Seattle - the Emerald City

In partnership with Delta Airlines.

When I was younger, I traveled all over the United States playing basketball, but surprisingly, I never made it to Seattle. Since my partner had also never visited the Emerald City, we thought why not close out the year with our final Delta trip to Seattle.

We arrived to JFK with just enough time to run to the Delta Sky Club to grab a bite to eat. Luckily, our flight was schedule out of Terminal 2, so it was a breeze getting to the gate. As a holiday treat, I upgraded our seats to Delta Comfort using my Delta miles, allowing for dedicated overhead luggage space for our carry on bags and extra leg room for our 6 hour flight. Once we were in the air, we each put on a movie, kicked back, and before you knew it, we were knocked out!

O Canada

It was my first time visiting Vancouver and our first time traveling to Canada together. After a long night of driving, we headed straight for the Airbnb so that we could get a fresh start in the Am. I’m sure you can guess our first stop. Yep, food! Babe found this BOMB spot called Jam Cafe, known for their all-day breakfast menu. Anyone who knows me knows that food is the key to my heart, but breakfast???!!! I could eat breakfast all day long, so I was pumped to see the menu, and it didn’t disappoint. I looked over the menu for 10 minutes trying to figure out what to eat. I wanted everything from the Buttermilk Biscuit Melt to the Jam Frittata’s and the Full Monty Pancakes. Also, I’m not sure if you can tell by the dishes, but the cafe is inspired by southern dishes like buttermilk biscuits, cornbread, and fried chicken – straight-up comfort food. I finally decided on the Old Town Breakfast (eggs, toast, and avocados) and a side of Cinnamon Bun Pancakes. Lol, don’t judge me, but I like to think it was my way of eating healthy and cheating, all at once. Let’s just say, it’s a must-visit. Disclaimer, you’ll more than likely have to wait in a 30-45 minute line before being seated, but I promise, it’s worth the wait!

I’m telling y’all, I’m so lucky and thankful to have a partner that knows me, because next stop was the Vancouver Aquarium. What can I say, I’m a big kid! Head to my Seattle IG Story Highlights and see for yourself.

I’m not sure what it was that I ate the night before, but the next morning I woke up feeling terrible, and the rest of the day was downhill! It ended up being food poison 😩🤦 and it was awful! Don’t worry though, it wasn’t from Jam Café! We had a late night snack at a bar, so 100% positive it was the result of unwashed salad. Sadly, my stomach bug cut our Vancouver trip short, and the 2.5 hour ride back to Seattle was no better. We had to pullover on the highway every 30 minutes. I felt horrible, not just physically, but also mentally because I felt like I was ruining our vacation. With that being said, Vancouver, We Will Be Back! And in full health!!!

The Emerald City

Our time spent in Seattle got off to a slow start because my body was so weak from the trauma it experienced the day before. Not to mention, I still couldn’t eat anything but saltine crackers…blah. However, the Mrs. knew just how to lift my spirits. First, she took me to this unassuming, cozy bookstore, that was super welcoming and inclusive. The books were organized so thoughtfully. It didn’t matter what aisle we turned down, we stopped to pick up something. Surprisingly, we left empty handed. Before heading to my partner’s next surprise for me, I dragged her into a record store across the street from the bookstore where we walked away with some classics from artists like Whitney Houston, George Benson, and Michael Bolton #Winning. The next and last stop, and possibly the best part of the day, was the dopest LGBTQ+ friendly bar and arcade called, Unicorn. Y’all… I’m not sharing any details, just go watch my IG Story Highlights because we had sooo much fun! I literally forgot how poorly I was feeling for a solid 2-3 hours 🙂

I’m not sure if I was feeling better, ambitious, or a little bit of both, but we ended up at one of the restaurants on our “must eat at” lists, inspired by the the late Anthony Bourdain. It was a hole in the wall pub known for their fish and chips. Now, since my partner is British, her standards for fish and chips is pretty high, and well, now mine are too. So, for us to have enjoyed these fish in chips in the way that we did speaks volumes about how bomb the meal was!

Overall, Seattle is a beautiful, friendly, and welcoming place. The scenic views from the water front are to die for. The streets are brushed with street art, sculptures, and dedications to indigenous communities, which we loved as we really value cities that pay homage to and respect the original communities and people in the area. The city was clean and incredibly environmentally friendly. Restoration and sustainability is a way of life there. And, if you aren’t city people, there is more than enough to do in terms of out door activities. And when you’re finished with your hikes, you can choose from any number of cozy, fire place lit bars/restaurants to wind down at and enjoy a hot toddy or two.

Until Next Time…

I could go on and on with stories and highlights, but I also think it’s nice for people to experience new places on their own. However, as I mentioned above, check out my IG Story Highlights for some of our favorite moments in Vancouver and Seattle. Although I was basically bedridden for part of the trip, our dual city adventure was relaxing and a refreshing start to the new year.

Thank you Delta Airlines for such an amazing year. More importantly, thank you for helping my partner and I discover new destinations, indulge in amazing culinary experiences, and create new memories. We are excited for the new year and can’t wait to see where the journey takes us next.

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