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As I boarded a plane last week on a sunny day in North Carolina, I carried a heavy raincoat in my arms and sweaters in my suitcase. My motto for traveling to Seattle, one of America's rainiest cities: Be prepared even if the seven-day forecast is for sunshine for that lovely city in the Pacific Northwest.

Not that I really worry about Seattle's precarious weather. I travel there to visit my grandchildren - Clara, 10; Louisa, 8; and Jack Dee, 6. I also visit their parents, but as we grandparents will attest, it's our grandchildren who get the first hugs.

My visit to Seattle was designed to coincide with Clara's 10th birthday, or "the big 1-0" as she dubbed it months ago with anticipation. Aging into double digits, after all, is a big deal.

Clara was actually going to have three birthday parties. The first occurred the day after I arrived when her mother took cupcakes for Clara's classmates at school.

The second party occurred two days later, and Clara called it "the family birthday." We celebrated it by going out to dinner at a wonderful restaurant overlooking Puget Sound. Even a misty drizzle didn't mar the view of a huge cruise ship sailing north to Alaska, probably on its last run before winter sets in.

As for Clara's third birthday party, it will occur this weekend when four little girls go to her house for a sleepover. Her plan was to stay up all night.

Meanwhile, what about Clara's siblings? Her younger sister, Louisa, plays soccer and her team is named The Grasshoppers. Yes, it's the same name as Greensboro's baseball team.

I've always thought Grasshoppers was a cute name for a children's soccer team, though not for an adult baseball team. But I wasn't consulted when they chose the Greensboro team's silly name.

But back to Louisa's soccer game. Jack Dee and I watched from the sidelines under rain-soaked umbrellas and clad in raincoats. Neither one of us let the rain bother us. Besides, Seattle citizens are a sturdy breed who never let rain bring life to a halt. I kept wondering if children play soccer in Greensboro in Seattle-like rain?

And what about Seattle, the city? It's a gorgeous place nestled beside lakes and mountains with steep hills that would remind you of San Francisco. On a clear day, you can see snow-capped Mount Rainier, the 14,411-foot peak that's a two-hour drive from Seattle. On a misty day you, well, ignore the drizzle.

Seattle is the home of Starbucks, and from small beginnings emerge global giants. The original coffee shop is an unpretentious little place across the street from Seattle's famous Pike Place Market. Tourists flock there in swarms to snap pictures of the old-fashioned store. Aside from being a coffee-drinking city, Seattle is a big book-reading town. My favorite book store is The Elliott Bay Book Company, a big, homey place that bears no resemblance to sleek chain stores. When book-lovers list America's favorite bookstores, the Elliott Bay Book Company is on everybody's Top-10 list.

Each time I visit Seattle, my son and his family introduce me to another highlight.

So last Sunday afternoon, this time in radiant sunshine, we watched salmon swim upstream from saltwater Puget Sound to their spawning grounds in Seattle's surrounding lakes. Once there, the salmon lay their eggs and soon die. It's a sad fate, but that's nature's way.

Our "salmon show" took place at Lake Washington Ship Canal and Locks, a canal connecting the sound with Seattle's lakes. The salmon-run season is from June to September. Visitors could watch through aquarium windows as salmon swam to their spawning ground. Being a salmon is a hard life.

Now back in North Carolina, I imagine that preparations are well under way in Seattle for Clara's third birthday party. It's the one where she and her friends hope to stay up all night. I won't make the all-nighter. I'm not 10 anymore.

Rosemary Roberts writes a Friday column. E-mail: rmroberts@triad.rr.com.