Museums are a must, so start your trip with a visit to the Seattle Art Museum (seattleartmuseum.org, 206-344-5275). The museum nearly doubled in size in 2007, and it's at least twice as interesting, with several worthwhile collections, from modern to tribal to classic.
POP ART
There's pop art, including Warhol's silkscreens of a gun-slinging Elvis. There's Northwestern art, including local art glass and native Salish wares. There's even a whole room full of porcelain, presented in a dramatic way that will make you think porcelain is actually kind of cool.
When skies are cloudy and days are short, you'll appreciate one of Seattle's favourite pastimes -- sipping lattes -- all the more to help fight off grey-weather induced drowsiness. Locals swear by Espresso Vivace (espressovivace.com), the self-titled Espresso Roasting and Preparation Specialists. If you just want a regular drip coffee in a cool downtown setting, drop into Zeitgeist Coffee (zeitgeistcoffee.com). Or head to Pike Place Market and find the original Starbucks (1912 Pike Pl.). If you hate chains, remember: This location was once just a little, independent Seattle coffee shop.
Your next stop is weatherproof. Bill Speidel's Underground Tour (undergroundtour.com, 206-682-4646) takes you below street level to what used to be street level, back before they realized they were on a flood plain that caused both flooding and back-flushing of toilets at high tide.
Some say it's touristy, and it is. Some say the jokes are silly, and they are. But if you're willing to indulge in some silly, touristy fun, most of the guides are actually really entertaining, plying their comic timing to share some of Seattle's seamier stories (think prostitutes and government corruption). Two blocks away, another great place to wait out the rain is the Elliott Bay Book Co. (elliottbaybook.com, 206-624-6600). This independent book store is made for browsing with hardwood floors and a cafe.
COLOURFUL BLOB
Finally, plan on spending an afternoon at the Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (empsfm.org, 877-367-7361). Located at the foot of the Space Needle in a colourful blob of a building designed by Frank Gehry, these two museums charge one admission price and provide plenty of pop-culture fun.
More information
Fly into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (known as Sea-Tac). A taxi to downtown hotels costs $32 flat rate; once there, downtown bus service is free. Amtrak services downtown's King Station, which is the last stop of the Coast Starlight.
Buddy Holly’s final gig named landmark
