Seattle in the summertime is a fabulous place to visit. The long, sunshiny days bring the city to life. And it’s a big, big city so there is tons of stuff to keep you busy and entertained. If you only have a short amount of time allotted for your stopover—like I recently did—then here are a few suggestions on where to eat and what to do once you arrive for your micro-visit to this magnificent city.

WHERE TO EAT
Once your belly starts to grumble, head straight to Café Flora at 2901 E. Madison Street. It’s garden-like indoor setting—complete with trees, waterfalls and tons of windows and natural light-- is magical. The menu has plenty of vegan and gluten-free menu items that are bursting with flavor like the lentil-pecan pâté platter. Plus, the restaurant is extremely kid-friendly.

Portage Bay Café is a fabulous dining spot with three locations (we went to the one located at 391 Terry Avenue North) that features local, organic cuisine. And yes, plenty of vegan and gluten-free options here as well—including some phenomenal gluten-free pancakes and French toast.

Garlic Jim’s Famous Gourmet Pizza at2400 NE 65th Street is a takeout pizzeria chain that has tasty pizza featuring gluten-free and vegan options.

Bamboo Garden located at 364 Roy Street near the Seattle Center is a vegetarian Asian restaurant that serves the best faux Sweet and Sour Chicken dish I’ve ever tasted.

And for those needing to satisfy a sweet tooth, Bluebird Microcreamery has the best homemade coconut ice cream I’ve ever had. The day that we visited the flavor was coconut mint chip for $3 a scoop. Also, Cupcake Royale also features vegan and gluten-free cupcakes that are every bit as tasty as they are good-looking.

WHAT TO DO
Every visitor to Seattle must visit Pike Place Market where there is no shortage of things to see and do. Of course, you’ll want to see the flying fish and marvel at the sheer number of deceased fish and crustaceans packed on ice for display. Plus, there’s plenty of fruit and cheese stands, restaurants and zany underground shops to poke in and out of.

And your next best bet is to spend the day at Seattle Center. This is an activity hub that includes the Space Needle, Children’s Museum, Science Fiction Museum, Chihuly Garden and Glass, EMP museum, and the International Fountain—a musical water fountain that is just perfect for hot summer days.

Hot tip! Parking near Seattle Center can be costly and confusing. If you head a few blocks northwest into the Queen Anne district you’ll find plenty of street parking (look for Roy, Valley or Aloha Street) that will cost you a lot less than surface parking lots located around the Seattle Center.


**Want to add more vegan meals to your RV trips? Check out my new Ebook "Vegan Road Trip: Simple Vegan Recipes for your RV Kitchen" which features a variety of tasty vegan recipes--from breakfast to dessert and everything in between.**