Introducing Seattle rain to Venice Beach

Seattle tourism boosters have a new strategy for luring Californians to the Emerald City: Give 'em a taste of Pacific Northwest rain.

Driving the news: Visit Seattle, the nonprofit tourism bureau, has set up a "rain booth" on the boardwalk in Venice Beach, California, Reuters reports.

• A video shows people kissing in the booth and reveling in the novelty of wet drops falling from the sky.

What they're saying: The idea is to give Angelenos and other boardwalk visitors a respite from the Southern California heat by bringing them "a little refreshing Seattle rain," Ali Daniels, Visit Seattle's chief marketing officer, told Reuters.

• "We're inviting everyone and anyone to come to the Seattle rain booth to cool off, to feel refreshed, and feel a little of the Seattle romance and what the rain brings," Daniels said.

Our thought bubble: When was the last time you did the whole kissing-in-the-rain thing in Seattle?

• In general, I think locals seek out dry spots for this, since drizzle here isn't so much a fun novelty as a constant, overarching theme of life.
• Plus, if our recent summer heatwaves are any indication, this rain booth could be setting up some L.A. residents for disappointment.
• What about a wildfire smoke booth — or a booth replicating the indoor sweatiness of the majority of Seattle homes that don't have central air conditioning?