A Reunion of Friends

• Dining on every kind of Salmon
  
• Snoqualmie Falls
  
• Bohm Chocolates
  
• the Seattle Folk-Life Festival
  
• Pioneer Square and Pike Place Market
  
• Capitol Hill
  
• The Arboretum and Japanese Garden

Quick Tips:

Capitol Hill is an alternative shopping mecca Trendy Wendy is particularly recommended for inexpensive designer fashions. In this scruffy neighborhood, you'll find ethnic restaurants, thrift stores, punk rock outlets, and a thriving gay culture.

On the other hand, mainstream shoppers may enjoy the Public Market area by the waterfront. A short walk from there is Pioneer Square, an up and coming district with many galleries and bookstores. All these areas offer stores to buy gourmet food, especially around the market.

Coffee shops abound, sometimes three to a block. You can try local coffee shops, or any of the chains here - Tully's, Seattle's Best, or the ubiquitous Starbucks.

Best Way To Get Around:

I was lucky enough to be visiting friends with a car. While Seattle does have public transport, you'll need a car to visit the natural environment outside the city.

From Kirkland, you can take a city bus into Seattle for .25. Once in Seattle, bus transportation is free. The buses seem to come frequently. Seattle also has a monorail from downtown to Seattle center, as well as a trolleycar system in the tourist districts. Should the multiple transportation options be too confusing, pedestrianism is also an option. It is a very hilly city, but compact and easy to navigate on foot. Finally, Seattle is an easy city for bicyclists and bikes can be rented at various locations throughout the city.

Seattle is extending their lightrail line to the airport, and it may be finished soon. Until then, it is 28-30 for a shared van or a taxi from the airport to downtown hotels.

The Best Western Kirkland is conveniently located in downtown Kirkland and provides basic, motel-style accommodations. We stayed here because of its close proximity to my best friend's condo. It was built in motor-inn fashion, where you check in at the front and drive directly to your door. This Best Western offers a heated pool (seasonally) and a hot tub, as well as daily continental breakfast.

Our room was very basic and the decor hadn't been updated in the last 30 years. It did serve its purpose, though, offering a soft bed and a clean bathroom. Storage space was ample. At the same time, the atmosphere was somewhat depressing and I hope I never have to stay in a hotel like this long term.

This hotel has inexpensive rates for Washington and is good for the budget traveler. Kirkland is only 20 minutes outside of Seattle, on the east side of Lake Washington. It has a number of nice restaurants, shopping, and recreation areas.

The W Seattle doesn't quite live up to its siblings in New York City, but it is a lovely experience. The small lobby offers the same comfortable couches and evening cocktails. An award-winning Northwest cuisine restaurant, Earth & Ocean, offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. Unfortunately, they were not open on Mondays, the day we had set aside to try the cuisine. The hotel staff is friendly, welcoming and happy to meet any of your wants/needs - the Whenever, Whatever policy.

The rooms are modern and large, with soothing decor in soft browns and greys. Ours had a comfortable lounging bench built into the large windows. The W beds are always soft. A DVD/CD player with a flat screen TV was a real plus, and the W has a DVD rental library as well as cable television. We enjoyed listening to CDs and watching DVDs that we had brought for our trip.

The bathroom showcases a glass countertop with a sink straight out of Dwell magazine. The bathrooms are stocked with Bliss products, and have ample linens for even a large family. The only problem was that the sleek design of the bathrooms meant there were no storage areas for hairdryers and other amenities. The hairdryer turned out to be in the room's closet, and other amenities had to be requested from the hotel staff.

The cleaning service here comes regularly. You will definitely need to use the Do Not Disturb sign on your room. They are very thorough. We had no complaints about the cleanliness of the room.

Do yourself a favor and don't miss the Dilettante Cafe. The elegant decor tips you off that you are about to have a food experience. I recently revisited Dilettante twice, having remembered it fondly and frequently from my first trip to Seattle

Cafe Dilettante is open late and is a great place for a drink. The port wine shakes are delicious, as is the Schnocolate Shakes (complete with schnappes). I also tried the Peach Schnappes shake. Hot teas come in many varieties, with a selection of chocolate-covered espresso beans.

We also enjoyed drinking the Copenhagen, a chocolaty-coffee drink made with strong Turkish coffee, a few spices, and their special chocolate sauce.

Alternately, you can pick up a bite of dessert or afternoon snack. You might want some chocolate truffles, a piece of cake, or ice cream. Their cake selection is diverse, enough to please any cake-lover. Their signature Rigu Jancsi cake is moist and delicious. A wide variety of sorbets provides a lighter option.

The decor here includes a very classy, dark wood, and old-fashioned coffee bar. We had no trouble getting a seat in the afternoon or late at night.

They say eating chocolate produces the same hormonal reaction as sex. Well, Dilettante Chocolates is a confirmed multiple orgasm.

At City Thai, we had some of the best Thai food we've had outside of Thailand, and for a competitive price. The four of us were seated almost immediately in this restaurant filled with Thai art. I tried a Washington state wine from their varied list, which was excellent. It was called Ironbound Symphony and was a delightful red.

Our food was really excellent. I must recommend the mango salad, which is better than a papaya salad. I also ordered one of their specialties, spicy duck curry. My friends informed me that any of their basil dishes are amazing.

Wowzers! The Wasabi Bistro was rated second on the top sushi restaurants in Seattle and is supposedly a good place to try sushi for newcomers. For this reason, we chose Wasabi Bistro for our dinner with friends.

Wasabi Bistro, located in trendy Belltown, is clearly a place to see and be seen. The modernist decor and brightly lit dining area can make one feel on display, and I was glad I had dressed up, even in casual Seattle.

The menu featured some very creative fusion dishes as well as sushi. The non-sushi eater chose ginger chicken and was very delighted. We, of course, ordered a platter of creative makimono and sushi. If you are avoiding cream cheese, your choices will be limited. The caterpillar roll was quite amazing.

Wasabi Bistro has sockeye salmon sashimi. Sockeye salmon tastes different, perhaps better, than regular salmon sashimi. Above all else, I recommend that diners try this dish. Sockeye salmon is not readily available on the east coast.

Wasabi Bistro also has a long list of martinis and mixed drinks. I imagine they do a good business at the bar.

The service was very prompt - nothing to complain about here.

Reservations are recommended, as the waits are long. We were so glad that we had called in our reservation, as we were whisked past the line of would-be diners. We were, however, able to get a same-day reservation for a Sunday night on a holiday weekend.

Galerias serves flavorful, if not spicy, Mexican cuisine in the Capitol Hill district of Seattle. During the summertime, they have sidewalk seating as well as plenty of room in their high-ceiling dining room, decorated with indigenous artwork.

We ordered from their menu specials - entomatadas and enfrijoladas. Both were tasty, although I can more highly recommend the enfrijoladas - the sauce was better. My friend, who cooks her own Mexican food and is a food critic, said it was excellent.

Although they were out of coffee at the time, we did enjoy their Sangria. Your meal begins with fresh, hot tortilla chips and a creamy green salsa.

The waitstaff was very prompt about filling up our water and checking in on us. We didn't have to wait for a table and we felt the service was well-timed.

I haven't seen Niagara or Victoria, so Snoqualmie was the largest and beautiful falls I have ever visited. At 268 feet and pouring water from the Cascade Mountains, it is awe-inspiring. This is a very popular spot, so there is no opportunity for solitude. My friends and I encountered people speaking many different languages, showing that Snoqualmie Falls is famous all over the world. Despite the crowds, the falls are an enjoyable daytrip.

Visitors have the option of an easy walk to a viewing pagoda, or to continue down a trail to see the falls from its base. It is equally impressive from both views. The trail includes wooden steps at points and is easy to follow. Able-bodied people should be able to tackle the trail.

No dogs are allowed in the park, but this rule isn't very well enforced. Getting There Snoqualmie Falls is located about 28 miles east of Seattle, just north of Interstate 90. There are many signs to point the way. Lodging There is a beautiful lodge here that overlooks the falls.

This is a truly unique place in the States. Chinatown in a mall, this mall includes an Asian grocery store, candy store, housewares, and a food court. The mall, located in Kent WA, even resembles the Great Wall of China.

You can even play Dance, Dance, Revolution or partake in some karaoke while you're here.

Food options include Vietnamese sub sandwiches, pho, Chinese (take-out and sitdown), and two Bubble tea shops.

Read more on their website.

The Folk Life Festival is an international melting pot on a massive scale. Rows and rows of vendors offer a variety of interesting wares, while the smells of both international and American favorites waft to your nose from the foodstands. All over there are stages, with dancers and musicians. Then there are the drum circles, where you can join in and dance to the beat.

The festival goes for three days, and I was there for the final day.

First, we headed for the middle eastern performance where Saqra, our instructor, was performing. During her performance, she made us get up and dance. Sharen ended up meeting some hippies that mendhi'ed her entire body while the rest of us walked around. Gena and I ended up with matching Indian silk tops (burgundy for me and green for Gena). I could tell that if I lived in Seattle, I would quickly become a hippie. We went to the stage where reggae music was being played and, you guessed it, we danced. Then we went to a drum circle and danced. And then we wandered around and found the Greek dancing (100 people at least in a big circle dance) and watched them while we drank bubble teas. It was a very cool outdoor festival and I hope to attend next year's festival as well. For those of us who thought it was just going to be a bunch of folk singers with guitars, we were most happily proven wrong.

Tost is a small bar in Fremont with plenty of parking. I learned from a friend in Seattle who works for a music magazine that it's become a hotspot.

Their martinis were excellent. I tried a Lemondrop and a Cosmo. If you didn't want to dance to the drum and bass being played in the club, there was a lovely deck. Here is where I met some very friendly Seattle residents, one of whom offered to show me around. Another one ended up making out with my college friend that I came with. Seattle folk are clearly very welcoming, and it's a refreshing change from Boston.

Later on in the night, the music shifted to Latin. Plenty of people were willing to teach newbies how to dance, but I wasn't up for making a fool of myself just yet.

Apparently there are lots of interesting, experimental nights in this small club. I would wager that it would be interesting to drop in and see what's going on if you're ever visiting.

I happened upon Trendy Wendy when wandering around Capital Hill. Trendy Wendy, besides having an irresistably cute name, offers young, hip, and "trendy" clothing. All this season's new trends were suitably represented. The store has a cute style that's suitable for young adults and hip older women. I love sophisticated femme clothing and this store had it all, and a sense of humor to go with it. If you love pink, black, leopardskin, and adore being a girl, you'll like this store.

I also spotted quite a few designers whose clothing is hard to find. However, designer clothing here doesn't cost a lot of moolah. Most items ranged from $25-50 and I saw nothing over $100.

Most notably, Trendy Wendy carries my favorite designer clothing line, Illig. I often order direct, so I noted that Trendy Wendy's prices were not marked up beyond belief.

Trendy Wendy also has a good selection of the unbearably cute French Kitty line. I picked up a simple black a-line skirt with a small pink kitty embroidered on it. I can't tell you how many compliments I get.

The clothes here are so unique that you're bound to get compliments, and everyone will want to know where you got your cool new threads.

The salespeople were sweet. No attitude here! Clothing sizes varied by manufacturer, but I found Trendy Wendy offered a generous range of sizes. I wear a size 10/12, and sometimes I have trouble finding cute clothing in my size. No problems here.

Seattle isn't known for its rocking club life. Most of its clubs are centered around Pioneer Square, the equivalent of Boston's Landsdowne street. Here, you can wander from one club to the next until you find your match. We were looking for Club Mantra, but we ended up at The Last Supper Club.

The main floor was playing loud house music. This room had a balcony, small stage area, and a bar. It was far too loud to have enjoyed sitting in any of the lounge areas. Downstairs, the basement held another bar and a packed dance floor with hip hop beats.

We attended the club on a Saturday night. The club had a diverse population that night, which is nice. It was easy to feel comfortable there. The people were respectful of other dancers, not getting too much into their space or touching inappropriately.

The dress code seemed to be casual. My friend got in wearing shorts and sneakers. It didn't seem hard to get into the club like it might be in some other cities.

The cover was $12, expensive, but not unheard of. Apparently they play different music on different nights, and the cover cost may differ. Check out their website for more details on upcoming events and prices: http://www.lastsupperclub.com/.

The Vogue is one of Seattle's best-known goth/industrial dance clubs. Owned by scene-members, it has a warm feeling. There is plenty of seating near the dancefloor, great for people-watching. When I was there, the owner herself was dancing up on the stage, wearing a leather corset, in front of an interesting film about lesbian vampires. I think that says it all, doesn't it?

When I walked in, they were playing one of my favorite songs, so I made a beeline for the dance floor. Later on, I met the DJ - DJ Eternal Darkness - and he played another favorite song - Skinny Puppy's Smothered Hope. Everyone was very friendly there, and I felt immediately comfortable.

One of the best drink deals is to get a bottle of champagne and share it with your friends. It really beats the heat in this non-AC club.

Barca is a gorgeous bar on 11th Avenue in Capitol Hill. Pronounced "Bar-sa", the bar offers up drinks from around the world in a high-class atmosphere. Large, high-backed velvet seats curve around tables. A high metal balcony, clad in velvet curtains, overlooked the entire bar area. Overall, the bar has a dark European flair.

The drinks were excellent. We enjoyed the last of the mint in our mojitos. A variety of beer and wine is also on offer. With its location next to the Vogue, it was a great choice for a pre-club drink and yet I could imagine whiling away an entire evening here, listening to the well-spun world music and sipping on fancy cocktails.

Because I am a student of Middle Eastern dance and was visiting a friend of mine with the same hobby, I had the opportunity to take a semi-private lesson with Saqra.

Saqra teaches belly dance lessons out of her studio in Kent WA for a very reasonable price. I learned a lot from her class. While teaching us the dance, Saqra pointed out bits of the culture and history behind the dance. She customized her class to our desires and I learned many new techniques. While Saqra is helpful to new students, offering them suggestions on how to improve their style, she also doesn't shy away from compliments. When we did ribcage slides, she told me that I did them beautifully. I particularly enjoyed shimmying whenever a train went by the studio! Really gives one a workout!

She also has a great supply of Middle Eastern music, dancewear, and jewelry. I was able to find my ideal veil, a light and airy doe-brown silk veil. Saqra also carries beautiful saris.

Saqra performs around Seattle and you can check out her website to sign up for a class!