Seattle
Getting there: British Airways flies direct to Seattle from Heathrow. BA Holidays features a four-night package at the West Coast Vance Hotel, for £469 in January in its America and Canada 2000 brochure.
Getting around: buses within the central zone of Seattle are free, ferries leave from the waterfront, a return to Bainbridge Island costs $3.50; taxis charge about $7 for a 10min ride; from the airport there are shuttle buses charging between $18 and $35.
Food: you can eat a wide variety of international food in Seattle. Anthony’s, on the waterfront, dinner is a little pricey at around $40 a head, but the views across the bay are impressive and the fish fresh.
Out and about: microbreweries, pubs that brew their own beer, are a new and popular phenomenon. Both Pike Brewing Company on First Avenue and McMenamins on Roy Street have a good selection of ales.