Seattle is definitely worth visiting for its nature – within a few hundred kilometers you've got the snow-capped Mount Rainier with glaciers, beaches right on the ocean, and even temperate rainforests.

Despite all that beauty, the climate is pretty gloomy. I was really lucky to catch a couple of sunny days. Though honestly, even the nearby towns have a melancholic vibe when the weather's nice. Apparently that helped produce a whole generation of musicians: Nirvana, Jimi Hendrix, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and other world-famous guys. In Aberdeen, where Kurt Cobain was born, they added an official "Come as you are" sign at the entrance next to the city nameplate.