Nestled between Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains, Lake Washington, and the Cascade Mountains, the city of Seattle offers a blend of urban and nature-based activities. You can spend your days on a boat in Puget Sound, hiking nearby mountains, or strolling through a city park and then have dinner at an elegant restaurant followed by a show.

The nightlife offers something for every taste from performances by the Pacific Northwest Ballet to slam poetry. You’ll find many concerts here in a wide variety of genres. Seattle is or was home to many nationally successful bands including Jimi Hendrix, Pearl Jam, Sir Mix-a-Lot, and Nirvana.

If you enjoy a good festival, check out Seattle’s calendar of events before you plan your trip. Seattle hosts a month-long film festival, a Gay Pride festival that is one of America’s largest, and Bite of Seattle food festival.

Although the city is known for its rain, it is far from the wettest city in the United States. Clouds and light rain is abundant, but harsh downpours are rare. Luckily, the people of Seattle have combated the gray weather (there are an average of 201 cloudy days per year) by cultivating a buzzing coffee culture.

Seattle boasts one of the best and most famous public markets in the United States: Pike’s Place. The fishmongers toss fresh fish between each other while filling orders and entertaining customers, yelling all the while. The fish is brought in fresh daily. Alaskan Halibut and Salmon are among the most popular.

To stave off the cold and damp weather that plagues Seattle, stop in a chowder house for a cup of something delicious. Well-known chowders like clam and mixed seafood are standards on menus at most chowder houses, but many are known for lesser-known creations like salmon chowder with capers.

Seattle is also known for its coffee. The internationally known Starbucks chain began as a single coffee shop in Seattle near Pike’s Place Market. The store is still open and visitors flock their for a photo and their favorite Starbucks drink.

Jutting up through the Seattle skyline, the Space Needle is a treat for the whole family. Take a ride in the glass elevator to the Observation Deck where you’ll see the entire city of Seattle laid out before you. The Cascade and the Olympic mountains on the east and west flank Seattle. Mount Rainier rises up to the south. And Puget Sound rolls out its blue waters dotted with ferries and boats on the move.

The Washington State Ferries run ten different routes in the local waters. Fares are inexpensive and you can spend the day riding the ferries looking for sea life including sea lions and orcas.

For rainy days, there are many indoor options including the Pacific Science Center, the Children’s Museum, and the Seattle Aquarium.

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