Telephone

Washington is broken up into five distinct area codes. Numbers within Seattle bear 206 prefixes, while those in the Eastside and Seattle’s surrounding suburbs use the 425 area code. In and around Tacoma and Olympia, numbers start with 253. The rest of Western Washington bears the catch-all 360 area code, while Eastern Washington numbers use the 509 prefix.

Currently the state only requires 10-digit dialing between area codes, not within them. When placing a long distance call, be sure to dial a 1 first. Otherwise, as is the case when calling between Seattle and the Eastside, simply dial the 10 digits and you’ll be patched through.

Internet

Washington is an extremely technologically savvy state, so finding an open internet connection in your travels should be a fairly easy task. Most hotels, motels, and bed-and-breakfasts offer some sort of internet connectivity, though many still charge for the privilege. The luxury hotels in Seattle are particularly guilty of doing so, which is funny considering most chain motels offer Wi-Fi at no extra cost.

Similarly, most coffee shops and many restaurants in town also offer Wi-Fi gratis, though it will usually set you back at least the cost of a latte. If you’re pinching pennies or if you’re traveling without a computer, lean on the local library systems, many of which across the state provide free Wi-Fi connectivity or the use of an Internet-enabled PC for non-cardholders.

The city of Seattle also provides free Wi-Fi connectivity in limited areas of town as part of an ongoing pilot project. One can access the free network, which is named “seattlewifi” in the SSID, from the U District and Columbia City neighborhoods, and within City Hall, Occidental Park in Pioneer Square, Westlake Park downtown, and Victor Steinbrueck Park near the market.

Frequent ferry travelers can also find Wi-Fi aboard Washington State Ferries, though there is a fee for the service (www.boingo.com/ferrywifi, $7.95 per connection).

Newspapers and Magazines

Maybe it’s the rain, but Seattleites and Washingtonians in general are big readers. As a result, you’ll likely encounter a full spectrum of newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, and newsletters in your travels.

In Seattle, the paper of record is The Seattle Times. Alternative papers, The Stranger and Seattle Weekly, give their mainstream journalism sisters and brothers hell with a more edgy breed of features and a pretty robust rundown of entertainment happenings.

Seattle is also home to not one, but two slick city glossies, Seattle Magazine and Seattle Metropolitan Magazine, the latter of which I prefer for its quirky storytelling and imaginative photography and art direction.

In Tacoma, the locals are informed by The News Tribune, while in Olympia they read The Olympian.

Across the mountains, The Spokane Spokesman Review is the biggest name in media, along with the Yakima Herald.

The state is also home to numerous other hometown weeklies. To get the scoop on which towns produce a paper, visit www.usnpl.com/wanews.php for a cheat sheet.

© Ericka Chickowski from Moon Washington, 8th edition