The upbeat city of Seattle blends the modern day benefits of a metropolis (fine dining, shopping, art, and culture) with stunning natural beauty in the form of mossy, temperate rain forests of the Olympic Peninsula to the west, and snow-capped Mount Rainier visible to the east.

Places to See

Seattle is a large city with a huge number of attractions to satisfy the tastes of visitors from all walks of life. The most popular attractions, however, appeal to just about everybody. One such attraction is the Space Needle tower. A prominent feature of the Seattle skyline, the Space Needle offers up amazing views of the city, Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains, and the Cascade Mountains. The excellent restaurant in the Space Needle is also nearly as unforgettable as the views.

Near the Space Needle in the Seattle Center area is the excellent Seattle Children’s Museum. This educational fun-house for kids even accommodates babies and toddlers with hands on educational material at Discovery Bay.

Also in the Seattle Center area, fans of science fiction and musicians should not miss out on visiting the Experience Music Project Science Fiction Museum. This unique museum presents music and science fiction themed exhibits with interactive displays.

Neighbourhoods

In the downtown area of the city, the Pioneer Square neighborhood is a must for tourists who enjoy small, cozy boutiques and art galleries. After exploring and shopping in this vibrant community, visitors can head over to the famous and delicious Pike’s Place Market. This amazing farmer’s market also hosts impromptu street performances, fish mongers who toss around the catch of the day, and is a fun place to visit even when you don’t need to buy a pound of potatoes.

A place where visitors in the downtown area can see live fish is the Seattle Aquarium. Displays show what goes on beneath the waves of nearby Puget Sound and other aquatic regions of the world. Visitors to the aquarium might also see one of the divers who enter two of the displays for maintenance and interaction with the fish.

Seattle played such a principle role during the Klondike gold rush that a museum was built in the downtown sector of the city. Visitors to this interesting museum will learn all about the history behind this late nineteenth century gold rush as well as the trials, challenges, and tragedies faced by those who ran off to Alaska in search of riches.

Off the Beaten Path

A site not found on many people’s radar when visiting Seattle but one that is worth a visit is the Japanese Garden located in the Washington Park Arboretum. This beautiful garden designed by a famous Japanese gardener makes for a great escape from the concrete and traffic of the city.

Seattle Hotels

Like most major cities, Seattle has a huge range of hotels to choose from, a number of which provide five-star, deluxe accommodation. Budget travelers won’t have too many choices in the downtown area and are better off staying in hotels near the Sea-Tac airport such as the Travelodge Hotel Seatac Airport ($43-$70). Visitors to Seattle with moderate budgets may enjoy the Doubletree Arctic Club Hotel ($92-$264) while those in search of a luxury setting could stay at the Seattle Four Seasons ($278-$512).