Selection:  Smith has over a dozen generic microbrews on tap, such as Widmer Hefeweizen, Imperial IPA, Manny's, Fat Tire and others.  Most pints on tap run $4 ($3 during Happy Hour, from 4 to 6 pm) with $9.75 pitchers, some costing just a bit more.

They have over two dozen other imports by the bottle or can, though some are fairly pricey per serving and not worth the look (a double pint of Duvel, for example, is a staggering $22... for reference, you can get a double pint down the street at QFC for about $8).

They have a full bar and can make most well drinks, which start at $4 ($3 during Happy Hour, from 4 to 6 pm) and go up per the complexity of the drink.

The menu is... let's just say "strange".  They do have staples such as fries ($5), though even though are served strangely: the fries come in a pint glass, the fries wrapped in paper, and many of the dishes come on flat wooden platters.

Most hot dishes are prepared with a lot of cooking wine, and the taste thereof can distract from more regular dishes like the steak platter (~$12).  The burger ($10-12 depending on fixings) comes with no mayo.

Then it gets strange.  They also have sweet potato fries ($5), poutine ($5 or $9 depending on portion size) and an assembly of chicken, pork and lamb dishes served with some, shall we say, interesting sides whose identities even I couldn't figure out.  People love them, though.

Most entrees run in the $12-18 range.  If you're willing to experiment with new, different foods, the menu is worth a shot.  If you're looking for more standard fare... you may want to eat before you get there.

Brunch:  On weekends, Smith does brunch from 10 am to 4 pm.  They offer standard sausage & eggs and bacon & eggs plates for $8.  Steak & eggs runs $12 (though again, beware the scent/taste of the cooking wine, which the steak is bathed in).  The menu items go off the page again (in the $8-12 range), and they do run some interesting specials.  They serve orange juice ($3), Stumptown coffee (which the waiters do well to refill frequently, plus refills are unlimited and free for $2), and plenty of water (always free).  If you really crave a Bloody Mary or assorted alcohol, they are more than happy to oblige.

Service:  Sharp and reasonably friendly (especially for a hip joint).  It may take some time to get to you with a big crowd, but they'll get to you in a reasonable time frame.  They'll get to know you quickly if you routinely come in.

Best Time to Go:  Get to brunch around opening (10 am).  Try to get to Happy Hour early (4-5 pm).  After that, seating disappears quickly as the crowds pile in.  It's like a tsunami: at 4:45 on Friday, you can get a booth... by 5:15 you might not even be able to get a spot at the bar.  You should be able to manage a seat at noon for brunch on most weekends, though there are some days where it fills all the way up.

Closing:  Smith has all the alcohol most could want at mostly reasonable prices, and an assortment of strange menu items that curious parties can sample.  The brunch staples will fill you up, as long as meat and eggs are your bag.  For lighter fare, one of the other Capitol Hill eateries may be best for you.

If you're looking for standard grub for dinner, you'll want to eat elsewhere, but there are few better places to drink at a reasonable cost.

One of the favorites for the kids is the Woodland Park Zoo. Take the kids for a pony ride. Check out the "Zoo Doo" and learn how its used. Stroll along nature paths and view the different animal exhibits. You may want to stretch this to two days. See live flesh eating piranha's and other fish. Check out the penguin exhibit. Take in a show on the owls or other animals. Wear sturdy walking shoes and take a water bottle along to keep yourself hydrated. http://www.zoo.org/

Stop in and check out The Seattle Aquarium. Learn all about the Endangered Orca Whales of Puget Sound. Find out how to become a Beach Naturalist so you can help others learn about our beaches. Study why Barnacles stand on their heads and what Sea Stars eat. Take advantage of events and learn how to be more involved or learn how to have an ocean related career.

Take a walk on the famous Alki Point, made famous in the movie, Sleepless in Seattle. See the statue of Leif Erickson. Grab some seafood across the street and sit on the beach and enjoy your bounty.

At the Pike Place Market, watch fish throwing. Stroll amongst the booths and select the freshest fish you will ever find. It is styled like an open air flea market. No visit to Seattle is complete without a stop in here.

Visit the Hiram M. Chittendon Locks, also known as the Ballard Locks. Completed in the 1930's these locks go up and down on a daily basis allowing boats to navigate from Puget Sound to the higher elevation of Lake Union and, via the Ship Canal, Lake Washington. Look at the Fish Ladder where the salmon go through the locks.

Stroll through the 230 acres of over 4,000 trees and plants in the Washington Arboretum. For a real treat try this one in the fall and observe the fantastic blazing beauty of natures very own color show. http://depts.washington.edu/wpa/

Take a Ferry ride on the Washington State Ferry System or on a private ferry company. With both passenger and car ferries available, you are bound to find fascinating destinations to visit including: Victoria B.C., Bremerton, Vashon Island and many many more. The ferry rides alone are worth more than the fare. Sit back in comfortable seating areas, and enjoy the marine birds and lovely scenery of Puget Sound.

Visit beautiful Blake Island State Park. A 475 acre Marine Camping Park. Only accessible via tour boat or private boat, this State park boasts a pristine 5 mile beach teaming with marine life and is rich in the Native American heritage of Tilicum Village. Enjoy an authentic Indian Salmon dinner and demonstrations of Northwest Indian Dancers.

Enjoy a guided walking tour of underground Seattle. Roam the subterranean passages that once boasted the main roadways and storefronts of Old Seattle. Wear sturdy walking shoes and bring a lightweight jacket. Enjoy as tour guides share humorous stories that our ancestors probably did not really want you to hear. http://www.undergroundtour.com/

Take your choice of Seattle Harbor Tours. Tours depart daily and give you a great view of Seattle from the water. Many include meals and there is a great variety to choose from. http://www.argosycruises.com/publiccruises/default.cfm

Visit one of many museums including but not limited to: the Children's Museum, Pacific Science Center, Museum of Flight, Burke Museum of Natural History, Seattle Art Museum and many more to choose from.

Whatever you choose, remember, it will take many trips to Seattle to get through this entire list. Many have lived there all of their lives and are still trying to take it all in. Enjoy!

Then one day, when I was checking out summertime fares to Seattle, a friend of mine told me about this website which she said few people know about right now. It's Farecast, and it's more than all the other travel websites could ever do. It's similar to The Weather Channel, you could say, in the sense that Farecast gives you a forecast of when fares will go up or down for a certain time of year. Also it advises you to buy now or fares will rise, or wait because fares will soon drop. It also gives you a 30-day window on when the fares will be cheapest---as well as expensive. When I tried it out, I knew exactly when to make the reservations for Seattle, and for what days.

Of course, it also does the usual price comparisons with other travel sites for airfare and hotels, and Farecast doesn't cover all airlines, just the major ones, so that's the one major drawback. However, it's better for my time and effort than going on the other travel sites. I saved roughly $60 using this site for the airfare to Seattle, and that sold me. So maybe this site won't be a closely guarded secret now.

You're planning a family trip to Seattle and you want the most entertainment for your dollar. Who do you ask for ideas? Locals, of course. Here's a local's list of fun things to do and ways to travel that won't break the bank.

• Take a ride on a Washington State Ferry

   Leave your car behind and walk on at Pier 52 and ride for $6.70 round-trip ($5.40 for youth/$3.35 for seniors) to Bainbridge Island (30 minutes each way) or Bremerton (60 minutes each way). The scenery as you cross the Puget (pronounced pyu'jet) Sound is breathtaking, and if you choose to de-bark at either destination and walk a few blocks you'll find quaint shops and parks. For a sailing schedule check here.

• Check out the world-famous flying fish at the Pike Place Market

   Vendors sell everything from fresh flower bouquets to kitsch in three floors of possibilities. Don't miss the fresh doughnuts on the street level and many delicious restaurants peppered throughout the marketplace. Fresh seafood can even be packed up to take home with you or send to your favorite people.

• Forget the Space Needle where you'll pay $16 for an elevator ticket

   The Bank of America Tower (known to locals as the Columbia Tower) is 76 floors high (almost 100 meters higher than the Space Needle), and you'll pay about $5 to get to the observation deck on the 73rd floor. The only drawback is you'll have to go on a weekday during business hours to take the tour. You can call 1.206.386.5151 for tour schedules.

• Downtown buses are free to ride within the "Free-Ride" Zone

  This is basically all of the main downtown area. To find out how to get around on the bus you can go here and enter your current and destination locations and you'll get detailed instructions where to go and which bus(es) to ride. You can also ride the Seattle Street Car, a light rail that goes from the shopping district to east Lake Union, or the Monorail from the shopping district to the Seattle Center.

• Seattle Center Fountain

  On a sunny summer day you can't beat it. Set between the performing arts halls and the Pacific Science Center, the fountain shoots water from hundreds of jets, sometimes choreographed to music. Are you thinking, “I've seen that at the Bellagio in Las Vegas?” This is different- you can descend the steep concrete embankment and cool off in the spray of the fountain. Hours of entertainment for the kids-and it's free. But bring a change of clothes.

• Ye Olde Curiosity Shop on Pier 54 (1001 Alaskan Way)

  The coolest gross stuff in the city resides in this shop, including Sylvia and Sylvester, the mummies (yes, real mummies) that guard the back of the store, two-headed pigs in jars and an African voo-doo monkey wearing its intestines on its head. A few steps further is Ye Olde Curiosity Shop Too, a continuation of the first. You can just look around or find some very unique souvenirs.

• Lunch

  While you're down at the piers checking out the Curiosity Shop, head over to Anthony's Fish Bar for amazing fish tacos (it's a Seattle thing) or clam chowder. Or, for the best fish "n chips in town, go to Ivar"s. Nothing at Ivar's tastes bad, and their tartar sauce is arguably the best in the world. Not to mention they've been a Seattle institution for 70 years.

• Travel to Ballard and tour the Hiram M. Chittenden locks and the fish ladder

  The locks make it possible for boats to pass from Lake Washington to the Puget Sound and back. Boats enter a chamber that seals on either end and raises or lowers the water level to meet the level of the body of water they're heading toward. It's fun to watch and it's free entertainment. Be sure to cross over and check out the fish ladder. During peak salmon season you can peer through windows and watch hundreds of fish as they make their climb to the spawning grounds.

• Pacific Science Center

  It's a bit of a splurge, but if your kids love to see how things work it's worth the price. Depending on the size of your family it might be less expensive to buy a family season pass than to pay the entrance fee for one day, and you often get passes to the Imax Theater with your pass. Check before you buy.

• Experience Music Project

  Skip it. It's not worth the entrance fee-you'll be bored within 30 minutes. Trust us on this. No really. Don't do it.

• Alki Beach in West Seattle is Prime People-Watching Real Estate

  Take a picnic lunch and a blanket. The beach is sandy; there are several restaurants along Alki Avenue and lots of interesting people. If you stay until dusk you're in for an amazing sunset and view of the Seattle Skyline, so don't forget your camera!

• Tacoma

  If you've seen enough of Seattle you could take a day-trip about an hour to the south to Tacoma and check out the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium or watch some glass blowing at the Museum of Glass. You might even catch Dale Chihuly doing his thing.

When you travel to Seattle bring a variety of clothing. If it's the middle of summer you'll still need a jacket for the cool evenings and possibly even the days. Seattle natives know to dress in layers-you'll see a lot of Capri pants, t-shirts, hoodies and wind/rain resistant lightweight jackets. Bring your sandals, but also your socks. It's not a fashion faux pas to wear your wool socks with your Birkenstocks in Seattle. We recommend you also bring or plan to buy an umbrella, even in the summer. We can't keep our beautiful city green without a little rain, now can we?