By the way, that monorail ride takes you right through the middle of Paul Allen's Experience Music Project, the Frank Gehry-designed rock-music museum also located in Seattle Center. Paul Allen, who made his millions as one of the cofounders of Microsoft, has been busily changing the face of Seattle over the past few years. He has renovated Union Station and developed the area adjacent to Seahawks Stadium, which was built for the Seattle Seahawks football team, whose owner is . . . you guessed it: Paul Allen. The new stadium is adjacent to the Seattle Mariners' Safeco Field, which is one of the few ballparks in the country with a retractable roof.

Despite Seattle's many downtown diversions, however, the city's natural surroundings are still its primary attraction. You can easily cover all of Seattle's museums and major sights in 2 or 3 days. Once you've seen what's to see indoors, you can begin exploring the city's outdoor life. If you plan to spend all your time in downtown Seattle, a car is a liability and not an asset. However, when it comes time to explore beyond downtown, say to the University District, Fremont, or Ballard, a car can be handy. And if you want to head farther afield -- say, to Mount Rainier or the Olympic Peninsula -- then a car is a must...