Summer in Seattle: maritime magic and mountain vistas entice travelers to a captivating corner of the Pacific Northwest

Travel America, March-April, 2005 by Randy Mink

EVEN THE MOST CONFIRMED COUCH potatoes emerge from their comfy confines to savor the pleasures of summer in this water-laced city spread across green hills. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, Seattle is a beehive of outdoor activity.

Joggers, bike riders, and rollerbladers throng the parks and shorelines of Seattle, perennially rated one of America's most livable--and fitness-minded--cities. Kayakers, canoeists, and sailboat enthusiasts are out in full force as well.

Latte drinkers frequent the outdoor cafes of this coffee-crazed town, a place brimful of java joints and espresso carts. Tourists converge on the downtown waterfront, boarding excursion boats, browsing in gift shops, and sampling the seafood.

A calendar chockful of summer festivals also gets folks outdoors, and daylight until 10 p.m. keeps them out late.

Sparkling water defines Seattle, the "Jewel of the Pacific Northwest." To the west lies saltwater Puget Sound, to the east Lake Washington. In the middle is Lake Union, home of the country's largest houseboat community and a place to watch floatplanes take off and land. Nearly surrounded by water, the city counts more boats per capita than anywhere in the country. Almost one in five area residents owns some kind of boat.

Summer weather in Seattle is not too hot or too cold, prompting visitors and residents alike to be out and about. Temperatures rarely climb above the low 80s. Despite its lush-but-soggy image, the Emerald City receives less annual precipitation than Houston, Memphis, and a long list of Eastern cities. Most of the raindrops fall between October and April. July and August are the warmest and driest months.

In the Pacific Northwest title of Fodor's Compass American Guide series, author John Doerper writes: "Once you get to know Seattle, you'll learn that it hardly ever rains in summer, never mind how much the residents moan and groan about the constant overcast. But perhaps Seattleites need the specter of rain to justify the energy they radiate. They never sit still for long and are always up to something, whether it's walking, running, sailing the Sound, or hiking in the mountains."

Oh yes, snow-capped mountain ranges also are part of the Seattle scene. The Olympics loom to the west, the Cascades to the east. And on a clear day when "The Mountain is out," majestic, 14,410-foot Mt. Rainier, the city's most treasured sight, seems close enough to reach out and touch.

To put this mountain-tinged metropolis in perspective, first-time visitors flock to the famous Space Needle, whose observation deck provides panoramic 360-degree views. A lofty landmark recognized worldwide, the 605-foot tower is the skyline's exclamation point and instantly identifies Washington State's largest city. Just as the Eiffel Tower says Paris, the Space Needle pinpoints Seattle. Built in 1962 as the centerpiece of the visionary Seattle World's Fair, the futuristic tripod structure gleams from a recent top-to-bottom renovation. Offering uninterrupted viewing space all the way around, the lookout deck in the domed, flying saucer-inspired top has telescopes, interactive games, friendly tour guides, and a cafe, plus an open-air platform.

SkyCity, the Needle's revolving restaurant, makes a full revolution about every hour. Dinner entrees (from $30) include prime rib, seared ahi tuna, and Northwest Salmon Wellington in puff pastry with spinach pesto and lemon cream. Save room for the signature Lunar Orbiter, a hot fudge sundae presented in swirls of dry-ice Seattle "fog." There's a lavish Saturday and Sunday brunch, also at sky-high prices. Weekday lunch is less expensive.

After visiting the Needle, you could spend the rest of the day at the surrounding attractions in Seattle Center, a heavily used park on the site of the 1962 fairgrounds. A gathering place with performance stages, carnival rides, and high-tech museums, Seattle Center is a 90-second ride from downtown via the same monorail system that delivered passengers to the World's Fair.

Seattle Center hosts many events, including the Northwest Folk Life Festival, a multi-ethnic cultural celebration that marks the unofficial start of the summer season. If you're in town July 22-24, feast on the fare of top local restaurants and wash it down with Washington State wines at Bite of Seattle, also held on the center's 74-acre grounds. On Labor Day weekend, Bumbershoot, one of the nation's five largest arts and music extravaganzas, heralds a fitting close to Seattle's glory season.

Families at Seattle Center like the hands-on Pacific Science Center and Seattle Children's Museum. The park is also the boarding point for Ride the Ducks tours that navigate on land and sea in reconditioned World War II amphibious vehicles.

Seattle Center's attention-grabbing Experience Music Project (EMP), noted for its wild architecture, is a must-see for fans of today's music. The rumpled metal-skinned exterior, bathed in a rainbow of colors, reflects rock music's rebellious nature and the fluidity of music; the monorail passes right through the wacked-out building.