Seattle, Washington:
Seeing Seattle
by Carrie Miner | Photos Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau
Summer brings SeaFair to Puget Sound, a month-long celebration
that this year adds special events marking the 100th anniversary of flight to the city’s already numerous charms.
It’s hard to believe now, but not so long ago Seattle was thought of primarily as “that rain-soaked fishing village between San Francisco and Alaska.”
But from “Sleepless” romantic movies to Microsoft’s high tech to grunge rock bands and Ichiro banging out hits, the Pacific Northwest has asserted itself as much more than just a flyover –  and there’s no better time to explore this quirky coastal town than summer, when the annual month-long SeaFair comes to town.
Now in its 54th year, SeaFair encompasses more than 30 events from July 5 through August 3, from the Milk Carton Derby on Green Lake (July 5), the community torchlight parades in Puget Sound neighborhoods (July 26), and hydroplane racing on Lake Washington (August 1-3). Of special interest to pilots, this year’s SeaFair will also feature the Centennial Celebration of powered flight.
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Exploring the Town
Many people associate Seattle with rain. While the city, bound by Puget Sound, Lake Union and Lake Washington, does receive an average annual rainfall of 39 inches, the vast majority falls in the weary winter months. And while some assume the precipitation makes the area dreary, the mist actually gives Puget Sound an almost magical appearance.
The best way to experience the quintessential Seattle is to take a trip along the waterfront. Start with Pike Place Market, the oldest continuously operating farmer’s market in the country, which has been described as the “Marrakesh of the Northwest” and the “heart and soul of Seattle.” More than 40,000 people a day visit the historic bazaar, which opened on Aug. 17, 1907. In addition to the fresh produce, seafood (be prepared to duck “flying” salmon) and flowers, you’ll find novelties from  blown glass vases incorporating ash from the Mount St. Helen’s eruption to Chinese nostrums at an herbal apothecary.
Pike Place Market also boasts some of the best restaurants in town, including Chez Shea, Il Bistro, Place Pigalle, Maximilien-In-The-Market, Athenian Inn, Etta’s Seafood, The Painted Table and Campagne – the romantic belle of the waterfront. For a more casual bite, grab a pint at Kell’s Restaurant and Pub, or stop in for a latte at the original Starbucks, which sold its first espresso in the marketplace in 1971. Of course, no place in the United States takes its coffee more seriously than Seattle, and it’s not just Starbucks – you can take your pick from more than 500 espresso carts and coffee shops in town.
At Waterfront Park, you’ll find the Seattle Aquarium, a natural destination in this city by the sea. You won’t get to see a boxer wrestle an octopus, an event that occurred on Pier 54 in 1940, but you will have the opportunity to watch sharks, seals, sea otters and other denizens of the Sound. Kids especially enjoy petting starfish and tossing fish to the otters and seals at feeding time.
 Having been to the sea, it’ll only balance things out to take to the air – and you won’t even need your plane. Seattle’s signature structure is the 605-foot tall Space Needle, a funky futuristic landmark built in 1962 for the World’s Fair Century 21 Exposition. It takes 43 seconds to ride the elevator to the Observation Deck where you can take in tremendous views of Puget Sound, Mount Rainier, the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges, and the city of Seattle.
If you’ve still got your head in the clouds after visiting the Space Needle, head for Seattle’s Museum of Flight, which traces the history of modern aviation in the adjacent Red Barn – Boeing’s original 1910 airplane factory. Pilots will love getting a look at the 1914 Italian Caproni Ca 20, 1917 Curtiss “Jenny” biplane and 1928 Alexander Eaglerock. More planes hang suspended in the Great Gallery including a Douglas DC-3. Other exhibits include “Space Toys – 130 Years of Fun,” “Air Force One – Walk in the Footsteps of Presidents,” “Flight Zone – Let Your Kid Be the Pilot,” “Apollo – Relive Our Race to the Moon,” and “Cockpits – Pilot an SR-71 Blackbird.”
The Museum of Flight will be the operational headquarters for the Blue Angels, which will be performing August 1-3 as part of the Key Bank Air Show at SeaFair. Museumgoers can watch crews maintaining the blue and gold Boeing F/A-18 Hornets, as well as the formation takeoffs and landings. Other events at the Key Bank Air Show include flybys of the Boeing 777-300ER and
performances by the U.S. Navy Leap Frogs, the Red Baron Pizza Squadron, and a U.S. Coast Guard Search and Rescue.
Artists’ Colony
With your feet on the ground, you’ll soon note that Seattle embraces artists of every type. Public art adorns many bridges, parks and walkways. The City of Seattle provides maps of public art walking tours in several neighborhoods – Ballard, Downtown, Georgetown and the University District. Local favorites include the totem poles around town (the best known is the 50-foot western red cedar pole in Pioneer Place Park) and the whimsical, car clutching troll settled in below the freeway bridge in Fremont.
The Seattle Museum of Art is worth a stop, especially if you’re interested in the many cultures that laid the town’s foundations. Galleries feature Native American, Chinese, African, Japanese, Korean, European and American exhibitions.
The area east of downtown is a center for museums. The Seattle Asian
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Art Museum showcases one of the top 10 collections of Asian art outside of the Orient, and the Center of Contemporary Arts features controversial exhibits by national and international artists. The Museum of History and Industry chronicles the city’s heritage.
Seattle loves the performing arts, too. It’s home to more than 80 theater companies, the Seattle Symphony, the Seattle Opera and the Pacific Northwest Ballet. And there’s no doubt the city’s nightlife rocks – after all this was Jimi Hendrix’s hometown, as well as Kurt Cobain’s.
If the excitement of a rocking night out has you looking for more quiet pursuits, try a relaxing ride along Puget Sound on a Washington State ferry. Vessels range from sleek passenger vehicles to the large car ferries; they transport more than 23 million people to 20 regional ports of call. Sightseeing trips range from short jaunts along the Seattle cityscape to longer excursions to the San Juan Islands or the city of Victoria in British Columbia. Whichever trip you take, you’ll leave believing in ferry tales and the misty memories of this sleepy city in the Sound.
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Plan your route to Seattle with FlightPrep.com
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The Best of
Seattle
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Best Season: During June, July and August, Seattle enjoys long sunny days with an average temperature of 73 degrees Fahrenheit and a relative humidity of 50 percent.
Best Landing: Renton Municipal Airport (RNT) is probably your best bet. It is 25 miles south of downtown Seattle and is an FAA-designated “Reliever” airport of Sea-Tac International Airport (SEA). Renton has a tower, a paved 5,379-foot runway, and full services. Located on the shore of Lake Washington, the airport also offers services and landings for seaplanes.
Best Places To Stay: Seattle has 4,415 hotel rooms downtown and 27,901 hotel rooms in the Seattle-King County area. Some favorites include the regal 1924 Four Seasons Olympic Hotel in the business district (411 University St., 206.621.1700, 800.223.8772, fourseasons.com/seattle); the Inn at the Market in the heart of the Pike Place Market (86 Pine St., 206.443.3600, 800.446.4484, innatthemarket.com); and the Edwardian-style Bacon Mansion bed and breakfast in Capitol Hill (959 Broadway E., 206.329.1864, 800.240.1864, baconmansion.com). For more hotel listings, call the Seattle Hotel Hotline, 800.535.7071.
Best Dining: Seattle restaurants specialize in using the regional bounty that defines Pacific Rim cuisine. For the best Japanese cuisine, try Nishino in Capitol Hill (3130 Madison Ave., 206.322.6800). For a quick bite check in with the bohemian set for a burger at Two Bells Tavern (2313 Fourth Ave., 206.441.3050). Some of the best restaurants in town can be found in Pike Place Market – perhaps because they are in the vicinity of such a medley of fresh ingredients. It’s hard to go wrong here, but for some of the best of the best try the Provençal menu at Campagne (86 Pine St., 206.728.2800) or the Northwestern fare at Place Pigalle (81 Pike St., 206.624.1756).
Best Way to Get Around: With all the fresh air and the many options afforded by the town’s public transportation, you might want to ditch the rental car – especially since downtown congestion is fierce. Most of Seattle is marked with bicycle routes; Gregg’s Greenlake Cycle (7007 Woodlawn Ave. NE, 206.523.1822) rents bikes and maps are readily available. Other laid-back options include the Metro Transit bus system (206.553.3000,) – service is free in the commercial core – and the Washington State Ferry System (206.464.6400, 800.843.3779, wsdot.wa.gov/ferries). If you must rent a car, try Avis, 206.433.5231, 800.831.2847, avis.com; Hertz, 206.433.5275, 800.654.3131, hertz.com; Thrifty, 205.878.1234, 800.847.4389, thrifty.com
Best Planning Resources: City of Seattle, 206-684-CITY, cityofseattle.net; Seattle-King County Convention and Visitors Bureau, 206.461.5840, seeseattle.org; Seattle Arts Commission (Public Art Walking Tours), 206.684.7171; SeaFair, 206.728.0123, seafair.com.
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