SEATTLE — A vacation in northwest Washington can be accurately described as simply "waterful."
Going from Utah, the second driest of the 50 states, to one of the wettest is a contrast to be appreciated. From a high amount of annual rainfall, to waterfalls and rivers, to all the greenery, to ocean bays/ports, this makes for a vacation of high H2O proportions.
But is Seattle really that rainy?
No, according to David Blandford, director of public relations for Seattle's Convention and Visitors Bureau.
"Seattle summers tend be consistently dry and warm," he said. "As for the rest of the year, Seattle's precipitation statistics speak louder than its rainy reputation, counting many major U.S. cities that get more of the wet stuff."
For example, Boston, Houston, Miami, New York and Washington, D.C., all receive greater annual precipitation than Seattle (at 37.04 inches a year), according to the National Climatic Data Center.
Add a vibrant downtown with many galleries and museums, plus such icons as the Space Needle and the Pike Place Market, and the H2O angle is only one way to enjoy a surprisingly diverse Seattle.
In an AAA survey earlier this year, Seattle ranked third, behind Orlando and Las Vegas, as a "hot spot" destination for travelers in the summer of 2007.
Located almost 900 miles from Salt Lake City, Seattle's overnight visitors in 2006 increased to 9.4 million, up 3.4 percent from the previous year.
Blandford said that in the mid-1990s, Seattle garnered several big destination accolades, widely credited to its influence in pop culture — gourmet coffee, grunge rock, and movies such as "Sleepless in Seattle."
"Today, it is widely considered a top travel destination," he said, "because its tourism infrastructure has matured to feature a bustling cruise port (400,000 passengers each year), world-renowned cultural institutions, such as the Seattle Public Library's downtown brand and Olympic Sculpture Park, growing numbers of hotels and gourmet restaurants and more."
The 76-story Bank of America Tower — now named the Columbia Seafirst Center — is Seattle's tallest building.
The Space Needle, though not as tall at 520 feet above the Seattle metropolis, lives up to its billing — "Go from 0 to 'Wow' in 41 seconds." Located at Seattle Center on the northwest side of town, the Space Needle is the tallest structure in the area and offers 360-degree, commanding views of downtown and the region.
Built for the 1962 World's Fair, the Space Needle still thrives 45 years later. It isn't inexpensive for families, though (tickets for ages 14 and up cost $16; youths $8, and seniors $14), but it is great with its observation deck/restaurant on top and gift shop at the bottom.
As the Seattle Visitor Bureau proclaims, "You can't go to Paris without stopping by the Eiffel Tower. And you can't visit Seattle without checking out the view from the world-famous Space Needle."
"Seattle's ever-futuristic civic icon is loved by visitors and locals alike," Blandford said. "No longer one of the tallest observation towers in the world, the Space Needle is often distinguished by its interesting architecture. And, the needle symbolizes an important growth period in Seattle during the late 1950s and early 1960s."
Seattle Center covers 74 acres and features a small amusement park. There's also the Experience Music Project next to the Needle. You can't miss this weird structure. This is actually two museums in one — a tribute to American pop music and a Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame.
(The Seattle Center is connected to the central business district via the Seattle Center Monorail, which takes just 90 seconds one way.)
Seattle isn't Seattle if you don't visit its waterfront (aquarium and more) and also take at least one ferry in the area. The Washington State Ferry system is the largest of its kind in the United States.
The San Juan Islands and Victoria, Vancouver Island, in Canada, are the gems in a long string of ferry boat possibilities, where you can take your vehicle along. (Go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries for more information.)
Other not-to-be overlooked downtown Seattle features include:
— Pike Place Market (200 businesses, 190 craftsmen and 120 farmer booths) celebrates its centennial (Aug. 17). It's one of the oldest continuously operated farmers markets in the country. (See www.pikeplacemarket.org for more details.).
— Seattle's 20-block downtown historic district offers guided Underground Tours, the Klondike Goldrush Museum and plenty of art galleries and book stores.
—Museum of Flight — from the Wright Brothers to outer space. (See www.museumofflight.org.)
Even if you don't care for the urban experience of congested downtown Seattle, there are plenty of less crowded features to enjoy in the surrounding area.
Snoqualmie Falls Park, 29 miles east of Seattle, is among the best. Just six miles north of I-90 in the community of Snoqualmie, near North Bend, this 270-foot water drop is kind of a "Niagara Falls of the West."
There's a two-acre park here and although 1.5 million visit annually, you can easily hike a few extra feet away from the crowds to find solitude.
Pets are not allowed on the park grounds, but it is only a 200-foot walk (wheelchair accessible) to view the thunderous falls.
Snoqualmie/North Bend also boast the Northwest Railway Museum. Phase one opened just last year as a delight to train buffs and historians.
Further away, this time to the northwest, is Olympic National Park. Locals may crowd this natural treasure on weekends and holidays, but this is a must-see weekday trip.
Mount Rainier, the dominant mountain in the region (when you can see it for clouds) is some 55 miles southeast of Seattle. It rises almost three miles higher than downtown Seattle and is another national park.
Mount St. Helens National Monument is two hours southeast of Seattle.
Lodging — There are 11,500 available hotel rooms in downtown Seattle and 32,400 available hotel rooms in King County.
"The peak travel season for Seattle is summer (May-September)," Blandford said. "Advance reservations are recommended for travel during that time. But, other times of the year may be busy, too, depending upon convention visits, major festivals and events and other factors."
He said travelers can make reservations with the Seattle Super Saver program, which offers the best available rates among third-party providers at more than 80 Seattle area hotels. To book, call 1-800-535-7071 or book online at www.seattlesupersaver.com.
Traffic and crime — Seattle has become a major, congested city and there's no getting away from that. Southern California traffic backups are now looking second to the Seattle area's urban woes. There's almost no rush hour here as roads are packed throughout the day. You just have to plan on extra time and patience to get around. Seattle boasts some 600,000 residents, and the surrounding metro area is 3.9 million people strong.
Blandford said because Seattle is compact, easily walkable and offers excellent public transportation, visitors often choose not to rent cars. Downtown Metro Transit buses are free — just jump on and off as you like.
However, some of Seattle's downtown areas may not be as safe as they appear. Despite the absence of theft warning signs in many parking lots, the Seattle City Web site (www.seattle.gov) states: "You are more likely to be a victim of a vehicle crime than any other crime reported to the Seattle Police Department."
The Seattle Police Department advises never leaving anything of value in your vehicle.
A July 8 story in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer listed almost 3,500 auto break-ins in downtown Seattle in the past 17 1/2 years — an average of 200 a year.
Crime in Seattle's downtown parks is bad enough that the city began hiring street performers this summer to try and keep bad elements away.
"While crime in Seattle is not disproportionately greater than in other American cities of its size, visitors should take the same precautions to guard against crime just as they would in any large city," Blandford said.
Seattle trivia —Seattle's original name was "Duwamps" but changed in honor of Indian Chief Sealth; the 42-story Smith Tower boasts the only human-operated elevators in the West; Seattle has the highest percentage of people that bike to work in the nation; because of so much CPR training by area residents, Seattle is reputed to be the best U.S. city to survive a heart attack; Starbucks Coffee began its popular chain in Seattle in 1971; Boeing, UPS, REI, Nordstrom, Microsoft and Eddie Bauer all started here.
Puget Sound has 500 square miles of water, 1,400 miles of shoreline and some 300 islands. Its average depth is 205 feet and maximum is 930. Average water temperature is 50 F.
Sources: Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau (www.visitseattle.org); www.SnoqualmieFalls.com; www.emplive.org; and various tourist brochures
E-mail: lynn@desnews.com