Though many people complain about the overcast skies and rainfall that occur frequently in the winter, the result is an abundance of green everywhere. Seattle and all of the Pacific Northwest appeals to nature lovers for this reason, which also produces a fairly liberal political climate.

Since I spent my first nineteen years in Seattle it's impossible to state my favorite highlights in less than 200 words. But if you come to Seattle to discover an amazing city rich with pleasures you will not be disappointed.

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What is left of the old city can be seen by taking the Seattle Underground Tour, or from photos and documents on display at the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park museum. The newer "old" structures that line the brick sidewalks, however, offer plenty of historical charm as you wind your way through galleries, stores and coffee bars.

You might want to check out the attractive Smith Tower, which was the largest building west of the Mississippi when constructed in 1914. There is also a great bookstore nearby, Elliot Bay Books, that you should check out if you enjoy lounging through a wide selection of literature.

Volunteer Park is a great place to relax and catch the interesting sights and attractions no matter what you think of its sometimes odd and sordid history. The water tower still offers great views as the park is perched on a hill. The greenhouse maintained by the Volunteer Park Conservatory is excellent, offering locals a chance to see more exotic plants that wouldn't survive in our hardy pine forest enviornment. And the Seattle Asian Art Museum nicely fills up the old stomping grounds of teh Seattle Art Museum, which has since moved to its fancy digs downtown.

But there are sights besides the boats floating up and down while waiting to move forward. The huge dam is pretty spectacular to a small kid, who might be awed and fearful of the huge blades spinning below. The fish ladder is wel constructed, allowing visitors to watch the salmon struggle upstream from a variety of angles. And the small botanical gardens are pleasant any time of the year, though the flowering small plants are particularly brilliant in the summer.

But as you explore the deeper interior levels of this maze-like complex you'll drift away from the noisy crowd and discover hidden gems of antique stores and hole-in-the-wall restaurants. The Pike Place Market is built on a step hillside, so after descending six or seven floors you still emerge on the street when exiting. And that's just the main building! Another ten or so markets combine to make up this huge complex of unique shopping and dining options.

The inevitable highlight is the handling tanks underwater dome, which used to house a giant octopus that stretched out at least 25 feet. I've heard that currently the octopi have been relocated to their own room, but there are still sharks and large fish species that swim around the submerged dome.

Kids love the petting pool filled with starfish, anenomae, crabs and other small animals. There is also a popular IMAX theater next door to the aquarium showing both water lovin' films and the nonaquatic variety.

You can easily make out the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges and view the many hilly neighborhoods of Seattle below. The Space Needle has two restaurants that re both okay but rather expensive. Visiting the observation deck costs $11.

I think many folks consider themselves to be huge music aficionados, but this museum will spoil that illusion for the less enthusiastic fan. The displays are rather detailed and academic, lending a serious museum-like quality to this "Project." Despite having plenty of diversions like the interactive thrill ride, Experience Music project does offer a serious investigation into the art form of rock music. Many friends have remarked to me how boring the whole thing was, even though they were quite excited initially about visiting the "rock museum."

I know that I have been a huge music forever, as my 3000 CD collection can attest. But I was still somewhat frustrated by aspects of the museum, too. There is a strong bent towards rock and blues, which is perfectly understandable considering that Jimi Hendrix is the focal point of the "Experience." But many significant genres of rock (specifically r&b/soul music) are nearly absent from the museum. Perhaps my biggest gripe is that there is no serious research facility associated with the museum. An interactive computer exhibit downstairs offers some additional information on the museum’s holdings but is in no way a significant research tool for students of popular music studies.

The exhibits are quite well put together and informative. The Northwest Passage in particular was illuminating in both the history of local music and Seattle itself. I’m not really a Jimi Hendrix fan, though the exhibit on his life and work was thoughtfully constructed and engaging.

The interactive musical instrument play area was fun, but the lines to use each piece of equipment had my friend and I running out of their pretty quick. It’s pretty funny (and embarrassing with others waiting outside, watching you) to sing along with Ann & Nancy Wilson of Heart.

The James Brown funk thrill ride was somewhat amusing, but it didn’t seem like a good use of the expensive technology employed in creating it. The kids who rode along with us didn’t seem to absorb anything about funk; all they could talk about was the space ride that lasts for a few seconds at the beginning and end of the ride. I think older children are better suited to appreciating this somewhat mature and academic museum.

One final note: the free audio guides that you can check out to bring along on your trip weigh a ton. You might want to consider going without one, as they don’t provide that much insightful commentary.

Besides offering a tremendous selection of works to purchase, Elliott Bay has a fabulous environment that has you lingering in the store long past a practical amount of time for shopping. The courteous and knowledgeable staff are also a bonus. A number of author readings, signings, lectures and workshops keep the reading community involved in the bookstore.