Seattle may not get much snow, but there’s plenty of holiday spirit, and that makes it a special place for a holiday shopping spree.

From Seattle Center to Westlake Center to Pike Place Market, the usual visitor attractions get a little more special on a cold winter day. Crowds of bundled-up, excited families and couples sample Westlake’s seasonal offerings, like Quest’s carousel rides, or nearby kettle corn and elephant ears. Christmas music is everywhere, while vendors make balloon animals for the kids.

Make it an overnight trip and it’s even better. First, you’ll be sure to check out the many Christmas lights lining the streets of downtown, including the famous Macy’s star, the Space Needle lights, and many other special seasonal touches. And by staying overnight, you can turn a shopping trip into a real getaway.

Our base of operations was a Seattle landmark, the Edgewater Hotel. You may remember that the Edgewater was famous during the sixties when the Beatles stayed there and fished out the window. In fact, it became the obvious choice for many famous rock groups who came to town during this period to play one of Pat O’Dea’s spectacular rock concerts.

Today, Edgewater has a classic elegance that combines the best location in Seattle with an updated interior design that evokes the rich Native American heritage of the Northwest. The first thing we saw upon entering our oceanfront room was a Washington State Ferry, just outside the window and across the waters of Elliott Bay. Our view made us feel like we were traveling on a cruise ship with nothing but water between us and the ferry. This, of course, is the main attraction of the aptly named Edgewater, a place literally on the water with incredible views of Puget Sound and nearby islands.

Our room featured many Northwestern accents, such as a log headboard on our comfortable king bed, bark molding and wood paneling over the corner fireplace, Native American designs on the rugs with knotty pine skirting, and characters and Indian designs on wood. frame entertainment center In the bathroom, a large clawfoot tub looked terribly inviting, while the modern colors and fixtures made the room look like something you’d see in an interior design magazine. The floors were amber quartz slate, while the room also included a glass-enclosed European spa shower.

With a room in Edgewater, which features a constant parade of boats right outside your window, there’s a temptation to linger there and take in the endless sights and sounds. But we came to Seattle to check out the city’s Christmas activities, so our first stop was Pike Place Market, just a few blocks and a short walk from Edgewater.

The market is one of the most recognizable symbols of Seattle, right up there with the Space Needle. That probably has something to do with the way TV sportscasters always show market footage while airing Seattle Seahawks or Washington Huskies sports broadcasts. Usually the take is one of the fish handlers throwing in king salmon; therefore we were pleased that upon our arrival the fish were actually flying. Like the 50 or so visitors who stood watching, we had seen for ourselves the famous Pike Place Market fish toss.

Those fish handlers in their tracksuits, hoodies, and aprons aren’t the only reason to stop by the market at Christmas. The market goes all out on their decorations and actually has Christmas trees available, not that we’d want to bring one back to Edgewater. Walk just north of the first fish market and you’ll enter a hive of activity where it seems like just about anything you want is for sale: fresh produce and fruits, honey, herbs, bouquets of dried flowers, jams and jellies, nuts, fruit. , chocolates, t-shirts, bags, whatever. In fact, there are several fish markets in the same building, as well as restaurants where you can dine on fresh fish even before leaving the market.

Directly across the street from the market, across from the Starbucks, a band called the Slimpickens pumped up the crowd with upbeat, 1930s-style music played in a four-piece configuration: guitar, double bass, violin, and washboard. Dressed in 1930s garb, the group also seemed to be getting a Depression-era response to their music: lots of smiles and foot-tapping, but not many coins falling into their prominently placed mug.

Around here we come across Piroshky, Piroshky, a small take-out restaurant that serves fresh Russian piroshkies for just under $5. These were freshly baked, and if you’re wondering, piroshky is a bit like a puff pastry filled with meat, cheese, or other fillings. They are delicious and provided a quick and inexpensive lunch for us.

Instead, some friends of ours went to Von’s Grand City Café, a few blocks from the market on Pine Street, where the food was okay, but they reported that it was the first time they had encountered canned champagne. They ordered a champagne split and the can delivered to their table had a straw attached to it, which our friends said reminded them of the boxes of fruit drinks they give their children. Of course, that’s what visiting the “Big City” is all about: experiencing new things.

A few blocks from the market is Westlake Center, a modern, multi-story shopping center with unique shops and, due to its location near Macy’s and Nordstrom, the epicenter of downtown retail activity. It’s here that, for just $2 each way, you can hop on the monorail, originally built for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, and quickly travel to Seattle Center, where your Winterfest celebration features nonstop holiday entertainment and one of the best model railroads and miniature trains. Christmas villages that your children will ever see.

Soon it was time to head back to Edgewater, where we watched the fog and marveled at how the few sailboats out there on this wintry day managed to dodge the Washington State Ferries. Thank goodness for the foghorns and radar, we suppose. Just a few minutes walk from Edgewater is the Spaghetti Factory, where we enjoyed a tasty but inexpensive dinner.

The night was quiet and when the sun came up the next day the sky was blue and the view from our room was like a postcard. There’s no need to miss that view while eating breakfast: down in Edgewater we stopped for a hearty meal with the best views in town at the hotel’s award-winning Six Seven restaurant. We were pleasantly surprised by the reasonable prices, given the restaurant’s prime location and reputation for luxury.

More downtown exploration was available for our second day, with no shortage of merchandise available at unusually good prices. Soon it was time to go home, but it wasn’t like a trip home from the mall where you’re exhausted and vow to never shop with the crowds again. Yes, we had our holiday shopping done right, but we were also invigorated by an unforgettable vacation trip to Seattle’s Winter Wonderland.

For more information on Seattle, visit visitseattle.org or call 206-461-5840. For more information about Edgewater Hotel, visit edgewaterhotel.com or call 1-800-624-0670.