Some good answers already here - based on your mention of Butler, LeGuin and Never Let Me Go (which I actually just finished myself), I would like to suggest a similarly gripping sci fi novel (though not really dystopian, it's pretty dark) by Connie Willis, called the Doomsday Book.

It's the story of a future grad student of history in a future where time travel allows historians to study their subject up close and personal. Something goes wrong, and our young heroine is trapped in a medieval village threatened by the Black Death as her future grad school tries to find her without compromising the timeline.

Is this a serious question? The Green River Killer was Gary Ridgeway, a serial killer named for the location of the remains of his first known victims, discovered in the 1980s.

The Green River is a river running from Lester, WA on the west side of the Cascade Mtns, through the Howard Hanson Reservoir, Maple Valley, Auburn and Tukwila up to Elliott Bay in south Seattle.

Sorry for the late reply, but you might enjoy a fun book called "Soon I Will Be Invincible" by Austin Grossman. It's a lot more like Dr. Horrible than Buffy or Firefly, but with a great sense of humor.

It helps to work at Boeing, where a number of them came from. Also, you need to enjoy rum.

A friend of mine was the captain of the Pirates a few years ago -- those guys were always parking the "Duck" (their parade float/ship) in our cul-de-sac. They like to party...

For running I like to listen to the Tykwer, Klimek & Heil soundtrack for Run, Lola Run:

http://www.amazon.com/Lola-Original-Motion-Picture-Soundtrack/dp/B001BV1LBY

I'm not Paul, but the readings I've been to go like this: Intro, overview of book, readings of selections from said book, sometimes accompanied by visual presentation like slides, some Q&A and then opportunity to buy book and have it signed by the author (and briefly chat with them)...

Usually, not counting the line to meet the author, this is all about an hour or so.

Your tourist destination limitation kind of cuts off most suggestions at the knees, since places with views of our spectacular, lush scenery seem to offer the most in terms of something people wouldn't get in Las Vegas.

My kneejerk reaction was to suggest the Salish Lodge, for example - it's directly next to Snoqualmie Falls, the food is usually pretty great and the Lodge has a bit of 80s era, Twin Peaks celebrity...

Assuming money is no object, how about something like this lightweight collapsible cot?

http://www.cabelas.com/p-0054765518236a.shtml