Seeking: fall foliage hikes, more spooks, & a solar eclipse
+ reviews from the field
The secret to a long life? This newsletter.
Jk – but not really! A friend sent me this Radiolab podcast about how experiencing novelty makes time feel longer and it’s quite fitting for what I’m trying to do here: help you find new experiences in Seattle so you can “ctrl+save” more memories to your brain.
But I’m not doing this alone – The best part of launching this newsletter is that I now have you SEEKERS who are out there in the field sharing all their tips, recs, and reviews with me on a regular basis.
I’ve added a new section below to capture all the intel I’m receiving. If you try anything and want to share your experience (good or bad), please send me an email at seekingseattle@substack.com or DM me on Instagram!
I’m also including some new seasonal things I’ve found out about since last week, but you can see the October highlights I pulled together here ⬇️
*The structure of this newsletter will evolve over time as I learn what interests you + me most. If you have any feedback or content you’d like to see featured - please drop me a note in the comments or at seekingseattle@substack.com
💬 The Review
A new section to capture reviews from Seekers in the field
Georgetown Haunted History Tour: “Okay it was VERY fun and silly! Definitely big community theater vibes – we loved it though” - Olivia
Stalker Farms: “More catered towards families, the haunted house + maze was well done but rather short. You could get drinks and hang by a bonfire after which was cool” - Toby
Swan’s Trail Farms: “If you’re an adult visiting Swans Trail, you might want to consider the fact that it’s $22 for a brief corn maze and kid-riddled petting zoo. The apple picking was a highlight, but that’s free entry aside from the apples you pay for. Definitely geared more towards children.” - Holly
Carpinito Bros. Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze: “The corn maze is solid (it took us 25 minutes to get through it), but the pumpkin patch is pretty industrial” - Holly
🍂 More October Picks
Emerald City Slasher @ BASE Theater | 10/12 - 10/28 | Georgetown | $25 (there are also pay-what-you-can nights) | An interactive and “unrehearsed” whodunnit performance where the killer changes every show
Haunted History Ghost Tours | 10/12 - 11/4 | Pioneer Square | $15 | Since the Georgetown tours are already sold out, this would be a solid replacement (and it’s half the price)
Nightfall Orphanage | 10/13 - 10/31 | West Seattle | Donation-based | Described as a “charity haunt experience” for the local community - I’m intrigued
This is Halloween at The Triple Door | 10/19 - 10/31 | $39-59 | Just bought tickets for this as I’ve always wanted to go to a Can Can show!
Survive Seattle Zombie Run | 10/21 - 10/22 | Beacon Hill | $35 | Saw a sign for this walking through my neighborhood and thought it sounded cheesy but fun
Pumpkin Carve & Paint Night | 10/25 | Uptown | $15 | A new QTBIPOC gallery + event space in Uptown is hosting a variety of community events, including this one, where all materials are provided (thanks for the tip Judy!)
💎 Local gems
Layers | Green Lake
Finally checked out the much-hyped Layers and it was a solid 4/5 – with a few caveats. To level set, this is a gourmet sandwich shop and I would say it does live up to that title. The sandwiches are carefully prepared (truly, it took 30 min on a busy day) and priced accordingly ($16-17).
This is not a casual deli, but if you want to have a nice meal and you also want it to be a sandwich – this is your spot (would avoid on a sunny weekend, unless you don’t mind a wait). We preferred the roast beef sandwich over the tuna (the chips were a nice touch but the tuna was almost puréed??) and the spuds with green goddess sauce were surprisingly good. Decor is charming, but so are the picnic tables in the park across the street!
Dance Church | Various locations
I went to Dance Church for the first time since the pandemic this past weekend and it was just as good as I remember. In my opinion, sweating and dancing wildly with strangers is the ultimate antidote for any Seattle freeze symptoms. Just try not to say hello to your neighbors after you’ve clutched the clammy hand of a complete stranger while you did squats together!
👀 On my radar
Undercurrent Low Frequency Floorwork Class – After attending Dance Church, I was feeling inspired to learn other ways to move, so I googled our teacher Alethea and found out that she teaches a weekly floorwork class for beginners on Mondays at Abbey Arts in Fremont (here’s an IG video I found of the vibe). I also found this database of open dance classes happening around the city in my search.
Solar Eclipse – It’s happening on Saturday! It will start at 8:07 am, peak at 9:20 am, and end at 10:39 am. Set a reminder to look up at the
cloudssky (and don’t forget your glasses).Fall Foliage Hikes – There are way more leaves on the ground this week, which is my cue to get out and see some fall foliage before it’s too late! On my shortlist:
Sheep Lake Trail | 3.6 miles RT | 400 ft elevation gain | ~2 hrs from Seattle
Lake Valhalla | 7.0 miles RT | 1500 ft elevation gain | ~1.5 hrs from Seattle
Lake Ingalls | 9.0 miles RT | 2500 ft elevation gain | ~2.5 hrs from Seattle
📆 This weekend’s events
Friday the 13th Flash Tattoos | Friday, 10/13 | Ballard | $80-250
Witches Tea | Friday, 10/13 | Capitol Hill | $75
Tarot + Wine | Friday, 10/13 | Woodinville | Free reading w/ purchase of bottle
Belltown Art Walk | Friday, 10/13 | Belltown | Free
The Fruit Salad Show with The Seattle Public Library | Saturday, 10/14 | Downtown | Free
Día de los Muertos at the Seattle Symphony | Saturday, 10/14 | Downtown | $20-25
Bellingham Exit | 10/13 - 15 | Bellingham | $0-425
Seattle Oddities & Curiosities Expo 2023 | 10/14 - 10/15 | Downtown | $10-15
Refract: The Seattle Glass Experience | 10/12 - 10/15 | Various locations | Free
🧰️ Seattle Toolkit
A few of my favorite resources to stay tuned in to what’s happening around the city:
What Do - Seattle’s aggregated event list
Everout - Events & things to do
SEAToday - Daily Seattle newsletter
The Nudge Seattle - Text-based event planner
The Intentionalist - Discover + support local small businesses
Your turn!
What are you seeking this week? What do you already have planned? Share it with us in the comments ⬇️