'I went full Sleepless in Seattle in the Emerald City and wasn't disappointed'
Famously rainy Seattle was in the middle of a heatwave when I arrived. The flight from Heathrow lands at 1.45pm local time, and a cab ride from the airport to downtown is only about 20 minutes, so to make the most of it, I went ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ and hit the streets straight away.
Emergency sunscreen purchased, I headed out with an itinerary taking in scenes from the Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan romcom – now in its 30th anniversary year – but soon discovered the Emerald City’s shine is much more than Hollywood veneer...
The classic rock soundtracking the mountain lodge-style lobby of the Edgewater Hotel is part of the venue’s musical cachet as the place where The Beatles were photographed fishing out of the window.
My waterfront room with a balcony overlooking Puget Sound was a great spot to relax, with playful seals, seahawks and the elegant sailing boats of Seattle’s well-heeled residents nearby – plus, if you’re lucky with the weather, views of 14,411ft volcano Mount Rainier, the highest peak in Washington State.