Maybe you need some coffee.

Come ON – you KNEW we’d mention coffee when discussing Seattle.  In the Queen Anne neighborhood, at the corner of Queen Anne Ave. and Boston St., there are no fewer than 4 coffee shops.  That seems a little excessive, but it totally explains the real reason Tom Hanks was sleepless here.

The flannel/grunge thing is about as current a reference as any quote from the first season of “Friends” (could grunge BE any more over?).  Seattle has definitely stepped up the style quotient in the past 10 years, and the Belltown, Ballard and Fremont boutiques are a testament.  Testament, testify, buy yourself some shoes!

There are plenty of chic lounges, wine bars, and restaurants downtown, and in the closely surrounding neighborhoods.  Seattle is definitely a "neighborhoody" city, and each of the 'hoods offers a distinct feel.

We are not, we repeat NOT, succumbing to the false allure of the "Staycation". However, we do empathize with those who are choosing to enjoy the offerings of their own backyards, and our backyard is Seattle.

Everyone has her own list of favorites, and these are Holiday Golightly's Top 10 Best Things About Seattle:

1) Kerry Park - This is where most of your Seattle postcard photos are taken. The park sits on Highland Drive in the Queen Anne neighborhood, surrounded by multi-million dollar homes, and a sweeping view of Puget Sound and downtown Seattle. On a clear day you can see forever Mount Rainier.

2) Woodland Park Zoo - It's a zoo and a concert venue. It's a zoncert venue. One of these days we will resist the urge to combine words to make nonsensical labels. But Us Weekly will probably not. The zoo is a great day-trip, and a great diversion from "city life". The summer concert series' usually feature some good mellow, folksy artists, which are a nice compliment to your lawn picnic.

3) Greenlake - The 3-mile loop around Greenlake provides an open stretch of uninterrupted workout space for walkers, runners, roller-bladers, and bicyclists. Although we've said it before - the Greenlake bicycling should be left to kids under the age of 11. The lake also offers an actual lake, for rowing and the stray fisherman.

4) University Village Shopping - The city's premiere outdoor mall is a pristine, upscale playground for those in the mood to spend money. If it is raining, grab one of the mall's yellow courtesy umbrellas and continue on about your shopping. Mercer, Sephora, Blue C Sushi, and Crate & Barrel can keep us occupied for hours.

5) Theo Chocolate - A hometown favorite, Theo Chocolates creates organic chocolate treats in zippy, unusual flavors (like Chai!). They are located in the friendly neighborhood of Fremont, and offer chocolate tours. The word "tours" usually conjures up unappealing images of massive groups of badly dressed Septegenarians, but anything that starts with "chocolate" is okay by us.

6) Club Zum - No, it's not a dance club. But you could probably dance there if you wanted. Club Zum is a hip, quirky "modern day fitness mecca" in Belltown that offers the standard cardio machines, weights, spinning classes, as well as a few more creative options like the indoor sandpit, bungee cords, plyometric boxes, and a climbing rope.

7) Lake Union 4th of July Fireworks - okay, this one is fairly specific, and only happens once a year, but it really is one of the best things about Seattle. Lake Union is beautiful in and of itself, but garnish it with a spectacular fireworks display, on a clear night, and you have a recipe for pure visual bliss.

8) The view of Mt. Rainier when driving I90 from Seattle to Bellevue - possibly even more specific than #7, but chances are you can see it more often than once a year.

9) Mojitos at Cactus in Madison Park - Cactus is a solid restaurant, in the Madison Park neighborhood, with tasty offerings in the food arena. Their Mojitos deserve a category all their own. Delicious, refreshing, perfectly concocted, and very, very dangerous. They're so subtle, you forget you're imbibing. Until you try to stand up to use the restroom.

10) Pike Place Market - The most obvious, but also the most warranted. Pike Place Market offers a plethora of sights, sounds, smells and visual appeal with the myriad booths of produce, flowers, cheeses, pastries, you name it. And we can't forget the always-entertaining Fish Guys, who ham things up for the crowds while tossing 12-pound salmon across the counters.

If you are firmly opposed to the Staycation, and do not live in Seattle, we recommend checking it out!