1. Pioneer Square
Is it a weekend away in a new city if you didn’t spend hours people-watching in a square? No, is the answer. And Seattle has just the thing. Pioneer Square is Seattle’s oldest neighborhood and features everything you need for the perfect afternoon—cafés, bookstores and lovely architecture, to name a few. While you’re there, head to the Klondike Gold Rush museum, and then check out the Smith Tower, which for a while was the tallest building on the West Coast and boasts some pretty spectacular views. This is also the spot for the brilliant Bill Speidel's Underground Tour, where you can learn about Seattle’s underground passages, dark tunnels and subterranean passageways.