The Space Needle and Pike Place Market may get the most recognition, but from fabulous museums to delicious coffee shops, Seattle has plenty more to offer sightseers. As you plan your Seattle vacation consider the climate and time of year. Seattle is chilly and rainy in the winter and since many of the attractions are outdoors you must plan accordingly. But even if the weather is poor, Seattle's museums and indoor attractions will keep you busy.
No music fan's visit is complete without a few hours at Paul Allen's Experience Music Project. Located at 325 5th Ave. N., the EMP offers a combination of permanent and rotating exhibits, many of which are fully interactive. One of the enduring permanent exhibits known as "Northwest Passage" offers a detailed audio tour of Seattle's rich music history, from the Kingsmen to Nirvana and beyond. Other unique features include a towering installation made up entirely of instruments called "Roots and Branches," live concerts and even a sound lab that lets you learn how to mix music.
Also worth checking out is the Seattle Art Museum, which offers a wide range of classic, contemporary and modern art. Most impressive is the art museum's Olympic Sculpture Park. A former 9-acre industrial sight, the Sculpture Park now contains several twisting sculptures framed by the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound in the background. Best of all, it's open every day of the year and is free.
Other excellent museums include the Science Fiction Museum (attached to the EMP at 325 5th Ave. N.), the Burke Museum of natural history (16th Ave NE & NE 45th S.t) and the Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center (2205 Alaskan Way at Pier 66).
Starbucks may be Seattle's most famous coffee export, but the options do not end there in America's coffee mecca. Seattle's prevalence of artisanal coffee roasters ensures that you will have some of the greatest brews of your life. Begin your coffee tour with a visit to the original Starbucks at 1912 Pike Place. From there, stop in at any number of the boutique coffee shops sprinkled throughout Seattle. For strong espresso roasts and a cozy interior, check out one of Diva Espresso's shops (8003 Greenwood Ave. N.) or its espresso stand (4615 Stone Way N.). Other highly regarded coffee shops include Herkimer Coffee (5611 University Way NE) and Espresso Vivace Sidewalk Bar (321 Broadway E.).
Seattle's location on the Puget Sound with the nearby Olympic Mountains in the distance ensures plenty of outdoor sightseeing options. Make sure to take a stroll along Seattle's 1.5-mile waterfront. The waterfront has shops and museums for the casual sightseer or various water adventures such as boating.
Right outside Seattle in the town of Ballard you will find beaches, picnic areas and volleyball in the 38-acre Golden Gates Park (8948 Seaview Place NW). Also in Ballard are the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. You'll see an engineering apparatus that lifts boats from the saltwater of the Puget Sound to the freshwater Washington and Union lakes. The locks even have a fish ladder to assist the salmon as they swim upstream.
