What Makes Seattle Like No Place Else

By Lauren Vane, FrontDoor.com | Published: 10/30/2008

Located 54 miles southeast of Seattle, Mount Rainier is a popular destination for hiking and climbing.

• Outdoor recreation at your fingertips: In the winter, it's a short drive up to the mountains to go skiing. During the rest of the year, the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges and their foothills make for great hiking opportunities. City lakes are a boater's paradise. Even if you don't have your own boat, kayak and canoe rentals are plenty.

• The Space Needle: Seattle's most iconic landmark was built for the World's Fair in 1962. Now it's the city's most famous tourist attraction. At the top there's a restaurant with a dining room that slowly rotates so diners can see the entire view. The Space Needle is built to sway with the wind. It can withstand up to 200 mile-per-hour winds.

• Pike Place Market: The market started with a few farmers in 1907 and has since grown to be a city staple. Although often swarming with tourists, Pike Place Market is still known to locals as the best place to pick up fresh products.

• Ferries: The iconic car and passenger boats are more than a novelty here; they're a method of commuting for millions of Seattle-area residents. Like any public transportation system, the ferries occasionally have their problems. The boats can be late or can malfunction, but it's still a scenic way to get from points A to B.

• Mount Rainier: The first time you see the majestic mountain it takes your breath away. It's so spectacular it almost looks fake. And, then, on a cloudy day you'd never know it was there. The mountain has claimed the lives of many climbers over the years, but it still remains a destination climbing and hiking spot. Mount Rainier is still considered to be an active volcano.

• Coffee, coffee, coffee: Although Seattle is famously home to Starbucks and other well-known brands, the big chains have made way for a smaller coffee culture to exist. On nearly every street, there are neighborhood coffee shops to explore, each one a little different. Many Seattlites agree that coffee is the key to surviving the gloomy Seattle winter.

• An appreciation for the sun: Because Seattlites spend much of the year under a cloud cover, when the sun comes out, no one takes it for granted. It may only be 60 degrees, but if it's sunny, people come out of their houses to take part in some outdoor activities. The rain washes away pollutants and makes the sunny skies exceptionally crisp.

  NEXT: Seattle's Top Companies

Comments