Seattle, Washington

Over the past several years, Seattle has become quite a popular tourist destination, especially in the summer when the threat of rain diminishes. Most hotels are located in the downtown area, but visitors can certainly find excellent lodging options in the outlying areas as well.

Bellevue and the Eastside

Seattle's sister city across Lake Washington, Bellevue has boomed with the growth of high-tech companies. It's an ideal spot for visitors who don't mind a short commute, although at rush hour crossing the bridge can take up to an hour. Hotels here include the posh Bellevue Club Hotel and the beautifully appointed Hyatt Regency. More moderately priced hotels include Red Lion Bellevue Inn and the Sheraton Bellevue. If you're looking for an even more casual place to stay, try the Bellevue Silver Cloud Inn or the Bellevue Lodge. These centrally located hotels, convenient to business and shopping, are ideal for business travelers visiting Microsoft, US West, Nintendo or any of the other companies filling the ever-expanding business parks in Bellevue, and in Redmond just five minutes to the east.

A few minutes east on the shore of Lake Washington, Kirkland is filled with condominiums, restaurants, art galleries and yachts. Kirkland's impeccable Woodmark Hotel sits right on the water and offers beautiful sunrises.

Downtown Business/Shopping Area

Most of the larger hotels are located here in the heart of the action. These are also the city's most expensive hotels. Accommodations for the shopping set include the Westin, Mayflower Park Hotel and the Fairmont Olympic, all high-quality hotels within easy walking distance of Pacific Place Shopping Center, Westlake Center, Nordstrom and Pike Place Market. Near the Washington State Convention Center, you'll find the Sheraton and the Seattle Hilton. The Hotel Monaco is also nearby.

SeaTac

If you don't want to stray far from Seatac Airport, which is about half an hour from downtown, there are plenty of options, as long as you don't mind the sound of airplanes taking off and landing. The Red Lion Hotel Seattle Airport the and Seattle Marriott Sea-Tac Airport are a few among many along the Pacific Highway (US 99) corridor.

University District

This part of town is always bustling. College students form the core population of the area, so inexpensive stores and restaurants abound. The hotels here are less expensive than those downtown, and considering the proximity to the city, it's not a bad place to stay. The University Tower Hotel and the University Inn provide comfort at reasonable prices.

Waterfront

While the Waterfront is a tourist Mecca, it is not the easiest place to find a hotel, so book early. The Edgewater is perched over the water on a pier, and every window has a view. As a matter of fact, Edgewater is the only waterfront hotel downtown. Located at the south end of downtown in historic Pioneer Square, the Pioneer Square Hotel is also close to the waterfront. And between those two sits The Inn at the Market, a nice hotel located at the frenzied Pike Place Market and only steps from the bustling waterfront.

The entertainment options in a city the size of Seattle are numerous. There are plenty of art museums, theaters and music venues for visitors to explore.

Art

The patriarchs of the local art scene, the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) and its brother the Seattle Asian Art Museum (SAAM), have been pushing steadily away from exclusively showing antiquities to showcasing more contemporary art. At SAM, look for rotating modern art shows, and be sure to check out the Native American and African galleries. At SAAM, the vibe is quieter, but spectacular nonetheless.

The contemporary art shows at the Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington always have an academic background and a flair for challenging conceptions. The Center on Contemporary Art (CoCA) and a host of edgy galleries like James Harris and Greg Kucera, showcase young, impoverished, enthusiastic local talent. Check it all out during the monthly neighborhood Artwalks, during which galleries stay open late and serve wine and cheese. The Pioneer Square area hold its Artwalk on the first Thursday of every month, Capitol Hill follows suit on the first Saturday, Kirkland opens its doors on the second Thursday and Ballard rounds out the cycle on the second Saturday.

Cinema

Hollywood glitz rules the downtown scene at Pacific Place and the Meridian. Art-house funkiness rules Capitol Hill at the Egyptian Theatre and the Harvard Exit, and over the University District at the Neptune, the Varsity Theatre, the Seven Gables Theatre and the Grand Illusion. Those with various tastes can have fun at the various annual film festivals, where sneak previews of blockbusters play alongside obscure Yugoslavian flicks. The biggest festival is the Seattle International Film Festival, which takes the town over for three weeks in May and June. Also keep a lookout for the Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.

Comedy

Admittedly, there are those who think watching nerdy Seattleites try to negotiate downtown with flapping rain ponchos and lattes in recycled, unbleached cups is comedy enough. But if you want something a bit more organized, try Giggles in the University District, where professionals take over the stage on the weekends.

Dance

Apart from the deservedly renowned Balanchine-school Pacific Northwest Ballet, and the beloved contemporary dance house On The Boards, good dance in Seattle is hard to come by on a regular basis. The best pickings include the University of Washington excellent World Music & Dance Series, which brings top-notch groups such as the Paul Taylor Dance Company into town every year.

Museums

The Frye Art Museum has a pleasant collection of 19th and 20th Century paintings, while the Museum of History and Industry covers the same time period but with its focus on Seattle's history. The Burke Museum and the Museum of Flight offer glimpses of natural history and Boeing science respectively, with towering artifacts (dinosaurs and airplanes, naturally) at both.

The history of Seattle's ethnic minorities gets a thoughtful, detailed look at the Wing Luke Asian Museum. The Seattle Children's Museum and the Pacific Science Center, both at the Seattle Center, are paradises of activities for kids. Further afield, the Bellevue Art Museum has a good collection of 20th Century art, while the Washington State History Museum is Tacoma's look at the state's history.

Classical Music

The Seattle Symphony performs in the acoustically crisp Benaroya Hall, which also provides much-needed concert space for the excellent Seattle Men's Chorus and other classical groups. Recent years have also seen the rise of an early-music movement, with several period ensembles garnering acclaim and audiences under the aegis of the Early Music Guild. Churches around town and the Seattle Art Museum often stage lovely chamber music concerts as well.

Okay, so grunge is dead. But that doesn't mean that the local rock scene is dead with it. The scene is just a bit more upbeat, with international groups finding a warmer welcome. Experimental rock groups and other combinations of world, funk and pop music play frequently at the Showbox and the Crocodile Cafe. Jazzmen and blues masters hold down regular gigs at the Tractor Tavern and the Baltic Room. There's also a lively Irish scene in town, with live traditional and modern music at Conor Byrne's, the Owl 'n' Thistle and Kells Irish Pub.

Opera

The Seattle Opera is internationally famous today for its Wagner productions, most notably its four-day Ring cycle. The company was actually founded in the 1960s specifically to present Wagner's warhorses. The opera has broadened its range considerably, from sparkling Mozart to serious Prokofiev.

Theater

Mainstream houses include the Seattle Repertory Theater, the Intiman, A Contemporary Theater and the Empty Space Theater. These companies put on strong seasons every year, usually comprised of modern classics and premieres. Fringe theater groups, such as the Annex Theater, the Book-It Repertory Theatre and Theater Schmeater provide well-produced, eclectic alternatives. There's also a manic fringe festival in early spring, when dozens of groups materialize out of nowhere to put on shows. In the niche bracket, Seattle Children's Theatre presents extremely professional, creative productions for kids ages 4-14, while the 5th Avenue Theatre brings Broadway musicals to town.