All I can say is .. Wow! Spectacular place .. beautiful! Good vibes all around. Stayed at the Hotel Andra and can enthusiasticly recommend. A cool little place, with an awesome staff who went out of their way to make our stay pleasant. Exg.- I forgot my hairbrush ... they found one for me, in like, 20 minutes. Rooms are large, with wet bars and refrigerators. Very comtemporary, "West Elm"-type decor. Very comfortable beds, and very convenient to the Pike Place market as well. The adjacent restaurant, Lola, very good, sophisticated but relaxed.

We went to Bumbershoot, which was just incredible fun. I expected noisy, obnoxious crowds -- but it was so well-laid out that it never really felt crowded. Everyone was mellow and friendly -- at one point I was listening to a salsa band and dancing on the grass (alone), when another couple pulled me into their circle and insisted that I dance with them. I felt this immediate community with perfect strangers -- it was *that* kind of event. The music was all first-rate, btw. I definitely want to go again next year.

We did all the touristy things -- strolled the waterfront and Pike Place market -- more great music, thanks to the talented street musicians every block or so; great food (try the turkish pastry w/ feta and spinach!). Oh -- and the FLOWERS! Row after row of beautiful, exotic blooms -- I got a bundle of dahlias, sunflowers and unbelievably fragrant asian lillies for $10. The market did get crowded, so we left early afternoon and caught the ferry over to Bainbridge island. (also recommend!) Returned early evening, had dinner at the excellent Dahlia lounge -- elegant, but not pretensious. I had the crab cakes and my son and his gf both had a pork dish -- pricey, but worth it! (oh, and it was also across the street from the hotel).

We left the next day to go to the Gorge for the DMB concert -- they rocked, of course. We stayed overnight in the pleasant little town of Wenatchee, then drove back to the Seattle AP via HWY 2 through scenery worthy of a postcard -- lovely apple orchards, and the mountain town of Leavenworth, which is so beautiful it's often compared to Switzerland.

We were sorry our stay was so short, and can't wait to go back!

I love Seattle, too. I'm glad you enjoyed the Dahlia Lounge, it's a true Seattle classic, IMO. ***kim***

Glad you enjoyed Seattle! It's one of my favorite cities--always happy and excited to return

Glad you had such a wonderful time! We recentaly moved away from the area and really miss it. Good thing relatives and friends are still there so we can keep visiting

Thanks for the report, glad you had such a nice time. Not sure if you know but Lola is also owned by Tom Douglas (Dahlia) and is his newest restaurant, only open a few months.