Also known as the "The Emerald City", this jewel of the Pacific Northwest is on the cusp of art and industry which such creations as Starbucks, Nirvana, Microsoft and Boeing. With a population of 540,000 (3 million in the Pugent Sound region althogether), Seattle is sorrounded by water and has many islands around that can be reached easily by boats and ferries. Seattle is known for excessive rainy weather, however the that they only receive 34 inches (less than Atlanta, New York, Washington D.C.), leads us to believe that this label might be slightly blown out of proportion.

Downtown Seattle: In addition to highrises and commercial buildings with cool cafes and art galleries sprinkled in, there is an undergound consortium of walkways beneath.

Pike Place Market: Farmer's market which started 1907. Along with food they have clothes, anitques and various, hard to find trinkets. One of the few authentic farmer's markets in the US, it attracts 9 million visitors a year.

Space Needle: 620 foot tower which highlights the Seattle skyline and has elevators which propel its visitors to the Observation Deck, 520 feet above the city. Get food at SkyCity, the tower's rotating restaurant that makes one complete orbit per hour.

Hiram M. Chittenden Locks: Station that combines the salt water Lake Union with the fresh water Lake Washington. Has fish-viewing windows that provide opportunities to view salmon swimming upstream during the summer months.

Seattle has pleasant weather year round so traveling there is always seasonally pleasing. From October through May, travel to Seattle is a lot cheaper and better deals are to be had. Also, hotel rooms, flights and car rentals during the weekdays are drastically cheaper than on weekends.