On Thursday (1 Nov), Singapore Airlines announced a new direct flight to Seattle, a city on the American west coast.
Seattle becomes SIA’s fourth non-stop US destination and the service will start next September.
While business travellers might fly to Seattle for its proximity to tech giant Amazon, here are some reasons that the city should be on the radar of everyday travellers as well.
Love your Pumpkin Spiced Latte but no idea where Starbucks comes from?
Seattle, of course. And the Pike Place Starbucks is known as the original Starbucks. It was along this stretch that the American coffeehouse first opened its doors.
But expect a line of people, all wanting to claim that their cup of coffee was the OG one.
TV fans might know Seattle as the setting of Grey’s Anatomy, a long-running medical drama. And diehard fans of the show know this familiar logo, used in early seasons:
That building in the centre is the Space Needle. The 184m-tall observation tower is one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks and was opened in 1962.
Plus points if you come back with a holiday photo like this one:
Forget the hot dog. When you’re on the west coast, nothing screams snacktime like a Seattle dog.
It’s basically a lightly toasted bun with the usual hotdog topped with grilled onions and cream cheese. Don’t take our word for it — try it!
Din Tai Fung is only available in southern California and Seattle in the United States. While most of us have it on a regular basis here, we’re curious to try the American version of the popular Chinese restaurant.
After all, it’s the American version The New York Timesworld’s best called one of the , not the Singaporean.
Save your year-end bonus for this next experience. Beat the cold in Seattle in your own private hot tub.
For some reason, someone thought it would be clever to put a hot tub in a boat and have people float around as they’re luxuriating.
And they were actually really clever! The activity has become a must-try while in Seattle, so book early to avoid being frozen out.
Yes, it’s another food item. Sorry, we’re Singaporean!
But the clever folks up in Seattle think of everything! This time, it’s their decision to pour clam chowder on fries that has gotten us shook.
The end result isn’t a soupy mess but a sort of clammy chilli that goes down well with hot, straight cut french fries. Plus, it’s super Instaworthy too:
Apologies if you didn’t grow up with 90s movies — you’ll probably miss out on the genius of our next point: Go Sleepless in Seattle.
In case you’re still confused, this should help you out:
In any case, Seattle has a growing and lively craft cocktail scene. Our pick are the mixologists atop the Smith Tower.
It’s a speakeasy though, so don’t be alarmed if someone tries to stop you from entering. But getting in is worth the trouble, because you’ll be greeted by an elegant and charming watering hole overlooking the city.
And did we mention their drinks?
High at a height? Count us in.
SIA’s flights only start in September next year, so we don’t have any ticketing details yet. But if other flights to the States are anything to go by, we expect tickets to sell for upwards of $1,000.
Let the saving game begin.
Featured image from Instagram.
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