Seattle, Washington

About

Seattle sits on a narrow strip of land between Puget Sound and Lake Washington in the northwest corner of the continental United States. The city is hemmed in by water on both sides and framed by two major mountain ranges, with the Olympics visible to the west and the Cascades, including Mount Rainier on clear days, dominating the eastern skyline.

Pike Place Market has anchored the waterfront since 1907 and is still a working farmers’ market, stretched over nine acres and known for its fishmongers, flower stalls, and the original 1971 Starbucks across Pike Place. The Space Needle’s observation deck gives a full 360-degree read on the region: downtown, Elliott Bay, the San Juan ferries, and the mountains beyond. The Seattle Underground tour leads visitors through the preserved passageways of downtown before it was rebuilt atop the old city grid after the 1889 fire.

The wider region is one of the strongest outdoor hubs in the country. Mount Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades national parks are all within a few hours’ drive, and the San Juan Islands, Leavenworth, and the Columbia River Gorge are reachable on a long weekend.

A Seattle road trip makes an excellent launch point for a Pacific Northwest tour or retreat, and smaller groups tend to balance a day or two in the city with time in the surrounding mountains, coast, and islands.