In the sunshine, Mount Ranier stands impossibly tall to Seattle’s south and the Olympic mountain range hovers in the west passed Puget Sound, set between the city and the Pacific Ocean. Hold on to the glimmer of the sun’s beams when they do finally come out and cascade the emerald city.

Seattle might be most well revered for caffeinating the world with Starbucks coffee, that and Kurt Cobain. As the fastest-growing metropolis in the Pacific Northwest, Seattle and its surrounding areas bred great outdoor brands such as R.E.I. and Filson. The city is also an earlier established Silicon Valley of the North with mega tech companies such as Microsoft, Nintendo, and Amazon.  Oh, and did we mention Boeing got its start here?!

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Visiting the first Air Force One at Boeing’s Museum of Flight

Seattle may be plush with heavy hitters, but that doesn’t mean entrepreneurs and new artisans and artists aren’t paving their way. This is the hometown of Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana after all.  Check out some of the new, great exports from beautiful Seattle.  

Hardmill

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Founded by two brothers in Seattle, this is a relatively new brand, but their projects have old-school allure. They’re simple in design, elegantly crafted and play in leathers and waxed canvases. I particularly love their knife rolls and rugged aprons.

Hardmill.com

Westland Distillery

It was while sipping an evening cocktail at Chop Shop in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, that we discovered Westland — the featured whiskey in our beverage. It has a smooth and sharp flavor more akin to Scotch than American bourbon. Get some. Drink it neat or put in your Manhattan.

WestlandDistillery.com

Baleen

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This jewelry shop was borne out of my favorite neighborhood in Seattle — Ballard. We love their modern, yet simple and delicate designs. I first came across these beautiful gems at the old Hemingway & Pickett in Silver Lake, Los Angeles.

ShopBaleen.com

Sub Pop Records

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Seattle grunge has been reborn and this Seattle-based record label which is about to hit 30, is responsible for some of the latest and greatest indie rock including Fleet Foxes, Beach House, The Postal Service, The Shins and Flight of the Conchords. Oh, and they were the first to sign Nirvana.

Subpop.com