Pittsburgh Traveler: 3 Days in Seattle

It is a city known for roaming hills and metal high-rises nestled amid natural water and gray skies.

That’s right: Pittsbu—er, I mean, Seattle.

Despite its dreary reputation, Seattle’s natural and man-made beauty made for a lovely background to an exciting long weekend trip to the Pacific Northwest.

The history of the area shined through the city’s modern design and made me want to explore as much as possible in the 72 hours I spent there.

My Alaska Airlines flight took off from Pittsburgh International Airport around 2:15 p.m. on Thursday and landed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport by dinner time.

On arrival

Quick piece of advice for anyone flying in: Pop open that window shade about 15 minutes before landing.

You’ll be greeted with striking views of Mt. Baker or Mt. Rainier—likely depending on where you come from—and the sheer magnitude of these natural landmarks does not disappoint.

OK, one more piece of advice for any future Seattle-goers: Skip the Uber to your hotel.

The rail line adjacent to the airport is clean and simple to maneuver, and there are plenty of other public transit options to get you where you need to go.

If you ride the train, you’ll be treated with views of hills in the foreground and mountains in the background as you head toward Seattle. When you get downtown, natural beauty gives way to modern architectural landscapes.

But after grabbing a quick bite and checking into the hotel, it was time to decompress and get ready for a big day the next morning.

Day 1

The main attraction of the weekend came at PAX West and