Three days, four Seattle dogs, one Jumbotron dance‑off, and a crack‑zombie cameo. Here’s the play‑by‑play. For the full itineary and travel plans, check out the previous post with our plans…
TL;DR (or, Why You Should Keep Reading)
- Suite Life Hack: Answer one half‑baked EDM trivia question → score a W Hotel upgrade.
- Cocktail Royalty: Canon’s “Campfire in Georgia” is worth the 30‑minute curbside wait.
- Skyline Freebie: Great Wheel tickets comped just for asking—exploit this.
- Game Day Perfection: Walk‑off win, sister humiliates stranger in a dance‑off, Amazon walk‑out beer fridges = sorcery.
- Big Booty Beatdown: Two Friends’ 360° bass set melts faces, shreds vocal cords, wrecks bladders (seating & bathrooms don’t exist).
- Learning Moments: Bring cash for Seattle dogs, never leave the wife outside the Uber during a zombie‑bum rush, and always screenshot your hotel bill.
Day 1 – Thursday Night Blitz
Escape from Sac → Train into Town
Traffic leaving Sacramento resembled a slow‑motion demolition derby, but SEA’s Link Light Rail redeemed humanity: $3 a head to downtown and zero Lyft‑surge drama.
Check‑In Shenanigans at W Seattle
Front‑desk bro dangles a suite upgrade if we ace his EDM trivia. Question: “Name the artist who famously plays four shows a day.” We panic‑answer “Tiesto…?? Maybe Steve Aoki, no. Tiesto.” Answer: Steve Aoki—close enough. Boom. Suite keys in hand.
Canon vs. Rein Haus: The Pregame Pivot
- Rein Haus Seattle: German beer hall two doors down, dirt‑cheap cocktails, perfect limber‑up spot while Canon’s line snakes around the block.
- Canon: Finally seated; inhale pork‑belly bao & rabbit confit, wash down with a Lawn Boy, Lazy Sunday, and back‑to‑back Campfires in Georgia. Cocktail nerdery on steroids.
Unicorn & the Rainbow Stumble
We bar‑crawl up 12th. Wife’s been Instagram‑crushing on Unicorn forever; neon carnival games, sun shooters + slushy cocktails deliver. Bonus: we accidentally land in Capitol Hill’s rainbow strip—flags, fun, zero regrets.
Day 2 – Espresso, Chowder & Sunset Fine Dining
Biscuit Bitch Breakfast (Thanks, 6 AM Hero)
Buddy mission‑impossibles across town for a sack of Spicy Bitch biscuits. Carb‑soaked salvation.
Pike Place Graze
While one friend Zoom‑prisons herself in the room, the rest of us get down on some:
- Jack’s Fish Spot chowder
- Fried halibut
- Crab salad
Quick uphill slog lands us at Starbucks Reserve Roastery. We drop $90 each on an espresso class (martini flight + DIY chocolate shavings = bougie science fair).
Dead Zone Interlude → McMenamins Six Arms
Roomba & Owl N Thistle both closed pre‑4 PM. Six Arms’ steampunk‑car‑part décor & competitive espresso martini keep spirits alive.
Waterfront Stroll & Edgewater Fire Drill
Collect the working half of the couple, stroll past the Great Wheel toward Six Seven at the Edgewater Hotel. Cloud‑layer sunset makes even the Pier 57 tourists look glamorous.
Dinner highlights: shared plates, somm‑selected vino, almost got scammed by a double‑charged $200 line item—but we caught it. PSA: Always audit your check, friends – even if they are SUPER nice and great servers.
Dive‑Bar Detour & Zombie‑Bum Escape
- Pop into Rob Roy; next door is Vue Lounge hosting an anime rave.
- Street vagrants (clearly mid‑meth mission) start ambling over. Uber XL driver tries to bail at the sight of five passengers + undead extras.
- We pile in, wife nearly sacrificed to the horde. Running joke for the rest of the trip—bum later resurfaces outside the W like it’s Skyrim fast travel.
Day 3 – Mariners Walk‑Off & Two Friends Meltdown
Disclosure: Some of the links below—like the GetYourGuide tour bookings—are affiliate links. If you click and book, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for keeping the beer fund stocked while I hunt down more walk-off wins and overpriced espresso classes.
Great Wheel Free Ride & Pioneer Square Wander
W Seattle hands out free Great Wheel tickets (why pay?). Post‑spin, mosey to Underbelly bar—quiet but grows rowdy pre‑first pitch.
T‑Mobile Park Highlights
- Seattle dogs tally: 6 (possibly 7—memories fuzzy)
- Amazon walk‑off beer stores = shoplifting nirvana that somehow charges you later.
- Sister enters Jumbotron dance‑off, annihilates random dude ► instant celeb high‑fives around the concourse.
- Mariners walk off the Twins in extras. We bail early for showtime.
Two Friends @ WAMU Theater
Pre‑show 360° bass set = intimate carnage. Main show drops Big Booty‑style mashups—earworms for days.
Cons: “Limited seating” = zero seating. Wife’s bathroom line steals her for 45 minutes—one‑third of the set.
Departure & Loose Ends
Sunday flight home is smooth’ish – the slight delay didn’t help the post concert hangover; views from the window are next level beautiful.
Stuff We Missed (Next‑Time List)
- Owl N Thistle pints & live music
- Doctor’s Office craft cocktails
- Zig Zag Café nightcap (closes ludicrously early)
- Kenmore seaplane tour
- Museum of Pop Culture, Discovery Park bluff trails, Ballard Locks & fish ladder
What I’d Tweak Next Time
- Bathroom Recon for WAMU: Either dehydrate pre‑show or smuggle a stadium‑approved flask—choose your poison.
- Avoid Friday‑Evening Canon Line: Reserve earlier or hold tight at Rein Haus longer (no one suffers with a liter stein).
- Uber Headcount: XL drivers hate five drunk humans—schedule two regulars and keep marriages intact.
- Carry Cash for Seattle Dogs: Contactless is cute until the lone cart only takes wrinkled bills.
- Build in Recovery Windows: Biscuit Bitch helps, but pacing the espresso‑cocktail ping‑pong prevents Saturday‑morning brain fog.
Final Grade: 9/10
Massive wins (suite upgrade, walk‑off, Two Friends antics) slightly dinged by bathroom fiascos and undead street chaos. Seattle stays on the re‑match list.
