The Seattle Experience

The city of Seattle sits at the edge of Puget Sound, in between the Sound and Lake Washington, in the state of Washington. It is the largest city in the Pacific Northwest region. Native tribes inhabited the area for a few thousand years before European settlers arrived in the mid-1800s. A three-hour drive south will put you in Portland, OR and a three-hour drive north will get you to Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Ever since it was first founded, Seattle has been a city with lots of local industries, going through cycles of boom and bust. Lumber and the Klondike gold rush contributed to the early development of the city, whereas companies like Starbucks and Microsoft are fueling present growth.

Seattle gets a lot of press about the amount of rain it experiences, however it is more of an overcast and cloudy city than a wet one. (almost all of the Eastern seaboard gets more rain than Seattle). Most of the rain that falls comes down as misty drizzles and thunderstorms are very rare. Winters can be dark, but snow is mostly powdered-sugar dustings that melt within a few hours. Summers run from cool and drizzly to nice and temperate with very few huge heat waves.

Do you think of...

• airplanes - home of Boeing
• boating - Lake Washington and Puget Sound
• coffee - home of Starbucks and Tully's
• computers - home of Microsoft
• islands - Vashion, Bainbridge, Mercer
• mountains - Mt Rainier and the Olympic peninsula
• music - Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, Pearl Jam
• rain - gentle but nearly year-round

Here are some recommendations for if you find yourself in Seattle but don't have a lot of time to see the sights.

The Waterfront - Pike Market, the Aquarium, the Great Wheel, tons of restaurants and some of the best people watching in town can all be had within just a few blocks of each other on Seattle's waterfront.

Seattle Center - the historic location of the 1962 World's Fair is still the home of the famous Space Needle but it's also got the Pacific Science Center, the Key Arena, the Chihuly Garden, the Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and a food court to satisfy any tastes. This space also plays host to a variety of smaller, local convention, exhibitions and performances.

For over 50 years, starting around the end of June and running into the beginning of August is Seattle's Seafair. This is the largest festival event in the Northwest and masses an amazing array of summer events and activities into the absolute best part of the year in this region. There are boating events, street fairs, air shows, several foot races and more, all occurring within this six week period. Here are some highlights not to be missed:

• Pirate Landing - yep, a motley and humorous crew of pirates land at Seafair. Be sure to bring the kids to this one!

• Milk Carton Derby - hand-built boats which float on milk cartons make for a fun, family event.

• Torchlight Run - supporting local charities, this is an evening road race for serious and casual runners alike.

• Lake Union wooden boat festival - celebrating vintage and antique watercraft.

• Bon Odori - this Buddhist festival honors the dead and features unique line dancing in the streets.

• Hydroplane races - boats race at over 200 mph to compete for the Chevrolet Cup.

• Air show - the famous Blue Angels come to town.