Seattle By No Means Americas Rainiest City
Seattles popular standing as one of the countrys rainiest cities isnt actually justified. With yearly rainfall of thirty-eight inches, the Emerald City actually lags forty-three American cities, including New York City, where forty-seven inches of rain fall on average each year. But while New York City rain days have more than their fair share of heavy downpours, precipitation in Seattle tends to take the form of drawn-out drizzles. Luckily, Seattle residents and visitors touring this bustling metropolis as part of a grand excursion of the American Northwest can still find lots to do on Seattles gray and drizzly days. Topping my list of indoor recommendations is a stop at one of Seattles numerous top-notch museums. Heres a quick look at three of the citys top-ranked attractions: 1. Seattles Museum of Flight is the West Coasts most impressive air and space museum. Besides over fifty full-size airplanes, some flying tight formation in the museums Great Gallery, a new exhibit called Space: Exploring the New Frontier is definitely worth a look. Launched on June 10, 2007, the Space exhibit chronicles the history of space flight from rocket pioneer Robert Goddard to the Apollo lunar missions, the International Space Station and robotic landers on the Moon, Mars and other worlds. Open seven days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. except on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. 2. If popular music rocks your world, youll definitely want to visit the 240-million dollar Experience Music Project. Conceived in part by Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, the EMP is a absolutely unique, interactive music museum that tells the frequently tumultuous and defiant story of American popular music. Located not far from the Seattle Center and Space Needle, the Experience Music Project is open every day during the summer season from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. 3. Another one-of-a-kind attraction in Seattle is the Wing Luke Asian Museum. Given that immigrants from the Pacific Rim regions played such a crucial part in the development of the Pacific Northwest, the Wing Luke is focused on preserving and promoting Asian Pacific American culture, history, and art. The museum also has a permanent exhibit that reminds us of the internment camps used to incarcerate Japanese Americans during the Second World War. While Seattle isnt the countrys rainiest city, there are still plenty of gray days in the citys future. Fortunately, there are plenty of museums that can both educate and entertain visitors on one of Seattles drizzly days. Matthew Paolini is a consultant with Citybook Seattle Online Yellow Pages in Seattle, WA.