Paul T. Klein

Seattle is one of the prettiest places you could ever imagine going. Ever. Crowned by Rainier and the Cascades, throned by Olympics, and robed in the green diamond water of the Puget Sound, Seattle is the Evergreen State’s shining jewel. There is no culture like Seattle culture, which is more than city rain and coffee shops. Music and art, history and literature make Seattle more renaissance than cosmopolitan. It’s vicinity to windswept yellow mountain prairies and wave-sunk beaches put it right on the map as a true wonder. Seattle is not just a city for a trip, but a city to live and love in. The awe-inspiring wonder of nature hasn’t died in Seattle, and the humanist touch of hope and possibility thrives.

Seattle’s Cinerama (one of three theatres in the US still capable of playing three-strip Cinerama films) is THE place to see any sort of cinema on the west coast. This is a fantastic place with one of the largest screens in the nation. The Cinerama was renovated in ’99 via Paul Allen. The retro ’60s interior is fun, and the twinkling “star lights” in the ceiling draw you right into the magic of the theatre.

The Cinerama plays new films on a slightly smaller screen, but check out their website for events where they show older films on the true Cinerama screen (read up on the process). I had the opportunity to see “Lawrence of Arabia” there on a cleaned up print, and it was nothing short of amazing. This is a great theatre, a wonderful place to visit, and for any fan of the movies, a must-see!

The BC Parliament building is impressive and gorgeous and nothing short of awe inspiring in terms of architecture. I had the opportunity of singing here with a choir a few years back, and the sound reverberates in the most wonderful ways. If you’re spending time in BC, there’s definitely no reason why you shouldn’t visit the fantastic piece of history-in-action. You’ll be sure to learn something new and really take in a piece of BC culture.