I travel to Seattle for work a few times a year and while I always love my time there, I have to say Seattle is magical in the summer! It helped that I escaped 95-degree heat and humidity in St. Louis and landed amongst temperatures in the 80s, NO humidity, and daylight that stayed out past my bedtime.

As always, I like recapping my travel eats, both for memory’s sake and to give you ideas should you find yourself in the Puget Sound area, even though my pictures are mediocre and meager, at that.

Skillet Diner: I’ve already told you about this place, but I couldn’t resist returning again…and for the exact same meal. It’s unlike me to order the same thing twice at a restaurant, but their veggie burger and kale Caesar salad were so perfectly executed last time, I couldn’t resist. I will return again, in part because it’s a great place for solo diners to eat, and because what I saw being delivered to patrons around me looked so good that I'm determined to branch out next time. Love this place!

Cupcake Royale: Let’s not talk about how many times I can visit this cupcake and ice cream shop in just a few days and instead marvel at the fact that I DID branch out and try something other than my obsession (maple whiskey with bacon). This time I couldn’t get enough of the Washington Hazelnut Brittle with Salted Ganache. Yes, it was as heavenly as it sounds. Side note—the people working here are always exceptionally friendly…they make it hard to resist returning again and again!

The Sexton: This was my first time heading to the Ballard neighborhood and I’m already dying to return, as each place seemed cooler than the next. The Sexton was no different. I met friends here and we didn’t order any food, but the cocktail list alone was enough to make me vow to bring Ryan here someday when we return for vacation.

La Carta de Oaxaca: I’ve heard a few people complain about the lack of good Mexican food in Seattle, but they obviously haven’t been to La Carta de Oaxaca. Their salsa bar featuring a range of chunky, smooth, mild, and spicy salsas is reason enough to pop in for a visit. They’re known for their mole, but I had to get my seafood fix while on the west coast and ordered the fish tacos. The fish was fresh and plentiful, and the portion size was perfect, leaving room for dessert, which brings me to…

Hot Cakes: Where do I even begin?! If I ever opened a dessert shop, this is what I’d want it to look like. From the décor to the servingware to the desserts themselves, everything was perfect. I had to order their signature dish, the Dark Decadence Molten Lava Cake. It must’ve been my lucky day though, because while waiting in line to order, I got to sample the Salted Caramel shake (killer!), the S’mores shake (almost as good), and a bite of their chocolate chip cookie, which had me tempted to order a few for the road, until I decided to keep my gluttony in check. You probably don’t need me to tell you that the molten lava cake was to die for—dark chocolate, salted caramel sauce, toffee crumbles, and vanilla ice cream…I just about licked my plate clean!

Green Lake Park: NOT food-related, although is certainly helped me burn some of those calories, I headed to this park after work one evening to enjoy the Seattle sunshine. Usually I just set out and walk all over the city, but I was craving a change of scenery and was absolutely smitten with this park, where the 3 mile loop was overrun with runners, cyclists, babies in strollers, picnickers, and dogs…so many dogs. I enjoyed the view of the lake, but even moreso enjoyed all of the good people watching I did here!

I will never run out of places to enjoy in Seattle, and I am dying to get back here for a non-work related trip!