I walked through the hotel door with a box of Voodoo Doughnuts and before I could say a word, two kids screamed “DONUTS!” from across the room. That was Seattle in one moment — unexpected, a little chaotic, completely delicious, and over too fast.
We had one full day in Seattle before boarding the Amtrak Cascades north to Vancouver the following morning. It was never going to be enough time to do this city justice and we knew it going in. But Seattle has a way of making even a short visit feel worth it — and the train ride that followed might be one of the most underrated travel experiences in North America.
Getting There and Where We Stayed
We flew into Seattle from Kauai — a five hour four minute flight departing at 12:40pm that landed around 9pm with the time change. Alaska Airlines was our carrier and a small bright spot — their in flight snack of Maui Monk pretzels are vegan and genuinely delicious, worth flagging if you’re flying with them.
We packed our own food for the flight as we always do — protein bars, fruit snacks, nuts, corn thin crackers, and tofurkey sandwiches loaded with lettuce, vegan mayo, Chao cheese, avocado, and onion for dinner. If you’re vegan and flying, pack your own meal. Every time (unless you can see vegan options in advance).
One of our kids wasn’t feeling his best when we landed so we opted for a Lyft to the hotel rather than the train — you can take the Link Light Rail for $3.50 USD per person which is a great option at a reasonable hour. That evening, getting there quickly mattered more.
We stayed at the Coast Seattle Downtown Hotel by APA which was centrally located and worked well as a one night base. The lobby was under construction during our visit but the rooms were comfortable and there was a detail out front that didn’t go unnoticed — love is love signs at the entrance. As a two dad family those small signals of welcome always mean something.
Coast Seattle hotel cost us $342 for two nights.
One Day in Seattle
We woke up to adjusted plans. Milo had run a fever the day before so we pivoted away from anything indoors and kept the day outside and low key. Seattle accommodated us without complaint.
Breakfast at Plentiful
Our first stop was Plentiful — a vegan friendly breakfast spot that set exactly the right tone. We ordered breakfast sandwiches for the adults and our oldest, and a smoothie for our youngest who was still easing back into eating. Everything ran around $11 USD per item which felt very fair. The menu also had adaptogenic lattes that looked genuinely interesting but after a night with a sick kid I needed straight caffeine — we grabbed lattes at Fonte Coffee nearby for around $8 USD each.
The Monorail and Seattle Center
If you travel with a kid who loves transportation — and we do — the Seattle Monorail is non negotiable. It’s short, it’s sweet, and watching Easton’s face as we glided above the city toward Seattle Center made the $6 USD total for the four of us feel like the best deal of the trip. He looked out the window the whole way with that particular quiet focus he gets when a new mode of transport has his full attention.
Seattle Center has a great playground where we let the kids run and reset after the travel day. Simple, free, and exactly what everyone needed.
Lunch at Kati Thai
Kati Thai is fully vegan Thai restaurant and it is outstanding. One of the best meals of the entire trip — not just Seattle, the entire month of travel. We ordered pineapple fried rice, garlic jackfruit on sticky rice (a non negotiable — do not skip this), extra firm and soft tofu, steamed rice, and Thai iced coffees for the adults. The coffee was a touch sweet for my taste but the food was flawless. Five out of five, no hesitation, the kind of restaurant you think about on the plane home.
*Kati Thai: around 75 USD for our family.
Voodoo Doughnut
I ran up to Voodoo Doughnut solo while Matt stayed at the hotel with the kids. Several of their doughnuts are vegan — check the menu before you go. The walk back knowing what was in the box and knowing two kids had no idea I was coming — that’s a good walk. The reaction when I came through the door confirmed it.
Evening with Friends
We took the bus across town to visit a friend — $3 USD per adult, the driver waved the kids through at no charge — had dinner together, and got a ride back to the hotel. A low key evening before an early morning that felt like exactly the right way to end a Seattle day.
The Amtrak Cascades — Seattle to Vancouver
The Amtrak Cascades is one of the most enjoyable ways to travel between Seattle and Vancouver and we would do it again without question. We arrived at King Street Station around 7:30am for our 8:30am departure — give yourself at least an hour especially if checking bags.
The ride is 4.5 hours and it earns every minute. Sit on the left side heading north for the best water views. The scenery builds gradually and then suddenly you’re looking out at coastline and mountains and the kind of landscape that makes you put your phone down.
About an hour in we spotted a bald eagle near the coast. The kids didn’t catch it but the moment lit something up in them — suddenly they were pressed against the windows scanning the trees and shoreline for anything that moved. That’s the thing about real wildlife in real places. It doesn’t just show you something beautiful. It turns you into someone who starts looking. Milo spotted some pastures with cows which got him extremely excited as cows have always been his favorite animal.
By the end of the journey Milo was known by everyone in the car. He has that effect on people.
We also met families on board heading to Alaska cruises departing from Vancouver — different ships, different itineraries, but the same pull toward those waters. It made the journey feel like the adventure was already in motion.
Customs crossing into Canada was fast, easy, and unstressful. From the Vancouver station our apartment was a 15 minute walk and the weather was beautiful enough that we took it happily.
Pro tips for the train:
- Left side heading north for the best views
- Board when doors open — 30 minutes before departure
- Bring a jacket — the train runs cold
- Food is affordable — $10 USD for two coffees and two waters, vegan burger available for $7 USD
- Pack activities for kids — drawing pads, activity books, card games work well (we got in a few rounds of uno) for the 4.5 hour ride
Amtrak Cascades: $252 USD for our family of four. Book in advance — prices vary.
Vegan in Seattle
Seattle is a genuinely vegan friendly city and even with one day we ate very well:
Plentiful — vegan friendly breakfast and brunch. Sandwiches, smoothies, adaptogenic lattes. Highly recommend.
Kati Thai — fully vegan Thai. One of the best meals of the entire trip. The garlic jackfruit on sticky rice is mandatory.
Voodoo Doughnut — several vegan options. A Pacific Northwest experience worth the detour.
[FILL IN: Local coffee shop name — check credit card statement]
Would We Go Back?
Yes — with more time. Seattle has an energy that felt immediately comfortable and familiar. As a two dad family we felt completely at ease from arrival. It’s the kind of city that rewards time and we only had one day. It’s high on the return list.
But the train was calling. And Vancouver was waiting.
Leave a Reply