Weekend Getaway: Seattle

Eclectic Entertainment

Seattle is a music lover's paradise, and one needn't look any further than The Stranger, a free newspaper, for all there is to know about who's playing where.

If it's more classical tunes you're after, there's also the Seattle Symphony at Benaroya Hall. A nearby jazz nightclub venue with impressive shows, cocktails and dishes is The Triple Door, beneath elaborate eatery Wild Ginger, which serves diverse Asian fare.

The NBA SuperSonics may soon be leaving Key Arena for new digs, but the Superbowl XL runner-up Seahawks will be at Qwest Field, rated the loudest stadium, for quite some time. And next door is beautiful ballpark Safeco Field, the Seattle Mariners' home complete with Dale Chihuly chandelier of glass bats and retractable roof barring all chances of rainout.

Key Arena is one of many structures, like the Space Needle, making up the Seattle Center. The Pacific Science Center houses a wonderful museum for children and an Imax theatre.

At the base of the needle is the EMP, Experience Music Project. A colorful Frank Gehry-designed building, it's must-visit for all music lovers and creators.

The Green Scene

Climbers, hikers, skiers and outdoor sports lovers in Seattle relish in the short distance to activities. However, you don't need to leave the city for outdoor action.

In Madison Valley, walk the trails in the Washington Park Arboretum or meditate in the Japanese Garden -- you'll quickly forget you're in a city.

Rent a kayak on Lake Union and cruise under bridges, through canals and alongside quaint houseboats. For special dining, don a jacket and head to Canlis for inventive Northwest cuisine. A charming locale overlooking the lake, you can watch seaplanes return from nautical excursions with graceful landings.

Watch ships of all sizes lowered and raised through the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Ballard, home to professional fisherman. Near the locks, the fish ladder is one of few places in the world where fresh and salt waters meet, and salmon can be seen jumping through on their upstream migration.

Ray's Boathouse in Ballard's Shilshole Bay is a classic for views of Puget Sound and the exceptional seafood of which the Northwest is so very proud.

Coffee Break

Much like watching the world go by is something you must do in Paris, coffeehouse time in Seattle is required.

Capitol Hill, one of the largest and most popular neighborhoods, is prime for people-watching. Victrola, Vivace and Bauhaus are three favorites on the Hill, but independently-owned coffee shops dot the city, offering superior brews, yummy pastries and free Wi-Fi.

	Majestic Mt. Rainier

But what cup of coffee would be complete without the perfect doughnut? Underneath the monorail in Belltown is Top Pot Doughnuts, each hand-forged and totally scrumptious.

Whether you go for the cake doughnuts and old-fashioned, they're equally delicious and equally sinful -- so you'll just have to try both.

Seattle can get a little cloudy or drizzly, it's true. But if you do end up with a blue-skied day, you could be lucky enough to hear a Seattleite say the words, "the mountain's out," referring to the unforgettable view of the city's guardian angel, Mt. Rainier, glowing in the distance.

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