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The Land Where Starbucks, Boeing and Microsoft Were Born

İlknur Gürdal Fieldhouse
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The first city to come to mind when thinking of Starbucks, Boeing, and Microsoft undoubtedly has to be Seattle, as it is the place where all three of these companies were formed. Seattle is a beautiful city, surrounded by lakes and green mountains, a place where rain is never far off, and where the autumn trees, with their leaves of crimson, yellows, and greens turn the area into a paradise.
This city, which doesn't make you sweat through the summer, either, hosted me for three months. The city is full of Starbucks cafes. You can see them on practically every corner.

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If you love nature, green trees, lake life, canoeing, and the rain, then Seattle is perfect for you. But if you are flying to Seattle from Turkey, you had better prepare yourself for a trip from one end of the world to the other.
 
One of the best places to take in a view of Seattle is from one of the city's symbols, the Space Needle. This is a spiral in the air which will allow you a 360 degree view of the city. Though you may have only seen this Space Needle in photographs before, the elevator takes you up to the very top of the tower, allowing you a view that stretches all the way to the waters off of Puget Sound, to the snow-capped peaks of Mount Ranier. It is very exciting. The elevator which takes you to the top does so in only 41 seconds, and the view that spreads out below you when you reach 520 feet in the air is worth it.
 
Go to downtown Seattle to sip your coffee at the first ever Starbucks Cafe, located in Seattle's Pike Place Market. The first Starbucks opened up in 1971, and this one has maintained its original appearance, since Pike Place Market is a historical site.
 
Microsoft and its founder, Bill Gates, are also two names which come to mind in relation to Seattle. Gates's home, which was designed by architect James Cutler, is located on the eastern shore of Washington Lake on a large plot of land. You can actually add a tour of Gates's home to your Seattle plans, as some sections of the house are opened to the public on certain days of the week.
 
Pioneer Square stretches over 20 blocks in downtown Seattle, and is the city's most important cultural center, as well as its historical heart.
 
For Bruce Lee and Jimi Hendrix fans, you have a chance to visit their graves, which lie in Seattle's Lake View Cemetary, on your visit to this city.
 
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One Seattle park which will make you feel like you're in the middle of a forest is Seaward Park; you can see eagle nests in the branches of trees at this park, as well as a stunning variety of birds. The park also features a bicycle path, an ampitheater, an art studio, mountain climbing trails.....and much more.
 
You also need to take a look at Washington University on your trip to Seattle. With its hundred-year-old trees, this campus is the perfect place to take a deep breath and a walk, and to enjoy the views of the ocean bay on which it sits.
 
What about a trip to the airplane museum in this city, the birthplace of the world-famous Boeing? This Seattle museum lays out the history of airplanes and flight before your eyes, giving you a chance to examine war planes and passenger planes up close, or to sit in the pilot's seat of a real SR-71 Blackbird or F/A-18 Hornet if you wish. You could also decide to try flying the first US Air Force One if you like, or take a stroll down the aisle of a Concorde.
 
So pack your umbrellas and raincoats for your trip to Seattle, and remember to make your peace with rain before your visit. Don't worry, it's not as though you are made out of sugar, you're not going to melt in the rain! As it is, getting wet in the Seattle rain is all part of the adventure.
(March 2007, 24th Issue)
Last modified onSaturday, 06 May 2017 10:07
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