The Seattle waterfront, which lies along Alaskan Way between Yesler Way in the south and Bay Street and Myrtle Edwards Park in the north, is the city's most popular attraction. Yes, it's very touristy, with tacky gift shops, saltwater taffy, T-shirts galore, and lots of overpriced restaurants, but it's also home to the Seattle Aquarium, the IMAXDome Theater, Odyssey-The Maritime Discovery Center, and Ye Olde Curiosity Shop (king of the tacky gift shops). Ferries to Bainbridge Island and Bremerton, as well as several different boat tours, also operate from the waterfront. This is also the best place to hire a horse-drawn carriage for a spin around downtown.

You'll find the Washington State Ferries terminal at Pier 52, which is at the south end of the waterfront near Pioneer Square. (A ferry ride makes for a cheap cruise.) At Pier 55, you'll find excursion boats offering harbor cruises and trips to Tillicum Village on Blake Island. At Pier 56, cruise boats leave for trips through the Chittenden (Ballard) Locks to Lake Union. At Pier 57, you'll find both the Bay Pavilion, which has a vintage carousel and a video arcade to keep the kids busy, and Pier 57 Parasail (tel. 206/622-5757), which will strap a parasail on your back, hook you to a long rope, and then tow you around Elliott Bay. The view from above the water is almost as good as the view from the Space Needle, and, because you take off and land from the back of the boat, you won't even get wet. Rides are $49 for one person and $89 for a tandem ride.

At Pier 59, you'll find the Seattle Aquarium, the IMAXDome Theater , and a small waterfront park. Continuing up the waterfront, you'll find Pier 66, the Bell Street Pier, which has a rooftop park. This is also the site of Odyssey-The Maritime Discovery Center , which is dedicated to the history of shipping and fishing in Puget Sound, and Anthony's, one of the best seafood restaurants on the waterfront. At Pier 67, you'll find The Edgewater hotel, a great place to take in the sunset over a drink or dinner.

Next door, at Pier 69, you'll come to the dock for the ferries that ply the waters between Seattle and Victoria, British Columbia. Just north of this pier is grassy Myrtle Edwards Park, a nice finale to a very pleasant waterfront. This park has a popular bicycling and skating trail, and is the northern terminus for the Waterfront Streetcar, which can take you back to your starting point.