There's a two-acre park here and although 1.5 million visit annually, you can easily hike a few extra feet away from the crowds to find solitude.

Pets are not allowed on the park grounds, but it is only a 200-foot walk (wheelchair accessible) to view the thunderous falls.

Snoqualmie/North Bend also boast the Northwest Railway Museum. Phase one opened just last year as a delight to train buffs and historians.

Further away, this time to the northwest, is Olympic National Park. Locals may crowd this natural treasure on weekends and holidays, but this is a must-see weekday trip.

Mount Rainier, the dominant mountain in the region (when you can see it for clouds) is some 55 miles southeast of Seattle. It rises almost three miles higher than downtown Seattle and is another national park.

Mount St. Helens National Monument is two hours southeast of Seattle.

Lodging — There are 11,500 available hotel rooms in downtown Seattle and 32,400 available hotel rooms in King County.

"The peak travel season for Seattle is summer (May-September)," Blandford said. "Advance reservations are recommended for travel during that time. But, other times of the year may be busy, too, depending upon convention visits, major festivals and events and other factors."

He said travelers can make reservations with the Seattle Super Saver program, which offers the best available rates among third-party providers at more than 80 Seattle area hotels. To book, call 1-800-535-7071 or book online at www.seattlesupersaver.com.

Traffic and crime — Seattle has become a major, congested city and there's no getting away from that. Southern California traffic backups are now looking second to the Seattle area's urban woes. There's almost no rush hour here as roads are packed throughout the day. You just have to plan on extra time and patience to get around. Seattle boasts some 600,000 residents, and the surrounding metro area is 3.9 million people strong.

Blandford said because Seattle is compact, easily walkable and offers excellent public transportation, visitors often choose not to rent cars. Downtown Metro Transit buses are free — just jump on and off as you like.

However, some of Seattle's downtown areas may not be as safe as they appear. Despite the absence of theft warning signs in many parking lots, the Seattle City Web site (www.seattle.gov) states: "You are more likely to be a victim of a vehicle crime than any other crime reported to the Seattle Police Department."

The Seattle Police Department advises never leaving anything of value in your vehicle.