Hey there! Dillon here. I’m a photographer from Phoenix, that somehow ended up in Seattle. Now up here, it’s the adventurer's paradise. So many beautiful hikes, and it will always take your breath away. Now, as much as I enjoy getting out of the house and being outdoors, I would not, by any means, consider myself the outdoorsy type. That being said, living in an adventurer’s paradise, I’ve had fun figuring out where what there is to do outdoors without having to trek very far. Here’s a list of 5 of my favorite places to go in Seattle that will get you outside, without having to brave the elements.

1. Volunteer Park Conservatory

This is probably my favorite place to go because when I’m missing home, they have a room full of cacti! What I love about it is that I can be surrounded by plants, but have the luxury of being indoors during the likely chance that it’s raining out, which is a very common occurrence here.

2. Molly Moon’s Ice Cream

Okay so I know this isn’t a very outdoorsy thing to do, but at the same time, it’s summer and there’s no better way to beat the heat than with some ice cream! Molly Moon’s is my favorite place and I dare you to walk past the shop and not immediately start drooling. It’s THAT GOOD.

3. Gas Works Park

So Seattle definitely has some really great parks and you can’t really go wrong with any of them, but hands down, my favorite is Gas Works. Not only is the park itself super neat with so much to look at, but on top of that, the view you get from the park is absolutely breathtaking; you can see the whole Seattle skyline! It was the first park I went to when I moved here, and it honestly gets better and better every time.

4. The Waterfront

When I say Seattle, you probably think of Pike Place Market and waterfront where there’s the aquarium and the ferris wheel. The reason being is because it’s so iconic! If you can manage to tolerate the mass amount of people that will inevitably be there, it’s so worth it. So fun!

5. Leaving Seattle

I travel quite often for work and I never get sick of the flight into Seattle. The plane makes sure to take you by Mt. Rainer which never gets old. The reason I like leaving so much is because it makes me appreciate the city a little more. Seattle is a special place, it’s diverse and has something for literally any person you can imagine here. The people are all so creative, supportive, and SO friendly; it’s an actual community. Leaving helps me realize that and as soon as I hop off the plane upon returning, I do one of my favorite things again. It’s a never ending cycle really, one that never gets old.

Thanks for listening :)
Dillon

If you liked this post, you'll LOVE following Dillon on Instagram @dillon_ivory (We DIE over his GORGEOUS photography) and while you're at it, tag us in your outdoor adventures using @nenaandco, #nenaandco, and #nenatribe.