacific Place, which is near your hotel.

Il Fornaio offers service in the atrium, which is also filled with store that my interest you and your daughters.

You could also take the monorail to Seattle Center, home of the Space Needle, International Fountain, etc.

HTTY

According to the Pacific Place website shops there don't open until 9, 10, or 11am. The monorail begins running at 9am.

All good ideas but she's asking about 4 or 5 in the morning!

Egad! I missed that little detail.

I hate to think of a woman wandering around Seattle at 4:00 a.m. with two little children looking for breakfast. She will be out of luck with Le Panier, too. They don't open until 7:00 a.m.

If she can't wait until her hotel dining room opens at 6:30 a.m., maybe she can take a taxi to The Five Point Cafe or The 13 Coins which are both open 24 hours. The Five Point would be particularly educational for her and her children.

HTTY

Thanks again to you both. Fear not, I don't intend to wander the streets at 4 am. But I do expect to be out there by 6! Hopefully it won't be raining and we'll make our way to Pike Place. When I was a kid, I always wanted to see Fulton Fish market in NYC early in the morning, but I could never drag myself out of bed early enough. Now's my chance to see the fish as a mom...

Whew! That's a relief.

The Athenian Inn, in the Pike Place Market, starts serving breakfast at 6:30 a.m. Booths have views of Puget Sound. This joint is where Tom Hanks and Rod Reiner did a scene in "Sleepless in Seattle."

The fish throwers are nearby.

Enjoy.

Pike Place Market around 6am is a perfect plan. Welcome to Seattle!

How was your trip?

We just returned yesterday afternoon after a wonderful weekend in Seattle. The best news is that my daughters did not get up as early as expected. 6:30 was the earliest. We were in town for a wedding and kept them up late enough that they were exhausted in the morning. What a blessing for mom and dad!
We loved Pike Place. Had a lovely breakfast on Friday morning at La Panier followed by about an hour at Beecher's Cheese where we watched the cheddar-making process. We also had a nice breakfast at Lowell's on Sunday morning with a lovely view of Puget Sound. Other dining included Elliot's (good oysters, but not so impressed with the other food) and Steelhouse Diner (excellent fish!)
We visited the Aquarium (small overall, but A+ for the fabulous touch pools), the Space Needle (girls really liked the amusement park at the bottom), did the Duck Boat tour (great for kids), and had a delightful outing to Ballard Locks.
We stayed at the Hyatt at Olive 8, which was great. Overall, it was a really nice weekend. It certainly made me think about moving there, but I'm a New Yorker through and through.
Thanks again to all for your suggestions! So happy that I wasn't Sleepless in Seattle...

Thanks for the trip report and checking back with us. I moved to Seattle to try it out "for a year or two" from back East... still here two decades later!