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.

Center for Wooden Boats
This unusual little museum, located adjacent to the Northwest Seaport/Maritime Heritage Center, is basically a collection of wooden boats of all kinds. Most of the boats are tied up to the docks surrounding the museum's floating boathouse, but some are stored in dry dock (on the dock itself). Dedicated to the preservation of historic wooden boats, the center is unique in that many exhibits can be rented and taken out on the waters of Lake Union. There are both rowboats and sailboats; rates range from $13 to $46 per hour (call for hours of availability). Free classic boat rides are held on Sunday from 2 to 3pm, and individual sailing instruction is also available.

Museum of Flight
Located right next door to Boeing Field, an active airport 15 minutes south of downtown Seattle, this museum will have aviation buffs walking on air. Housed inside the six-story glass-and-steel repository are some of history's most famous planes.To start things off, there's a replica of the Wright brothers' first glider, and from there the collection of planes brings you to the present state of flight. Suspended in the Great Hall are more than 20 planes, including a 1935 DC-3, the first Air Force F-5 supersonic fighter, and the Gossamer Condor, a human-powered airplane. The new Personal Courage Wing houses 28 World War I and World War II fighter planes. You'll see one of the famous Blackbird spy planes, which at one time were the world's fastest jets (you can even sit in the cockpit of one of these babies), as well as a rare World War II Corsair fighter that was rescued from Lake Washington and restored to its original glory. Visitors also get to board a retired British Airways Concorde supersonic airliner that recently went on display here. An exhibit on the U.S. space program features an Apollo command module. Of course, you'll also see plenty of Boeing planes, including a reproduction of Boeing's first plane, which was built in 1916. The museum also incorporates part of Boeing's old wooden factory building from its early years.While any air-and-space museum lets you look at mothballed planes, not many have their own air-traffic control tower and let you watch aircraft taking off and landing at an active airfield. During the summer months, biplane rides are usually offered from in front of the museum.The Museum of Flight Restoration Center (tel. 425/745-5150) is located north of Seattle at Paine Field, which is near the city of Everett. Here you'll see planes in various stages of restoration. The center is open Tuesday through Thursday from 8am to 4pm and Saturday from 9am to 5pm. Call for directions. Paine Field is also where you'll find the Boeing Tour Center. Together, these two make a fascinating half-day outing.

Marriott Seattle Airport
Whether traveling for business, pleasure or planning a meeting, Marriott focuses on what it takes to make your trip successful. Enjoy the comfort of one of our newly renovated guest rooms, each equipped with high speed Internet access provided by iBahn, remote control television and telephones with voicemail. Start your day with a complimentary newspaper delivered to your room. Order breakfast in your room or sample the many tasteful options we offer in the Yukon Landing Restaurant. Enjoy a ...

The Edgewater
The Edgewater, Seattle's only waterfront hotel, overlooks Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains, and is situated at the water's edge on Pier 67. Built in 1962 as a temporary structure for the World's Fair, The Edgewater has become a Seattle landmark and a beloved part of the city's history. The illuminated red rooftop "E" provides direction for ships navigating in Puget Sound.Directly over Elliott Bay, this unique location gives guests the access to waterfront shops & restaurants, Pike Place ...

Best Western Executive Inn Seattle Downtown
The quality of your stay is only as good as the mattress you sleep on. Our new Hypnos Pillowtop mattresses promise to be the most comfortable bed in the world and based off the level of guest satisfaction these beds will put you to sleep. As a one hundred percent non-smoking guest room property you can rest assured that you will breathe easy while staying with us. We are happy to relieve you from the stress of city driving while staying with us. We offer a convenient free shuttle service to ...