A visit to Seattle creates a mosaic of colorful impressions
that shimmer in the imagination long after the visit ends.
Seattle is the Emerald City. Its greenness stems from
its abundant rainfall, which encourages the growth of
lush vegetation, and also from its reflection in the clear
blue/green waters of the Puget Sound.
Mt.
Ranier looks down on Seattle from its majestic heights.
Driving through Seattle on a clear day has been compared
to floating on a cloud in an emerald sky. From the dining
room atop the Space Needle, a meal can be enjoyed along
with a panoramic view of the whole city.
Pike
Street Market is a medley of fresh fish, fruit, vegetable
and flower shops right on the water. Sitting at a sidewalk
café, one can watch the men who work in the fish
markets throwing the fish from back to front. As a customer
asks to purchase a fresh fish of a certain size, one
man selects a fish from the barrel of ice, throws it
to the weigher who is positioned in front of him, who
in turn calls out the weight and throws it expertly
to the wrapper who packages it and hands it to the customer.
It is not unusual to see huge tubs of Alaskan salmon,
king crab legs, and Dungeness crab awaiting this process
in the market.
The
old fishing village of Ballard sits on the locks. Relax
for a while and watch the ships go from Lake Union to
the Puget Sound. A short drive north of Ballard leads
to the Woodland Park zoo. It is a distinct pleasure
to stroll through the acres of well-kept grounds and
to watch the animals enjoying their spacious natural
habitats.
When
visiting a city, there is always the decision to be
made as to whether to have a car available or to rely
on public transportation. A car is not necessary in
Seattle as there are several choices of bus, trolley
and monorail routes. There are even convertible buses
dually equipped with gasoline and electrical systems
that go underground to double as subway cars! It is
easy to drive in Seattle, however, and there is ample
parking. An automobile is handy for exploring the sights
beyond the city. Walking is another alternative. There
are many interesting and beautiful walking tours. Remember,
though, that Seattle, like Rome, was constructed on
seven hills. Downtown is built on a slant, so a walk
will provide a good workout and may be tiring to small
children.
Family
attractions are everywhere in the city and suburbs.
Seattle Center has a children’s museum and interactive
science center; Imax theater and several buildings with
hands on exhibits. Around Green Lake in the center of
Seattle children can roller blade, ride a bicycle or
jog. Nearby at the University of Washington, which sits
on tranquil Lake Washington, is a beautiful arboretum.
There are parks everywhere.
Venture
back in time to the days of the original settlers and
take a ferry ride on Puget Sound to Blake Island. Arriving
at the Island, visitors are greeted with the offering
of steaming cups of clams and broth prepared and served
by Native American merchants. A delicious fresh salmon
feast is then brought to the table after being cooked
authentically in the traditional style in a Longhouse
on the island. During dinner, Native American dancers
perform.
The
Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera and the Pacific Northwest
ballet are world class. Their performances are rated
as “fabulous”.
Sports fans enjoy the Seattle Mariners, Sea Hawks, Thunderbirds
and Supersonics (NBA Basketball). A new indoor stadium
hosts baseball and football teams.
Each
of Seattle’s hills has its own history and special
character. Queen Anne Hill is a charming little village
within the city with theater, restaurants and shopping.
Capitol Hill is similar. First Hill is the site of hospitals
professional and medical office buildings.
Beautiful
magnolias grace the yards and gardens of the stately
landmark homes on Puget Sound. The beauty of the lush
green expanses in and around Seattle is assured because
of the approximately 38 inches of rainfall per year.
The best time of year to visit is July 15-October 1.
That is when the area experiences mostly sunny days.
The climate is temperate, however, with moderate temperatures
throughout the year. During the winter, there is skiing
in the nearby Cascade Mountains, but very seldom is
there snow in Seattle.
Seattle
hosts several festivals each year. Among the most popular
with all members of the family are: Bumbershoot Arts
Festival featuring artists and performers from around
the world which is held toward the end of summer around
the time of Labor Day; and the summer food festival
called Bite of Seattle which offers samplings of the
best of over 50 restaurants. Another favorite is the
two-week long Maritime Sea Fair in mid-May, which opens
with the arrival of pirate ships approaching on Puget
Sound, and ends with a display of fast speed boats with
many maritime competitions and concerts in between.
Seattle
is a city of great beginnings. Nordstrom’s, Starbucks,
Microsoft, Amazon.com and Eddie Bauer all started there.
Seattle is the largest city in the Northwest with more
than a half a million residents in the city itself and
another two and a half million in the surrounding suburbs,
yet it is very clean and beautiful. It is a memorable
place to visit, and one to which the visitor will never
tire of returning.
SEATTLE
CITY FACTS;
Seattle
is on the western coast of Washington; the northwestern
most state in the continental US. The largest city in
the state, Seattle sits on a slender slip of land between
the Puget Sound and Lake Washington. Lake Union and
the Lake Washington Ship Canal divide the city into
northern and southern halves. The Capitol Hill and Queen
Anne neighborhoods lie south of the canal, the U District
is to the northeast.
Compared
to the rest of the city, the downtown orientation is
quite straightforward. Historic Pioneer Square contains
most of the most popular tourist sites. Seattle Center,
home to many of the city's cultural and sport facilities,
is just northwest of downtown. Alaskan Way is the Waterfront's
main street. Interstate 5 runs north and south through
the city center.
Population:
539,700 (Greater Seattle Area: 3,149,700)
Topography:
Seattle is located on 12 hills. It contains more than
300 parks, totaling 5000 acres
Elevation:
512 feet
Area:
91.6 sq. miles (88.5 are land; 3.1 are water)
Emergency:
911
Telephone
Area Code: 206
Time
: Pacific Time Zone (3 hours behind New York
City; when it is 12:00 noon in New York, it is 9:00AM
in Seattle.
Rainfall:
34-37 inches of rainfall each year
Spring, early summer and fall are ideal times to visit
Seattle. From late March to mid June and from mid September
through mid November days are usually warm but not too
hot, and evenings are pleasant. Many festivals are held
during this time period. In the spring, the landscape
is decorated with colorful wildflowers. Spring thunderstorms
and floods can be severe, but acres of lush greenery
are produced as a result. Summers are a popular time
to visit, but the days are often intensely hot. The
morning air in the Fall is crisp and cool, and most
days are sunny.
Public
Holidays:
January
1 New Year’s Day
January
( 3rd Monday) Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday
February
(3rd Monday) Presidents’ Day
May
(Last Monday) Memorial Day
July
4 Independence Day
September
(1st Monday) Labor Day
November
11 Veterans’ Day
November
(4th Thursday) Thanksgiving Day
December
25 Christmas Day
How
to get around: Note: Seattle Transportation,
of the City of Seattle, is responsible for the City’s
streets and bridges, bike paths, street trees, traffic
signals and signs, etc. It does not operate transportation
vehicles such as buses, trains, ferries, etc.
Air:
Seattle - Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac)
From
airport-Gray Line Airport Express (206) 626-6088 (every
1/2 hour)
Shuttle
Express Limo Van 800-942-7433 or (206) 622-1424
Metro
Public Bus System (206) 553-3000
Ferry - Washington State Ferries sail
between Coleman Dock (Pier 52) and Bremerton on the
Kitsap Peninsula and Bainbridge Island. Call 888-808-7977
for information on this and other ferries. www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/
Fareless
buses operate downtown in the area bordered by sixth
Avenue., the freeway, Battery St., the Waterfront and
Jackson St. Fares beyond this zone are reasonable..
King
County’s Metro Transit (206-553-3000 or 1-800-542-7876)
operates the buses. You may find information about them
at http://www.metrokc.gov/. The ferries that cross Puget
Sound are operated by Washington State (206-464-6400).
For this information, see http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries.
For
information about state highways and freeways (206-368-4499),
also see http://www.wsdot.wa.gov.
Community
Transit (425-353-RIDE or 1-800-562-1375), at http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/pubtran/getthere/Ctbus.htm,
provides bus service to Snohomish County, with transit
links to downtown Seattle, as well as Pierce Transit
(1-800-562-8109), at http://www.ptbus.pierce.wa.us/
also providing connections to downtown Seattle from
Pierce County.
For
information about AMTRAK (1-800-USA-RAIL) trains, see
that agency’s web pages at http://www.amtrak.com.
For information about Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway
(1-800-809-2673), see http://www.bnsf.com/.
The
SeaTac airport is operated by the Port of Seattle (206-728-3000),
at http://www.portseattle.org. This agency also operates
the city’s marine ports.
King
County maintains and operates the King County International
Airport / Boeing Field (206-296-7380); see http://www.metrokc.gov/airport/.
The
City of Seattle and SEATRAN encourage travel by bicycle,
and have information on bike programs (206-684-8563.
Further information is available by contacting Cascade
Bicycle Club (206-522-BIKE), at http://www.cascade.org
Greyhound(1-800-231-2222),
at http://www.greyhound.com/ operates an inter city
bus service
The
Monorail (transport from downtown Seattle to the Seattle
Center) is operated by a private firm overseen by the
City of Seattle’s Seattle Center (206-441-6038).
http://www.seattlemonorail.co
There
is also a water taxi providing transport between West
Seattle and Downtown Seattle, which operates during
fair weather months (206-684-0224). http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/DON/tax
Downtown
is served by Waterfront Streetcars, which are 1920’s
trolleys imported from Australia The waterfront streetcar/trolley
is operated by King County Metro (206-296-0100 http://www.metrokc.gov/
Taxis
are operated by private contractors, under licenses
with the City of Seattle
