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Spend a few hours on foot and encounter a broad range of Seattle sites. Let the following be your guide.

Stand on any hill in Seattle and you'll see the beauty of Puget Sound and the Cascades mountain range, the modern steel and glass architecture of downtown, and that paean to the 1960s view of "tomorrow"-the Space Needle. Nature and technology; past and present; majestic and kitschy-these are terms that describe not just the view, but Seattle itself.

With a few hours and this handy guide, you can get a good feel for this fascinating city simply by walking its streets. Start your tour at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center (1)

Leaving GameWorks, continue west on Pike Street, past the Seattle Sheraton Hotel and Towers (3) (Sixth Avenue and Pike Street), the conference headquarters hotel. As you walk along, consider the following three stops:

Option 1

Turn right on Fifth Avenue and go north one block to the Westlake Center shopping mall (Fifth Avenue and Pine Street). Inside the mall you can catch the monorail ($1 each way) for the one-mile trip to Seattle Center (5) (between Mercer Street and Denny Way). The 74-acre civic complex is home to the Pacific Science Center (site of the Society-Wide Picnic on Sunday, June 28), the Children's Museum, Fun Forest Amusement Park, and Seattle's most famous landmark, the Space Needle. Built for the 1962 World's Fair, the 605-foot tower houses two revolving restaurants, a coffee shop, a lounge, gift shops, and an enclosed observation deck. On a clear day or evening, the view from the deck is a must-see, if you don't mind a 30- to 60-minute wait and the $9 adult admission charge ($6 for children ages 5-12; children under five are admitted free).

Option 2

If fashion interests you, stay on Pike Street until you reach Fifth Avenue, turn left, and go one block south to Union Street, where you'll find the very first Nordstrom (6) department store (Fifth Avenue and Union Street). Swedish immigrant John Nordstrom opened Seattle's first shoe store in 1901. The little shop eventually grew into a chain of upscale clothing stores, 84 Nordstroms in 17 states. This original location will close in August, when the flagship store moves to a bigger site a few blocks away at Fifth Avenue and Pine Street as part of a downtown redevelopment project.

Option 3

For a more cultural diversion, stay on Pike Street until you reach First Avenue, turn left, and go two blocks south to the Seattle Art Museum (7) (First Avenue and University Street). Currently on display is a retrospective on Thomas Moran (1837-1926), one of America's foremost landscape artists. The exhibition includes almost 100 of Moran's finest watercolors and oil paintings, which provide breathtaking views of the American West. Permanent exhibits feature African and Native American art.

Pike Place Area

After making any of the optional stops, retrace your steps to Pike Street. Once you're there, continue west on Pike Street until it ends, and you'll find the main entrance to Ike Place Market (8) (Pike Place and Pike Street). The oldest continuously operating public market in the United States, Pike Place Market has more than 200 vendors who sell fresh flowers, seafood, honey, fruits and vegetables, handmade jewelry and toys, clothing and accessories, and more. The market also has several sit-down and take-out restaurants, bakeries, specialty shops, and plenty of places to grab a cup of Seattle's favorite beverage, coffee.

The entrance to Pike Place Market attracts many street performers during the summer. It's also the site of the Ticket/Ticket booth, which sells half-price, day-of-show tickets to local theater, music, comedy, and dance performances.

Pike Place Market, located on a knoll directly above Elliott Bay, is connected to the Waterfront by the Hillclimb Steps (behind Pike Place Market at Pike Street). Take the steps down to the waterfront to visit the Seattle Aquarium (10) (Alaskan Way at Pier 59). Tour the underwater dome, where you are surrounded by 400,000 gallons of seawater and thousands of sea creatures. Try to arrive in time to see the SCUBA divers feed the animals daily at 1:30 . The aquarium is also home to several sea otters rescued after being injured in the wild; they chow down daily at 11:30 ., 2:00 ., and 5:00 .

Waterfront Park, just south of the aquarium between Piers 57 and 59, is a good place to watch the sunset. The waterfront is also the place to catch a boat for a cruise around Puget Sound or to Lake Union; to purchase souvenirs, including Space Needle-shaped refrigerator magnets and ashtrays made from Mount St. Helens' ash; or to dine at some of Seattle's unique restaurants, including Ivars' Acres of Clams.

Pioneer Square

From the waterfront, you can walk seven blocks south along the very busy Alaskan Way, turn left on Yesler Way, and follow that street into Pioneer Square (First Avenue and Yesler Way). Better yet, just hop on a southbound Waterfront Streetcar at one of its many stops along the waterfront. The elegantly restored, 1920s-era streetcars were made in Australia and feature beautiful Tasmanian mahogany and white ash woodwork. The fare is only $1 ($ during morning and afternoon rush hours). Get a transfer from the conductor when you board, and you can use it for unlimited rides for the following 90 minutes. Exit at the Washington Street Station for Pioneer Square.

The Skid Row and Pioneer Square Historic District and many of its buildings are listed in the National Registry of Historic Places. Skid Row, now called Yesler Way, got its name from the early saw mill workers' practice of "skidding" logs from the top of a steep hill above the area down a path (or row) to Seattle's first saw mill, which was located on the spot now known as Pioneer Square (12). Today you'll find a bronze bust of Chief Seattle, a Tlingit Indian totem pole, an iron pergola that was once a streetcar stop, and several benches in the middle of the small square. Have a seat and do some people-watching: Here tourists mix with grunge-attired teens, office workers, and the street people who call the square home.

Buildings of interest around the square include the Grand Central Arcade (First Avenue in Pioneer Square, between Yesler Way and Cherry Street). Constructed in 1889 and then called the Squire-Latimer Building, it served as a hotel, catering to travelers on their way to the Klondike gold fields. Today, the arcade's beautiful atrium remains in tact, and the building houses specialty shops. Its neighbor, the Pioneer Building, was Seattle's first major structure and housed many mining company offices during the Klondike Gold Rush.

The Pioneer Building is also the starting point of The Underground Tour, one of the most unusual excursions you'll ever take. Guides lead you through back alleys and down to the subterranean sidewalks and buildings that lie beneath Seattle's present-day streets. The area was buried and abandoned almost 100 years ago when engineers raised the city's elevation. The tour begins inside Doc Maynard's Public House (a restored 1890s saloon) and includes tales of Seattle's rowdy pioneers.

For more information on Seattle history, or on Seattle in general, stay on First Avenue and head two blocks south to the Elliott Bay Book Company (13) (First Avenue and S. Main Street), one of the best and biggest independent bookstores on the West Coast. Regular book readings and signings, children's events, a cafe, and free gift wrapping rank among the store's special touches.

Next door, you can pan for gold in the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (14) (117 S. Main Street). The tiny park, really a single building, includes exhibits and a slide program about the Gold Rush and its impact on Seattle. During the summer, park rangers lead Pioneer Square walking tours that start from here.

International District/China-town

If you're interested in more sight-seeing or are looking for an ethnic restaurant for lunch or dinner, it's just a short walk from Pioneer Square to the International District: Go one block south on First Avenue, turn left on S. Jackson Street, walk five blocks west to S. Sixth Avenue, turn right, and you'll be in the heart of what used to be called Chinatown. You can also hop back on a southbound Waterfront Street Car (along S. Main Street) and exit at the end of the line at the Jackson Street Station; or hop a bus at the Pioneer Square bus tunnel (Third Avenue and James Street) and exit at the International District tunnel.

Once in the International District, make your first stop the Uwajimaya Japanese Supermarket (16) (Sixth Avenue S. at S. King Street). This multilevel Japanese grocery store and cafe also has a gift shop and bookstore. You'll find bonsai trees, kimonos, sushi, fresh baked goods, seafood, unique snacks, rice cookers, origami paper, and hundreds of other specialty items for sale.

Just around the corner is Hing Hay Park (17) (S. King Street at Maynard Avenue). This red brick square with its bright red pagoda marks the center of the International District and is a meeting place for locals.

For a look at the rich history of Asians in the Pacific Northwest, head west on S. King Street to Seventh Avenue, turn left, and go one-half block to the Wmg Luke Asian Museum (18) (Seventh Avenue S. and S. Jackson Street). It is the only pan-Asian American museum in the United States devoted to the collection, preservation, and display of Asian Pacific American culture, history, and art with projects inspired and created by community members.

The International District is also home to the Kingdome (19) (Second Avenue S. and S. King Street) where the Seattle Mariners will play the Colorado Rockies on June 30 and July 1-2. This is the last season the Mariners play in the Kingdome. They move to the new baseball stadium (currently under construction just south of the Kingdome) in 1999.

There is much more to Seattle than its eclectic downtown. The city is a collection of small, unique neighborhoods, each with its own distinct personality, so pick up any guidebook, point yourself in any direction (except west, unless you plan to swim or take a boat), and the chances are good that you'll end up in an interesting section of Seattle.