Vegan Seattle Guide | A Local’s Perspective | Darby

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In today’s episode, we’re heading to the Pacific Northwest to explore Seattle through a vegan traveler’s lens with Darby, also known as Darby the Vegan. Darby is a Seattle local who’s been living there since 2009 and went fully vegan in 2015. By day she works in marketing, and outside of that she’s a passionate content creator who shines a spotlight on plant-based food, small businesses, and sustainable travel. Through her blog and social platforms, Darby helps make vegan travel feel approachable, exciting, and deeply connected to the local community.
In this conversation, we talk about what really makes Seattle special for vegan travelers — from its underrated food scene and unique neighborhoods to the natural beauty that surrounds the city. Darby also shares her perspective on common Seattle stereotypes, how to experience the city beyond the usual tourist spots, and why supporting local businesses matters now more than ever.

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Transcript

[00:00:00] Hello Darby, and welcome to The World Vegan Travel Podcast. 

Hi. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to chat with you today. 

 Me too, because we are going to be talking about Seattle, a city, I should say, not that far from where I am, but in a completely different country in the US. I'm sure everyone listening to this knows where it is, but you will talk about why Seattle is such a fantastic destination for travelers. 

But before we get into all of that, and you share all of your amazing tips and recommendations, would you mind sharing what it is that you do in the vegan space? 

Absolutely. So I am a vegan content creator, predominantly for Seattle and some of the places that I travel to. So I just like to make it easy for folks who are visiting or even locals who are new to plant-based eating or transitioning to vegan. I want to make it easy and fun for them to find small businesses who are doing really good things. 

I'm on Instagram and I also have a blog, just to help [00:01:00] people out.  

 Tell us what your blogs and Instagram handles are so that as people are listening, they can drop you a follow. 

Yeah. It's darbythevegan.com and then @darbythevegan on Instagram.  

Fabulous. Thank you so much. And have you lived in Seattle for a long time? 

I have. I moved in 2009, to Seattle. Before that, I was born and raised in Spokane, Washington, which is the other side of the state, about four and a half hours or so away. Spokane is close to the Idaho border. So it's got a bit of a different climate, four distinct seasons. I didn't visit Seattle too often as a kid, but when I did, I was just so enamored by it, and I thought it was just so beautiful because it was just significantly different. It definitely feels more 'rainforesty', so there's just so much greenery, and you're right on the water. And so I just always loved it. In 2009, I decided to move there, and yeah, I've been here ever since, and I just love it.  

Fabulous. Fabulous. [00:02:00] So how did Seattle and Washington State become a meaningful place for you to explore as a vegan specifically? You've already explained why it's such a nice place generally, but why is it meaningful as a vegan? 

Yeah, absolutely. I would say, I started eating more plant-based around 2012 or so. In 2015, I sort of transitioned to full vegan, and at the time, I was also traveling a lot out of the country. I've been to, I think, 11 or 12 countries now. And you know how it goes. You might need to do some homework to figure out where you can eat, what you can eat, maybe some language barriers. I would come home, I realized, I don't even really know my own city that well. And I'm sure other people visiting might not know the city that well. There's not as many vegan options as people think, in terms of the abundance of restaurants. But there's definitely a lot of vegan options, vegan restaurants, and a lot of vegan-friendly ones. I wanted to just make it easier for people to find those things. And I realized [00:03:00] that if I'm doing all this work for other places, why don't I just make it easy and do that work for other people? And it's been really fun. I've discovered a lot of new, to me, places outside of Seattle, as well, and really getting connected with the small business community. So it's been really fun.  

I've been seeing a lot of content creators kind of specialize in this niche. This idea of going and promoting the smaller restaurants and eateries out there because sadly, you know, the big restaurants and the fancy places, they have marketing budgets, but the little places often do not. 

And unfortunately, I think I'd love to know your perspective on this. I know that I choose places based on the number of reviews, and that means that people that don't have time to do marketing are really at a disadvantage, even if the food is really, really good. 

Exactly, and so in a way, I feel that I'm trying to be that support. That sort of free marketing tool for these places that really [00:04:00] deserve the credit, and are doing things really well. And people would just enjoy their food more than the first place that shows up on Google that, you know, might have a bigger marketing budget or these places that just show up first on the feed. And so, my 'why' behind, not just wanting people to eat more plant-based food and find good things, is to really support the small business community, especially at a time where they're really struggling. Costs are really high, especially in cities like Seattle, where their leases are expensive. The margins are shrinking. They're trying to eat as much cost as they can. And so, I am really trying to help them as best I can. I don't charge for anything, any marketing, any reels that I do, and it's all very honest. I like to just show people that the little gems that they might miss if they were just searching on Google or even Happy Cow, sometimes, can be a little bit behind the times, depending on the area. So, yeah, I like to show people what's new and what's exciting, and what's been there a long time that people might not know about if they're new to the [00:05:00] city. 

Fabulous. Fabulous. What great work you are doing. Why do you think Washington is such a desirable place for travelers and why people come back time and time again? 

Yeah, so I feel like it initially gets looked over because it's not the hot, sunny destination that people might want for a relaxing vacation. But once you come, the nature just blows you away. We are waterfront on the Puget Sound. So you've got the water there, that connects to the ocean, but right across that water you see a huge mountain range with snow cap mountains of the Olympic mountains. And you also, just inland, have another mountain range. And then to the south you have Mount Rainier and there's just so much beautiful scenery, natural scenery, and there's just so much to do outside of the hustle and bustle of the city. And I feel like that's what makes it so special. A lot of people who visit for the first [00:06:00] time, tell me, 'I can't believe the air is just so fresh and clean.' They take their first breath of air, and it just is like the most crisp, clean air they've ever breathed in before, which is so funny to hear. But I hear all the time, even people who grew up here, and now live in LA or other places, they come back and they're like, 'Gosh, I forget how just beautiful and fresh the air is.' So yeah, really, every direction that you look, there's just such beautiful nature surrounding you, and it's also so close in proximity. So you can really get out of the city in 30, 45 minutes and you're in a completely different world. I think, that's what makes it so special and that people want to come back.  

I agree with absolutely everything you're saying. I live in the Pacific Northwest, just over the border in Squamish, and we have mountains. We also have the water. It's so beautiful, and of course, the air is so stunning. This is one of the many benefits of being in a rainy place, is that, it just clears the atmosphere so often. You don't get a lot of dust and pollutants in the air, and [00:07:00] rain can be really good. 

Exactly. 

So Seattle has a lot of stereotypes attached to it, like rain. We just discussed that. As I look outside, it's raining. It's going to be raining all week. Introverted people, you know, a bit sort of like hipster, coffee culture, kind of third generation coffee, all of this kind of stuff. What do you think people misunderstand about the city? 

Yeah, well, it's a little bit of that for sure. I feel Seattle has a stigma, that it's just constantly raining all the time. And actually, today, and most of this week, it's just been nice and sunny and beautiful. It is winter. So it's cold, but it's nice to get the sun. It might sprinkle a little bit in the morning, and they consider that it rained that day, but the rest of the day is nice and clear. And so it's really not as bad and heavy as people think. And even if it is raining, it's not torrential downpour. It's a lot better in that regard than people might think. I do think there's another stigma that people hear, called the [00:08:00] Seattle freeze. Where people are not very friendly. It's hard to make friends when you're new here. And I've seen this come up more and more lately, about people debunking that, and it's like, people are super friendly here. They're super happy. There's so many communities and hobby groups to get into. I think you just might have to take that first step into getting out of your comfort zone, and going to a meetup or going to an event, or getting in touch with the hobbies that you like. And whether it's joining a hiking group or a rock climbing group or something like that, people are super friendly and welcoming and inviting here. 

I made friends immediately when I moved here, not knowing anyone, my sister and one friend from high school at the time. So I think that is something that, if people have that in their minds to just kind of put that to the side, because I find that most people who move here don't have that experience.  

 Okay. Well that is really, really good to know. As [00:09:00] you spent a lot of time in Seattle, would you say that Seattle is known for other things? What would you say, that there is one thing that Seattle is known for, apart from, of course, the rain and the people that are allegedly unfriendly? 

Yeah. First of all, there's more dogs than there are children. It's definitely 'a outdoorsy' city. Lots of dogs. Lots of dog parks, not nearly enough. If you're a dog person, oh my gosh, they're everywhere. And a lot of the cafes are dog-friendly, so you just get your doggy fixed. I don't have a dog. I wish I did, but I get enough walking around my neighborhood where there's always a cute dog to say hi to. So I do love that. One thing too, that started disappearing a little bit, is Seattle's music scene. In the nineties we were known as the grunge capital of the world, and with COVID and rising costs, a lot of the music venues have shut down, and some of the old historic music venues, a lot of people are really coming together to save those. A lot of them are [00:10:00] becoming worker owner operated. So they turn them, kind of, into co-ops to save these historic music venues. And so we do still have a very vibrant music scene with a lot of local bands, a lot of local artists. That's something that's really fun to plug into when people arrive. And so it's really fun to just be in those spaces and know like how many great artists started playing there when they were first starting out.  

I love it. I love it. So how would you describe the overall vegan food scene in Seattle to somebody considering, maybe, their first visit ever there? 

Yeah. So first I would say absolutely do it. You're going to enjoy it so much. I would say, it's a little bit subjective. So, in terms of the quantity of restaurants, like I said earlier, yes, we don't have nearly as many as these big cities like Los Angeles or even Portland, which is a little bit sad. I think, people maybe come to Seattle [00:11:00] expecting there would be. We're such a green environment, environmentally friendly city. A lot of that has to do with all sorts of things. Rising costs of leases, like we talked about, just cost of operating business. So we have lost quite a few vegan restaurants over the years, but we've also lost restaurants of all types over the years. That being said, there is at least one, if not more, fully vegan or super vegan-friendly restaurants and food spots in each neighborhood. So you're never going to go without. We've got everything. The businesses are so wonderful and amazing, and I'm close friends with many of the owners, and you'll definitely have fun enjoying the vegan scene here.  

Okay. And what would you say, like the vibe of the restaurants are? Are they, like high-end or like hole in the wall kind of thing? Are there any different sort of, unusual kinds of cuisine that are vegan way in Seattle? 

Yeah, I would say it's a little bit [00:12:00] limited in that regard. We have a couple places that are kind of, more higher end, date night, special occasion. We have Harvest Beat that is a fully vegan tasting menu restaurant. And so they're using all local seasonal ingredients. Their plates are just absolutely gorgeous. 

You almost don't even want to eat them. And pretty much, if you're celebrating anything, that is the place to go. They just do everything so well. Everything else is mostly, pretty casual, which is nice. I feel like Seattle in general, for the most part, likes to just keep it casual. We like to keep ourour flannels on. Not everybody wears flannel, but I feel like it, definitely, is more of a casual vibe in Seattle in general. So I feel like the place fit the environment a little bit, but we've got so much good, delicious food. Rojo's Mexican Food is doing plant-based Mexican food, and they're making carnitas out of jackfruit, and they're making vegan al pastor, and they actually just won last [00:13:00] year, out of all of the Mexican restaurants in the city, including the non-vegan ones. It's one of the biggest categories. They won second place in best Mexican food, which is just phenomenal that a vegan restaurant was doing such good work that they could win that level of an award. And so that's really exciting to see. But yeah, there's definitely some innovation going on. Lots of creativity in the vegan dining scene. Yeah.  

I have a couple of restaurants that we often go to visit when we're in Seattle. I'd love to know your thoughts on them - Kati Vegan. 

Yes, yes. Kati is super delicious. It is one of two of our fully vegan restaurants. I guess, I should say three. Araya's Place is the other fully vegan Thai. They have two locations.But Kati just, oh my gosh, they just put out so much delicious food, and I feel like eaters of all types, if you go there, if they're open to going there, you know, and not afraid of the word vegan. It's just so delicious. And everything is so beautiful, and it is a little bit more [00:14:00] upscale and pretty perfect for a special night out. Yeah,I love their food so much.  

I love Katie Vegan. We went there about a year and a half or so ago, but I remember it so well. I lived in Thailand for a long time, so I really enjoyed Thai food, and it's one of the only places that I see in North America that, A, the Thai food is good because I have to say, I have very high expectations with Thai food. And secondly, it had Khao Soi . I don't know whether you've ever tried that dish. It's like a creamy noodle soup with crispy noodles on top. Oh my goodness. It was so good. And my other restaurant is totally the opposite of upscale. I can never get the name of it quite right. I want to say Georgetown Liquor Company. Is that right?  

Yes, they are so awesome. And what I love about Georgetown Liquor Company, is like, they're a punk rock bar restaurant, like it doesn't get any more [00:15:00] classic, historic, Seattle than that. You go in there, and it's just, the walls are covered with photos of music artists, and you know, punk icons. And what I love about their food menu too, is that they are making all of their vegan meats and sauces, and everything in-house from scratch. So it doesn't taste like anything else. And they have amazing sandwiches, amazing burgers. They started really, stepping up and doing a bunch of desserts too. And every day on Instagram, I feel like they're showing off all their desserts. Lots of gluten-free vegan desserts as well, like cakes and cheesecakes, and it's just, oh my gosh. I wish I lived so much closer because I would go, probably, every day. Their potato salad is amazing too. 

I am a little embarrassed to admit this, but sometimes if we have a few hours to kill at Seattle Airport between flights when we're in transit, we will go there because it's not that far from the airport. 

Yes. Yes, exactly. Yeah, anytime I'm heading South, I'm like, can I stop here? [00:16:00] Yeah. 

How can I make this work? 

Awesome. So, of course, the food scene is amazing in Seattle. Apart from restaurants, what kind of experiences can visitors do that will really help them feel like they're in Seattle, in this part of the world? 

Yeah, that is a good question. I feel like a lot of people who visit Seattle or any city for that matter, gravitate towards the downtown, because that's where a lot of the main attractions are. For Seattle, that's not really where a lot of the best vegan food is or even where some of the best attractions are. And definitely, not where a lot of the big crowds are. So I always recommend people to really look at the different micro neighborhoods, and our transit is much better than most major cities in the United States. Getting from neighborhood to neighborhood is a bit easier. You can even do it without a car. And once you're in these [00:17:00] micro neighborhoods, they're all walkable, bikeable. So it's really nice to just ditch the car, and just explore a unique little neighborhood. Ballard is a historic fishing village. So we've got a very Scandinavian influence there, and it's really cute, and that's where I live. It's close to Golden Gardens Beach and Park. It also is home to the National Nordic Museum. You can learn a bit about the history of the immigrationcoming into Ballard, and prominent Scandinavian American folks who started, like Nordstrom's, for example, came from that lineage. And so it's fun to kind of learn about Seattle history through that lens. The museum is amazing. I definitely recommend anyone check it out. Fremont, just next door to Ballard, is another micro neighborhood that's kind of, got this like, quirky, off-the-wall reputation. And it's where the Fremont Troll is, which is an iconic troll sculpture with a Volkswagen Bug under his hand. 

You've probably seen it in some movies [00:18:00] or it's definitely something that people post on Instagram when they come to Fremont. And Fremont's got so many cool vintage shops and unique weird little bars, and their Sunday market happens year-round, and it's full of vintage, and lots of food trucks, and super cool little quirky oddities and crafts from local vendors. 

Every little neighborhood has a unique Seattle experience where downtown is. There are amazing places downtown Rojo's Mexican is downtown, so don't skip there. If you wanted to get out of the crowds and really just get a more of an immersive day in the life experience, I highly recommend checking out some of the smaller neighborhoods. 

Do you happen to know of any, really special hotels or accommodations that you would recommend? I guess, maybe, living in a city, you might not be so familiar with them, but maybe you have one or two? 

Yeah. I did create a travel guide for Seattle, and I do recommend some hotels and hostels and [00:19:00] home rentals. I really encourage people to figure out whether they travel based on the type of food or restaurant they want to go to, or maybe the attractions they want to see and kind of try to stay close to those. They don't have to have a car because parking is either very expensive or very hard to find. And so I hate for people to come visit, and just be upset in their car the whole time, right? I do recommend some hotels that are right in near transit or in a very good walkable, easy to navigate a neighborhood. One of them is Hotel Five - A Staypineapple Hotel or something like that. It's in Belltown. It's in my travel guide and it is modern but super comfortable. Their beds are so comfortable. I've stayed there before, just as a little staycation, but it's right in Belltown. It's right by the Monorail. It's walkable to Pike Place Market if you want to go there. It's very close to Seattle Center. It's very close to a lot of really good vegan-friendly restaurants, so that would be a really great [00:20:00] hub to stay and be able to take transit easily wherever you wanted to go. 

Another hotel that I would recommend is the Inn at the Market. It is right at Pike Place Market. It's a bit of a splurge, but if you're in the mood to splurge or if it's a super special, occasion, it is right on the water. The views are just incredible. It's right at the market, like I said. So you just have the whole market just right outside your door, and there's so many vegan treats in the market and vendors, and again, you're at a good spot to catch transit. 

I would also say, that is downtown though. If you wanted to stay in one of the micro neighborhoods where all the really good vegan food is. I do recommend checking out, house or room rentals, depending on your budget. We also have some really cool hostels that I showcase in my travel guide. But yeah, depending on what type of stay you're looking for, and you know how much you want to utilize transit, there's a lot of [00:21:00] options. 

Fabulous. Fabulous. So one way that I really like to explore a city, is just by going on a long walk, and I'm imagining that Seattle with its incredible views and neighborhoods, must have some iconic walks, even within the city. Can you tell us about some of those? 

Yes, we definitely do. I will start by saying, talking a little bit about Myrtle Edwards. She was a phenomenal woman who was in city council in the sixties, and with city council president, she worked with an organization to help beautify the city. And what they did, what her vision was, is that she wanted to have a park or a green space within one mile of wherever you are in the city. And so our city is full of small parks, green spaces, just spaces to just be amongst these old growth forest [00:22:00] trees or just see some grass, right? We have so many little parks that you can just easily walk to or ride a bike to. There are two main bike trails that I absolutely love. It's also what made me just really fall in love with biking around the city. From North to South, you can either walk or bike, but there is a trail that goes from North Seattle and you go a little bit through industrial, kind of railroad area, but then it opens up into this beautiful view of Mount Rainier on a clear day. Even if it's not clear, you're seeing ferries along the water, you're seeing sailboats, and it's just so beautiful. The trail opens up and it goes along the waterfront, and there's all these little beach alcoves, like little tiny pockets of a little rocky beach where you can just, you know, sit and read a book or enjoy a picnic. And there's people walking their dogs. There's people rollerskating, biking. And that park actually [00:23:00] was named, they decided to change the name of that park to name it after Myrtle Edwards. So Myrtle Edwards Park is beautiful. And as you go through that, it takes you to the Olympic Sculpture Park, which is a free indoor, outdoor, sculpture park. And so that's fun to pass through. And then as you keep going down that trail, it takes you into the Seattle Waterfront, which is on the postcards and things with the Seattle Great Wheel, and really great views of the Space Needle and the Waterfront. 

And again, you're seeing the ferries. You've got the mountains and you've got the Olympic Mountain range across the water, and it's just so beautiful and iconic. And so that trail is a definite recommend, and it's all relatively flat, so you could just take a long walk with some breaks along the way, or it's a great bike ride. 

It's about 30 to 40 minutes depending on how fast you're going. But it's a really great spot, and it's so close to downtown that you can just walk down and just connect right to it. So whether you're [00:24:00] downtown or North Seattle, you can just connect right to it so easily.  

Can you tell us the name of that trail again?  

It's the Elliot Bay Trail. And that is the trail that will take you through that whole adventure.  

Fabulous. We've got a great overview of the Seattle City so far. You mentioned of course, that there is so much just outside of the city as well. What are some recommendations that you have for those that are trying to get out of the city? 

Yeah, so depending on what you're looking for. If you're looking to just explore a cute new little town, just to the north of us, we have a cute town called Edmonds, and it has some really great vegan food options, and it's right on the water. It's a little bit quieter. It's so cute and adorable. If you go a little bit farther North, you'll hit Skagit Valley, and every spring they do an amazing tulip festival. 

So all of the fields are just covered in tulips. It feels like you're in the [00:25:00] Netherlands. It's so beautiful. So a lot of people go there to take that new profile picture. It's absolutely just stunning in the spring, and you go a little bit farther North and you hit Bellingham, which is another super adorable smaller town. 

It does have a college there as well. Lots of great vegan food and it's super close to the Canadian border. So if you wanted to venture a little bit farther, you're going to be in Vancouver soon.But that is just what's North? If you wanted to take a ferry, which I highly recommend. We have a lot of ferries that take you to the small islands that are outside of Seattle. Washington has a lot of little islands in the Puget Sound. Poulsbo is a little Scandinavian town as well, and it's super cute and there's some vegan options there. There's not as many prominent vegan options in the islands, but you definitely will not go hungry, that's for sure. Whidbey Island is absolutely beautiful and you can stay overnight at a cabin resort or you can camp. If you wanted to do more of an adventurous trip, I highly [00:26:00] recommend branching out into the Olympic National Park. It's absolutely huge. There's so much to do. There's hikes, there's camping, there's easy trails, difficult trails. One thing that I love about the Olympic National Park, is the Hoh Rainforest. It is one of the most magical places on Earth, in my opinion. You've got these super gigantic old growth forest trees that are just covered in moss. Everything is covered in moss. It just feels like you're not really on planet Earth when you're walking through, because everything is just so huge and magical. 

It's fun in the fall and winter, because everything's really foggy and it's really pretty in the spring and summer. We also have Mount Rainier to the south, also known as Mount Tahoma, is the indigenous name. But there are things to do there year-round. Spring and summer, there's lots of hikes and bike trails or if you just wanted to take a tour bus, you can see the scenery. The wildflowers that grow there in the spring, are just unlike anything [00:27:00] else, and it's just so colorful. If you wanted to head East, more inland into Washington State, we have a huge wine country. 

We've got a huge wine scene that's coming up in the global wine scene, and along the border of Oregon and Washington is the Columbia Valley, Columbia Gorge, and that is where a lot ofOregon and Washington's best wine is grown. And so you can go stay at a nice, cute little hotel and do a wine tasting. There's just so much to do, every direction that you go, depending on what type of travel you're trying to do. I definitely recommend getting outside of the city and just seeing what else is out there.  

So many recommendations. So similar to where I am, but I think maybe there's even more stuff in Seattle and in Washington State because, wow! There's just more towns and cities and villages around. It's incredible. Okay. So what advice do you find, give yourself, giving time and time again, [00:28:00] to travelers that are heading to your neck of the woods? 

Yeah, so I would say Seattle specifically, Again, if you don't really need a car, if it's not a matter of having kids with you and needing car seats or things like that, I would honestly recommend just ditching the car. Our light rail will take you straight from the airport through some of the best vegan-friendly neighborhoods. Capitol Hill, actually, it will first go through Othello, which has some really wonderful spots. Cafe Red is a fully vegan coffee shop with amazing breakfast sandwiches that they make in house. We also have Chuminh Tofu, which has two locations. One in the Chinatown International District, and then one near Othello, and it is just some of the best Vietnamese vegan food ever. And the owner, Tanya, is just such a wonderful person. She is always feeding people. Every Sunday they give out free egg rolls to the community, to whoever needs it, no questions asked. A lot of the vegan [00:29:00] community on Sundays will volunteer just to hand out egg rolls to whoever needs them. And then you get into Capitol Hill. You can get off the Light Rail there. Capitol Hill is a historic gay community of Seattle, and it also has some of the best nightclubs and bars, and some of the best vegan-friendly restaurants. We've got Life on Mars there. Life on Mars is such a special place because partly, they are such a welcoming and safe place for the community. They really want to make sure that they're giving back to the community that has lost so many historic L-G-B-T-Q friendly bars and restaurants over the years. 

Not only that, but they're partly owned by DJs of KEXP. KEXP is a globally renowned radio station that is all about discovering music. Every single show is so vastly different based on the genre of music they're showing off or the region of the world that's coming from. All of the DJs [00:30:00] on that radio show are just so phenomenal and it is so much fun to tune in at any hour of the day, and you'll just hear something new, and unique, and exciting. You go into that place, and there's a whole vinyl wall. You can buy records there. They have a vinyl happy hour, so if you want to pick out a record to listen to, they'll play it. And the vinyl record player is just right there on the bar. It's just such a unique place, and it's fully vegan as well. 

It's where music meets the vegan community, meets L-G-B-T-Q community. It's just like such a cool, unique, very Seattle place. And the light rail continues on to university district. It goes all the way North. 

We talked about Ballard and Fremont. So that is definitely one thing. If you're branching out of the city, you might need a car or maybe get one once you start leaving Seattle, at least, to save you a few days of rental. So that would be my main recommendation. 

There's a lot there, for sure. When is a good time to come to Seattle in your opinion? 

I would [00:31:00] say, if you wanted to visit Seattle and Washington State, honestly, the sooner the better. Not just because there's so much to offer, but we recently suffered unprecedented floods last month, and it really devastated a lot of the communities to the north and to the south. A lot of it was local farms, and a lot of places who pop up at our iconic farmer's markets, and coupled with a lot of the political issues going on, and tariffs and starting fights with Canada. We lost a lot of tourism over the last year. And then, with those floods happening, Washington really is in desperate need of tourism, and you'll absolutely be so happy you came. Like we've talked about, there's so much to offer and it really would go a long way in choosing Washington or choosing anywhere in the US, really, but choosing [00:32:00] Washington to help support a lot of the farmers, and a lot of the small communities that lost so much in the floods. 

That sounds like a great plan and a great suggestion. Thank you so much. So Darby, thank you so much for being on the podcast, and for taking the time and presenting all of these places. I know, I can't wait for my next trip to Seattle. So would you mind telling our listeners again, how they can find you and follow you, and are you open to answering questions that people might have about travel to Seattle through social media? 

Absolutely. So you can find me on Instagram at Darby the Vegan. It's. D-A-R-B-Y. I also have my blog, darbythevegan.com. In my LinkedIn bio or on my blog, is where you can find my 'Seattle Vegan Travel Guide'. If you are looking to come and you just want a little bit more of a helpful, condensed version. I recommend all the best places to stay, a little look inside the top 10 little micro neighborhoods, how to use transit, all the things you might [00:33:00] need that I feel are helpful. And yes, if anyone has any questions or wants recommendations,please hit up the DMs or send me an email. I would love to chat. 

Fabulous. Thank you so much again, Darby. 

Thank you.