Ever wondered whether caffeine is a viable substitute for sunshine? If so, Seattle is your kind of town. More than any other city in the region, Seattle epitomizes what people know of (and how they feel about) the Pacific Northwest. Nevermind that its sunshiny days can be suicidally few - its residents (Chairman Bill, perhaps, excepted) are among the nation's most outgoing and outdoorsy. Sure, it had everybody wearing flannel shirts and whistling Nirvana for awhile, but consider also the good things it's given us: you can see the roots of America's microbrewing revolution in the bellies of many a Seattlite, and the city's chilly mornings had the espresso generation brewing long before Starbucks sold its first cup. If you're looking for lifestyle (and who isn't these days?), Seattle has it in spades.

Seattle's reputation for rain is somewhat undeserved - catching just 38in (97cm) per year, Seattle's rainfall ranks well behind many Midwestern and Eastern cities' totals. When it comes to damp and chilly, though, not many places in the US can touch Seattle.

Seattle is situated in the west of Washington, the northwesternmost state in the 'lower 48.' The largest city in the state, Seattle sits on a skinny slip of land between the Puget Sound and Lake Washington. Lake Union and the Lake Washington Ship Canal divide the city into northern and southern halves; downtown and the Capitol Hill and Queen Anne neighborhoods lie south of the canal, the U District is to the northeast.

Compared to the rest of the city, downtown orientation is pretty straightforward. Historic Pioneer Square contains most of the must-see sites. Seattle Center, home to many of the city's cultural and sport facilities, is just northwest of downtown. Alaskan Way is the Waterfront's main drag. Interstate 5 runs north-south through the city center.

Seattle's Sea-Tac Airport is 13 miles (21km) south of the city. Amtrak trains use the King St Station, north of the new Seahawks stadium, just south of Pioneer Square. Greyhound's bus terminal is at 8th Ave and Stewart St, on the northern fringe of downtown. Green Tortoise buses leave from behind the Greyhound depot.

*Information courtesy of http://www.lonelyplanet.com/