In the Pacific Northwest, Head to Seattle
Seattle is Big City Feel with Small Town Appeal
If you haven’t explored the Pacific Northwest yet, now is the time. It offers a rich and fresh culinary culture, great hotels, lodges and spas and some of the world’s best, award winning wines. You can be both the urban and outdoor explorer with endless attractions, activity and boundless beauty. The best bennie of all, there’s no border patrol and the dollar is still worth a dollar. For the American traveler looking for a domestic option that offers that otherworldly appeal that one feels in Europe, this may be the season’s best bet.
(SEATTLE’S PIKE PLACE MARKET- above and below)
If you’re heading to Seattle start in city center hitting the old world Pike Place Market, Seattle Art Museum (SAM), a ferry to one of the many islands or get lost in the local character and charm of one of the city’s many neighborhoods. From Belltown to Queen Anne and Capitol Hill, like New York, no two look, nor feel alike. They make for a diversified tapestry, explored best on foot or by hopping in and out of the car.
(DOWNTOWN SEATTLE)
For suburban exploring, hit the surrounding suburban sprawl. Similar to Los Angeles, it’s an easy weave on and off the freeways yet the traffic pales in comparison. Head to the stunning seaside city of Kirkland where Uncorked, their Washington wine fest sets the summer mood or to Bellevue, similar to LA’s Century City, where high rises and high incomes are definitively on the rise. Next door, it’s Redmond’s red brick for Alpaca watching
(SEATTLE CITY CENTER)
If you like to get up close and personal with your wines, Woodinville, the nearby, local wine country is but an easy and breezy 20 to 30 minutes from city center as is Snoqualmie Falls. It’s equidistant to the city and a great place to get your game on at their newly opened casino. If romance is your fancy, Salish Lodge in Snoqualmie is the place to ride the wedding wave.
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(THE ARBORETUM)
Seattle’s rich wine, cocktail and culinary culture is one of the country’s best. Whatever your pleasure, you’re sure to please your palette and get your cultural fill as you feast on Seattle. No matter what the attraction, Seattle has just the right, rich, yet subtle touch.
(ALPACA WATCHING ON REDMOND’S RED BRICK ROAD)
PHOTOS AND TEXT BY KAREN LOFTUS
Karen
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