As we settled into our folding chairs alongside Alaskan Way, the boulevard that runs the length of the Seattle waterfront, we spotted a viewing area on the sidewalk across the street outfitted with cozy living room couches and armchairs. We were among the many bystanders awaiting the second annual Seafair Torchlight Parade, a festive display of marching bands, waving politicians, dancing Alaska Airlines flight attendants, and classic cars. The parade is part of Seattle’s larger summer Seafair tradition that dates back to 1950. (Seafair activities now happen throughout the year.)
Like so much that happens in Seattle, the parade pays homage to the city’s privileged position on the Puget Sound and the integral role that boating and maritime culture plays in daily life here. Over the course of 60 hours in Seattle in late July, my husband, two elementary school-aged kids, and I embraced the Seafair way and dedicated most of our time and energy to being on or near the water.
Things to do on the Seattle waterfront: clam chowder, flying fish, and a Ferris wheel
Before the parade began, we explored what makes the new Seattle waterfront—an ambitious urban revitalization project completed last year—so great. We started with a dinner spread of white clam chowder, Caesar salad with shrimp, and fresh fish at Ivar’s Acres of Clams on Pier 54, a storied seafood restaurant founded in 1938 that was completely remodeled in 2015.
Walking over to the parade route from Ivar’s, we crossed the newly reimagined pedestrian walkway and waterfront park, including a bustling bike lane that weaves through gardens filled with native plants. All of this was designed after the final segment of the elevated section of State Route 99, known as the Alaskan Way Viaduct (a highway built in the ’50s and ’60s and damaged in a 2001 earthquake), was finally removed in November 2019. That made way for the waterfront transformation, led by Field Operations, the team behind much-lauded projects like New York City’s High Line and San Francisco’s Presidio Tunnel Tops.
An elevated walkway now connects Pike Place Market (where we started the day watching fishmongers throw salmon, eating freshly made mini doughnuts, and drinking apple cider) to the waterfront. There’s also a massively expanded promenade, new art installations, sea-themed play areas, a new beach at Washington Street, and a rebuilt Pier 62 event space that hosts everything from fitness classes to food festivals.
The massive Great Wheel Ferris wheel on Pier 57 is also a popular tourist attraction, as is the Seattle Aquarium, which offers yet another way to connect with the water. Earlier in the day, we explored the aquarium’s Ocean Pavilion expansion, a celebration of ocean life that opened in 2024. Our favorite exhibit was a jellyfish nursery filled with teeny-tiny jellies. The playful otters in the original space on Piers 59 and 60 were also a big hit with our crew.
Things to do on the water: A hot tub boat and a ferry ride
There are so many ways to get out onto the water in Seattle, including by ferry and by hot tub boat.
Photos by Michelle Baran
In addition to exploring along the water’s edge, we spent a good part of our weekend out on the water, both on a traditional ferry ride and on a less traditional hot tub boat.
The latter was definitely a highlight of our stay in Seattle. On our first day in town, we took a Lyft to Gas Works Park, a striking rust-colored industrial landmark on the north shore of Lake Union in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood. Afterward, we walked along the lake to Gas Works Brewing for burgers, fried chicken, and craft beer, before heading to the nearby Lake Union Hot Tub Boats.
The company rents out vessels with wood-fired hot tubs, made in the Netherlands, that guests can take out on the lake. We luxuriated in the warm water, dipped in the cool lake, listened to tunes on the Bluetooth speaker, sipped drinks, and ate snacks, all while taking in the houseboats, kayaks, paddleboards, yachts, and tiki boats sharing Lake Union with us. A two-hour rental for up to six people starts at $400 during the week and $450 on the weekend. Towels, waterproof phone cases, and drinking water are provided, and the launching dock includes a changing area, dry storage, restrooms, and showers.
For a calmer experience, we took a ferry across Elliott Bay on our second day in town to nearby Bainbridge Island. The 30-minute sailing brought us past picturesque islands before depositing us on quaint Bainbridge in the charming village of Winslow. We stopped in at several museums, including the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art and Kids Discovery Museum. On the return voyage, we nabbed a table featuring an incomplete puzzle (a motorcycle rider crossing a bridge in fall foliage) and bonded in fierce concentration.
Where to stay near the water
The new Populus Seattle is a repurposed 1907 warehouse.
Courtesy of Populus Seattle
Opened in 2025, the 120-room carbon-positive boutique hotel Populus Seattle in Pioneer Square is about a 20-minute walk to the waterfront promenade park and Pike Place Market, so it’s easy to get to the water without needing a car. Walk in the opposite direction and you’ll find yourself in Chinatown, where there are amazing dim sum outposts, custom yogurt drinks and superfood bowls at Panda Yogurt, and innovative coffee and order-ahead cinnamon rolls at Miero Coffee Bar.
The plant- and art-filled hotel features small but well-designed rooms with exposed brick and furnishings in deep velvets. Head to the rooftop bar Firn for a cocktail with views or walk up the staircase of the skylight-filled central lobby to Salt Harvest for breakfast dishes like Turkish eggs with garlic yogurt and a dinner menu that unites land and sea through dishes like King salmon and pork chops.
