SEATLE STANDBYS
PIKE PLACE MARKET First Avenue and Pike Place, (206) 682-7453- Who can resist a bunch of guys in rubber orange overalls flinging giant salmon all over a public market? That's what the fishmongers at Pike Place Fish have been doing since 1965, turning this once humble fish stand into a world-famous sidewalk show that's been featured in a Spike Lee Levi's commercial, MTV's The Real World, and, of course, Frasier. All that without having ever spent a dime on advertising. Or losing its freshness. But it isn't just the fishmongers at Pike Place Fish that attract crowds. This picturesque market overlooking Puget Sound is the place for produce, flowers, baked goods, snacks, gifts, and people watching.

EXPERIENCE MUSIC PROJECT (EMP) 325 Fifth Ave. N., (206) 367-5483 - Though opened across from the Space Needle in June 2000, the unique EMP - which celebrates the history of American music with more than 80,000 artifacts plucked and/or beaten on by everyone from Muddy Waters to the Foo Fighters - is already a local fixture. It's easy to get scared off by the monstrously designed 140,000-square-foot building and $19.95 adult admission charge, but the lively experience inside is well worth it.

SEATTLE ART MUSEUM 100 University St., (206) 654-3100 - With more than 21,000 objects from Old Master paintings to contemporary Northwest native art, this is one of the West Coast's premier art museums. In the heart of downtown, it's recognizable by the 48-foot-tall steel and aluminum Hammering Man sculpture out front. It's a great place to duck inside during one of those rare rainy days.

MUSEUM OF FLIGHT 9404 E Marginal Way S., (206) 764-5700 - South of the city on Boeing Field, this museum houses the most comprehensive aerospace collection in the western U.S. Exhibits range from a replica of the Wright Brothers' wind tunnel to a walk-through space-shuttle cabin, but the highlight is a Lockheed Blackbird spy plane.