Seattle

As coffee kingdoms go, Seattle wears the supreme crown. The city lives, breathes, meets and mingles on the stuff, whether in the eclectic coffeehouses strewn around town, from the hundreds of espresso carts peddling their wares on the streets, or even at the original Starbucks outlet.

Microsoft, IBM and Amazon.com are based here - plus, in the fantasy world of American sitcoms at least - Niles and Daphne (now, sadly, sans Frasier). Add to that a thriving music scene fast-tracked into world renown by Nirvana, a close relationship with the great outdoors and an enviously laid-back lifestyle, and you've got a robust brew that gives the traditional West Coast big shots - San Francisco and LA - strong and full-flavoured competition.

Situated between Puget Sound and Lake Washington less than 200km from the Canadian border, Seattle is surrounded by water and mountains - and very often, mist. Lake Washington Ship Canal and Lake Union cut the city in two.

Downtown is to the south, crammed with watering holes and restaurants, home to historic Pioneer Square and buoyed by the fabulous Pike Place Market. A few kilometres northeast is Capitol Hill - groovy, retro, alternative and hip all at once, and one of the best spots for clothes, music shops and late-night revelry.

To the west are the cultural delights of the Seattle Center, spearheaded by the Space Needle, while north across the Canal divide lies the bustling, studenty social scene of the 'U' District.

Seattleites are mad about nature, and it's no surprise. On top of numerous wilderness parks dotted around the city itself, ferries run west to the green islands of Puget Sound. If you've got the time and inclination, there's also no excuse not to try a traditional American road trip into the quite spectacular wildernesses of Washington state.