Visiting Seattle
Never Sleepy In Seattle
Like a pearl in the oyster sits “The Emerald City” of Seattle. Located between the clams of the oyster formed of the Puget Sound and Lake Washington, this city is hailed as the center for culture in the Pacific Northwest.
The city has the peculiarity of remaining cloudy most parts of the year even though actual shower or rainfall recorded is much lesser than even New York City. Its cloudy ambiance has helped it earn the name of the emerald city which otherwise boasts of entrepreneurs’ of the likes of Bill Gates from Microsoft and Boeing aircraft industry to the Starbucks coffee making industry.
You could take a tour on foot or even ride a buggy through the maze of Victorian styled buildings which makes the Pioneer Square of the city. A total of twenty square blocks of such building makes up the city’s oldest neighborhood. Then there are fine art galleries and boutiques that provide excellent facilities for shopping. The area is also famed for its ample nightlife facilities.
This Pioneer Square hides under its surface the remains of the olden city which was burnt down in the Great fire of 1889. Right atop the ashes of the burnt city was built the new city of Seattle. One gets a guided tour of the underground city and it is interesting to see the remains of the old city’s storefronts and roadways.
Vintage streetcars are a nice and enjoyable way to travel from the Pioneer Square to the Pike Place Market. This is the oldest farmers market in the US that is still in operation and features a rich variety of regional products as well as seafood. This place is thronged by both locals and tourists and is famous as the place where fish is known to fly, something that has to be seen to be believed.
Just down the way from Pike Place Market on Pier 59 is the Seattle Aquarium. This is located on the waterfront and is another major tourist attraction.
One should also visit the Space Needle located in Seattle Center to get an unmatched view of the entire city as well as to savor the fine meal on offer at the Sky City restaurant, while the restaurant itself is revolving 360 degrees high up. This restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and brunch on weekends, though one has to be careful with their dress while visiting this restaurant as there is a specific dress code in place and anything formal is strictly not allowed. Also, reaching the Space Needle is a breeze thanks to the privately run monorail which makes for an enjoyable run between downtown to the Space Needle.
At the south end of Boeing Field or also called the King County Airport, one finds the Museum of Flight. This has on display twenty aircraft in their original size depicting models from early airplanes to the latest. The birthplace of Boeing Airplane Company is located at the Red Barn which also has a lot on the history of airplanes on display.
One gets a ninety minutes guided tour of the Boeing Facility at Everett. Bookings for this tour has to be taken before hand as they generally get full well in advance. One would get a first hand view of the manufacturing lines of the 747,767,777 and 787 planes.
For those interested in aircraft there is the aircraft Restoration Center at Paine field in Everett, Washington where a number of airplanes could be seen under restoration process. This restoration center is run by the Museum of Flights.
Other places of interest are the San Juan Islands for whale watching or for the nature lovers there is the Rainier, Olympic National Park, North Cascades, and Mt. St. Helen’s Volcanic Monument.
The city itself has a lot to see and may require more time for visits to the National Parks and the Space Needle. One visit may not be enough to quench your thirst that this city creates.
US vacation destinations
US vacation destinations
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