It may be at the forefront of a booming tech industry, but Seattle is also a city steeped in nostalgia, writes SARAH MARSHALL
WATCH WHALES IN THE PUGET SOUND
FROM acrobatic humpbacks to barnacle-nosed grays, an array of cetaceans can be seen in the waters which run from Seattle up to Vancouver Island on the Canadian border.
The biggest draw of them all, however, is the orca. Both resident and transient pods are regularly seen on whale watching tours departing from the Port of Edmonds.
There’s ample room on deck for close-up views of wildlife, and also a chance to tour the San Juan islands looking for tufted puffins, bald eagles and Steller sea lions. Puget Sound Express operates half-day tours between April and December, from £111. See pugetsoundexpress.com
SLEEP IN AN ICONIC PIECE OF ARCHITECTURE
BUILT in 1904, the redbrick building on Second and Pike Street had several incarnations before it’s recent opening as The State Hotel. Once a dentist’s and a drug store, it was abandoned in the 1940s, and now offers one of the city’s finest sleeps.
Inspired by markets, seafood and street performers, custom-made wallpaper by local artist Kate Blairstone decorates each floor, while a curious collage of doorknobs collected from across the state dominates the buzzy reception lounge. On the top floor, a sliver of roof terrace boasts views, while creative dishes and cocktails served at Ben Paris have earned the casual bistro standalone recognition.
Doubles, room only, are from £160 per night. Visit statehotel.com
SIP COFFEE IN FREMONT
OF ALL the neighbourhoods fanning from Downtown, Fremont has the quirkiest appeal, and artists have left their mark in street furnishings.
Look out for a Cold War rocket perched on top of a building and pose with a family of aluminium figures at a bus stop.
Follow a steady stream of Instagrammers to the Aurora Bridge and find a shaggy-haired concrete troll hugging a VW Beetle; then relax