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During your Seattle vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Burke Museum
Located at the northwest corner of the University of Washington campus, the Burke Museum features exhibits on the natural and cultural heritage of the Pacific Rim. Permanent exhibits include Life & Times, which covers 500 million years of Washington history (and prehistory) with lots of fossils, including a complete mastodon, on display. The second permanent exhibit, Pacific Voices, focuses on the many cultures of the Pacific Rim and their connections to Washington State. There is also a smaller temporary-exhibit gallery. In front of the museum stand three modern totem poles carved in the style of the 1870s and 1880s.
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park
"At 3 o'clock this morning the steamship Portland, from St. Michaels for Seattle, passed up (Puget) Sound with more than a ton of gold on board and 68 passengers." When the Seattle Post-Intelligencer published that sentence on July 17, 1897, it started a stampede. Would-be miners heading for the Klondike goldfields in the 1890s made Seattle their outfitting center and helped turn it into a prosperous city. When they struck it rich up north, they headed back to Seattle, the first U.S. outpost of civilization, and unloaded their gold, making Seattle doubly rich. Although this place isn't in the Klondike (that's in Canada) and isn't really a park (it's a single room in an old store), it's still a fascinating little museum, and it seems only fitting that it should be here in Seattle. (Another unit of the park is in Skagway, Alaska.) There are plans to move this facility to a historic building at the corner of South Jackson Street and Second Avenue South, so be sure to call before visiting.
Wing Luke Asian Museum
Despite much persecution over the years, Asians, primarily Chinese and Japanese, have played an integral role in developing the Northwest, and today the connection of this region with the far side of the Pacific has opened up both economic and cultural doors. The exhibits at this small museum, located in the heart of Seattle's International District and named for the first Asian American to hold public office in the Northwest, explore the roles various Asian cultures have played in the settlement and development of the region. Many of the museum's special exhibits are meant to help explain Asian customs to non-Asians. If you're walking around Chinatown, this place will give you a better appreciation of the neighborhood, but the exhibits tend to have a narrow range of appeal.
Hotel Vintage Park - a Kimpton Hotel
Elegance and personalized service are a way of life at the four star, four diamond Hotel Vintage Park. Built in 1922 and renovated in 2000 the hotel became one of Seattle's most popular hotels for the business traveler. Located in the heart of the city, the hotel is just steps from some of the city's best boutiques, theaters, and arts. Our classic brick and limestone building built with period detailing features 126 guestrooms and suites appointed with rich fabrics and custom cherry furniture. ...
The Fairmont Olympic Hotel Seattle
Located between 4th and 5th Avenues and University Street. The Fairmont Olympic Hotel's main entrance is on University Street. The hotel is located in the heart of Seattle's financial, retail, arts & entertainment districts, just minutes from the Convention Centre and Pike Place ...
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