From Puget Sound to Mount Rainier, this region offers great outdoor experiences, many cultural attractions and a bustling city life.
Seattle is known for a unique lifestyle of laid-back coffee shops, pleasant waterfront relaxation and endless opportunities for outdoor activities. Explore the iconic downtown marketplace and cultural highlights. Visit distinct neighborhoods and venture beyond the city for amazing natural attractions.
Read the book Fish! about business success and employee morale at the Pike Place Fish Market. During the day see employees tossing fish as they fill orders. Nearby is the amazing but rather disgusting Gum Wall. Stop at the market’s many other shops for souvenirs and dining. The original Starbucks store is a popular attraction.
Walk the short distance to the Seattle Waterfront area for shopping, dining and attractions along several piers. Visit the touch pool at the Seattle Aquarium and ask questions of divers swimming among sea creatures in the giant tank. Enclosed gondolas on the Great Wheel provide comfortable rides year-round. Take a harbor cruise and gaze back at the city’s pretty skyline.
Wander along the downtown streets to tour the oddly shaped Central Public Library and the Seattle Art Museum. In the evening the Seattle Symphony performs across the street at Benaroya Hall.
Take the short overhead monorail to the Seattle Center and rise 520 feet (160 meters) in the Space Needle for 360-degree views encompassing Puget Sound, Mount Rainier and the entire Seattle area. At the base of the tower are several museums. The Experience Music Project features an eclectic collection ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Star Trek inside a Frank Gehry-designed building. See amazing artworks created from colorful glass in the Chihuly Garden and Glass museum. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Visitor Center offers inspiration for global innovation and aid.
Seattle’s Chinatown-International District is walkable from downtown. Visit great Asian restaurants and shops. Attend professional football or soccer at nearby CenturyLink Field and baseball at Safeco Field.
Gaze at Mount Rainier from many vantage points across the city or drive 2 hours from Seattle for a close-up view of this impressive snow-covered active volcano.