Vacation rentals in Seattle Waterfront

The Seattle Waterfront has always been a great spot to soak up views of Puget Sound — where orcas, Giant Pacific octopus, and primitive sixgill sharks swim — as well as the often snow-crowned Olympic Mountains to the west. The city has been revitalizing this popular neighborhood since 2010, creating a promenade, rebuilding piers, and adding an elevated connection to Pike Place Market. The result? A destination that expands upon such popular attractions as the Seattle Aquarium, a Ferris wheel, seafood restaurants, and the free Olympic Sculpture Park along the Elliott Bay Trail, where temporary installations mingle with the park’s centerpiece, 38-foot-tall swoops of scarlet-painted steel that depict an eagle. This former industrial site now forms downtown’s largest green space, and includes a small beach and Chinook salmon habitat. Eventually the waterfront will be a lush, 20-acre park, complete with space for yoga, festivals, a playground, and ice skating rink.

The inland sea of Puget Sound helps maintain a mild maritime climate, perfect for exploring and outdoor adventures year-round. Despite its soggy reputation, Seattle is actually the nation’s 32nd-rainiest major metropolis, ranking well behind Boston, Houston, and Atlanta. The culprit behind these rumors: clouds, which shadow 226 days annually here. But when they roll back, July and August tend to be glorious — and drier than Phoenix, Arizona. Few sights can be beat when the “the mountain is out,” as the locals say when Mount Rainier can be clearly spotted from town. The 14,410-foot volcano appears to loom over the city, despite standing 80 miles southeast.

In terms of waterfront events, standouts include July’s Seafair — famed for its pirate antics, boat racing, air show, and torchlight parade. Over the holidays, the area lights up with the Christmas Ship Festival and Magic in the Market.

World Famous Giant Shoe Museum

Pike Place Market houses a peep show that reveals some of the most gargantuan footwear ever crafted. Only one of these shoes has been worn by a human, the world’s tallest man. Drop a few coins into this old fashioned circus display and marvel at his big brogue, alongside a five-foot-long wingtip from the 1920s and other curiosities.

Gum Wall

A candy mosaic brings pops of color to Post Alley under Pike Place Market. This guerrilla art work began organically in 1993, when theater-goers started crafting designs with their chewed gum while waiting for the doors to open. The Gum Wall is so popular it inspired a line of merchandise.

Neukom Vivarium

The Seattle Art Museum maintains a 60-foot decaying hemlock at the Olympic Sculpture Park. The artist encased this “charismatic” tree in a greenhouse to illustrate the life cycle of the region’s forests, where fallen “nurse logs” support insects, fungi, lichen, plants, and even other trees. Volunteers open the display on the weekends, and by appointment two weeks in advance.