The Rough Guide to Seattle 3 (Rough Guide Mini Guides)

Seattle straddles and sprawls across waterways, around lakes, over hills, and along miles of coast. Spread out over numerous communities, connected by tunnels, highways, and bridges, it can be a confusing place for newcomers, but it doesn't have to be. Richie Unterberger employs easy-to-use maps, concise prose, and a judicious selection of travel information to help you feel comfortable in Seattle. As the title implies, it's a tiny book--less than six inches tall and four inches wide--fitting inconspicuously into pocket or purse, but it's a fount of Seattle wisdom. There are chapters on all the major neighborhoods, from Lake Washington to Capitol Hill to Downtown; listings of accommodations, cafes, restaurants, and bars; sections on the performing arts, gay nightlife, festivals, sports, and activities for kids, plus shops and galleries; and a chart on climate, with average temperatures and monthly rainfall. It also contains the basics on getting to Seattle; getting around the city by metro, monorail, car, or ferry; and the best Web sites for surfing Seattle on the Internet. An ideal primer for incoming University of Washington freshmen, business travelers, or city weekenders, the Mini Rough Guide accomplishes a lot in a compact package. --Stephanie Gold