Seattle Travel Guide

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City Introduction

The American metropolis of Seattle in the northwestern corner of the United States is one of the technological centers in the country. At the same time the city has been particularly significant for recent American music. Of course, there are many sights as well, and the fact that the city is surrounded by magnificent scenery is something that just adds extra perspectives on a trip to here.

Seattle’s history is intriguing, for example, it has been the transit site for the gold diggers on their way to Canadian Klondike, which you can get acquainted with at one of the city’s museums. Seattle burned down in 1889, creating a new start for the city after the fire by raising the street level. You can see Seattle from before 1889 in the underground today. Later on, Seattle hosted the World Exhibition in 1962, and it also left its mark on the city’s skyline.

Seattle is known for several things and brands. The Boeing aircraft factories and Microsoft are two of the area’s major companies. On the music side Nirvana was from Seattle, and several films and series have been recorded in the area, examples are the series X-Files and Twin Peaks, which made the streets desolate in the 1990s.

Seattle is also among the most beautiful metropolitan cities in the United States. There is unparalleled scenery to all corners of the world, from the water and national parks to the west, the Canadian border to the north and to the volcanoes in the east where Mount Saint Helens erupted in 1980. All in a comfortable distance for a day trip.

Top Attractions

Pike Place Market, Seattle

  • Pike Place Market: This is a well-known and well-attended market that opened its doors in 1907. You can buy freshly caught fish and some of Washington State’s many agricultural products here. There are also restaurants, and then there are at the market fishmongers, you can see the famous fish throwing.

Seattle Underground

  • Seattle Underground: Seattle burned down in 1889, and it had major consequences for the city. The most radical change was to elevate the center by one floor in the reconstruction. On The Underground Tour, you can visit old Seattle from before the 1889 city fire.
  • Seattle Harbor Cruise: Seattle’s location allows for some great boating. You can take an exciting harbor tour with beautiful views of the Seattle skyline. You can also choose to take one of the ferries from the port to either Bainbridge or Bremerton.

Space Needle, Seattle

  • Space Needle: The Space Needle is Seattle’s landmark and a dominant feature of the city’s skyline. It is an 184 meter/603 foot high tower with an observation deck and an excellent view over the urban area and to the mountains and volcanoes behind. The Space Needle was built for the World’s Fair in the city in 1962.

Museum of Pop Culture, Seattle

  • Museum of Pop Culture: This is an exciting museum dedicated to pop culture. Music and science fiction are just a few examples of the focal points of the museum’s exhibits, housed in Frank Gehry’s beautifully designed building, which opened in 2000.

Other Attractions

Chinatown, Seattle

  • Chinatown: Chinatown is Seattle’s Chinese district that originated in the 1860s with Chinese workers settling here. Today, here are Chinese shops, markets, restaurants and also a museum for the district.
  • Klondike Goldrush National Park: This is a museum that provides a fine insight into the gold rush towards Klondike 1897-1898 and the impact it had on Seattle. The city was an important supply and transport point on the road to the Klondike.

Pioneer Square, Seattle

  • Pioneer Square: Pioneer Square is located in the heart of Seattle’s historic center, much of which was destroyed in the fire that hit the city in 1889. There are several things to see here, such as a totem pole from the Tlingit Native American tribe.

St James Cathedral, Seattle

  • St James Cathedral: Saint James Cathedral is Seattle’s Catholic Cathedral and as such is the seat of the city’s archbishop. Construction began in 1905, and the church was completed two years later.
  • Seattle Aquarium: This is an interesting aquarium where you can see life from the waters around Seattle and Washington. You can also see a salmon ladder, a tropical reef and much more during a visit.

Seattle Public Library

  • Seattle Public Library: Seattle’s Public Library is architecturally one of the city’s great experiences. The 56-meter/183-foot-tall building was built in an exterior of glass and steel put together in a unique combination of broken surfaces.

Day Trips

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington USA

  • Mount Rainier National Park: Mount Rainier is the highest peak in the Cascade mountain range east of Seattle. In the area around the 4,392 meter/14,411 foot high mountain, a national park has been established. You can experience a rich and varied nature here with many good opportunities for hiking.
  • Washington State History Museum: At this museum, you can embark a journey through historical persons and events that have left their mark on both the development of the state and parts of world history.

Olympic National Park, Washington USA

  • Olympic National Park: With the Olympic National Park in the center, the Olympic Peninsula is immensely beautiful with its rich nature. The area is characterized by temperate rainforest with great variety of both plant and animal life.
  • Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour: This is a museum around Boeing’s huge aircraft factory, and here you can get a tour of the facility. At Future of Flight you can see the history of flying and of course Boeing’s history.

Vancouver, British Columbia Canada

  • Vancouver: The Canadian city of Vancouver, like Seattle, is beautifully situated in the middle of stunning scenery. There are also many sights such as the old Gastown and Stanley Park, where totem poles and much more can be seen.
  • Portland: Portland is the capital of the state of Oregon and there are a number of attractions here. For example, you can visit a Japanese and Chinese garden and several interesting museums such as the Portland Art Museum and the Museum and Science and Industry.

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City History

The area before the Europeans
Seattle area has been inhabited by Native Americans for about 4,000 years. They lived scattered in the area, and by the middle of the 19th century there were thirteen Native American villages in the present Seattle urban area.

Among the most well-known of the indigenous population is Chief Si’ahl, who lived from about 1780 to 1866. His person and deed made the town named after him in the Anglophysized form of Seattle.

The arrival of Europeans
The first European in the area was George Vancouver, who came here in May 1792 during his expedition to the Northwestern American Pacific coast in the years 1791-1795.

However, it took a few years before a permanent European settlement was established. It happened in late September 1851, when two separate sites were established almost at the same time. At Alki Point, the first came from a group led by Arthur Denny and erected a hut, while Luther Collins followed established farming in present-day Georgetown. The sites on the bay of Elliott Bay were good due to the well protected location.

The First Decades
Initially, Seattle evolved to be a hub for the timber industry, from which logs and later processed timber were shipped to San Francisco in the first place. Throughout the present-day Seattle area, forests with trees up to 100 feet in height stood, and the good economy of natural raw materials quickly formed the basis for greater urban development.

Seattle officially became a city with the following rights on January 14, 1865. At that time, approximately 350 residents lived here. That figure had risen to about 1,000 when the city’s status was renewed on December 2, 1869.

19th Century Development
The following decades saw tremendous growth in Seattle and the area. In 1873, the Northern Pacific Railway decided to carry their transcontinental route to the village of Tacoma southwest of Seattle instead of the growing city to the northeast.

Seattle tried to get other operators into the city, and it succeeded in 1884, when the Great Northern Railway primarily established freight traffic to the city. It was supposed to go until 1906, before Seattle got a larger passenger train station and thereby rail traffic.

The 1880s became the decade when trams were introduced, educational institutions were founded, and the sewer system and street network were established. The city was becoming a major regional city.

On June 6, 1889, the city was hit by a major fire that destroyed nearly the entire business district. All the railway terminals and most of the city’s quays had also gone up in smoke.

Most of the burned buildings were built of wood, and after the fire, building regulations on stone buildings were introduced. The burned-out center was rebuilt with new and larger construction in a short space of time, which meant that the city’s population, due to the many jobs in the construction industry, increased from 25,000 to 40,000 in just one year.

The 1890s, despite a general economic decline in the United States, became a decade of growth in Seattle several times. This was not least due to the fact that in August 1896 gold was found in the Canadian Klondike. Seattle was logistically well-positioned, and the city became the one-to-the-next shipping location for fortune knights from across the United States, as well as a base for supplies to several raw material areas in Canada and Alaska. This gave the city further economic growth and also a massive immigration, with many in the city benefiting from those who became rich by, for example, gold finds.

Beginning of the 20th Century
In the first half of the 20th century, Seattle established its role as a leader in the northwestern United States. Culturally, the city flourished and industries shot up with many jobs.

The gold rush had already brought new wealth to the city from the turn of the century. In the markets, there was a lot of shopping, and in the same decade cultural life also developed, as it should in a real metropolis. For example, the city’s symphony orchestra was established in 1903.

The harbor was Seattle’s economic lifeblood. It was here that transports created wealth for large parts of the city, and Seattle began to develop publicly owned port areas early in comparison to many other cities, which, instead of chaotic growth, could ensure planning and expansion in favor of the city.

One of the highlights of the time was the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition World Exhibition, which was held in Seattle in 1909. The exhibit focused on developments in the Northwest Pacific region.

In the context of World War I, trade across the Pacific grew and, industrially, it caused a boom in shipbuilding. With the end of the war, the demand for ships dramatically diminished and Seattle’s almost uninterrupted growth came to an end.

Postwar boom
From a WWII war economy, growth in Seattle in the decades following the end of the war turned to not least the Boeing aircraft factory and its ever-increasing success with civil aircraft.

In 1962, Seattle hosted the World Exhibition, which included the landmark Space Needle, among others. This also provided a saltwater injection for new investment in a stagnant downtown area that was once again growing after the show.

The following decades created many new businesses, not least the worldwide Microsoft, who moved here from Albuquerque in 1979. Others in the IT and pharmaceutical industries followed suit.

Culturally, Seattle was also marked on the world map with recordings of television series such as the X-files and well-known musicians such as Nirvana and Kurt Cobain, who almost founded a new genre centered in Seattle.

Geolocation

In short

Overview of Seattle

The American metropolis of Seattle in the northwestern corner of the United States is one of the technological centers in the country. At the same time the city has been particularly significant for recent American music. Of course, there are many sights as well, and the fact that the city is surrounded by magnificent scenery is something that just adds extra perspectives on a trip to here.

 

Seattle’s history is intriguing, for example, it has been the transit site for the gold diggers on their way to Canadian Klondike, which you can get acquainted with at one of the city’s museums. Seattle burned down in 1889, creating a new start for the city after the fire by raising the street level. You can see Seattle from before 1889 in the underground today. Later on, Seattle hosted the World Exhibition in 1962, and it also left its mark on the city’s skyline.

 

About the upcoming Seattle travel guide

  • Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
  • Published: Released soon
  • Author: Stig Albeck
  • Publisher: Vamados.com
  • Language: English

 

About the travel guide

The Seattle travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the American city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.

 

Seattle is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.

 

Read more about Seattle and the USA

 

Buy the travel guide

Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.

 

Use the travel guide

When you buy the travel guide to Seattle you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.

Pike Place • Space Needle • Gold Rush • Pioneer Square • Volcanoes

Overview of Seattle

The American metropolis of Seattle in the northwestern corner of the United States is one of the technological centers in the country. At the same time the city has been particularly significant for recent American music. Of course, there are many sights as well, and the fact that the city is surrounded by magnificent scenery is something that just adds extra perspectives on a trip to here.

 

Seattle’s history is intriguing, for example, it has been the transit site for the gold diggers on their way to Canadian Klondike, which you can get acquainted with at one of the city’s museums. Seattle burned down in 1889, creating a new start for the city after the fire by raising the street level. You can see Seattle from before 1889 in the underground today. Later on, Seattle hosted the World Exhibition in 1962, and it also left its mark on the city’s skyline.

 

About the upcoming Seattle travel guide

  • Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
  • Published: Released soon
  • Author: Stig Albeck
  • Publisher: Vamados.com
  • Language: English

 

About the travel guide

The Seattle travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the American city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.

 

Seattle is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.

 

Read more about Seattle and the USA

 

Buy the travel guide

Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.

 

Use the travel guide

When you buy the travel guide to Seattle you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.

Other Attractions

Chinatown, Seattle

  • Chinatown: Chinatown is Seattle’s Chinese district that originated in the 1860s with Chinese workers settling here. Today, here are Chinese shops, markets, restaurants and also a museum for the district.
  • Klondike Goldrush National Park: This is a museum that provides a fine insight into the gold rush towards Klondike 1897-1898 and the impact it had on Seattle. The city was an important supply and transport point on the road to the Klondike.

Pioneer Square, Seattle

  • Pioneer Square: Pioneer Square is located in the heart of Seattle’s historic center, much of which was destroyed in the fire that hit the city in 1889. There are several things to see here, such as a totem pole from the Tlingit Native American tribe.

St James Cathedral, Seattle

  • St James Cathedral: Saint James Cathedral is Seattle’s Catholic Cathedral and as such is the seat of the city’s archbishop. Construction began in 1905, and the church was completed two years later.
  • Seattle Aquarium: This is an interesting aquarium where you can see life from the waters around Seattle and Washington. You can also see a salmon ladder, a tropical reef and much more during a visit.

Seattle Public Library

  • Seattle Public Library: Seattle’s Public Library is architecturally one of the city’s great experiences. The 56-meter/183-foot-tall building was built in an exterior of glass and steel put together in a unique combination of broken surfaces.

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