Seattle is big enough to keep an intrepid visitor busy with weeks of explorations, and even residents who have spent years here still have not ventured into all its nooks and crannies. Like most large American cities, Seattle is a conglomeration of neighborhoods, each with an individual character that reflects both its inhabitants and its history.

CityPass

Six of Seattle’s most popular attractions—Pacific Science Center, Experience Music Project, Seattle Aquarium, the Museum of Flight, Argosy harbor cruise, and Woodland Park Zoo—have gotten together to offer a discount CityPass ($44 adults, $29 ages 4–12) that provides entrance to five of these six attractions. Passes are valid for nine days and can be purchased at any of the six attractions. This is an excellent deal for travelers, and it beats waiting in lines for tickets at each venue. The only bummer is that the Space Needle no longer participates.

Orientation

Seattle’s street numbering system takes a little time to understand. Avenues run north and south and streets run east and west, but street names get more complex than this. Example: N.E. 63rd Street is in the Ravenna District east of 1st Avenue NE, and 63 blocks north of Yesler Way; 63rd Avenue SW is in West Seattle, south of Yesler Way and 63 blocks west of the Duwamish Waterway. Fortunately, the system starts to make a bit of sense after awhile and is used throughout King County (named for Martin Luther King Jr.), making it easier to find addresses in neighboring cities such as Bellevue or Renton.

As an aside, King County was originally named for William R. King, elected in 1852 as vice president under President Franklin Pierce (for whom adjacent Pierce County is named). King died just six weeks into his term of office. In the 1970s his legacy as an Alabama slave-owner made Seattleites uncomfortable, and the county was officially renamed for a more politically acceptable King, slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.