And on we go...

6. Where do you like to take your friends that come to visit?

I love taking out-of-towners to our wonderful natural areas - In the past, these places have included Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, the Olympic National Forest (and temperate rainforest), and the Alpine Lakes wilderness area, to name a few.

7. Where else?

I also love day/overnight trips to places accessible by ferry, as that is such a well-known local form of transportation around these parts. This could include places like the San Juan Islands (I particularly love Orcas Island), a great place to visit that is brimming with historical oddities such as the site of the Pig War, as well as tremendous food. Or perhaps we would venture to the lavender fields of Vashon Island. We might take a trip to the peninsula and have a short hike, ending at Cape Flattery, the most northwestern point in the lower U.S.

8. None of those places are in Seattle.

That's not a question, but you're right.

9. Don't you like to go places in Seattle?

Sure I do. I also take tourists to any of the regular tourist spots they might want to see (you know, the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, Bruce Lee's grave...), as well as some they don't know about, like the Fremont Troll, the Washington Park Arboretum, and the country's best coffee. If they're staying long enough or are here at just the right time, we might hit a First Thursday Artwalk, go to Bumbershoot, or catch a movie and a drink at The Big Picture.

I just think if you're in Western Washington, you owe it to yourself to get out to some of the best parts of this beautiful country - the best parts of Washington are away from the city, as great as she is.