Seattle Vacations

Seattle is a thriving cultural, artistic, and fun-loving city. Start the day with a visit to one of the city's many coffee shops. The coffee shop phenomenon got its start here, so you'll get to try the best of the best. After a latte, head over to the Pike Place Market. The top floors are reserved for product - huge bouquets of flowers for only $10; locally grown, in-season vegetables and fruits; organic meats and sausages; and the ever-amusing and lively fishmongers. The other, lower, levels are a collection of souvenir shops, clothing stores, import shops, galleries, and much more.

All this fresh produce, fish, and seafood, plus the many bakeries in the area make the diners of Seattle very demanding of their restaurants - the restaurants do not disappoint. Exquisite crab cakes, the freshest salmon of every variety, inventive salads, and to-die-for desserts are the norm at Seattle's numerous restaurants. Or you can just stand in line at the fishmonger's stand for a bowl of freshly made seafood chowder.

For a glimpse into how Seattle used to look, head south of Pike Place Market to the Pioneer Square District. The beautiful stone buildings, stained-glass windows, and ornate grill work date from the late 1880s and early 1890s when the city was rebuilt after a devastating fire. Head there during the day to check out the area's huge concentration of art galleries, restaurants, and pubs, in in addition to the Klondike Gold Rush Museum.

And for a glimpse into the future, make sure to visit Seattle Center, built for the 1962 World's Fair and home to the Space Needle. From the top of the 520-foot Space Needle you can enjoy spectacular views of the entire region, including Elliott Bay, Queen Anne Hill, and on a clear day, all the way to the mountains in the east. You can ride the monorail, built for the fair. It glides at tree top level from Seattle Center, north of Belltown, to downtown, stopping conveniently at Westlake Center, a great shopping center and home to Seattle's downtown bus terminal.

In the waterfront area are the Seattle Aquarium, numerous varieties of restaurants, and the piers where many of the ferries depart. The Seattle Aquarium, while a great place for children, is also fascinating for adults. You can walk through a glass tunnel with fish swimming next to, and above you. Playful sea otters and seals frolic to everyone's amusement. And the 10-foot span of the Puget Sound octopus will amaze visitors of all ages.

Farther out from Seattle is the charming town of Victoria, British Columbia. You can take the high-speed Victoria Clipper from Pier 69 in the summer months and either go for a day or make it an overnight journey. The ferry takes from 2-3 hours, getting you to Victoria in plenty of time to go off and enjoy Butchart Gardens and then return on the late ferry, arriving back in Seattle at just before 10pm.

• Choice of accommodations
• Hotel taxes