The Great Escape: Long weekend in Seattle with a Toddler.
Yuyu admiring the view of from the Seattle Great Wheel.
People kept telling us that if we were living in Vancouver, a trip to Seattle was non-negotiable. Plus, as a Grey’s Anatomy fan, I had to see the city (even if "Seattle Grace" is fictional ).
We decided to skip the drive and take the train. Jamie had never been on a long-haul ride, and I thought it would be a fun, relaxing family adventure. It was certainly an adventure, though "relaxing" might be a stretch.
The “Too Much Adventure” Journey.
We took the 7:00 AM Amtrak Cascades from Pacific Central Station to Seattle, WA - King Street Station.
The Bag Incident: About 30 minutes into the ride, I went looking for Yuyu’s blanket. We couldn't find our luggage anywhere. I immediately blamed Jamie for forgetting to load it. Plot twist: I was the problem ( I plead pregnancy brain). I’d left it sitting at the US Customs desk while filling out forms ( a quick 10 minute process). The Amtrak staff were incredible and actually located it, sending it down on the evening train.
The Logistics:
Coach is perfectly fine for this trip (approx. $100 round trip). Under 2s are free, and kids 2–12 are half-price.
The 4.5-hour ride is beautiful, provided you have all your bags with you.
The great thing about a train is that Yuyu was free to roam around and wasn’t restrained to her seat. It made the trip fly by.
Working on the activity book which was kindly provided by the Amtrak staff.
The Snack Situation ( A warning):
The train has a mini cafe carriage. We were starving since we left so early, so we grabbed a grilled cheese and a muffin. They were... fine. But honestly, pack your own breakfast. You’re allowed to bring food, and if I did it again, I’d have a full spread ready to go so we weren't relying on train-heated sandwiches.
Potty Proximity: The Bathroom "Jail"
To cap off the travel drama, I managed to get stuck in the train bathroom when the door jammed right as we were arriving at the station! I literally had to cry for help until fellow passengers called a staff member to unlock me from the outside. If you’re looking for a boring trip, this wasn't it. But yes, there are bathrooms readily available. The train we were in was older and did not have a change table but, i’ve read that other trains typically have a change table in the accessible bathroom.
Our Basecamp
We stayed at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Downtown. As we didn’t have our car I wanted to be as close as possible to the train station and all the action. It's a 3-minute walk from the station.
The Breakfast: I am a sucker for a complimentary hot breakfast, and this one delivered.
The Gold Coin: While Yuyu was busy waving at every stranger in the dining room, an elderly man walked over and gave Jamie a $1 gold coin. He told us to put it in her piggy bank. Such a random, beautiful moment of kindness.
Taking a break during our walk downtown.
Where we spent our Wake Windows:
We went for a long walk downtown when we first arrived and found ourselves at the vibrant Pier 57. A waterfront experience with food, shops, arcade, carousel, people watching and the famous Seattle Great ferris wheel. We tried to act like we were "too cool" for the tourist ferris wheel trap, but then we caved and came back at sunset. No regrets. Seeing the sun go down over Elliott Bay was magic.
This was a market lover’s dream (it gave me such nostalgia for my days as a vendor at the St. John’s Farmers' Market). We hit 9 stops in 2 hours. Started with famous clam chowder from Pike Place Chowder and also tried pizza, tacos, truffle bites and Indi chocolate to name some of the stops.
The Stroller Win: The stars aligned and Yuyu napped for most of the tour, though navigating the narrow market aisles with a stroller is definitely a sport - we managed. We just had to lift the stroller in some spots.
The Gum Wall: It took me a minute to realize the "art" in Post Alley was actually thousands of pieces of chewed gum. Gross? Yes. Cool? Also yes. We obviously added our own.
The Gum Wall.
Part of the underground tour when we came up to see what was on top.
This was a 75-minute tour of the abandoned original city - perfect length for Yuyu’s attention span. Our tour was an excellent balance of information, humour and history.
The Toddler Warning: You’ll have to gauge your comfort level to take your toddler. Yuyu did great, but we held her hand through the uneven spots, carried her while the guide spoke, and heavily bribed her with snacks to keep her moving.
The Vibe: Underground was dimly little, interconnected tunnels made of stone and wood. You get a real feel for the city that was destroyed by the 1889 fire. Even our friend Arthur, who lives in Seattle, was impressed.
Logistics: Approx $30 USD for adults / $10 for kids under 6. There is a secure space to park your stroller since you can't take it underground.
Pacific Centre Science Centre ( PacSci )
The Pelton Wheel
We only had time for one Yuyu-specific activity. We ultimately chose the Science Center purely because Yuyu LOVES the Vancouver Science Centre. She goes there often with Dani, but I realized we hadn’t actually gone with her ourselves yet, so I figured this was the perfect opportunity.
There is a lot to see and do at the Science Centre and we only had 2 hours. You could easily spend 4 or more hours as there are many interactive exhibits that take time.
Our Favourites: The Laser Show (Disney/Pixar songs) kept her engaged for a full 30 minutes. She also loved the Tropical Butterfly House, the Makers Space with an area for doing clay, weaving, lego and the Pelton wheel outside.
The Age Factor: Jamie loves science, so he got her into everything, but honestly, if I were on my own, I think a 4-year-old would get more out of it than a 2.5-year-old.
The "Oops": We only discovered the "Just for Tots" play area as we were leaving! It looked perfect, so if you go, find that first.
The Verdict (and the Vows!)
Would we do it again? Absolutely I’d do it again! We went in the cold of January and still had a great time. I can only imagine how magical Seattle is with warmer weather. We packed a lot into our 48 hours but, if we had longer I would have been more intentional about researching restaurants to try. With that said, we ended the trip with a brilliant Malaysian dinner at Kedai Makan and a stop at Coche Valley Dessert Cafe.
Our Travel Vows:
Stay Longer: I would have loved at least two more days. It feels like we only just scratched the surface.
I will (try) not to blame Jamie for things I lose.
I will pack a breakfast and more snacks for the train.
Author
I’m Mimi, the writer behind Mi & Yu. This blog was born out of a year spent exploring Vancouver with my toddler Yuyu and newborn son Gabe while my husband Jamie worked through a demanding fellowship.
What started as a way to survive the newborn phase turned into a collection of tried-and-tested family adventures, real reviews, tested logistics, and the occasional toddler meltdown included. Now back home in Newfoundland, I’m sharing those adventures so other parents can skip the decision fatigue and get straight to the fun part.
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