Celebrating Seattle Part1

Celebrating Seattle Part1

Author: Mike Schibel, Travel With Meaning June 17, 2024 Duration: 28:56

We're excited to kick off a special three-part podcast series "Celebrating Seattle" in collaboration with Visit Seattle. Our friend Jeannette Ceja, an award-winning bilingual travel journalist and TV host, joins TWM podcast host Mike Schibel to explore some of Seattle's iconic attractions and connect with small business owners in the vibrant Hispanic, Latino, and BIPOC communities.

Our adventure in Seattle took place during the cozy season, arguably one of the best times to visit the Pacific Northwest with its mellow vibes, lush scenery, and welcoming locals. Never heard of the cozy season? We suggest giving it a try—we loved it!

In part one of "Celebrating Seattle," we explore some of Seattle's most iconic and well-known attractions, including Pike Place Market, Chihuly Garden and Glass, and the Space Needle.

For over a hundred years, Pike Place Market has been a staple in Seattle and a top attraction for travelers. During our visit, we explored three Hispanic and Latino-owned restaurants: Maíz, Copacabana, and Los Agaves, serving authentic cuisines from Mexico and Bolivia. Copacabana was the first Bolivian restaurant in the western United States when it opened over sixty years ago.

In the second part of the episode, we talk with Randy Cote from the Space Needle and neighboring Chihuly Garden and Glass. We were mesmerized by the work of the famed glassblower and Tacoma, Washington native Dale Chihuly. You've probably seen Chihuly's work around the world, but walking through Chihuly Garden and Glass is an enchanting experience.

Sitting in the famed Chihuly Glasshouse, looking up at the Space Needle, we learned the connection between these two landmarks was enhanced in 2018 when the first-of-its-kind revolving glass floor was installed one floor below the upper observation level of the Space Needle. Visitors now have two incredible views of Seattle and the surrounding areas—from looking out at Mount Rainier, Puget Sound, and the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges, to looking down them at the different neighborhoods of Seattle. Many travelers also noticed the Chihuly Garden and Glass right next door. It was pretty cool to look up at the bottom of the Space Needle from inside the Glasshouse and then look through the top of the Glasshouse from the top of the Space Needle.

Travel tip: have lunch at The Bar at Chihuly Garden and Glass, which sources incredible local dishes and cocktails and displays many of Dale Chihuly's unique collections.

A big thank you to all the amazing people we met: Kathy (Maíz), Vivian (Copacabana), Chef Jaime (Los Agaves), and Randy from the Space Needle and Chihuly Garden and Glass. Thank you to our partners on this series, Visit Seattle, for coordinating our adventure, and the wonderful Jeannette Ceja.

For all your Seattle travel details and cozy season packages, visit VisitSeattle.org

Stay tuned for part two of Celebrating Seattle!


Mike Schibel sits down with a fascinating array of guests on Travel With Meaning, but the destination is rarely the main point. Instead, this podcast explores the profound personal shifts that happen when we step outside our familiar surroundings. Each conversation delves into a specific journey-whether it’s a life-altering pilgrimage, a chaotic business trip that sparked a new idea, or a simple vacation that unexpectedly clarified a career path. You’ll hear from artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, and seasoned travel experts, but the focus remains on the transformative moment, the insight gained, or the connection made that reverberated long after the suitcase was put away. Schibel, founder of Travel With Meaning, guides these discussions with a genuine curiosity, allowing his guests to unpack not just their itineraries but the emotional and professional baggage they carried with them. The stories reveal how travel acts as a catalyst, reshaping identities, forging unexpected creative directions, and offering a new lens on one’s place in the world. Listening feels like being part of an intimate, thoughtful dialogue where the map of a life is redrawn by the roads taken. This isn't about recommendations or tips; it's about the lasting imprint of a place on a person. The podcast consistently uncovers how the world, in all its diverse complexity, has a way of teaching us exactly what we need to learn, often when we least expect it.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 133

Travel With Meaning
Podcast Episodes
Ep 51: Sounds From The Open Road [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:50
In a year where travel has been turned upside down I wanted to share something special with you. Enjoy sounds from a recent road trip to Eastern Sierras in California. You'll hear the stillness of the night, rain, thunde…
Ep 50: Emily Thomas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:18
I am an Associate Professor in Philosophy at Durham University, and an Honorary Fellow at the ACU Dianoia Institute of Philosophy. I've written a lot on space and time in the history of philosophy, from the seventeenth t…
Ep 49: Eric Hutchinson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:22
Sometime last year, Eric Hutchinson came to a strange realization: he kept daydreaming about high-school. It had been over twenty years since the singer-songwriter had graduated from Montgomery Blair High School, yet his…
Ep 48: Davis Smith [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:18
Davis Smith grew up throughout Latin America and has since dedicated his life to helping those in need there and around the world. He's a passionate social entrepreneur and adventurer. Davis is currently the founder and…
Ep 47: Shelby Stanger [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:46
Shelby Stanger has been passionate about storytelling since she inked her first article in a national publication at age 15. As a longtime adventure journalist in the outdoor sports world, Shelby has standup-paddled a po…
Ep 46: Dan Blanchard [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:41
We've all heard a tall tale or two, but when it comes to Captain Dan Blanchard—well, he's the real thing. Growing up in Washington State, he has always been around boats. Even as a kid, Dan worked alongside other family…
Ep 45: Tristan Prettyman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:40
With her first three recordings, 2003's The Love EP, 2005's breezy twentythree and 2008's Hello, Tristan Prettyman parlayed her smoky alto voice and laid-back surfer-girl-from-San-Diego charm into an eight-year career st…
Ep 44: Zim Flores [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:22
Zim Flores is a believer, traveler, speaker & entrepreneur. In 2013, she started Travel Noire, an award-winning boutique travel company. By the time the brand was acquired in 2017, it reached 2MM travelers each month and…
Ep 43: Steve Bramucci [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:56
Steve Bramucci is a novelist, travel/food writer, adventurer, teacher, and storyteller. He's rowed down the Mekong River in a traditional Vietnamese x'ampan, ventured into the Outback with Aboriginal elders, and spent fo…
Ep 42: Kaj Larsen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:14
Kaj Larsen was born in Santa Cruz, California, and graduated from the University of California at Santa Cruz with a degree in Political Science. At Harvard University he received his Masters degree in Public Policy from…