Seattle? Weird? The home of pocket protectors and black, horn rimmed glasses? Well, yes. Don’t forget this is the very same Seattle that produced Jimi Hendrix, the Grunge movement and Kurt Cobain. Sure, there are enough geeks to fill the busses every morning on the way to Redmond but there are still plenty of ex Hippies and apathetic, flannel clad guitar players to keep Seattle interesting. Welcome to Weird Seattle.

As you cruise up and down I-5 in Washington you may ask yourself, ‘what’s happening in Tacoma?’—the answer is a lot. No longer the ugly step child of Seattle, Tacoma has cleaned up its formally blemished downtown and has set itself up to be a true destination for Washington visitors and the place to start is the Museum District.

The Pacific Northwest is well known, and loved, for the reinvention of craft beer and the Seattle area has several of the finest breweries around. And even better yet, most are available for visits either as tap rooms or brew pubs. Prepare for a slightly blurry two days of some of the best beer fresh from the tap.

There is a secret that most Midwesterners would like to keep that way--a state park that rivals many of the over crowded national parks for natural beauty, history, and family fun. Where, you might ask? In the southern Black Hills of South Dakota. 

The new and improved Seattle Art Museum and the very new Olympic Sculpture Park make Seattle a premiere destination to enjoy the arts. Pick a day when you can enjoy being outdoors-which might mean accepting the rain-for the sculpture garden and immerse yourself in great art.

The first stop is SAM, or Seattle Art Museum. Before heading in stop and admire the 48-foot kinetic sculpture that is SAM's symbol, "Hammering Man" right outside the door.

Seattle loves its food and prides itself on its variety of restaurants and the seriously innovative chefs that make a name for themselves in town. In fact, you can get a great idea of what food Seattle has to offer just by staying in the Bell Town and Pike Place neighborhoods.