Seattle

Another state to check off my list, and this was a good one. I thought that I would like the Pacific Northwest, but I can now conclude that, of the cities I have visited, Seattle is my favorite. To give you a reference point, these are the major cities I have visited (Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Honolulu, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Orlando, Rome, San Diego, St. Louis, Venice, Washington DC).

The path that I jogged on. So beautiful I didn't even realize I was jogging!

The phrase I heard most before taking this trip was, Oh, it rains all the time there or some version of that theme. I'm happy to report that it does not rain all the time. For the 4 days we were there, we did not see one drop. We asked many locals about the weather and they said it rains a lot in the winter, instead of snow. Rain vs. Snow. 35 degree lows, no wind vs -10 degree lows, 30 mph wind. You take your pick.

In fact, of all the locals we talked to not one said anything bad about the Seattle area. Quite the opposite, actually. They all loved it. That was impressive to me.

Mount Rainier is in the background.

I loved it. There were ginormous trees everywhere. I finally got to show Hubs what I mean when I say, "trees." These trees make mid-Kansas trees look like shrubs. 

A quaint little town accessed only by ferry.

Mount Rainier was always in the backdrop, along with other various jagged peaks from the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges. 

Morning fog lifting off of Lake Washington.

Lush green grass and cool clean air. And large bodies of water all over. Whether it be lakes, sounds, straights or bays - there was plenty of water.

Again, Mount Rainier right in the center.

From what I was told, Seattle lays right in a valley. There aren't many places where you are on flat ground. Instead, you are either walking uphill or downhill. The mornings were covered in fog, but it cleared up and became sunny each day. And even when I was downtown, the air smelled clean and fresh.

And finally, there is so much to do in Seattle. Shopping, coffee, outdoor activities, state parks, mountains, skiing, hiking, touring, and more!