Fast Cities

Seattle

2008-12-12T14:42:00.003-07:00

Seattle is cold and rainy and full of restaurants and coffee shops. Sounds perfect to me.

And now, for the facts:

Basics

Like San Francisco, it is in an earthquake zone and in 2001 a 6.8 magnitude quake hit that did locally heavy damage but did not directly cause any deaths
While a mild "Marine West Coast" climate sounds pleasant, Seattle has cloudy skies nearly 2/3 of the year

Semi-Interesting

It is consistently ranked as one of the, if not the, most literate cities in America
It is home to many of the nation's largest tech companies: Microsoft, Amazon, Real Networks

Must See

Food:

Theo Chocolates tour
Cafe Besalu
Victrola Coffee Roasters
Breakfast at Lowell's Restaurant
Thai Tom
Salumi
Gelatiamo

The Space Needle
Pike Place Market
The Seattle Center
Bite of Seattle festival

Photos

Downtown from Above

The Space Needle (source)

Links

Honolulu

2008-12-02T15:17:00.003-07:00

For our first trip to Hawaii, we're staying in Waikiki and, for a few days, on the North Shore of Oahu. Nothing too crazy and we'll probably spend most of the time relaxing and learning one island before setting out for other places in future trips.

And now, for the facts:

Basics

Honolulu is the only incorporated city in Hawaii (everything else is just part of counties)
In 1845, Kamehameha III moved the permanent capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom from Lahaina on Maui to Honolulu
The average daily low and high temperatures in January are 65/80 °F (18/27 °C) and in July are 74/88 (compare that with yesterday in Denver when we were below 0

Semi-Interesting

Honolulu is over 50% "asian" - and that doesn't include "pacific islander" (another 7%)
Despite no big time professional sports team, the NFL Pro Bowl is held in Honolulu every year (as is the Hawaii Bowl for college football)

Must See

Flea Market at Aloha Stadium (Weds and Sats and Suns)
International Marketplace
Ala Moana Shopping Center (food dept. on 2nd floor)
Leonard's Bakery (malasadas)
Puka Dog
La Mariana Sailing Club (tiki bar and grill)
ELENA'S (in Waipahu)
Liliha Bakery (for Coco Puffs)
Side Street End (supposed to have some of the best food in Hawaii)
Koa Pancake House
Like Like Drive In (for Loco Moco)
Hot Bread from Kanemitsu Bakery
The Cream Pot (in the Hawaiian Monarch Hotel)
Hank's Haute Dogs
Kona coffee (Lion coffee)
Mekong
Thelma's
Matsumoto Shave Ice
MABUHAY CAFE
Curry House Coco Ichibanya
Snorkeling (Snorkel Bob's for gear)
Beach fishing
*Shoreline Adventures http://www.bonefish808.com/Index.asp
*Nervous Water guides/shop http://www.nervouswaterhawaii.com/index.html
Luaus (Paradise Cove?)
Surfing lesson http://hawaiianfire.com
Waimea Falls Park
Kahuku Farms tour
Pali Lookout (photo op)
Dole Plantation
Pearl Harbor/USS Arizona
Whale watching
Drive up Tantalus Drive above Honolulu for great views
Feed the fish in downtown Honolulu
Manoa Falls

Photos

Island Traffic looks a lot like California Traffic to me

From Way Above

Links

Santa Fe, New Mexico

2008-11-18T12:58:00.002-07:00

Despite several visits (and one for Collette already), we always look forward to a return to Santa Fe. On future trips, we'll need to spend more time so we can go into the mountains, visit Taos, and do some outdoorsy activities.

And now, for the facts:

Basics

It is the oldest capital city in America and one of the oldest surviving cities in the country, having been first established around 1608
Downtown has a fantastic Spanish Pueblo Revival style to the buildings so when you are in Santa Fe you don't feel like you're just visiting a generic city

Semi-Interesting

It's the highest state capital in the USA (even higher than Denver!) at 7,199 ft
The Los Alamos National Laboratory is about 45 mins away and, among all the other cool things in the area, the lab has the ability to manipulate/move individual atoms into shapes
Like Sedona, Santa Fe is very arts-centric with southwestern motifs, styles, and techniques found everywhere (paintings, clothing, architecture, etc.)
Native Americans are able to sell jewelry directly to tourists/locals on the sidewalk in front of the Palace - it is always worthwhile to strike up conversations with the sellers to learn more about their lives and craft

Must See

Food:

El Farol
Cafe Pasquals
Senor Murphy
Horseman's Haven
La Boca
Todos Santos (chocolate)
Tesuque Village Market
The Shed
Chocolate Maven

The Farmer's Market
Palace of the Governors
Visit/stay at La Fonda
Santa Fe Opera
Loretto Chapel

Photos

The Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi (source)

Shot of the city from above

St. Francis Cathedral

Links

San Francisco, California

2008-11-15T09:38:00.004-07:00

Despite living 50 minutes away and visiting the city nearly every week for a decade, we still don't have a good 'tourist's view' of San Francisco. That should change now that we have to fly 1000 miles if we want to ever go back to Chinatown or the Marina or North Beach.

And now, for the facts:

Basics

Population of the City: 765,000 (14th largest city in the USA)
Because very few cities around San Francisco (except, perhaps, San Jose) are known outside of California, the Bay Area is sometimes used when folks like us say where they are from. The Bay Area as a whole has a population of over 7 million
San Francisco is chock full of tourist sites and neighborhoods, including Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz, the Transamerica building, Golden Gate Park, and the Golden Gate Bridge
Like nearly all major world cities, San Francisco is near water (for transportation, defense, and trade). The San Francisco Bay was, and still is, SF's connection to the rest of the world

Semi-Interesting

The oldest Chinatown in America is in San Francisco. It was originally built by thousands of southern Chinese during the latter half of the 19th century
Silver and Gold rushes brought Americans to California en masse, and San Francisco was the first international city built as a result of the gold rush
Many common brand names were started during the mid-1800's in San Francisco: Wells Fargo, Stanford (University), Ghirardelli chocolate, Levi's

Must See

Food:

Drive, or walk, the Golden Gate Bridge. Photo op in the car park on the north end of the bridge
Chinatown
Golden Gate Park (to see the Buffalo if nothing else)
Ride the cable car down to Market St.
Visit the Palace of Fine Arts and Exploratorium
Walk around North Beach, eat at the famous names like Steps of Rome or the Stinking Rose
Walk around Union Square, check out the shops and restaurants. Peek at the Macy's window displays at Christmas time
Walk up/down upper Haight (we probably did this 300 times during high school and college when we were record shopping and going to concerts throughout the 80s and early 90s)
Visit the Mission district - pick up the best burritos in America

Photos

Aerial View

The Golden Gate Bridge at Night (source)

Victorian Houses

Links

Edinburgh, Scotland

2008-11-10T10:03:00.005-07:00

One of the cities we would like to move to some day, Edinburgh has a lot going for it - a big city with a small town feel in most parts, plenty of history and culture (if that's your bag), and you can get just about anything deep fried.

And now, for the facts:

Basics

The second largest city in Scotland with a central population of about 460,000 and a metro population of about 1,250,00
It is the capital of Scotland and has over 4,500 listed buildings (meaning they cannot be demolished or altered due to their historical, cultural, or historical significance)
Holyrood Palace is the home of the Kings and Queens of Scotland (including Queen Elizabeth II who still stays there for part of each summer)
The Royal Mile is the biggest spot for tourists to visit, filled with historical buildings and closes as well as tourist trap shops and activities
Like nearly all major world cities, Edinburgh is near water (for transportation, defense, and trade). The River Forth (and the Firth of Forth) was Edinburgh's connection to the world for 100s of years

Semi-Interesting

The famous Fringe Festival in August has three weeks of off-kilter (BAM!) theater, comedy, concerts, dance productions and more
Harry Potter author JK Rowling lives on the South Side
Between 1950 and 1990 the population had been decreasing and aging, but the city has been growing recently thanks to a large influx of students from other countries (and England) and an increasing 'hipness'
Like Celtic and Rangers in Glasgow, Edinburgh has two main football teams: Hibs and Hearts

Photos

Edinburgh Scottish Parliament (source)

Edinburgh Castle (source)

The Royal Mile (source)

Links

Denver, Colorado

2008-11-10T09:10:00.005-07:00

Let's start with our new hometown. We moved to a small town near the Denver metro area two years ago and are quite impressed with it so far. It is nearly as dry as San Jose was, a lot colder in fall and winter, but a little warmer in summer. With one or two exceptions, the traffic is much lighter, and the drivers more polite.

And now, for the facts:

Basics

Population of the City and County of Denver: 588,349 (26th largest city in the USA)
The 5-county metro area around and including Denver: 2,464,866 (21st largest metro in the USA)
Average value of single-family home or condo: $234,500
Like nearly all major world cities, Denver is near water (for transportation, defense, and trade). The South Platte River was Denver's connection to the rest of the country for decades

Semi-Interesting

Denver is called the Mile High City because its elevation is exactly one mile, or 5,280 feet (1,609 m) above sea level
The average temperature in January is a little over 30 degrees F
Nearly 35% of the population is Hispanic
The Denver International Airport is the 10th busiest airport in the world and has a cool look thanks to its "snow capped peaks" design
The Democratic National Convention was held in Denver in 2008 (the year Obama won the nomination)

Photos

Denver International Airport

Red Rocks Amphitheater

16th Street Mall in Downtown Denver (source)

Maps

View Larger Map
Denver Metro Food Map

Ski Bonk

Links

About Fast Cities

2008-11-10T09:02:00.003-07:00

Since it is increasingly difficult to find enough scratch to travel these days, I'm starting a list of cities around the world I want to visit with my wife and daughter some day. Basic information for each city will be "referenced" from the CIA Factbook, Flickr, Wikipedia, NationMaster, City-Data, and any other source for accurate, useful facts.