My family usually takes a week-long vacation once every summer. This year, we're in the Emerald City. Here's what I've learned so far.

First, this city is remarkably hilly. I had no idea how steep some of the roads were until I was standing at the top of the sidewalk, bent over, trying to catch my breath.

Second, Amazon is taking over. My brother ordered a pair of headphones at 10 A.M. and they were on our doorstep by 5 P.M. The company is constructing huge buildings and bringing in more employees all the time. One of our Lyft drivers said the rent for his small apartment was going up $500 a month because of the huge population boom.

Speaking of Lyft... We didn't want to rent a car because of the cost and the hassle, so we figured Uber would be an easy alternative. After a few nice Uber rides, we discovered that Lyft is maybe an even nicer alternative. Super easy to use and you can tip your drivers, which they greatly appreciate. Also, the logo is a pink mustache, which is pretty neat.

Another travel tip (that sounds so weird because I'm so not a traveller) is Airbnb. There are four of us in my immediate family, and we're all basically adults. So one hotel room with two little beds and one bathroom isn't exactly ideal. Also, my dad snores and my brother listens to incredibly loud music, so again, a hotel is doable, but not ideal. Airbnb to the rescue! I found a townhouse just outside of downtown for the same price as a hotel in the middle of the city. Three bedrooms, four bathrooms, full kitchen, even a washer and dryer. So. Much. Better. I highly recommend.

A few tourist-y things I've done so far and enjoyed: Elliott Bay Bookstore; Molly Moon Ice Cream; Seattle Aquarium; Stumptown Coffee; Chihuly Garden and Glass; Starbucks Roastery (which is like a classy coffee theme park); Pike Place Market (which is home to the original Starbucks); Washington State Arboretum; the Seattle Wheel. Tomorrow we're planning to go to the EMP (Experience Music Project) Museum, which I've heard great things about.

Today we took the ferry, which is massive, by the way, to Bainbridge Island and went kayaking around Eagle Harbor. We were only on the island for half a day, but it seemed a little more family-friendly and relaxed as opposed to downtown Seattle.

If you're ever in Seattle and want to skip over the pond to Canada, I highly recommend the Victoria Clipper. It was a beautiful, peaceful three-hour boat ride to Victoria, the capital of British Colombia. There we toured Craigdarroch Castle and had afternoon tea at the Abkhazi Gardens. We sipped a lemon tea called the Philosopher's Brew and hung out with a cat named Jeff. Then we walked through the Royal BC Museum and got back on the Clipper to return to Seattle. It was a long day, and I think my Fitbit told me we walked about 18,000 steps (which is very uncommon for my family), but it was fabulous.

My uncle lives in Seattle, and he just got a new puppy named Tucker. So naturally that made the trip a billion times better.

Family vacations can be hard sometimes, especially when everyone wants to do or see or eat something different. But we're collecting memories and growing closer to our loved ones even during the rough patches. I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to travel with my family and see bits and pieces of our world with the people I love.