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Seattle Washington...
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If this is your first visit to Seattle Washington or even if you live in the area, there’s lots more to the city than often realized.
Seattle’s Tid-Bits…
Undoubtedly, Seattle is an area that has a silvery mist hanging in the air, covering trees, buildings and nearby mountaintops. The mist is formed in cloud cover blown in from the Pacific Ocean to the Northwest.
People living here become accustomed to the drizzle and onslaught of clouds passing over. When the sun breaks, however, Seattle Washington is transformed. Gardens and parks flourish in dazzling green.
The waters, Lake Washington, Lake Union and Elliott Bay glow a deep blue. Nestled in Seattle’s backyard, Mt. Rainier cloaks itself in a purplish hue as the sun beams radiate off the glaciers.
Seattle Washington is the home city of the Northwest, leading the way. It’s the gateway to Alaska and the Orient. Nicknamed the "Emerald City", Seattle is known as one of the most livable cities in the United States.
The less-than-ideal weather has kept some people away. And quite frankly, we Northwestern’s don’t mind that at all. People living in the Seattle Washington area joke about having webfeet, like those of a duck. With the immense amount of water it makes sense for people to get around by way of water, and webfeet seems most appropriate.
Rain falls in the Seattle Washington area about 158 days a year, and having overcast days are very common. Weather forecasters typically predict the weather perfectly. A typical forecast might be, "Showers this morning and turning to rain later this afternoon". How can they go wrong with a forecast like that?
Essentially forecasters are saying it’s going to rain, but if for some reason the sun peaks through the clouds momentarily apparently the forecasters are covered by saying showers. We’ve never been able to figure out the difference between rain and showers, they’re both wet.
Seattle’s average rainfall is about 39 inches and most of that occurs during the months between October and March. The summer months of June, July and August are usually very nice. Temperatures can range from the 70’s to the 90’s. And this is the time to shed the raincoats and bring on the bathing suits. With so much water in the area, water sports are a common episode.
It’s commonplace knowledge that there are more sunglasses sold in Seattle Washington than any other U.S. city. Why? Because, when the sun comes out it is so brilliant that it’s nearly impossible for the average Northwesterner to see. After all, living in a gray environment puts havoc on the pupils of ones eyes. And, we buy sunglasses to accommodate the brief sun moments. When the sun is gone we put the sunglasses away, usually never finding them again. Hence, we’re always purchasing new sunglasses.
Getting Around…
Getting around downtown Seattle is fairly easy. The downtown section is not that big, therefore, walking is easy and a good workout with the prominent hills. If you’re not in to walking, the bus service is fabulous. Buses are free in the downtown section and cost a token amount if you travel outside of the downtown area.
Seattle Washington hosts a hub for train travel too. Amtrak offers service from Seattle to various points across the U.S. The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport serves the entire Northwest Region reaching out to other U.S. and International cities.
The Washington State Ferries systems are an extension of the Washington State Highway System. The ferryboats make for a unique way to travel the region. Many people live on nearby islands or across waterways and commute via the ferry system.
The Changing City…
Like any other city Seattle Washington is going through the growing pains of change. The population continues to grow, more ethnic cultures are emerging throughout the city and commerce continues to grow.
Seattle’s traffic problem dates back to several years ago. City planners back in the 1950’s, when the Interstate system was in the planning stages for Seattle, never imagined the growth. Seattle has grown well over the road capacity creating hardships on the transportation systems.
Seattle is also surrounded by water; therefore, expanding roadways makes for an expensive challenge. There’s not much room for expansion.
The cruise ship industry has brought a new source of revenue into the city. The Port of Seattle was challenged to find docks to berth the monstrous floating cities. With some creativity they managed to host the giants creating some competition for nearby Vancouver, Canada. Previously, Vancouver was the only port in the Northwest to host the big cruise ships.
Seattle-Tacoma International airport reached its passenger handling capacity and had to rebuild. They’ve expanded the terminal buildings and are now in the process of building another runway. This has brought much attention to the airport, there are those who do not want to expand SeaTac Airport while other do.
Seattle’s Real Estate…
Like most places throughout the U.S. and world, properties prices have increased. It simply sums down to the supply and demand principles. The more people want property the prices go up.
There are some great communities throughout the Seattle Washington area. If you desire a view of the water, mountains or both, there’s a property for you. Or perhaps you want beachfront property, you can find it. The prices are typically high; however, if you have the right realtor at the right time and in the right place you just might find a bargain.
Seattle’s Highlights…
Visit our top Seattle Attractions, Click Here…
We hope you enjoy your explorations in Seattle Washington.
Do you have any information about Seattle Washington? Send it to us and we'll publish it.
Craig Dahl
Senior Editor
Return to Northwest Travel Tips
We're also the Senior Editors for Abolish Back Pain, and Luxury Romantic Vacations; we've brought the Best of the worlds together, Love, Health & Travel.
