Seattle

Large cruise ships regularly travel to major ports in Alaska, however a better, smaller option is the Alaskan Ferry. Departing from Bellingham Washington, these large ferries travel around the major coastal towns of Canada, the Gulf of Alaska, and the Alaskan Peninsula. The landscape is staggering, revealing hundreds of craggy forest-dense islands and coastlines. Eagles, killer whales, bears, and other wildlife are all part of the view.The months of operation are May to September, when the weather is bearable and sunshine illuminates most of the 'night' hours, making the days long so there is plenty of time to fit in lots of sight-seeing. Costs vary greatly on length of voyage and accommodation. Most ferries rent cabins, but those in tune with Alaska's pioneer spirit can pitch a tent on deck or just use a blanket. However, if you do choose to go with a cabin, there are some very comfortable options available. It's possible to plan an extensive tour of Washington's, Canada's, and Alaska's coast lines, stopping off at various points of interest along the way. Special fares are available throughout the year upon request.

Website : www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/index.shtml

Telephone : (360) 676-0212 for Bellingham office

Next to Boeing Field, south of downtown Seattle, the Museum of Flight consists of a six-story glass and steel construction, which was the original Boeing factory and used to be one of the mainstays of Seattle's economy. Inside is a collection of more than 130 aircraft, some suspended from the ceiling, including some of history's most famous airplanes. There is, for example, a replica of the Wright Brothers' first glider and the original Air Force One presidential plane used by Eisenhower. The museum covers the entire history of flight right up to the space programme. The Museum's most recent acquisitions include a British Airways Concorde, the only one on America's West Coast, and NASA's Full Fuselage Trainer. Concorde arrived in true style setting a new world record time from New York to Seattle, while NASA's FFT has been retired from use and is making its new home at the museum. Changing exhibitions are hosted and changed regularly to keep things interesting. Restoration work on various aircraft is constantly ongoing at the museum, with 2 to 4 new acquisitions every year and about twelve aircraft being worked on at any one time. The museum also contains exhibitions of aircraft photography, artefacts, and archives.

Address : 4097, 9404 East Marginal Way South

Website : www.museumofflight.org

Telephone : (206) 764 5700

Opening times : Daily 10am-5pm; open until 9pm the first Thursday of every month. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Admission : $23 adults, $14 children 5-17. Other concessions available. Online discounts available.

Housed in a colourful psychedelic building at the base of the Space Needle is one of Seattle's most popular attractions, the Museun of Pop Culture, a rock 'n roll music museum with a difference.The museum was planned originally by Microsoft entrepreneur Paul Allen as a memorial to Jimi Hendrix, the superstar guitarist who was born in Seattle and died more than 30 years ago. The Hendrix exhibit, featuring artefacts associated with the rock legend, remains the biggest drawcard at the museum. However, the collections and interactive exhibits have been expanded to include the general history of American popular music, and another exhibition dedicated to Seattle's other famous musician, Kurt Cobain.Exhibits range from the first electric guitars of the 1930s, to a rock 'n roll thrill ride akin to a roller coaster. In interactive rooms visitors can try their hands at mixing on DJ turntables or playing various instruments. The museum is also the venue for numerous concerts. There are several venues for changing exhibitions that have in the past included exhibitions on Battlestar Gallactica, Unforgettable Rock 'n Roll Photographs, the First Decade of Hip Hop, Disco: A Decade of Saturday Nights, as well as art exhibitions and some science-related exhibitions.A Science Fiction Hall of Fame honors the lives, work, and ongoing legacies of some of the world's most influential science fiction writers, amongst them Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Sir Arthur C. Clarke, Ridley Scott, George Lucas, Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, and many more.

Address : Seattle Center, 325 Fifth Avenue North

E-mail : [email protected]

Website : www.mopop.org

Telephone : (206) 770 2700

Opening times : Daily 10am-7pm (June to August); 10am-5pm (September to May).

Admission : $28 adults, $19 children 5-17. Other concessions available, and discounted tickets available via the website.

Rachel, a giant piggy bank, stands guard over the Pike Place Farmer's Market in downtown Seattle, placed there to raise funds to preserve this National Historic District founded in 1907. The bustling market has provided the local people with producer-priced goods for decades, and continues to do so today as about 100 farmers and fishmongers tout their wares. The focus is on local and organic food. They have been joined by more than 150 local craftsmen and artists who have also set up shop here, along with street performers, dozens of restaurants, and numerous speciality shops.The world's first Starbucks coffee shop opened here in 1971, and is still brewing up its famous beverage on the original site. At the north end of the market, Victor Steinbrueck Park provides a popular grassy place to sit in the sun and escape the milling crowds. Events are hosted at the market, such as the May Flower Fest Market, Sunset Supper at the Market, a Busker's Festival, and Arcade Lights: a Celebration of Artisan Food, Beer and Wine.

Address : First Avenue, between Pike and Pine Streets

Website : www.pikeplacemarket.org

Telephone : (206) 682 7453

Opening times : Open daily. Hours vary for different businesses, and Sundays are voluntary opening days so some shops may be closed.

Admission : Free

Billed as 'where Seattle begins', the historic district of Pioneer Square features more than 20 city blocks of historic buildings, more than 30 galleries, a vibrant retail sector, and the city's most exciting nightlife. Some of the businesses that have premises on the square are Intrigue Chocolates, the Bicycle Alliance of Washington, Gallery Frames, Distant Lands, and many more.The district is south of the main downtown area and encompasses two major attractions. The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park recalls the days when Seattle was a jumping off point for hopefuls heading for the goldfields. Another visitor favourite is the unique Underground Tour, taking in the sunken storefronts of the original 'Skid Road', where timber used to be slid down to the steam-powered mills on the shores of Elliott Bay.On the first Thursday of every month, the square hosts First Thursdays Art Walks when all the art galleries and museums remain open for the evening, serving snacks and drinks and allowing visitors to mingle and visit while looking at the artwork on display. Holiday Trivia Nights are also hosted at various venues on the square, giving attendees a chance to pit their trivia skills against one another.

Website : www.pioneersquare.org

Telephone : Pioneer Square Community Association: (206) 667 0687

Washington State Ferries depart regularly from the Seattle waterfront piers carrying passengers to and from the many islands in scenic Puget Sound. Visitors generally favour Bremerton, about 20 miles (32km) west of the city, on the tip of the Kitsap Peninsula. Here stands the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Museum. Visitors can also explore the historic destroyer, the USS Turner Joy that is tied up at the ferry dock.A popular island destination is Bainbridge, just 10 miles (16km) west of Seattle, which has its own winery. Winslow, the main town on Bainbridge Island, is a pretty historic town with some fine restaurants, shops, and a great view of Seattle. Vashon Island, 10 miles (16km) southwest of the city is an artist's colony. A little further afield are the San Juan Islands boasting miles of unspoilt beaches, state parks, whale-watching opportunities, and primeval forests.Many recreational activities are on offer throughout the area, such as kayak trips around several islands including beach landings, whale watching on board ferries, bicycle tours of islands through bicycle clubs, diving, golf, mountain climbing and hiking, beautifully kept running trails for runners, wine tastings at the many wine farms, and much more.

The San Juan Islands and the Canadian Gulf islands form one of the most scenic boating routes in the world. The hundreds of islands are separated by nationality but are part of the same scenic, rugged archipelago, located off the northwest coast of Washington State.Much of the area is in a rain shadow behind Vancouver Island, making a surprisingly dry and sunny reprieve in the northwest. Little island communities, great wildlife, and the open water provide a retreat from the mainland. Frequent government ferry services connect the mainland and larger inhabited islands to each other, but many are only accessible by smaller shuttle boats and yachts.Friday Harbour is San Juan's largest town and an enchanting tourist destination. Seemingly out of a Norman Rockwell painting, the islands contain many little farms and fisheries, and agri-tourism has become an important part of the island's tourist trade. For the most part, farms that take part in agri-tourism are the island's beautiful wine farms, where guests stay in charming cottages overlooking vineyards and learn more about grape growing and wine making. However, there is also a lovely lavender farm and a somewhat more unexpected alpaca farm. Anchorages are bustling throughout summer, but largely empty in other seasons. Yacht charters are available out of Bellingham.

Website : www.visitsanjuans.com

Located on Seattle's waterfront, the Aquarium provides a window through which to see amazing sea creatures and colourful coral life of the Pacific. The aquarium contains exhibits such as touch pools with animals like sea stars and urchins from Puget Sound and Washington's outer coast. The Window on Washington Waters is a huge exhibit filled with native marine life, where dive shows take place three times daily, while the Marine Mammal exhibit features sea otters and seals viewed from both above and below the water.The Underwater Dome is one of the largest exhibits, an undersea room that provides 360 degree views of the fish and sharks as they swim. Some further exhibits available at the aquarium are Ocean Oddities, Life of a Drifter, Pacific Coral Reef, Marine Mammals, Orca Activity Center, Searching for Sixgills, and more. The aquarium hosts events on a regular basis, some of which include a Celebrate Sharks event, the Naturalist Program, parts of the Seattle Science Festival, and more.Conservation is a big focus at the aquarium, and the attendants and guides take care to educate visitors about marine conservation. The aquarium is in a part of Seattle that's full of very good restaurants, so making a day trip out of a visit to the aquarium is a good idea.

Address : 1483 Alaskan Way, Pier 59

Website : www.seattleaquarium.org

Telephone : (206) 386 4300

Transport : Waterfront Streetcar Line Bus

Opening times : Daily 9.30am-5pm, exhibits close at 6pm.

Admission : $30 adults, $20 children 4-12, free for children 3 and under. Additional fees for Argosy Harbor Cruise.

Seattle's downtown Art Museum is landmarked by the animated thudding massive steel sculpture by Jonathon Borofsky called 'Hammering Man' that stands outside. Inside the remarkable building, designed by Robert Venturi, are a large range of exhibits covering European and American art, from ancient art through to a vast 20th-century collection devoted to Northwest contemporary art.The museum has a focus on collecting and exhibiting art from around the world, covering many cultures and a great expanse of time, and trying to find and explore the connections between cultures and over time. Some of the permanent collections include textiles, porcelain, Native and Mesoamerican art, Decorative art, and Australian, Aboriginal and Oceanic Art. Currently the museum has over 23,000 pieces, with recent acquisitions including an untitled 1937 Morris Graves painting, Portrait of Bartolomeo Sirigatti by Francesco Traballesi, In the Well of the Wave of Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai, and more. Free guided tours of the different collections are offered.A Seattle Asian Art Museum is affiliated to the original musuem and is located at 1400 East Prospect Street, filled with Asian art from as far back as the 2nd century, and the Olympic Sculpture Park is a permanent outdoor exhibition of sculptures, including Eye Bwnches I, Father and Son, Schubert Sonata and more.

Address : 1300 First Avenue

Website : www.seattleartmuseum.org

Telephone : (206) 654 3210

Transport : Metro bus

Opening times : Wednesday to Monday 10am-5pm; Thursdays 10am-5pm; closed Monday.

Admission : $20 adults, $13 youth 13-17, free for under 13; other concessions available. Special exhibition ticket prices vary.

Anyone who has seen a picture of the Seattle skyline will be familiar with Seattle's internationally recognised symbol, the futuristic Space Needle building. From afar it looks like a spinning top, with the needle pointing skywards. The Space Needle was built for the 1962 World's Fair to showcase upcoming architectural development, and proved itself by withstanding an earthquake in February 2001 measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale. It has since been declared a historic landmark by the City's Landmarks Preservation Board. Visitors can get to the top of the Space Needle using one of the elevators that travel at ten miles an hour, reaching the observation deck within 43 seconds. On windy days, however, the elevators are slowed down to 5 miles an hour for safety reasons. Visitors can ascend the 607-foot (185m) building as far as a revolving observation deck 520 feet (158m) above the city, where high-powered telescopes are positioned to allow you to pick out the city sights. There is a revolving restaurant on top of the tower that allows visitors to take in every part of the panoramic views while enjoying a meal.

Address : 400 Broad Street

Website : www.spaceneedle.com

Telephone : (206) 905-2100

Transport : Monorail from downtown

Opening times : Daily 8am-12am.

Admission : $26 adults, $17 children 5-12, other concessions available.

A quintessential part of experiencing the city is a ferry ride to Seattle. Coffee mugs are adorned with ferries, little model ferries are offered to tourists as trinkets, ferrying is a culture and a way of life to Seattle residents, many of whom commute to work across the Union Lake and Elliot Bay areas. Wake up early and drink your morning coffee, Seattle's other cultural pastime, on the water with the friendly locals.If possible, try to plan sight-seeing of the city around several ferry trips going from point to point, which allows for maximum sightseeing. Trips to local attractions like the San Juan Islands are available on the ferries, as well as trips to Victoria in nearby Canada. Be sure to remember a passport and any other necessary and valid travel documents before embarking on a ferry ride to Victoria. Ferries are operated by Washington State Ferries and a schedule is available on their website.

Website : www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/

Admission : Prices vary based on distance and type of transport.