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With the Cascade Mountains, the Columbia Plateau, numerous lakes and rivers, Puget Sound, and the Pacific coast, Washington is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, and one could easily spend several lifetimes exploring all of the recreational opportunities in this spectacular state. Washington's major urban center, Seattle and its metro-area, offer close proximity to these outdoor pursuits, while also providing the benefits that come from living in a cosmopolitan city.

As soon as the snow melts in late spring, activities such as hiking, backpacking, mountaineering, rock climbing, and mountain biking bring people into the backcountry. The Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest near Seattle, encompasses the most heavily-used trail system in the country. Mountain climbers come from all over the world to tackle Mt. Rainier, the tallest mountain in Washington state, and mountain bikers can ride from western Washington to the Idaho border on the John Wayne Pioneer Trail. When the snow returns in late fall, snowshoeing, snow-mobiling, and skiing become the activities of choice. Five major ski areas are within easy driving distance of Seattle and many others are spread over the state, catering to both downhill and cross-country skiiers.

The Puget Sound and Pacific coast are a beautiful backdrop for sailing, sea kayaking, surfing, and some of the world's best, yet chilly, scuba-diving. Washington's many rivers provide excellent opportunities for white-water rafting, kayaking, and fly-fishing. Lake Chelan in central Washington is a vacation mecca for Washington residents who appreciate speed boating, water skiing, and bait fishing.

Outdoor festivals and musical events take place all during the summer months. In Seattle, art walks, street fairs, and farmers' markets can be found every week with many neighborhoods sponsoring their own. Seafair -- Seattle's midsummer community festival -- brings the thrill of unlimited hydroplane racing and the Navy's Blue Angels to Lake Washington. Music festivals in Seattle include the Northwest Folklife Festival on Memorial Day weekend, Bumbershoot on Labor Day weekend, as well as several small outdoor concert series. Outside Seattle, the Tumbleweed Music Festival in the Tri-Cities and the Winthrop Blues Festival feature northwest artists, while the Gorge Amphitheater on the Columbia River and White River Amphitheater host several concerts during the summer by national artists. Other events outside Seattle include the Okanogan River Garlic Festival, the Ellensburg Rodeo, and the Yakima Valley Spring Barrel Tasting, where you can taste some of Washington's finest wines.

Seattle is also home to world-class entertainment indicative of a cosmopolitan city. The Grammy Award-winning Seattle Symphony is now located in Benaroya Hall, a new state-of-the-art concert hall. The Seattle Opera is acclaimed internationally for its productions of Wagner's Ring. And the repertoire of the Pacific Northwest Ballet ranges from avant-garde premiers to the Nutcracker, an annual holiday favorite. More than a dozen symphony and chamber orchestras and opera and dance companies bring performing arts alive from Tacoma to Everett and on the Eastside. The Seattle area boasts more theaters than any city of comparable size in the U.S. – including the Seattle Repertory Theater, and is second only to New York in the number of theatrical performances. Productions range from Shakespeare to original productions, and include touring Broadway musicals.

The Seattle Art Museum with its striking "Hammering Man" outside the entrance, Frye Art Museum, Bellevue Art Museum, Burke Museum, Museum of History and Industry, Museum of Flight at Boeing Field, the Experience Music Project (designed by Frank Gehry), and the Washington State History Museum and the Museum of Glass in Tacoma are among the many art and special-collection exhibition centers in the region.

Seattle Center with its futuristic Space Needle and Pacific Science Center -- site of the 1962 World's Fair -- is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the U.S. Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle is a popular, traditional farmers' market that also features a wide array of arts and crafts. Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Southeast Asian cultures mingle in Seattle's Chinatown/International District, home of the Nippon Kan Theatre and Wing Luke Asian Museum.

In July 1999, the Seattle Mariners new Safeco Field opened just south of the Pioneer Square.  The Mariners' new home was the site of the All Star Game in 2001. The Seattle Supersonics, perennial contenders in the NBA's western conference, thrill fans in Key Arena at Seattle Center. In 2002, a new football stadium, now called Qwest Field, was completed for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks. In 2006, the Seahawks won the NFC Championship and played against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl Forty.

Junior league hockey is played in Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane, and the Tri-Cities, and minor league baseball teams affiliated with the Mariners play in Tacoma and Everett. The University of Washington Huskies field national-caliber teams in both mens' and women's' sports.

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