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Are You Seattle Experienced?

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By relache


Seattle, the Emerald City

The city of Seattle sits at the edge of Puget Sound, in between the Sound and Lake Washington, in the state of Washington. It is the largest city in the Pacific Northwest region. Native tribes inhabited the area for a few thousand years before European settlers arrived in the mid-1800s. A three-hour drive south will put you in Portland, OR and a three-hour drive north will get you to Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Ever since it was first founded, Seattle has been a city with lots of local industries, going through cycles of boom and bust. Lumber and the Klondike gold rush contributed to the early development of the city, whereas companies like Starbucks and Microsoft are fueling present growth.

Seattle gets a lot of press about the amount of rain it experiences, however it is more of an overcast and cloudy city than a wet one. (almost all of the Eastern seaboard gets more rain than Seattle). Most of the rain that falls comes down as misty drizzles and thunderstorms are very rare. Winters can be dark, but snow is mostly powdered-sugar dustings that melt within a few hours. Summers are nice and temperate with very few huge heat waves


Great Spots for the Whole Family

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The Seattle waterfront as viewed from the Seattle Aquarium
The Seattle waterfront as viewed from the Seattle Aquarium

What Do You Think Of When You Hear "Seattle?"

Do you think of...

  • airplanes - home of Boeing
  • boating - Lake Washington and Puget Sound
  • coffee - home of Starbucks and Tully's
  • computers - home of Microsoft
  • islands - Vashion, Bainbridge, Mercer
  • mountains - Mt Rainier and the Olympic peninsula
  • music - Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, Pearl Jam
  • rain - gentle but nearly year-round


Take A Virtual Visit To Seattle

Seattle Travel Guides

Not for Tourists Guide to Seattle 2010  (Not for Tourists Guidebook) Not for Tourists Guide to Seattle 2010 (Not for Tourists Guidebook)
Price: $12.70
List Price: $19.99
2010 Seattle Restaurants (Zagatsurvey: Seattle Restaurants) 2010 Seattle Restaurants (Zagatsurvey: Seattle Restaurants)
Price: $11.16
List Price: $13.95
Frommer's Seattle 2010 (Frommer's Complete) Frommer's Seattle 2010 (Frommer's Complete)
Price: $12.23
List Price: $17.99

Seattle Summer Seafair

For over 50 years, starting around the end of June and running into the beginning of August is Seattle's Seafair. This is the largest festival event in the Northwest and masses an amazing array of summer events and activities into the absolute best part of the year in this region. There are boating events, street fairs, air shows, several foot races and more, all occuring within this six week period. Here are some highlights not to be missed:

  • Pirate Landing - yep, a motley and humorous crew of pirates land at Seafair. Be sure to bring the kids to this one!

  • Milk Carton Derby - hand-built boats which float on milk cartons make for a fun, family event.

  • Torchlight Run - supporting local charities, this is an evening road race for serious and casual runners alike.

  • Lake Union wooden boat festival - celebrating vintage and antique watercraft.

  • Bon Odori - this Buddhist festival honors the dead and features unique line dancing in the streets.

  • Hydroplane races - boats race at over 200 mph to compete for the Chevrolet Cup.

  • Air show - the famous Blue Angels come to town.


Local Seattle News, from the Post-Intelligencer

  • Proposed Fred Meyer expansion divides Greenwood neighborhood

    Next year could see a decision on the expansion of the Greenwood neighborhood's Fred Meyer store in what would also create one of the biggest land-use changes ever experienced in the neighborhood. - 3 hours ago

  • Amanda Knox guilty of murder

    Seattle's Amanda Knox, whose trial on accusations she took part in the murder of her roommate riveted the public on both sides of the Atlantic, has been found guilty in the death of Meredith Kercher. - 3 hours ago

  • King County deaths

    - 5 hours ago


Colorful Seattle Highlights

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A local house with just a touch of local color
A local house with just a touch of local color

Share Your Seattle Favorites!

RSS for comments on this Hub

MzJme profile image

MzJme  says:
7 months ago

What a great Hub!! I have lived in Seattle most of my life and it was very interesting to read your hub..BTW - I have enjoyed reading your other hubs too.

relache profile image

relache  says:
2 years ago

Thanks, William! I've only lived here for a few years now so I'm still exploring a lot and I like to drag my camera around with me to snap anything interesting I come across. Stay tuned for more!

William F. Torpey profile image

William F. Torpey  says:
2 years ago

Wonderful hub, wonderful city. I was thrilled to see the trolleys. I grew up with trolleys in Yonkers, N.Y., and I miss them. I've mentioned them on some of my hubs. I wish more cities would use them. My daughter went to Starbucks' school in Seattle and opened the first several Starbucks stores in Chicago. At the time, she was a coffee specialist. I also love travelogues that feature street scenes, so I was doubly pleased to see this hub. Thanks, relache.

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