Located in Washington State between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, Seattle is the largest city in the Pacific Northwest. The Emerald City, Seattle’s official nickname, is home to the Space Needle as well as outstanding attractions including the Museum of Flight. Seattle, the home of Starbucks, is known for its coffee and is also one of the top-ten arts destinations in the United States according to American Style magazine.

Just outside of Seattle is the Cascade Mountain Range, an excellent place for hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter. The city of Seattle is about 120 miles from the Canadian border and boasts the largest port in the Pacific Northwest. In addition to commercial shipping, there are two cruise terminals, the Bell Street Cruise Terminal and Terminal 30 Cruise Facility on the Seattle Waterfront. These two facilities serve five major cruise lines as Seattle is a popular jumping off point for cruises to Alaska.

Among the major attractions in Seattle are The Pike Place Market, Pioneer Square, The Seattle Center, The Seattle Waterfront, and the Chinatown-International District. With respect to museums, the city offers the Burk Museum of Natural History & Culture, The Children’s Museum, Experience Music Project, Henry Art Gallery, and the Museum of Flight.

The Pike Place Market is one of the oldest continuously-operated farmer’s markets in the United States which spans a nine acre historic district. Pioneer Square is where you’ll find Seattle’s booming nightlife, lots of restaurants, and the highest concentration of art galleries in the city. Home of the 1962 World’s Fair, The Seattle Center is not only a 74-acre urban park, but home to the Space Needle, Pacific Science Center, and the Experience Music Project. The Experience Music Project is a 140,000-square-foot museum dedicated to exploring creativity and innovation in American music.

The Seattle Waterfront follows Alaskan Way from Pier 70 on the north to Pier 48 on the south. At Pier 59 you’ll find the Seattle Aquarium and Seattle IMAX Omnidome Theatre. You can explore the busy bay at The Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center located at Pier 66. If you’re looking to take a sightseeing or dinner cruise of the area, visit Argosy Cruises at Piers 55 and 56. The waterfront also features souvenir shops along with a wide variety of seafood restaurants. A classic trolley network links the waterfront with Pioneer Square and the Chinatown-International District.

No visit to Seattle would be complete without a visit to the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field. Here you’ll find one of the world’s largest air and space museums with over 85 historic aircraft on display. Recently added was a British Airways Concorde along with the new Personal Courage Wing with restored WWI and WWII aircraft.

Getting to Seattle:

Seattle is located on Interstate 5 (I-5) which runs north-south from southern California all the way to the Canadian border.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is 13 miles south of downtown Seattle and is serviced by 26 airlines with direct international flights from 15 countries. Alaska Airlines is based at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport; between the US domestic carriers, there is non-stop service from most major cities in the United States.