| Why
Travel to Seattle?
Seattle, Washington state, in the Pacific north-west, is a green and cultured place, home to the
most successful high technology industry in the world, so the ambience
generally is young, vibrant and high on money, art and caffeine though it still rocks to grunge and boasts
Jimi Hendrix as a favourite musical export.
The city is situated in a very scenic, watery, rocky region with mountainous views and is surrounded by
countless outdoor activity possibilities as well as being just 113 miles south of Canada if you are looking for a double-country
experience.
Downside:
- The city's quite conservative and lacks dramatic architecture or iconic sights compared to its Californian cousins, San
Francisco and LA.
- Seattle is built on seven hills with endless bridges and confusing street addresses so it's far from a paradise for walkers, even without depressing weather news or traffic jams.
- Seattle statistically enjoys just 58 days of clear sunshine a year.
Funny
thing this Seattle rain. Not a whole lot of it, but
it sure takes a long time to come down, R.L.Walker.
Climate:
Best: June-September
for least rain, except for winter sports October-February; head
east of the mountains for flowers in April-May.
Worst: January-May, October-December for rain/drizzle/sleet/drizzle/downpours/drizzle/damp/drizzle.
Main Attractions:
Frank Gehry's EMPISFM Museum
Seattle Center: the cultural heart of the city, where you can climb
the Space Needle for panoramic views or dining, ride the
monorail and goggle at the visual feasts of the Pacific Science
Center and the musical/SF ones in the [deep breath] 'Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame' [EMPISFM].
'U' District: the university district for campus life and Washington Park Arboretum
for plant life.
Capitol Hill: Volunteer Park
for the Victorian glasshouse; Asian Art Museum; the Henry Art Gallery
and Burke Museum for Native American objects.
Pioneer Square: where it all started
- the Klondike Gold Rush Historic Park and totem pole filled Occidental
Park will tell you all about it.
Arts
and Culture:
Museums
and Galleries:
Seattle Art Museum, Burke Museum [native artifacts] and Henry Art
Gallery.
Classical
Music and Dance: Seattle
Symphony Orchestra at Benaroya Concert Hall, Downtown; Seattle Opera
and Pacific Northwest Ballet at the Opera House, Seattle Center.
Nightlife and Entertainment: plenty of live music venues and clubs
catering for all sorts.
Getting Around:
Although Seattle is a green, clean city, the street system is a hilly, jumbly nightmare for tourist walkers or and cyclists, though Metro Transit encourages bikers with secure parking at some transit stops, and bike racks on most buses.
However there are efficient, public transport systems available, such as the Seattle Center Monorail [ quick links from downtown to Seattle Center], and SoundTransit's buses, commuter trains and the new light rail service.
A Seattle catering truck [specialising in pork,naturally]
Cuisine:
Generally
good and of many kinds, but sea food in particular.
Head Downtown to Belltown for the most exclusive city nosh, Pike
Square Market for fresh sea critters, and the International District
for Asian.
Festivals
and Parades: Jan-Feb,
Chinese New Year, International District.
May, Northwest Folklife Festival, International
District.
July-Aug, Seafair.
September, Bumbershoot, International District.
Short
Trips:
Bainbridge Island: by
ferry to see Seattle from a watery perspective.
Tacoma: worth a day to see the impressive
Union Station and visit museums.
Also:
Olympic National Park, Mt Rainier National Park, North Cascades
National Park, San Juan Islands - see Pacific
Northwest Travel
Seattle Map | USA Map
Oregon/Washington
states | USA Guide | USA
Tours |
