Space Needle offers a spectacular view of the city and surrounding natural beauty

I went south when the rest of the world seemed to go north. Seattle in the late ’80s topped many lists as the most livable city in the U.S., and transplants poured into the city to experience this new caffeine-fueled mix of urban creativity and multi-cultural sophistication in a setting of stunning natural beauty. Through the years I would return to my hometown often, and the city never failed to engage me. With flights less than three-hours from LAX or San Diego, I’ve often thought that Seattle makes the perfect three-day holiday for Southern Californians.

BACK STORY

In 1851, the first Euro-American settlers arrived in what is now Seattle, the home for centuries of the Suquamish and Duwamish native tribes. Chief Seattle, the tribes’ leader, foresaw their arrival as the beginning of an unstoppable massive migration and warmly greeted them. The settlers started a logging business on Yesler Way in Pioneer Square, known as ‘skid row,’ due to sliding logs down the hill to Elliott Bay. When the logging business closed, the street went into decline and ‘skid row’ became a moniker for any street that had hit hard times.

The Klondike Gold Rush of 1896 constituted a massive boom to Seattle as a gateway to Alaska. Then, in 1962, the Seattle World’s Fair put the city on the international map as a cultural destination. Along the way homegrown businesses like Boeing, Microsoft, Nordstrom, Starbucks and Amazon.com created a plethora of new job opportunities.

WHAT TO DO

Buses run free in the downtown core, and virtually