5 Coolest Things to Do in Seattle, WA

For a few years not so far in the past as to be irrelevant, I enjoyed status as a Seattle-area resident. My years there were good fun, and I found several cool things to do in that great Northwest city. Here is a list of five very cool things to do in and around Seattle.

1. Catch the Fish Tossing at Pike Place Market.

Go to Pike Place Market just off Seattle's waterfront, and you will feel, hear -- see! -- the city's heartbeat. Especially on Saturday mornings, this Seattle food market thrives. Here, you'll hear street musicians serenade shoppers, and you just might sing yourself as you browse, carouse, and mingle amongst tourists and locals alike. The biggest show at the market belongs to the fishmongers of Pike Place Fish Company.

Watch the mongers hurl and catch salmon, and you will be amazed -- and probably a little on edge, as you see the fish fly. A visit to Pike Place Market will make your trip to Seattle a cool one all on its own.

2. Watch the Sunset on Puget Sound.

Viewing Puget Sound is very cool. If you are on Seattle's waterfront at anytime of day, looking across the sound is a visual delight. In the distance rests the Olympic Mountains -- beautiful and remote. Gazing upon the Puget Sound and the Olympics as the sun goes to sleep behind them, is a cool sight indeed! Do it at least once in your life.

3. Elevate on the Space Needle.

Standing 500 feet over Seattle's center since the 1962 World's Fair, the Space Needle is chill to look at from below, and a very cool place from which to observe your surroundings. In fact, if you are here during sunset as opposed to the waterfront, as you watch the sun fade, turn southeast and witness the pink alpenglow blazing from Mt. Rainier's ever-snowy slopes.

4. Night Skiing at Snoqualmie Pass.

This next item on my "coolest things in Seattle" list, actually involves leaving the city and heading east into the Cascade Mountains -- home of the lower 48's largest mountains. (The Rockies come out of the American plains. The Cascades rise up from sea level.)  As such, the ski areas collected at Snoqualmie Pass on Interstate 90 offer the most extreme night skiing anywhere. Of course, you will also find nice gentle slopes. There is truly something for the whole family. Just get up there and schuss!

5. Just Go for a Walk.

Back in Seattle, you can have a very cool time just going for a walk. With its waterfront, hills, and architectural wonders (and blunders), Seattle offers a vibe all its own. From SafeCo Field in the south to Queen Anne Hill in the north, a walk about the heart of Seattle is expansive, exhausting, and enriching. And cool, to say the least.