Seattle

A place of great contrast, Seattle is equally known as a place for high living – as depicted in the popular TV show Frasier – as well as somewhere that fostered the angst underpinning Grunge. Whilst both interpretations are undoubtedly exaggerated for it affect, it is true to say that Seattle has something for everyone - from fine silver service dining to dive clubs featuring the hottest up and coming bands.

No visit to Seattle is complete without a visiting to the Space Needle. Built for the 1962 World Fair and standing 186m high, the landmark even features its own revolving restaurant – SkyCity. Needless to say the Needle offers incredible views right across the city all year round. With a growing reputation as a family friendly destination, Seattle is home to a wide selection of fascinating museums and activities. For animal lovers, the Seattle Aquarium is well worth a visit whilst the Woodland Park Zoo in the Phinney Ridge area of the city is home to over 1,000 animal exhibits, including 35 from endangered species. Being the home of Expedia, Seattle is also associated with science and technology – subjects that can be explored in depth at both the Pacific Science Centre which is home to one of the world’s largest laser domes, and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture which features 14m artefacts ranging from dinosaur fossils to totem poles. Art and music lovers are also in for a treat with Seattle. The city is, of course, famous for being the home of the 90s Grunge scene but Seattle also has had an important role in the history of other musical genres such as Jazz and Bluegrass - all of which can be found at the Experience Project Music Museum next to the Space Needle. Like any major city, Seattle is also extremely good for shopping but for the true Seattle experience though, why not head out to Elliot Bay to experience the Pike Place Market? One of the oldest farmers markets in America, Pike Place is also home to the original Starbucks which has been preserved in its original style.