The Hitching: Anna and Ryan make it official

Seattle

A few of Anna's favorite neighborhoods and activities therein:

Downtown Seattle and Belltown

Spend at least a few hours trolling Pike Place Market. Make sure you walk through Post Alley, which parallels the market between Pike Place and 1st Avenue.
The Seattle Center area offers a couple of great ways to spend a day. The Frank Ghery-designed Experience Music Project is a must-see for all music lovers, and Jimi Hendrix's guitar collection alone is worth the price of admission. Younger visitors and their science-nerd parents will love the Pacific Science Center, where exhibits range from life-sized roaring dinosaurs to gravity-defying bike rides to naked mole rats to virtual reality experiences. Finally, the Space Needle is an icon and should probably not be missed by first-time visitors to Seattle. The adjoining restaurant, however, is overpriced.
The downtown Seattle waterfront offers fish 'n chips, great sunsets and the Seattle Aquarium, which is awesome.

Pioneer Square

Seattle's first neighborhood, Pioneer Square is an attractive neighborhood of small stores, a few bakeries and a number of art galleries.
Elliott Bay Book Company is Seattle's best book store. Do check out the cafe in the basement of the store.

Greenlake

Green Lake itself is the focal point of the neighborhood. A large public park surrounds the lake, and a 2.8-mile walking path around the lake affords great views and people-watching. Walk or run, or rent bicycles or rollerblades from vendors near the park. Rent a paddle boat or canoe at Green Lake Boat Rental (at NE corner of lake) and make your way to the mysterious island in the middle of the lake. Pack a picnic and feed the ducks. Take your little one to the wading pool, located near several restaurants and coffee shops.
Get down with live country music and burgers at the Little Red Hen. Free dance lessons Mondays, Tuesdays and Sundays.
Try an award-winning Red Mill Burger.

West Seattle

California Avenue is the commercial heart of the neighborhood. In particular, the intersection of California Avenue and Alaska Street constitutes the center of the Junction, West Seattle's vibrant strip of shops and restaurants. Park your car at any of the free parking lots and walk around to see a truly successful mainstreet. Don't miss:

Easystreet Records, home of the city's best used CD section and great cafe. Grab lunch and immerse yourself in a superb selection of CDs and vinyl.
Husky Deli, where Anna made the big bucks as a deli girl during high school. Husky has been around since 1932 and makes their own ice cream. Try a perfectly crafted milkshake or malt after devouring a speciality sandwich.
Capers, a high-end home accessories store. Linens, books, soaps, jewelry, cooking gear, etc. And a nice little coffee counter featuring sandwiches, salads, cookies and muffins.
Elliott Bay Brewery, a good gathering spot for a family lunch or dinner. Brewers of a wide variety of beers.

West Seattle's other claim to fame is Alki Beach, which rings the northern and western sides of the neighborhood. The best views of downtown Seattle are here, along with sandy beaches and pick-up volleyball games.

A number of good beachside restaurants and cafes can be found down by Seattle's own 8 foot replica Statue of Liberty at the southwestern end of the park:

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A little further south you'll find the Alki Lighthouse which is definitely worth a stop.

Lincoln Park, another public park, houses Colman Pool, the city's only saltwater swimming pool. The park is a tree-filled oasis and is a great vantage point from which to watch the Vashon Ferry as it crosses Puget Sound.

Ballard

Ballard is Seattle's historically Scandinavian community, and lutefisk and Scandinavian flags can still be found in the area, as noted in this 2002 New York Times article. Real honky tonk, bluegrass and straight-up country can be had at the Tractor Tavern, followed by a late-night meal at Hattie's Hat.
Maritime Pacific's famous Flagship Red Alt Ale is always on tap at the brewery's Jolly Roger Taproom.
Ballard sits on the northern half of the Ballard Locks, a waterway that allows boats to travel between the salt water of Puget Sound and the freshwater lakes of Seattle without bringing salt water into the lakes. Watch boats of all sizes as they make the crossing, rising higher and sinking lower to meet the changing water levels. The fish ladder, which parallels the locks, sees salmon of all varieties climb (literally) against the tide as they make their way back to region's freshwater bodies to spawn. Lucky for you, the peak of this activity is in the month of July, so the show should be great!