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    Fodor's Seattle
    Fodor's Seattle
    Fodor's Seattle
    Ebook743 pages5 hours

    Fodor's Seattle

    By Fodor's Travel Guides

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    About this ebook

    Written by locals, Fodor's travel guides have been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for more than 80 years. 

    Seattle is a city of many personalities: eclectic, urban, outdoorsy, artsy, gritty, down-to-earth, or posh--it's all here, from the quirky character of the Seattle Waterfront, to the eccentric "Republic of Fremont," to hipsters walking baby carriages past aging mansions on Capitol Hill. There's something for just about everyone within this vibrant Emerald City. Outside of Seattle, the San Juan Islands offer a respite from city life, while Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, and Olympic National Park beckon adventure travelers.

    This travel guide includes:
    · Dozens of full-color maps
    · Hundreds of hotel and restaurant recommendations, with Fodor's Choice designating our top picks
    · Multiple itineraries to explore the top attractions and what’s off the beaten path
    · Coverage of Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and Glass, Ballard's restaurants and bars, Olympic Sculpture Park, the Puget Sound Islands, Mt. Rainier, Olympic National Park, and the San Juan Islands.

    Planning to visit more of the Pacific Northwest? Check out Fodor's travel guide to the Pacific Northwest with Oregon, Washington & Vancouver.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherFodor's Travel
    Release dateJul 25, 2017
    ISBN9780147546838
    Fodor's Seattle
    Author

    Fodor's Travel Guides

    For over 80 years, Fodor's Travel has been a trusted resource offering expert travel advice for every stage of a traveler's trip. We hire local writers who know their destinations better than anyone else, allowing us to provide the best travel recommendations for all tastes and budgets in over 7,500 worldwide destinations. Our books make it possible for every trip to be a trip of a lifetime.

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      Fodor's Seattle - Fodor's Travel Guides

      Experience Seattle

      WHAT’S WHERE

      Downtown. This part of town is easy to pick out—it’s the only part of Seattle with skyscrapers. Seattle’s governmental buildings are here, along with most of the city’s hotels and many popular tourist spots, including the evolving waterfront, recently expanded Pike Place Market, and Seattle Art Museum. Just north of Downtown, Belltown is home to the Olympic Sculpture Park, as well as boutiques and nightlife.

      Seattle Center, South Lake Union, and Queen Anne. Queen Anne, north of Belltown, rises up from Denny Way to the Lake Washington Ship Canal. At the bottom are the Space Needle, the Seattle Center, and the Experience Music Project museum. South Lake Union—home to Amazon’s massive HQ and a neighborhood in major transition—has the REI superstore, lakefront, and some eateries and hotels.

      Pioneer Square. Seattle’s oldest neighborhood has historic redbrick and sandstone buildings, plus galleries, niche shops, and a small cluster of innovative eateries. A few sketchy elements clash with the carefully maintained facades.

      International District. Once called Chinatown, the I.D. is a fun place to shop and eat. The stunning Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience and Uwajimaya shopping center anchor the neighborhood.

      First Hill and the Central District. Nicknamed Pill Hill for its abundance of hospitals, the First Hill neighborhood has only one must-see: the Frye Art Museum. Farther east is the Central District, which is way off the tourist track, but has some beautiful churches and street art.

      Capitol Hill. The Hill has two faces: On one side, it’s young and edgy, full of artists, musicians, and students. On the other side, it’s elegant and upscale, with tree-lined streets, 19th-century mansions, and John Charles Olmsted’s Volunteer Park. It has some of the city’s best restaurants and nightlife.

      Fremont. This ‘hood on the northern side of the Lake Washington Ship Canal used to be the neighborhood for artists and hippies; it’s now an interesting mix of pricey boutiques and restaurants obsessed over by foodies. Up the hill, residential Phinney Ridge includes the Woodland Park Zoo.

      Ballard. Skirting the mouth of Shilshole Bay, Ballard’s main tourist attraction is the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. This historically Scandinavian neighborhood is now booming with new builds, and is worth a visit for the dining, shopping, and year-round farmers’ market.

      Wallingford. A large residential neighborhood that keeps a low profile, Wallingford starts at the ship canal with the wonderful waterfront Gas Works Park. Its booming commercial strip along North 45th Street has a few excellent restaurants. Directly north of Wallingford is Green Lake, whose park has a 3-mile paved path that circles the lake.

      The U District. The University of Washington’s vast campus is truly lovely, and the surrounding neighborhood can be both gritty and inviting. Loads of ethnic restaurants and a large student population keep things lively.

      West Seattle. On a peninsula west of the city proper, West Seattle’s California Avenue has some appealing shops and restaurants. Gorgeous Alki Beach offers views of the Seattle skyline. Lincoln Park is an ideal place to hike or relax on the beach.

      Eastside. East of Lake Washington, the Eastside suburbs are home to Microsoft. Bellevue is the most citylike, with its own skyline, an art museum, and high-end shops and restaurants. You can also visit Redmond, Woodinville wineries, Marymoor Park, or head into the mountains.

      SEATTLE PLANNER

      Getting Here and Around

      GETTING HERE

      The major gateway is Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA), known locally as Sea-Tac. The airport is south of the city and reasonably close to it—non-rush-hours trips to Downtown sometimes take less than a half hour. Sea-Tac is a midsize, modern airport that is usually pleasant to navigate. You can take Sound Transit’s Link light-rail ( www.soundtransit.org), which will take you right to Downtown or beyond in 35 minutes for just $3.

      GETTING AROUND

      Biking is a popular but somewhat tricky endeavor, thanks to a shortage of safe bike routes and some daunting hills. Walking is fun, though distances and rain can sometimes get in the way. Several neighborhoods—from Pioneer Square to Downtown, or from Belltown to Queen Anne, for example—are close enough to each other that even hills and moisture can’t stop walkers.

      The bus system will get you anywhere you need to go, although some routes require a time commitment and several transfers. Within the Downtown core, however, the bus is efficient and affordable. Another option for public transport is the bright red streetcars that connects Downtown to South Lake Union and Pioneer Square to Capitol Hill.

      Access to a car is almost a necessity if you want to explore the residential neighborhoods beyond their commercial centers, but parking can cost upwards of $50 per night in the urban center. Alternatives like Car2Go, Lyft, or Uber are great options, and many high-end hotels offer complimentary town-car service around Downtown and the immediate areas.

      Ferries are a major part of Seattle’s transportation network, and they’re the only way to reach Vashon Island and the San Juans. You’ll get outstanding views of the skyline and the elusive Mt. Rainier from the ferry to Bainbridge.

      Helpful Websites and Apps

      www.ridethecity.com/​seattle helps cyclists find the best route.

      www.wsdot.com/​traffic/​seattle has bridge and road closures and live traffic updates.

      www.wsdot.com/​ferries has live cams and wait times for ferries.

      www.tripplanner.kingcounty.gov makes finding bus route easy.

      www.accessmap.io helps users navigate Seattle’s hills, curb cuts, and construction. It’s designed for the handicapped but has useful information for others as well.

      Visitor Information

      Contact the Seattle Visitors Bureau and Convention Center ( www.visitseattle.org 206/461–5800) for help with everything from sightseeing to booking spa services. You can also follow their Twitter feed ( twitter.com/​seattlemaven). The main visitor information center is Downtown, at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center on 8th Avenue and Pike Street; it has a full-service concierge desk open daily 9 to 5 (in summer; weekdays only in winter). There’s also an info booth at Pike Place Market.

      When to Go

      Unless you’re planning an all-indoor museum trip, Seattle is most enjoyable May through October. June can be surprisingly rainy, but July through September is almost always dry, with warm days that range from the mid-70s and 80s with the occasional serious scorcher; nights are cooler, though it doesn’t get dark until 9 or 10 pm. Although the weather can be dodgy, spring (particularly April) and fall are also excellent times to visit, as lodging and tour costs are usually much lower (and the crowds much smaller). In winter, the days are short, dark, and wet, but temperatures rarely dip below the low 40s, and winter events—especially around the holidays—are plentiful. You might even luck into a sunny winter day with crisp air and clear views of snowy mountains.

      Festivals

      The Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau has a full calendar of events at www.visitseattle.org/​cultural. Foodies will want to hit up Taste of Washington (spring www.tastewashington.org) for the best of food and wine, as well as Bite of Seattle (July www.biteofseattle.com), the Northwest Chocolate Festival (September www.nwchocolate.com) and Seattle International Beer Fest (July www.seattlebeerfest.com). The Seattle International Film Festival presents more than 200 features (May and June www.siff.net).

      Music lovers have three major events to keep them happy: Bumbershoot (September www.bumbershoot.com) is Seattle’s premier music festival, packed with major acts, as well as dance and theater, while Northwest Folklife Festival (May www.nwfolklife.org) is a free, family-friendly event featuring folk music and dance from around the globe. Hipsters will want to check out Capitol Hill Block Party (July www.capitolhill­blockparty.com) for the best indie pop, rock, hip-hop, and alt-country.

      The Seattle Pride Festival (June www.seattlepride.org) has the Northwest’s biggest gay, lesbian, and transgender pride parade. A local favorite, the quirky Fremont Fair Summer Solstice Parade (June www.fremontfair.org) provides a glimpse into the true character of the city. Seafair (July and August www.seafair.com) is the biggest summer festival; hydroplane races are just one major event.

      SEATTLE TODAY

      Seattle is a city that doesn’t stand on convention. From its well-earned reputation for quirky music and art, to its laid-back population of obsessive foodies, this is a place that defies easy categorization. You’re as likely to see millionaires riding the bus as PhDs behind the counter at a coffee shop. Grizzled fishermen mingle at Ballard bars alongside mustachioed hipsters, techies in performance clothing, and tattooed moms. It’s an international city, with a strong Asian influence and a history of innovation. This is a place that successfully rallied for the statewide legalization of marijuana, yet people still refuse to jaywalk, even during protests.

      Today’s Seattle

      …is influenced by its environment. The Seattleite way of life is shaped by the mountains, water, and massive evergreen trees that hang like verdant shrouds over Craftsman homes. You can see it in Seattleite fashion—for many, waterproof gear and sensible shoes take precedence over trends. You can see it in the hobbies—with the most sailors per capita, nearly everyone has a boat or knows someone who does. REI started here for a reason: this outdoorsy, active population is constantly on a hike, bike, or paddle adventure. With such a connection to nature, Seattleites are rabid recyclers and composters and the city recently enacted a plastic bag ban. The rain makes the population maudlin, introspective, and dark—which they channel into wildly imaginative writing, art, and music.

      …is highly educated. This is a city of nerds. Go ahead, make that obscure reference to Hessian fighters or binary code—you’ll find an appreciative audience. Seattle is the most educated city in the country, and constantly vies for most literate with Minneapolis. It has always attracted educated, creative people, from the first influx of Boeing engineers and University of Washington students to today’s high-tech innovators.

      …is liberal, progressive, and alternative. One of the most liberal cities in the country, Seattle can be counted on to vote at least 80% Democrat in any given election. This progressive hotbed is also host to one of the largest LGBT populations, the highest mixed-race population nationwide, and a hugely influential alternative press—including The Stranger, Seattle Weekly, and the many active neighborhood blogs. Which is not to say they’re always tolerant—conservatives are shunned in the city limits and people aren’t quick to advertise their church attendance.

      …is growing. Fast. With a near-constant influx of newcomers arriving, the population is growing ahead of the national average. Newbies now outweigh natives—a fact many old-timers lament. Hemmed by the geographical limits of mountains and water, the city has had no choice but to expand skyward. Density is growing, as are light-rail and other forms of mass transit. And not a moment too soon—Seattle now boasts the fifth-worst traffic in the country. Luckily, the city is walkable and bike-able, and most neighborhoods are well equipped with all the necessities within walking distance. With all this expansion, housing costs are sky-high and Seattle is fast becoming one of the most expensive cities. Understandably, you won’t see a lot of kids—only San Francisco boasts fewer families with children. Dogs, however, are another story. The canine-to-kid ratio is decidedly in Fido’s favor.

      FREE AND ALMOST FREE

      Free Art

      The Olympic Sculpture Park has installations from sculptors like Alexander Calder set against the backdrop of the sparkling waters of the Sound.

      Pioneer Square has the largest concentration of art galleries in the city, all of which are free. Elsewhere in the city, Belltown and Capitol Hill also have free galleries.

      Beloved sculptures like the Fremont Troll, the statue of Lenin, and Waiting for the Interurban are free to visit, too.

      Free Music

      Unless it’s a major ticketed venue, cover charges at small music venues tend to be cheap ($5–$8) or free.

      Throughout the year, City Hall hosts free lunchtime concerts, mostly jazz and world music.

      Local indie music station KEXP, which has an international audience, and Seattle Center host the Concerts at the Mural series at the Mural Amphitheatre lawn in late July and August ( www.kexp.org/​events; KEXP also offers free tours of its new HQ near the Space Needle).

      All shows at the four-day (Memorial Day weekend) Northwest Folklife Festival ( www.nwfolklife.org) are free, but donations are appreciated.

      Free Words

      Only residents can check out materials, but the gorgeous main branch of the Rem Koolhaas– and Joshua Ramus–designed Seattle Public Library is open to everyone—check email, take a tour, listen to a CD from the music library, or catch up on reading in one of the many lounges. Many of their evening lectures are also free.

      Elliott Bay Book Company ( www.elliottbaybook.com), Third Place Books ( www.thirdplacebooks.com), and Open Books ( www.openpoetrybooks.com) often have free author readings.

      Town Hall, the city’s premier venue for lectures, sometimes has free series—and tickets to most lectures are only $5 ( www.townhallseattle.org).

      Free Theater

      Free (and cheap) theater can be found in Seattle year-round, but the best time to score that live theater fix is October, during Arts Crush ( www.artscrush.org). For the entire month, the city teems with live theater (along with music, literature, film, and dance) events, many of which are free. If you’re visiting in July or August, you can enjoy a free Shakespeare in the Park production from Wooden O Theater ( www.seattleshakespeare.org) or Green Stage ( www.greenstage.org). Head to Volunteer Park for free children’s theater from Theater Schmeater ( www.schmeater.org).

      Free Museums and Attractions

      Always Free

      The Center for Wooden Boats

      Coast Guard Museum on Pier 36

      Frye Art Museum

      Hiram M. Chittenden Ballard Locks

      Klondike Gold Rush Museum

      Kubota Garden

      Pike Place Market

      Seattle Art Museum Sculpture Park

      Uwajimaya

      Volunteer Park Conservatory

      Woodland Park Zoo’s Rose Garden

      QUINTESSENTIAL SEATTLE

      If you want to savor the Emerald City like a local, start by familiarizing yourself with some of its passions. Seattle’s culture is best experienced in its coffee shops, music clubs, restaurants, and the surrounding mountains and waterways.

      Coffee

      If Seattle had a soundtrack it would surely include the whir, hiss, and hum of espressos being pulled by baristas. It may be a cliché, but coffee fuels a huge part of Seattle’s cultural identity. Starbucks has local fans, but to understand the coffee culture—and to get a great cup of joe—visit one of the numerous independent shops and local minichains, many of which roast their own beans on-site. With what appears to be half the city telecommuting at any given time, coffeehouses are the de facto workplace for many Seattleites. Spend an hour or two in a shop and you’ll notice business meetings and small armies of freelancers tapping away on their laptops. Some shops, particularly in the north end, host play groups and story times, and an increasing number offer beer and wine as well as evening trivia or music events. Occasionally, shops feature hard-to-get coffees at special cupping events, which take on the feel of wine tastings.

      Music

      Let’s get this out of the way: the city that brought the world grunge has never stopped evolving. While you still might catch a glimpse of grunge royalty, our current crop of local bands is proof we’ve moved on. Today you’re more likely to catch alt-country bands, underground hip-hop, or eclectic folk-pop like the Fleet Foxes in the city’s many little clubs, theaters, and music festivals. Seattle’s love of music is demonstrated more outside its clubs than in them. You can see it in the independent record shops, where staff members handwrite poetic recommendations; in the continued success of local label Sub Pop Records; in the fanatical support for local radio station KEXP; in the health of midsize venues that can draw national acts; and the tendency of coffeehouse baristas to treat their shifts like DJ sessions.

      Pacific Northwest Cuisine

      Fresh, local, organic, and wild—this is a city that takes these buzzwords seriously, and it shows. Over the last decade, Seattle has emerged as a foodie mecca, with a distinctive farm- (and sea-) to-table style and a heavy Pacific Rim influence. Many restaurants get their ingredients from farmers’ markets, Pike Place Market, and in some cases from their own organic farms and rooftop gardens. We’d be remiss if we didn’t push you to try seafood throughout the city—from sustainable sushi to the season’s best offerings at midlevel and high-end eateries. Your exploration shouldn’t be limited to the fanciest eateries—be sure to hit hole-in-the-wall pho joints, tiny diners, fish-and-chips shops, bakeries, and food trucks—many of which feature high-quality, local ingredients and a devoted following. www.seattlefoodtruck.com

      The Great Outdoors

      Yes, it rains a lot…in winter. But summers are gorgeous (as are most falls and springs), and with a major mountain range on each side and Mt. Rainier rising to the south, it’s no wonder that Seattleites are obsessed with the outdoors. The best adventures—heading east to hike in the Cascade range; south to Mt. Rainier or Mt. St. Helens national parks; west to camp, hike, and spot wildlife in Olympic National Park; or across the Sound to explore one of many nearby islands on foot or by canoe or kayak—involve leaving the city, but even within Seattle proper, there’s plenty to do. Rent a bike or kayak or take a walk around Discovery Park, Washington Park Arboretum, and Seward Park. Enjoying an outdoor adventure is easy and memorable here.

      IF YOU LIKE

      Arts and Culture

      The Great Outdoors gets so much attention it’s easy to overlook Seattle’s Great Indoors—the myriad galleries, museums, music clubs, independent bookstores, theaters, and cinemas. The city teems with visual artists and sculptors; several excellent film festivals attest to the number of resident cinephiles. Nearly every local coffee shop (and many restaurants, bars, and stores) serves as an impromptu art gallery; some even hold official openings with food, drinks, and music when exhibits change.

      A great way to get an overview of Seattle’s art scene—and mingle with locals in the process—is to participate in one of the city’s art walks, which include stops at galleries, coffeehouses, restaurants, shops, and public works of art in all their quirky glory. The First Thursday Art Walk in Pioneer Square (first Thursday of every month from noon to 8 pm www.firstthursday­seattle.com) starts at Main Street and Occidental and takes you through the city’s gallery district, as well as to some Downtown spots. There are also smaller walks in every neighborhood in Seattle ( www.seattle.gov.arts.experience.art-walks). Some of our favorites are Capitol Hill (second Thursdays from 5 pm to 8 pm www.capitolhillartwalk.com), Fremont (first Fridays from 6 pm to 9 pm www.fremontfirstfriday.blogspot.com), and Ballard (second Saturdays from 6 pm to 9 pm www.ballardchamber.com).

      Check out what local writers are up to at readings at the Hugo House, Open Books, the Elliott Bay Book Company, and at other local bookstores and venues citywide ( www.thestranger.com/​seattle/​books for weekly listings).

      The grande dame of the art scene, the Seattle Art Museum has rotating exhibitions and a broad permanent collection. SAM’s outdoor branch, Olympic Sculpture Park, is where striking sculptures compete with views of the Puget Sound. Other favorite museums include the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience and the Frye Art Museum, along with the Chihuly Garden and Glass museum.

      A nonprofit that aids Seattle’s budding filmmakers, the Northwest Film Forum ( www.nwfilmforum.org) has the scoop on independent film in the Northwest. At NWFF’s hip screening room, film geeks can catch hard-to-find documentaries and feature films or revisit classic films from masters like Jean Renoir and Akira Kurosawa.

      Water

      Bound and sliced by impressive stretches of water, even longtime residents can be found gawking at the mountain-backed Puget Sound and its bays.

      A must-see on any itinerary, the Seattle Aquarium shows you what’s going on underneath the surface, with special exhibits concerning the ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest. Get an up-close look at all sorts of craft, from research boats to posh yachts, as they navigate the Lake Washington Ship Canal and the Hiram M. Chittenden (aka Ballard) Locks.

      If you’re not content with views alone, rent a canoe or kayak from Agua Verde Paddle Club and tool around the ship canal or head into Lake Union to see Seattle’s famous houseboats. Experienced sailors might want to consider renting a sailboat from the Center for Wooden Boats; lessons are available for landlubbers.

      On hot days, the swimming rafts in Lake Washington beckon. Several beaches along the western shore of this massive lake have lifeguards and other amenities. The eastern shore of Green Lake also has a beach and swimming raft and offers a more subdued dip—a good way to cool off after you join Seattleites in a jog around the lake’s nearly 3-mile pedestrian path.

      To experience a little taste of California in Seattle, with beach volleyball and a general SoCal beachy feel, take the West Seattle water taxi ( www.kingcounty.gov) across Elliott Bay. Stroll or bike along Alki Beach, dip a toe or a kayak in the water, and enjoy a panorama of city skyline, mountains, and sea. Riding a Washington State ferry—perhaps a trip from Downtown Seattle to Bainbridge Island—is pure exhilarating joy, with the views, the waves, the seagulls, the spray of water, and the seals frolicking.

      Lazy Days

      Despite all the activities they enjoy, Seattleites appreciate the beauty of slowing the pace and spending a few quiet hours away from distractions.

      Grab a few books, find a coffee shop, and spend a couple of hours reading and writing postcards.

      Instead of jostling with joggers around Green Lake or power walking in Discovery Park, head to Gas Works Park and stake out a piece of green. From the park’s hill you can watch the boats in Lake Union.

      Take the ferry to nearby islands of Vashon or Bainbridge. Rent a bike and tool around past parkland, farmland, and orchards; then pop into charming galleries and crafts shops if you feel so inclined. Or just find a piece of beach and relax for a few hours.

      Wining and Dining

      It’s no secret that Seattle has excellent restaurants as well as an obsession with wine. Many restaurants showcase the best of Northwest wine alongside international selections, and the city’s most upscale dining options often offer sommelier services. Oenophiles should also plan to visit the Woodinville wine country. Just 30 minutes outside Seattle, the region features numerous wineries and tasting rooms.

      Craft beer is a big deal in Seattle. An annual spring beer fest celebrates the best of the city and beyond, while low-key brewpubs continue to crop up in every neighborhood. Ballard features a growing concentration of microbreweries, many of which are kid-friendly and include ample seating. Other locally produced tipples are trending as well, including craft cider and spirits.

      Out of all of the city’s current favorite restaurants, Canlis, Cascina Spinasse, Sitka & Spruce, the Walrus and the Carpenter, Tilth, How to Cook a Wolf, Poppy, Anchovies & Olives, Matt’s in the Market, and Lark are just a few that get a special nod for excellent food and wine choices that never disappoint. Café Juanita and the Herbfarm, in the city’s eastern suburbs, take special-occasion dining to a whole new level with multiple courses and wine pairings.

      To indulge during daylight hours, create the perfect picnic with food from Salumi Cured Meats in Pioneer Square, Paseo in Fremont, or DeLaurenti’s at Pike Place Market (be sure to grab a few choice bottles from the Pike & Western Wine Shop nearby).

      SEATTLE TOP ATTRACTIONS

      The World of SAM

      Downtown’s Seattle Art Museum (SAM) is known for its collection of modern and Native American art. A sleek addition to the original building—complete with a stylish café and gift shop—is the proper modern aesthetics for Picasso and Warhol. SAM’S Olympic Sculpture Park, in Belltown, overlooks Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains and showcases works by Calder and Serra amidst lovely green spaces. On Capitol Hill explore Volunteer Park.

      Seattle Aquarium

      Seattle’s homage to its marine habitats and inhabitants sits, fittingly, on one of its piers. This small but delightful aquarium has a well-rounded selection of Northwest-focused exhibits, from river otters to a salmon ladder. Watch divers feed fish in a replica of Neah Bay, then pay a visit to a giant Pacific octopus.

      Discovery Park

      Well off the radar, on a peninsula in a residential neighborhood called Magnolia, this park always feels like a serendipitous discovery. Though the city has many other impressive green spaces, none of them has such variety: densely forested trails spill out onto beaches with jaw-dropping vistas of Puget Sound.

      Seattle Center, the Space Needle, MoPOP, Chihuly Garden and Glass, and more

      Almost every trip, especially an inaugural one, includes a stop at Seattle Center, which was built for the 1962 World’s Fair and is home to the Space Needle, museums, and performance halls. Most of the city’s major events are held here, but even on quiet weekends there’s something for everyone: Pacific Science Center and Children’s Museum, Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum, a skatepark, the SIFF Film Center, and the brand-new Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit. You can catch opera or ballet at McCaw Hall and theater performances at Intiman Theatre.

      Local Farmers’ Markets

      A tour of the Northwest’s seasonal bounty should start at glorious Pike Place Market. Then visit smaller neighborhood markets in the University District, West Seattle, Columbia City, and along historic Ballard Avenue, and Broadway on Capitol Hill.

      The Burke-Gilman Trail

      This major cycling corridor stretches from Ballard all the way around the northern tip of Lake Washington into the Eastside suburbs. Along the way it skirts the canal and Lake Union, goes through the UW campus, passes lakeside Magnuson Park, and spends its last leg along the shore of Lake Washington.

      Washington Park Arboretum

      From autumn’s effulgent colors to the tiny pink petals of spring, the Washington Park Arboretum is a 230-acre reminder that Seattle is a city with seasons. Easy-to-navigate paths include the Shoreline Trail. One of the many highlights is the beautiful Japanese Garden.

      Hiram M. Chittenden Locks

      Also called the Ballard Locks, this attraction is an important passage within the Lake Washington Ship canal, connecting Puget Sound to Lake Washington.

      GREAT ITINERARIES

      Seattle Highlights

      Though Seattle’s not always the easiest city to navigate, it’s small enough that you can see a great deal of it in a week. If you’ve only got a long weekend here, you can easily mix and match any of the days in this itinerary. Before you explore, you’ll need three things: comfortable walking shoes, layered clothing, and a flexible mind-set: it’s easy and advisable to meander off track.

      Day 1: Pike Place Market and Downtown’s Major Sights

      Spend the first day seeing some of the major sights around Downtown. Get up early and stroll to Pike Place Market. Grab a latte or have a hearty breakfast at a café, then spend the morning wandering through the fish, fruit, flower, and crafts stalls. When you’ve had your fill, head a bit south to the Seattle Art Museum or take the steps down to the docks and visit the Seattle Aquarium. Other options include taking a stroll to Belltown to take in the views at the Olympic Sculpture Park or getting a roving view of the landscape from atop the new Seattle Great Wheel. Stop for a simple lunch at Storyville Coffee or Macrina Bakery. If you’re not too tired, head to 1st Avenue in Belltown or to Downtown’s Nordstrom and thereabouts for some late-afternoon shopping. Have dinner and drinks in either Belltown or Downtown—both have terrific restaurants that will give you a first taste of that famous Pacific Northwest cuisine.

      Day 2: Seattle Center or Pioneer Square

      Take the two-minute monorail ride from Downtown’s Westlake Center to the Seattle Center. Travel up the Space Needle for 360-degree city views. Then take in one of Seattle Center’s many ground-level attractions: the Pacific Science Center, the Children’s Museum, the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit, or the Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum. If you didn’t visit it the day before, walk southwest down Broad Street to the Olympic Sculpture Park. From there, take a cab or the bus to the International District. Visit the Uwajimaya superstore, stroll the streets, and have dinner in one of the neighborhood’s many restaurants.

      Option: If you don’t need to start out with the Space Needle, skip Seattle Center and start your day in Pioneer Square. Tour a few galleries (most of which open late morning), peek into some shops, and then head to nearby International District for more exploring—don’t miss the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience. If you still want to see the Space Needle, you can go after dinner; the observation deck is open until 9:30 pm most nights.

      Day 3: Side Trips from the City

      Now that you’ve seen some of the city, it’s time to get out of town and get closer to nature. Hikers have almost too many options, but Mt. Rainier National Park never disappoints. Alternatively, Crystal Mountain, a popular ski resort (from Highway 410, the left-hand turnoff to Crystal Mountain Blvd. is just before the entrance to the national park), offers gondola rides to the summit, where you can take in unparalleled views of Mt. Rainier and the Cascade Range (to get back to the base, hop back on the gondola or hike down). Plan a whole day for any hiking excursion—between hiking time and driving time, you’ll probably need it. When you return to the city, tired and probably ravenous, grab a hearty, casual meal and maybe an art flick—Capitol Hill is a great neighborhood for both, as is Wallingford and the University District.

      If you’d rather take to the water, get on a ferry and visit either Bainbridge or Vashon islands. Bainbridge is more developed, but it’s pretty and has large swaths of protected land with trails. The Bloedel Reserve is a major attraction, with trails passing through a bird refuge, forest, and themed gardens (a Japanese garden and a moss garden are just two). It’s always serene, thanks to a limit on the number of daily visitors (make reservations). Vashon is more agricultural and low-key. The most popular way to explore either island is by bicycle, though note that Bainbridge has some hills. Both islands have beach strolls, too. Bainbridge also has many shops and good restaurants, so it’s easy to grab a bite before heading back into the city. You’ll need less time to explore the islands than you’ll need to do a hiking excursion, so you can probably see one or two sights Downtown before going to the pier. If you haven’t made it to the aquarium yet, its proximity to the ferry makes it a great option.

      Day 4: Stepping Off the Tourist Trail

      Since you covered Downtown on Days 1 and 2, today you can sleep in a bit and explore some of the different residential neighborhoods. Check out Capitol Hill for great shopping, strolling, café culture, and people-watching. Or head north of the Lake Washington Ship Canal to Fremont and Ballard. Wherever you end up, you can start your day by having a leisurely breakfast or getting a coffee fix at an independent coffee shop. To stretch your legs, make the rounds at Volunteer Park in Capitol Hill or follow the Burke-Gilman Trail from Fremont Center to Gasworks Park. Both the Woodland Park Zoo (slightly north of Fremont) and the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (Ballard Locks) are captivating. In Capitol Hill or in the northern neighborhoods, you’ll have no problem rounding out the day by ducking into shops and grabbing a great meal. If you’re looking for late-night entertainment, you’ll find plenty of nightlife options in both areas, too.

      Day 5: Last Rays of Sun and Loose Ends

      Spend at least half of your last day in Seattle outdoors, exploring Discovery Park or renting kayaks in the University District, from Agua Verde Café and Paddle Club, for a trip around Portage Bay or into Lake Washington. Linger in your favorite neighborhood (you’ll have one by now). Note that you can combine a park visit with kayaking if you head to the Washington Park Arboretum and Japanese Garden first. From there, it’s a quick trip to the U-District.

      TIPS

      Pike Place Market and waterfront attractions are open daily all year.

      The ride to the top of the Needle is not worth the charge if the day is overcast or rainy.

      Remember that Pioneer Square’s galleries may not be open on Monday. They do, however, have late hours on the first Thursday of every month.

      When leaving the city for an all-day hiking trip, try to time things so that you’re not hitting I–5 during evening rush hour. Unless you get a very early start—or don’t leave until 9:30 am or 10 am—you probably won’t be able to avoid sitting in aggravating morning rush-hour traffic.

      SEATTLE THEN AND NOW

      The Early Days

      There is plenty of room for one thousand settlers. Come at once. Upon receiving his brother’s note, Arthur Denny set out from Portland on the schooner Exact with two dozen settlers. It landed at Alki Point on November 13, 1851.

      The Denny party wasn’t the first to arrive at the wild land that would become the Emerald City, though: the Duwamish tribe had been living there for millennia and British explorers surveyed the same spot in 1792. But Arthur Denny was the first of Seattle’s many mad visionaries. He dreamed of creating a future endpoint for the transcontinental railroad, one to rival the already steadily developing Portland. The party moved to Elliot Bay’s eastern shore in 1852; in 1853, the first boundaries of the city were marked on present-day Pioneer Square and Belltown, and Seattle—named after Chief Seattle (Si’ahl) of the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes—was born.

      The Gold Rush

      Amid all the growth came a series of disasters. In 1889, the Great Fire burned 64 acres. Then the Panic of 1893 stock-market crash crippled the local economy. Seattle seemed down on its luck until, in 1897, a boat docked carrying gold from the Klondike, heralding the last Gold Rush.

      The city quickly repositioned itself as the Gateway to Alaska (Alaska being the preferred point of entry into the Klondike). The assay office that journalist Erastus Brainerd convinced the federal government to open was just part of the city’s Gold Rush revenue—Canada’s Northwest Mounted Police required that each prospector show up with a year’s worth of supplies, and Seattle merchants profited heavily from the edict.

      Floatplanes and Postwar Prosperity

      William E. Boeing launched his first floatplane from Lake Union in 1916. This marked the start of an industry that would define the city and long outlast timber. World War I bolstered aircraft manufacturing enough that Boeing moved south to a former shipyard.

      Seattle was devastated by the Great Depression, with its only growth the result of New Deal programs that built parks, housing, and roads, including the floating bridge that links Seattle and Mercer Island. But entry into World War II again buoyed shipbuilding and aircraft industries. Boeing produced the B-29 bomber, the aircraft used to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

      Seattle’s renewed prosperity, which prompted it to host the 1962 World’s Fair, remained tethered to Boeing, and the early ’70s Boeing Bust, when loss of federal funding caused Boeing to lay off tens of thousands of employees, sunk the city back into recession. After that, although Boeing would remain an influential employer, new industries would start to take its place. In 1963, Seattle had spent $100 million to upgrade its port in a successful bid to lure cargo traffic from Asia away from Portland and San Francisco. In 1970, six Japanese shipping lines started calling at Seattle.

      The Tech Boom and Today’s Seattle

      The tech boom may have defined the ’90s, but it planted its roots in Seattle in the ’70s. In 1978, Microsoft moved from Albuquerque to the Eastside suburb of Bellevue, bringing the first influx of tech money—even today Microsoft money is shorthand for wealthy techies (Microsoft moved to its current Redmond campus in 1986). In 1994, Amazon.com became incorporated in the State of Washington; it is now one of Seattle’s largest employers and has such a significant presence in South Lake Union that many locals refer to it as Amazonia. Although the dot-com bust temporarily took the wind out of Seattle’s entrepreneurial sails, the city has continued to define itself as a major tech player, with companies such as Facebook, Google, and Zynga having local offices. And an increasing number of other companies are basing themselves here, including BuddyTV.com, Expedia.com, Zillow.com, AllRecipes.com, Drugstore.com, and Redfin.com. Today, the metro area of more than 3.5 million holds a diverse portfolio: one part of the port is dominated by container ships while the other side welcomes Alaska-bound ships to Smith Cove Cruise Terminal. The food and beverages

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