With the whole Northwest undergoing an explosive growth, Burien is not standing still.

Everywhere you drive streets and highways are under repair, orange cones by the thousands restrict traffic flows, huge road building machines threaten to flatten your car and test your patience at just about every intersection.

The building of the new downtown Burien Town Square is well underway and causing a real stir in the local populace.

And down a revamped First Avenue South a of couple miles, the attractive Normandy Town Center is a welcome sight to the citizens of that city who fought the airport expansion for so many years and can soon boast an attractive shopping plaza.

Painters, gardeners, roofers and masons have been swamped with job opportunities building half a dozen new schools, and a bunch of new restaurants. I have been here 67 years and am astounded at the pace of growth of the whole Northwest.

I have been less than happy by all the traffic facing us each day and wonder if we will see growth slow down so we figure out how to cope with bumper-to-bumper driving. I sure would never enjoy the highway problems of Bellevue or Renton.

West Seattle is busy but not a nightmare. That may change if the condo craze doesn't ease up. City fathers (and mothers) are under stress to provide services and often opt for density rather than tranquility.

I am a great believer in providing tourist attractions because when the show is over they go home, leaving some money.

We as a community have not given much time or thought to getting travelers to visit our cities, have fun, and then go down to the Space Needle. We should. We do have Seahurst Park, Eagle Landing Park and Elda Boehm's Botanical Garden in SeaTac (dreary name they should change it. How about Hospitality? )

And in a few years you will be able to show visitors a sparkling new Highline Heritage Museum on the corner of Ambaum and 152nd Street Southwest. (Hopefully we can rename that handsome boulevard).

Three Tree Point has had a quiet renaissance over the last four years that to most people has gone unnoticed. This historic enclave of many salt-water shore side homes has seen a remarkable facelift along what I call the Riviera.

It has always been a continuous collection of contiguous beach bungalows, but now has transformed into 25 or 30 handsome, eclectic two- and three-story saltwater manses, most of them with some type of boat on a buoy out front.

It is a delightful attractive scene, much like many you might see on a Mediterranean journey. You won't find any topless bathers except a gang of brave souls who dip in the frigid depths every New Year's Day.

If you're less-fortunate relatives come out from someplace like Detroit or Renton, you might treat them to a tour of Highline and be sure to show them the Burien Riviera.

Be sure to drive slowly, though. It is the law there and it will give you a chance to gawk at a wonderful place to live.