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Guide to Seattle, USA - Washington
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SeattleA city averaging only 50 days of sunshine each year, Seattle may seem a bit dreary to some, but visitors thoughts quickly turn around once they enthrall themselves in everything it has to please and amaze. Youll obtain breathtaking views from the observation deck of the Space Needle; get something of a /Back to the Future/ vibe when strolling around the grounds of the Seattle Center; and you surely cant escape the pull of the wilderness and state park that stand just outside the citys borders. Heck, you can even take a boat ride on the lake that divides Seattle into north and south. Whatever you choose to do in Seattle, youll enjoy mingling with some of the most interesting people to have come out of a sun-deprived city, and do it at some of the most recognizable and not-so-recognizable sites in the country.
When to go:
Many presume Seattle to be a rain-soaked city with nothing but gray skies, and while gray skies may be overwhelmingly prevalent in weekly forecasts, rainfall here is lower than in many other cities in the US. However, humidity and cold are common, making Seattle ideal for the outdoorsy type, or at the least, thick skinned folk. Temperatures in the summer are more moderate than the remainder of the year, with daily highs of around 80F. Luckily for summer visitors, what rainfall Seattle experiences, little of it comes during the warm season.
Getting there and around:
Seattles main flight center is known as Sea-Tac Airport, which, not surprisingly, is not exactly next-door to the city. However, shuttle buses and taxis cover the distance on I-5 fairly quickly, and if you feel the need to be the one behind the wheel, there are a number of car rental agencies inside the terminal.
When moving about the city, your most-frequently used mode of transportation will be Metro Transit Buses. While the city runs a trolley to all of the popular tourist destinations, including the Space Need, Pike Place, the International District, the Seattle Art Museum and more, youll be using buses to get closer to specific destinations (eateries, etc) most of the time. You may rent a vehicle at the airport or in the city, but though traffic is not as horrific as that of NYC or LA, theres a good chance youll be caught in gridlock at one point or another. Bicycles are a good way of getting around downtown, and though it may not be sunny or warm much of the year, youll still enjoy the Washington State air better than that of the inside of a bus or taxicab.
Attractions:
Capitol Hill is one of the premier destinations in Seattle. Though it is not architectural appreciation that brings visitors to this area, the countercultural atmosphere offers a fresh, unique image to the social sector of the city. Here you will find everything from chocolate boutiques to rowdy rock bars, and while Broadways daytime activity is quite normal and in sync with the rest of Seattle, the night crowd changes things up quite a bit. Until the wee hours of the morning youll find the clubs and coffeehouses alive with the sound of emerging and veteran rock groups to acoustic troubadours belting out loves songs for latte sipping nighthawks.
The Seattle Center is probably the most /visited/ area in the city, but some are turned off by its tackiness, as they call it. Tourists in touch with their past of classic cartoons may feel a connection here, and though some welcome the feelings of nostalgia, some wander over to more culturally sophisticated sectors of Seattle. You will find in the Seattle Center the famous Space Needle, and a few exhibition halls and arenas now in use for city-hosted conventions.
Pike Place Market is a century-old seafood and vegetable extravaganza, where you can bask in the smells of crab and salmon and dodge the flying fish as they make their way from the hands of one vendor to another. Its a wonderful place to spend some time browsing and sampling the countless bins and baskets, and even get some fantastic waterside views.
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