Seattle and The Gorge Amphitheater

On the first day, I flew to Seattle and my friend who lived there picked me up from the airport. We stopped and ate at a restaurant called 13 Coins on the way from the Sea-Tac Airport to Seattle for a little exploration.

First, my friend took me to see the Fremont Troll, an epic art installation sculpture of, you guessed it, a troll under a bridge. Naturally, I had to take some photos with the troll (and pick his nose) before we continued on the trip.

Next, we explored Pike's Place Market, Seattle's original farmer's market. They sell various foods and artisanal goods out of unique shops, with beautiful views of the water.

One feature I found particularly entertaining was the gum wall located in Post Alley beneath Pike's Place Market. The tradition of sticking gum on this wall began by patrons of the nearby theater waiting in line sticking their gum on the wall between 1991-1993. Despite attempts by the staff to clean it off, it stuck, so to speak. Thanks to their playful spirit, we now have this brightly-colored attraction to visit and interact with. Of course, we had to participate in the fun and stick some gum of our own on the wall before walking down to the pier to enjoy the views of the water and marvel at the Ferris wheel.

We returned to my friend's home to sleep up for our big adventure tomorrow!

The next day, we packed up the car with camping gear and headed off to George, Washington. We drove through the desert landscape for about 2 hours before arriving at our destination- The Gorge Amphitheater. This is an epic concert venue and natural Amphitheater where you can watch a show while enjoying the cool breezy air with the scenic backdrop of the Columbia River Gorge.

We chose to go see Phish here for two nights. Conveniently, this venue allows you to camp at the venue after the show if you purchase an additional camping pass, which I definitely think is worth it purely for the convenience and ease of it. Plus, its fun camping with the other concert-goers and making new friends! We had a lot of fun here before heading back to the city.

After returning to Seattle, we were a bit wiped out from our weekend of concerts, so our final day was a bit more relaxing. We spent it in the Woodland Park Rose Gardens in Seattle, adjacent to the Woodland Park Zoo.

This rose garden is one of only two dozen certified American Rose Test Gardens in the United States, where new rose hybrids are displayed before they are available to the public. Whether you are a rose enthusiast or not (I am!), there is ample beauty and aroma to soften the heart of even the staunchest critic. Various flower species grace the ground around every turn is another uniquely beautiful flower. At its best from May to August, visiting here in July was absolutely perfect.

We personally did not visit the zoo, but if you were looking for something else to do on your last day, that is a convenient add-on for this itinerary as well.