Seattle, in the air-conditioned northwest corner of the United States, has a reputation as a rainy place. Yet, in actuality, the city’s rain is a fine mist, rather than the downpour of many other places. It actually rains less in Seattle than in New York.

And in summertime, due to its northern latitude, the city enjoys longer days of sunshine than most places in the United States. From mid-July through September or mid-October, visitors can expect glorious sky-blue days and the deep golden rays of evenings that seem to last forever.

Situated on the eastern shore of the United States’ greatest inland body of salt water, Puget Sound, the city has a maritime feel to it. Whales course through the waters just off downtown, salmon leap at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, where sailboats and commercial vessels climb between the Sound and the Lake Washington Ship Canal, and bustling ferries transport visitors and locals alike to islands and the Olympic Peninsula to the west.

Seattle is also a waypoint for hikers, bikers, climbers, skiers and others who enjoy the rocky trails or snow of the Cascade Mountains (just an hour east) and the Olympic Mountain Range (two hours, including a ferry ride, to the west).

Mount Rainier forms a scenic backdrop to boaters on Puget Sound.

The city is a relative newcomer, as U.S. cities go. In 1851, five families from the Midwest who had traveled on the Oregon trail disembarked from the schooner Exact on the golden sands of Alki (in today’s West Seattle) and began a new life here, opening a sawmill and platting streets for the settlement they envisioned.

In the late 19th century, Seattle was a hard-working seaport. Then, on July 17, 1897 , the steamer Portland docked in the harbor with 70 men who had made it rich panning for gold in the Yukon River. With the Yukon Gold Rush, the city burgeoned overnight with provisioners and settlers on their way to make their fortune.

In more recent history, the city became known as the headquarters of the aerospace giant Boeing, which moved its headquarters to Chicago in 2001. While much of Seattle ’s economy had relied on the aircraft company for decades, the company’s move wasn’t felt as strongly as it might have been, as the city today has a diverse economy with corporate monoliths such as Microsoft, Starbucks and amazon.com, as well as numerous high-tech firms. And it has a thriving retail climate for visitors who have discovered the charms of this outdoorsy, yet culturally sophisticated city that has won national awards for its livability.

Getting around in Seattle is quite easy on Metro buses. If you’re here only for a weekend, there’s no need for a rental car. On the other hand, a car is handy if you wish to explore beyond, to perhaps the rainforest of the Olympic Peninsula, the pastoral San Juan Islands, the Victorian seaport of Port Townsend, the awe-inspiring Mt. St. Helens volcano, or the flower-filled slopes of Mt. Rainier, the region’s mascot mountain that rises just south of downtown, looking like an immense blueberry ice-cream cone.

Bus tours of the top sights of Seattle and the region are available through Gray Line of Seattle (www.graylineofseattle.com). Argosy Cruises (www.argosycruises.com) offers tours of Seattle’s waterways. And for something completely different, consider taking a land/water tour on one of the city’s Ride the Ducks (www.ridetheducksofseattle.com) amphibious vehicles.

To experience the best of Seattle’s many moods over a three-day weekend, consider this “insider’s” sample itinerary, written by a long-time city resident:

Friday

Check into the Alexis Hotel (www.alexishotel.com), a downtown boutique hotel known for its richly decorated guestrooms with original art. The hotel overlooks Elliott Bay, with mesmerizing views of ferries and sailboats in front of the snow-capped Olympic Mountain Range. Room rates range from US$ 199 to US$ 329.

After you have checked in, stroll three blocks north to the Pike Place Market, Seattle’s iconic public marketplace where farmers and artisans stock stalls with freshly grown and creatively crafted foods and goods from throughout the region. Be sure to stop by the doughnut machine, where you can watch the doughnuts being made on the spot and sample them, still hot, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.

Sur La Table is one of the finest kitchen stores you’ll find, with imported linens, thick French casserole dishes and numerous other fun items. Beecher’s Cheese, where you can watch cheese being made, is another local favorite. Be sure to explore the stairways and ramps taking you to lower levels of the market, where you can find everything from a magic store to import shops.