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Bookmark & shareA Top Day in Seattle
Clean, green, techie and serene, Seattle is a lower-key, less gritty version of San Francisco; in other words an ideal destination. Don your hat and raingear, forget the umbrella (a sure sign of a visitor) and start the day at a coffee house. There's one on every block, or - if you dare - the original Starbuck's. The heart of the action awaits at the Pike Place Market, eight warren-like blocks of shopping, browsing and snacking where getting a little disoriented is part of the fun. At Seattle Center, the enormous urban park dating back to the 1962 World's Fair, the Experience Music Project (EMP to its friends) is a must-visit to learn the story behind The Kingsmen's 'Louie, Louie' and Jimi Hendrix's 'Star Spangled Banner', The Presidents of the USA's 'Lump' and Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'. You can even test out your own skills on specially modified studio equipment. If you can, take a boat ride on the harbour as the afternoon light bathes the city in sun - or doesn't; it's still a gorgeous view - and head in for a stroll as the lights come up on handsome, historic Pioneer Square. There are plenty of dining and nightlife options here, but our money is on the up-and-coming Belltown neighborhood where Cyclops is always hip and Marjorie's creates innovative fusion cuisine in a bohemian setting. After dinner, Crocodile Cafe is something of a temple. It's where the grunge scene got its start, and so we'll leave you here to contemplate Nirvana.
Author: Andrew Bender
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