Help me plan things to do in Seattle this weekend!

[zeroconspiracy]

Ok, I am going to Seattle for the first time this weekend and i need some quick tips to help plan a fun filled, robust weekend experience. This is my first visit, so if you could help answer some or all of these questions it would be much appreciated.

I have a 3 day plan (Fri, Sat, Sun) with Monday being open to anything. day one will be spent at pikes place/downtown shopping, day two will be spent in the international district, and day three will be spent around the space needle.

Here are my questions:
1) other than eating, what else is there to do in the international district? Shopping, shows or otherwise. my girlfriend is fluent in Mandarin so do not consider that a barrier to entry for this weekend.

2) would you recommend some shops for ladies (insert dirty response below). My GF is very much into designer good and courtier. I saw LV, Gucci, Barnys and Nordstrom. Anything else along the lines of hermes or chanel? do they have a specific area to walk around that would fulfill this need? Shoes stores and beg stores would be appreciated.

Follow-up: brick-n-brack shopping recommendations as well please.

3) I need vegetarian friendly food recommendations! India, thai, whatever! No fish either please.

4) are these three areas good to kill a day in with shopping and food or should i rethink my break down a bit? Reworded: would these three areas not have enough to fill 3 days worth or is there going to be a lot of boring walking around, could i do all three areas in one afternoon?

5) what exciting things are going on for the 4th of july!? day time and night time. any and all recommendations welcome.

Thanks!!!
** please note i will not have a car and will be staying in the heart of downtown next to Nordstroms.

 

[RedLantern]

I don't think you need to dedicate an entire day to the ID or the space needle. One day you might consider taking the ferry over to bainbridge island and having a nice brunch or something like that.

 

[zeroconspiracy]

interesting. where are some good brunch spots?

 

[RedLantern]

Cafe Nola is the usual recommendation. Also, blackbird bakery is pretty dang good if you're looking for just a nosh and a cup of coffee/espresso. Also, if you do end up at blackbird, I would suggest ordering toast - though I don' think it's actually on the menu board.

 

[XeF4]

I went to some place called the pink room(I think) when I was there last. It was good food. I think it was close to the fish market. You should also do the fish market, if that already wasn't a given, but go on sunday(I think) is when they have the farmers market which is pretty big too.

 

[RedLantern]

^ ? The market is in full swing every day, as far as I know. It might have more vendors on the weekends, but during the week it's not like the fish guys are the only thing going.

 

[Eason]

Don't go to the space needle. Go to the 40th floor of the Columbia Tower instead. Better view, less people, costs $5 a person.