by Greggory Delman

Created on: July 09, 2009   Last Updated: July 10, 2009

When traveling to a city it is great to get a feeling of the local flavor, and most people do this by going to the attractions that the city is known for. Seattle, has a number of great locations that are both downtown and nearby that do an excellent job of showing how the Seattle area is unique. There are so many natural wonders close the the city like Mt. Rainier and Snoqualmie Falls, but seeing as they are not in the city proper, we should consider five locations within the city that best exemplify Seattle.

5. The Museum of Flight

This museum is an great place to visit for a many reasons. First, it is the story of not only the aviation industry, but it also tells the more specific story of the Boeing company. Before Microsoft or Amazon were created, Boeing was the driving force in Seattle. They still are a huge employer and operate numerous factories in the area. For this reason alone, it is worth exploring this museum, however the multitude of different exhibits, other then the history of Boeing, are fascinating. There is a gallery of planes raging from old 1930's style planes, to the "Car-Plane" hybrid, and the modern day fighters. There is a great exhibit about the history of space flight, as well as an exhibit devoted to WWI and WWII planes. Both of these exhibits feature simple flight simulators that let you land on the moon or try to land a WWI plane. They also have an old Concord and Air Force One that are open to walk through on select days. Recommended for the whole family, and expect to spend around 2 hours.

4. Pioneer Square

Even before Boeing came on the scene, the real pioneers came as soon as word spread about the striking of gold in the Yukon. Seattle became the jumping off point for many people who were trying to strike it rich. This lead to many outfitters and businesses being formed, including Nordstrom. Pioneer Square is a great place to visit to get a feel of that era. The brick buildings that make up the area were built around 1900's, and now contain many art galleries showing off the work of local artists. The Elliot Bay Book Company, is a classic Seattle bookstore that is worth walking through. The famous Seattle Underground Tour is a walking tour of this area that will explain the history in with humor. Those looking for something less famous, the National Park Service has the Gold Rush National Monument visitor center which has exhibits and also hosts walking tours of the Pioneer Square. It is an area of the

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>