City Description
In Southern California's neck of the woods weather wimps deem a little mist as legitimate cause to cancel plans and remain indoors. Seattleites can not afford such luxury. Located on the Puget Sound, bordered by two lakes (Washington and Union) and frequently rained upon from above, Emerald City residents have no choice but to embrace water--and do they ever!
Seattle boasts more pleasure boat owners per capita than any other city in the country. Runners enthusiastically squish through city streets each November during Seattle's popular marathon, scheduled smack dab in the middle of the rainy season. Weekenders seek adventure and challenge on Mount Rainier's terrain, note the first and last four letters. Professional athletes' uniforms sport emblems of Mariners, Seahawks and the Storm (WNBA). And, Seattle is where, in 1986, the only NBA basketball game was ever rained out, due to a leaky roof.
Surprisingly, Seattle is not a rainy town by volume (it receives significantly less than New York City or Atlanta), but its month-long drizzles and mere 69 days of sunshine earn the Microsoft and coffee capital of the world its dreary reputation. While natives, with their Pillsbury Doughboy "tans," brag they can identify the arrival of summer by warmer rain, if you find yourself in the Emerald City on a sunny day, it is one of the most beautiful places in the world.
