By Sarah Kliff
The mention of Seattle usually conjures images of rainy days, Tom Hanks on a houseboat and a few scruffy guys in plaid shirts left over from the grunge rock movement. While Seattle may have a reputation for rain, its natural beauty, eclectic culture and coffee make the Emerald City shine.
Remember that bright red “Public Market” sign in Sleepless in Seattle? See it in person at the Pike Place Market, which is brimming with fresh fish and flowers every day of the week. Rub the big brass piggy bank in front for luck (it’s a Seattle superstition) and stop by two favorite stands: Daily Dozen Donuts, whose miniature donuts give Krispy Kreme a run for its money, and Pike Place Fish, where you won’t be able to miss the guys in bright orange aprons tossing salmon with the greatest of ease.
Less than a block down the street you can see the original Starbucks. But if you want your double-tall soy chai latte done right in this coffee-crazed town, check out local favorite Victor’s Coffee Company, where you will only be made fun of a little if your coffee lingo isn’t up to speed.
Musically, Seattle has much more to offer than the remnants of the grunge rock movement that reached its apex in the mid-’90s. The Experience Music Project (EMP) is a present to Seattle from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. The EMP offers an eclectic array of music, from a permanent Jimi Hendrix display to a chance to try your hand on a drum set or guitar. It sits in the middle of the Seattle Center, right next to the Space Needle.
While you can see the city from the top of the Space Needle, you get an even better view of the skyline on a quick ferry ride to Bainbridge Island or a cruise around Puget Sound. While many Seattle-area residents use the ferries to commute to work, they also make for an excellent excursion and a chance to explore a few small towns on the Puget Sound islands.
If you’re interested in the natural side of Seattle, take a 30-minute drive east of the city to Snoqualmie Falls, a beautiful waterfall that sits in the background of the Cascade Mountains. A trail allows visitors to hike to the bottom of the falls and walk on a bridge underneath. Or, for the less adventurous, the next-door Salish Lodge & Spa offers a full-service spa and four-star restaurant.
No trip to the Pacific Northwest would be complete without fish. Try Chinooks in Fisherman’s Wharf and dine a mere 10 yards from the waters where your dinner was recently caught.
