08 September 2023 , 13:10
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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.
Tom (right) stopped off at the Athenian seafood restaurant, which features in the film (DAILY MIRROR)
Tom Hanks’ houseboat on Lake Union (DAILY MIRROR)