SEATTLE This lovely west coast city came into its own after gold was discovered in the Klondike — 100, 000 people passed through the Northwest in 1897 and 1898 on their quest for wealth in Alaska. Detailed at the Klondike Gold Rush Museum in turn-of-the-century Pioneer Square, gold dust history blends with noted landmarks like the Space Needle and Pike Place Market to create a lively scene.

CITY VIEWS
The Seattle city skyline is impressive with shimmering glass high-rises and 100-year-old buildings standing side by side. Some say, however, that nature steals the show with the Olympic Mountains to the west, the Cascade Range to the east, and towering Mt. Rainier to the south. And Puget Sound, crisscrossed by ferries, is dotted with thickly forested islands.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST ATTRACTIONS
A small, compact city, Seattle is a great place to explore. Energized by the ubiquitous coffee houses, you can stay on the go from Pioneer Square, where Seattle took root, to the futuristic Experience Music Project, where rock and roll pioneers like Jimi Hendrix come to life. The views from the Space Needle, the produce stands and artisan shops of Pike Place Market, and the carousel and waterfront haunts of Alaska Way are musts for any visitor.

CULTURE AND SPORTS SCENE
Sports buffs can take in a Mariner game or tour Safeco Field, one of the best ball fields in the country. The Seattle Art Museum, with its Hammering Man sculpture, offers a noted display of Pacific Northwest Native Art and the cultural scene thrives with numerous performances of opera, off-Broadway musicals, ballet and live theatre throughout the year.