"Seattle"The Emerald City"" a Seattle Travel Page by spartan

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Hello Fellow Travelers,

I've made 3 trips to this wonderful city in the northwest and totally fell in love with it. As you fly into SeaTac International Airport your are afforded beautiful views of Mt. Rainier to the east and Puget Sound to the west. Very nice place. Following is some additional information about Seattle, so sit down and enjoy.

By now you've probably heard all the monikers applied to Seattle: America's Most Livable City, Emerald City, Latte Land. Seattle, with a population of more than 520,000, is a lively and enchanting place to explore and live.

Throughout its history Seattle has been a gateway to Alaska and western Canada, to Asia, and to the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Three of the country's most spectacular national parks and Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument are within two hours' drive from the city; skiing, hiking, year-round boating, swimming, and fishing are less than an hour away.

Seattle's charm isn't just a function of what it's near, but also what it is—and was. Oddly shaped towers and preserved historical districts stand alongside modern skyscrapers and the busy waterfront. Every major event in the city's short lifespan has left its legacy; the resulting mishmash of periods gives the city a distinctive flavor.

Dozens of incidents, enjoyed daily, make the city livable: dining at the waterfront, watching the sun set behind the Olympics as sailboats head home; reading the Seattle P-I on your early morning ferry commute; enjoying a free outdoor lunchtime concert; stopping for fresh vegetables or fish at Pike Place Market; cleansing your lungs with fresh, rain-rinsed air as you dodge slugs and puddles on your morning run; being graced with a clear view of Mt. Rainier from the highway or the QFC supermarket parking lot.

People are a little different here. They're generally patient, tolerant, and unexciteable. The kinds of things that drive New Yorkers over the edge in seconds seem to roll right off a Seattleite's back. Little things stick out: drivers waiting for other cars to pull out ahead of them, the lack of horn honking, the easy acceptance of long lines at an espresso bar, friendly bus drivers, and pedestrians waiting for the "walk" sign before crossing a deserted street.

Maybe it's the on-again, off-again rain that teaches patience, or maybe it's something they put in the espresso <font color=green>(courtesy of MSN Expedia)</font>.