Seattle, Washington, sometimes called the Emerald City, is the largest city in the Pacific Northwest. The city is a green gem, with water and trees everywhere famed for its rainy weather, and on clear days, spectacular views of the Olympic Mountains across the Puget Sound to the west, and Mount Rainier and the Cascades to the east. Within the city limits, you will rarely be more than a mile or so from an espresso stand. Seattle was founded on the rough, physical industries of fishing, logging and coal mining, with San Francisco as her primary customer. Boeing was founded in 1916, and as natural resources were depleted, grew to be Greater Seattle's primary industry. The region's strong economic dependence on Boeing gave the oil recession and cancellation of the SST (Supersonic Transport) in the early '70s a grim effect.

Over the last twenty-five years, the area has become less seedy and more developed with the massive influx of Microsoft money (and other software and biotech proceeds), but Pioneer Square is still the original Skid Row. (Myth says that Yesler Way was a "Skid Road" for logs being dragged downhill to Henry Yesler's lumber mill, although the mill was actually sited to take logs from Elliot Bay, not from inland). Seattle is also substantially influenced by the presence of the University of Washington (the largest single campus on the west coast and one of the top two recipients of grant money), as well as multiple smaller colleges and universities. Seattle is also the center for financial, public health, and justice systems in the northwestern part of the USA.

Activities

Events
 • Seafair is in July and early August, with the unpredictable Seafair Pirates kidnapping women (seriously) and plundering the town. Neighborhood events such as parades and street fairs run throughout the festival, with the downtown Torchlight Parade in late July. The hydroplane races and the Blue Angels bring loud, fast boats and planes to Lake Washington (which are unpopular with some liberal Seattleites, but a well loved tradition for others).
 • Bumbershoot  . A music and arts festival, held on Labor Day weekend (beginning of September) in the Seattle Center, featuring dozens of world-class musical acts (and many local ones as well).
 • Northwest Folklife Festival  . A more low-key and global version of Bumbershoot, held in the Seattle Center on Memorial Day weekend (end of May). Even more important - it's free ($5 donation requested at the entries - but not required).
 • Bite of Seattle  . Held in mid-summer in the Seattle Center. Eat till you explode.

Cycling
 • Mountain biking. Try riding "The Tapeworm " in Philip Arnold Park in Renton, southeast of Seattle. Other trails are in this park, as well.

Boating
 • Visit the Center For Wooden Boats (1010 Valley St at the south end of Lake Union, (206) 382-2628) and poke around boats in various stages of restoration, from big broken hulks to gorgeous polished speedsters. Rent an antique boat and go for a row or a sail. They as well offer free sailboat rides on Lake Union. Call ahead to check the schedule.
 • Rent kayaks from Northwest Outdoor Center on west side of Lake Union or from Agua Verde on Portage Bay between Lake Union and Lake Washington.
 • Rent a canoe from the WAC (Waterfront Activities Center, (206) 543-9433, at the University of Washington, a quarter mile south of Husky Stadium, where parking sucks except after noon on Saturdays. Open to the public ($7.50/hr) and students ($4/hr). Paddle across the Lake Washington Ship Canal into the Arboretum and watch ducks, geese, swans, random migratory birds, and lots of other boats. If you're an experienced sailor, you can also rent a sailboat after a checkout with their staff.