ALKI BEACH Located in West Seattle, about 15 minutes from downtown. A trip to Alki Beach and drive along the water has few, if any, equals in the city. It features stunning views of the downtown skyline and across Puget Sound. It has a sparkling sand beach that imparts a resort character and prompts an undeniable hunger for fish and chips. The drive also includes the historic spot on Alki Beach where the first white settlers arrived in Seattle and spent the winter of 1851 before retreating to the less blustery site on Elliot Bay that became downtown.

CARKEEK PARK Located in northwest Seattle, this popular park offers extraordinary views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains.

DISCOVERY PARK Situated on Magnolia Bluff overlooking Puget Sound, Discovery Park offers spectacular view of both the Cascade and the Olympic Mountain ranges. The secluded site includes two miles of protected tidal beaches as well as open meadow lands, dramatic sea cliffs, forest groves, active sand dunes, thickets and streams.

GAS WORKS PARK & LAKE UNION Gas Works Park has a play area with a large play barn, and big hill popular for flying kites. Special park features include a sundial, and a beautiful view of Seattle.

GREEN LAKE PARK Green Lake is one of Seattles most beloved parks. Its expanse of water and green space in the center of a dense urban neighborhood draws thousands of people daily from all over the city. The park serves as a natural preserve for hundreds of species of trees and plants, as well as numerous birds and waterfowl. The newly reconstructed 2.8-mile path around the lake provides a perfect recreational spot for runners, bikers, skaters and walkers. Many others use the athletic fields or visit the park for boating, picnics and swimming.

GOLDEN GARDENS & SHILSHOLE BAY MARINA Located in Ballard on Puget Sound, this popular park offers extraordinary views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains.

JAPANESE GARDENS The Washington Park Arboretum is a spectacular urban green space on the shores of Lake Washington just east of downtown Seattle and south of the University of Washington.

KUBOTA GARDEN Hidden in South Seattle, Kubota Gardens is a stunning 20 acre landscape that blends Japanese garden concepts with native Northwest plants. The city acquired the property, which is an historic landmark, in 1987 from the estate of master landscaper Fujitaro Kubota. Kubota was a horticultural pioneer when he began merging Japanese design techniques with North American materials in his display garden in 1927. The Gardens are a spectacular setting of hills and valleys, interlaced with streams, waterfalls, ponds, bridges, and rock out-croppings with a rich array of plant material.

LINCOLN PARK Lincoln Park is one of Seattles largest and most popular parks. Its 135 acres of open space provide a broad range of landscape types and a rich variety of recreational opportunities.

MAGNUSON PARK Warren G. Magnuson Park sits on a splendid mile-long stretch of Lake Washingtons shoreline in northeastern Seattle. At 350 acres, it is Seattles second largest park.

MYRTLE EDWARDS PARK Myrtle Edwards Park has 1.25-mile winding bike and pedestrian paths along Elliott Bay, fantastic views of the Olympics Mountains, Mount Rainier, and Puget Sound, easy access from downtown and easy connection to bike and walking paths to Magnolia. The park has picnic tables and the best Seattle waterfront views, as well as a fascinating view of a cargo ship dock where ships drop off grain shipments.

OLYMPIC SCULPTURE PARK The Olympic Sculpture Park transforms a nine-acre industrial site into open and vibrant green space for art. This new waterfront park gives Seattle residents and visitors the opportunity to experience a variety of sculpture in an outdoor setting, while enjoying the incredible views and beauty of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound. Admission is free.

SEATTLE WATERFRONT Seattle has one of the most magnificent, awe-inspiring seaports in the world. The views are spectacular; the popular Summer Nights at the Pier concerts play at sublime Pier 62/63. The Seattle Aquarium, the Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center are also here. The old streetcar clangs along the length of the waterfront, and the green spaces of Myrtle Edwards Park take over from the concrete mayhem at the northern end.

SEWARD PARK Within the Seattle city limits, Seward park boasts 300 acres of beautiful forest land - home to eagles' nests, old growth forest, a 2.4 mile bike and walking path, an amphitheater, a native plant garden, an art studio, miles of hiking trails, and more.

WASHINGTON PARK ARBORETUM Washington 's official State Arboretum contains internationally recognized woody plant collections on 230 acres. Noteworthy are North America's largest collection of Sorbus and Maple, the second largest collection of species Hollies and significant collections of oaks, conifers and camellias.

General Attractions

BALLARD LOCKS The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks provide a link for boats between the saltwater of the Puget Sound and the fresh water of the Ship Canal connecting to Lake Union and Lake Washington.

PIKE PLACE MARKET A popular attraction located in the heart of downtown Seattle. The oldest continually operating farmers market in the country, it is a place where farmers, craftspeople, and artists display their goods.

PIONEER SQUARE The cultural heart of Seattle featuring over twenty city blocks of historic buildings, more than thirty galleries, a vibrant retail sector, and Seattles most exciting nightlife.

Museums and Galleries

BURKE MUSEUM The Burke Museum, located in the University of Washington campus, welcomes all visitors who are curious about the natural wonders of Washington state, the Pacific Northwest, and the Pacific Rim.

CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ART (CoCA) CoCA serves the Pacific Northwest as a catalyst and forum for the advancement, development, and understanding of contemporary art. CoCA provides opportunities for the art audience in this region to view new and experimental artwork firsthand in exhibitions which show the work of international, national and local artists.

CENTER FOR WOODEN BOATS MARITIME MUSEUM The Center for Wooden Boats is a hands on maritime museum. Its purpose is to preserve a rich, vital and varied small craft heritage by preserving both the artifacts and the time-tested maritime skills.

Sports in Seattle

SEATTLE MARINERS The Seattle Mariners are a Major League Baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. They are in the Western Division of the American League. They play at Safeco Field.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS The Seattle Seahawks are a National Football League team based in Seattle, Washington. They play in Qwest Field.

SEATTLE SOUNDERS The Seattle Sounders are two U.S. professional soccer teams, a men's team and a women's team, based in Seattle, Washington.