"You know how you can tell the tourists from the natives?" shouted out our affable guide, Brett, above the din of wind and rain as our small group made its way to the next stop on our walking tour of downtown Seattle. "They're the ones with the umbrellas!" By this point we were all pretty well soaked from the Pacific Northwest's equivalent of what we New Englander's would call a Nor'easter. Brett assured us that this was not the norm for Seattle. "Usually, it's just a gentle misty rain."

No matter, the rain did nothing to dampen our spirits as we hopped from one taste treat to another on a Savor Seattle gourmet walking tour of the city's downtown. Seattle is known as a foodie heaven, with its abundance of locally sourced produce, seafood, and more. I had only 48 hours to appreciate this smorgasbord experience-and let's face it, there are only so many meals you can fit into such a limited time-so it made sense to join a group and do a sampling tour. In a two-plus-hours afternoon jaunt, we hit about eight different specialty restaurants and shops, sampling all the way.