macaaron

Hi, my family (2 adults, 2 late-teenagers) will be visiting the pacific northwest the first week of August. We arrive in Seattle 7/31 and depart from there 8/8. We are more the outdoorsy type than city dwellers, and like to hike and in general enjoy the wilderness, but we also are planning to have some city time in Seattle and Vancouver.

I have drafted a temporary itinerary, and I could use some locals expertise (or anyone who has done a similar trip, for that matter). I have most of the stuff picked out that I would like to do in the cities the days we are there, so the days in between are what I am most concerned about. Any advice in general or suggestions how to improve the itinerary are tremendously appreciated. We will have a rental car the entire trip.

--OPTION 1--

7/31 - ARRIVE – Seattle (12:30pm)
Check into hotel
Free day in the city

8/1 – Seattle

8/2
In the morning, drive to Lake Crescent Lodge near Olympic National Park via Tacoma (3 hrs)
Hike Hurricane Ridge (Hurricane Hill, 3.2 mile moderate hike)
Paddle Lake Crescent?
Marymere Falls short hike near, old-growth forest, to a waterfall

8/3
Drive to Rialto Beach, walk along beach. Visit the town of La Push? Second Beach just south of La Push, very short hike to get to
Drive over to Hoh Rain Forest, 2 short hikes Hall of Mosses Trail (.8 miles), and the Spruce Nature Trail (1.2 miles)
Drive back to hotel

8/4
Leave Lake Crescent Lodge
Stop in Port Townsend before the ferry ride. Charming town
Take ferry to Coupleville. Explore Coupeville for a bit.
Drive north towards Anacortes. Stop by Deception Pass and enjoy the beautiful view
Slight detour south to LaConner?
Go north on Chuckanut Drive (Hwy 11) towards Bellingham. Hwy 5 rest of way to Vancouver
Arrive in Vancouver late in the day

8/5 - Vancouver

8/6 – Vancouver or Whistler depending on weather

8/7 – Whistler or Vancouver depending on weather

8/8 – Drive to Airport. Go home



--OPTION 2--

7/31 - ARRIVE – Seattle (12:30pm)
Check into hotel
Free day in the city

8/1 – Seattle

8/2
In the morning, drive to Lake Crescent Lodge near Olympic National Park via Tacoma (3 hrs)
Hike Hurricane Ridge (Hurricane Hill, 3.2 mile moderate hike)
Paddle Lake Crescent?
Marymere Falls short hike near, old-growth forest, to a waterfall

8/3
Drive to Rialto Beach, walk along beach. Visit the town of La Push? Second Beach just south of La Push, very short hike to get to
Drive over to Hoh Rain Forest, 2 short hikes Hall of Mosses Trail (.8 miles), and the Spruce Nature Trail (1.2 miles)
Drive back to hotel

8/4
Leave Lake Crescent Lodge
Ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria. Spend the day in Victoria

8/5 – Victoria and nearby area on Vancouver Island. Take a ferry to Vancouver in the late afternoon

8/6 – Vancouver

8/7 – Vancouver

8/8 – Drive to Airport



I really am unsure which is best for us, Whistler and the scenic drive to Vancouver, or 2 days and 1 night in Victoria. I feel like the first option may have too much driving sight-seeing (Chuckanut Drive and the Sea to Sky Hwy to Whistler, which is the main reason we would take the day trip) while the second option may not have enough (for example missing out on Deception Pass, etc).

We are not fans of typical touristy stuff, which is why we were turned off Victoria in the first place, but seeing pictures of the gardens makes me rethink that position. What else is there to do in Victoria and nearby on Vancouver Island anyways? And if we went option 2, is the scenery on Vancouver Island too similar to the Olympic NP?


Thank you very much for any wisdom or expertise!

ggreen

I can't speak really to your itinerary, but in order to top your post for the west coast timezone, I'll add some things I liked from a similar trip some years ago.

On our drive from Sea-Tac to Seattle, we happened upon the Museum of Flight, which we surprisingly really enjoyed. Probably spent about 2 or 3 hours there - there's a lot to see!

The most touristy thing we did in Seattle was a boat tour through the locks. A local friend had suggested it. The views from the water were cool, but of course you end up with the usual loudspeaker chatter from a tour guide...

We had a lot of fun trying out gear at the REI flagship store.

I found the Native American museum at the tip of the Olympic Peninsula to be very educational (in a good way). It's a small space not far from their harbor, so worth a short stop if you make it that far out. (We took a ferry across from Seattle then drove up one side and down the other - gorgeous scenery, but more driving and less hiking that we'd wanted...)

tomfuller

I would be hesitant to drive a rental car into Canada, but that's just me. You don't really need a rental car in Seattle or Vancouver.
You all can go as walking passengers on the Port Angeles ferry and take a taxi to your hotel in Victoria.
Make sure you all have your passports.

tomfuller

Forgot to mention: My favorite mode of transport between Seattle and Vancouver is the Amtrak bus or train. They both arrive at the main train station in Vancouver. I have taken the ViaRail Canadian out of there several times to Jasper.

macaaron

Thanks for the replies. The musuem sounds interesting but we aren't really into that stuff.

I guess this really just boils down to Victoria vs Whistler. Victoria seems like a natural loop getting to Vancouver from ONP, but Whistler also sounds great. Maybe the hwy to Whistler will be too redundant after seeing ONP and taking Chucaknut Drive? Or is it truly in a league of its own? Again, it would be a daytrip there, so we may do a short hike/bungy jumping there.

We have decided to save Seattle for the end of the trip, so it is less stressful on the 8th getting to the Seattle Airport by noon, so that leaves either Vancouver or ONP for the first part of the trip.

I know there is the Honda Celebration of Lights on August 1st and August 4th during our trip--is that something that we should plan around seeing, for those of you who have attended in the past? I saw some videos on youtube and it seems pretty cool.

ggreen

If your question is really about British Columbia, you should create another post on the Canada board.

renforths

I'd choose Whistler. Victoria is pleasant enough, but the Sea to Sky scenery is glorious. And Whistler is great for wilderness lovers.

NorthwestMale

LOL - first of all - is there a teen girl in this equation??? One who might have had some interest in the Twilight movies?

Be aware that Forks is but 37 miles from Lake Crescent Lodge. (heck, at that proximity, one need merely have a friend who would envy the chance to go there)(and who would appreciate a souvenir)

(side note: It's the rainiest place in the lower 48)

And definitely save Seattle for last, because you don't want to chance the border lines when you have a major deadline.

With the amounts of time you mention, I think I would skip Whistler and use the time in Vancouver and Seattle. You can probably get suitable nature and the outdoors with a trip up Grouse Mountain, just outside of Vancouver.

Since you tell of being the outdoorsy types, and because you'll be so near, I wish there was a way for you to pay some interest to the North Cascades Highway.

For others, immersion in both Seattle and Vancouver would be the right alternative, but perhaps your family should at least look into the North Cascades Highway to see if it offers anything of interest. The scenery is great through a lot of it, and there is definitely hiking to be done along the path.

azzure

Just a tip from a local...don't "drive around" through Tacoma to get to Lake Crescent from Seattle; take the Bainbridge or Kingston ferry instead. Much more pleasant.

Lake Crescent Lodge is quite a ways past the road to Hurricane Ridge, so you might want to do that on the way. You might have time to also do Marymere Falls; squeezing in a paddle is doubtful.

Both Victoria and Whistler are great destinations, but if you enjoy the outdoors I would opt for Whistler. Lots of great hiking; you can take ski lifts and gondolas for mountaintop hikes.

azzure

By the way, neither ONP nor Chuckanut Drive will prepare you for the kind of scenery along the Sea-to-Sky highway.

happytrailstoyou

Considering that you and your family like the outdoors, I believe you would have a more satisfying holiday if you don't go to Vancouver. (More about Victoria later.)

Seattle natives, this past week we spent time at Mt. Rainier and on the Olympic Peninsula.

At Mt. Rainier, the drive from Longmire to Box Canyon is spectacular, and it is often given short shrift because of the overpowering drama of Mt. Rainier. When you leave the Paradise Inn area, take the one-way road out of the parking lot to the left and drive at least to Box Canyon. It is beautiful. There are also easy-access waterfalls to explore in the park. (Mt. Rainier is often visited as a day trip from Seattle.)

In the ONP, the drive to Hurricane Ridge provides dramatic views that are often not savored because tailgating sightseers are in a rush to get to the top. Slow down and take in the vistas. Magnificent.

If you spend more time in ONP, you can enjoy the Sol Duc Hot Springs, the short hike to the waterfall at Sol Duc as well as the 1.5 mile hike to Marymere falls from Lake Crescent Lodge. You could also visit beaches such as Rialto and Ruby and the Hoh Rain Forest.

Skipping Vancouver would also give you time to visit Deception Pass and one or more of the San Juan Islands. My favorite of the islands is San Juan, but others prefer Orcas.

Lake Crescent Lodge has a most beautiful setting, but the expensive rooms do not have many amenities and there is only one dining option. We ate there yesterday. The mussels were excellent and the 6 oz piece of salmon was good ($27). However, my sea bass was undercooked and had to be sent back to the kitchen ($28). Others were eating $15 hamburgers and fish and chips.

We stayed in Port Angeles where there are many restaurants and, if you stay at the Red Lion Inn, you can leave your car in the parking lot and take a ferry to Victoria for the day.

HTTY

halfapair

As a resident of Washington State and experienced traveller to BC (Victoria, Vancouver & Whistler) here is what I would recommend:

There is so much to see/do in Washington State: Mt. Rainier Nat'l Park (Paradise & Sunrise); Northwest Trek; Mount Saint Helens (cool volcano!!! and a great visitor's center); Olympic National Park; Snoqualmie Falls.

All of these are great for hiking and other outdoor activities. Spend some time in Seattle and then do a couple of nights in Victoria (you can take the Victoria Clipper from Seattle -- no car necessary).

I definately wouldn't stop in Victoria for a couple of hours as in Itinerary #2. We regularly go to Victoria for 2 or 3 nights for a getaway on long weekends and always find plenty to do. Vancouver is a frustrating city to drive in. You cannot get from Point A to Point B easily. There just don't seem to be direct routes. You spend a lot of time in traffic.

macaaron

Thank you for the replies everyone. @NorthwestMale, fortunately I can safely say that no one in the family gives two shits about Twilight

The North Cascades Hwy looks majestic.. I really wish we had more than 8 days. It looks like it would be a really nice out-and-back Hwy but I just don't think we can fit it in. Next trip.

Grouse Mountain, I looked on the website and didn't really see any hiking, just guided walks. Not sure, it could be interesting.

@azzure: About the drive to Lake Crescent, I did see this loop drive before, but taking a look at it now there really isn't anything going on in the eastern part of the loop starting near Olympia. We'll definitely take your advice about the ferry.

Happytrailstoyou, Vancouver, honestly the main attraction is just seeing the beautiful city. Just want to get a little mix of nature and city, especially since we aren't planning to spend much time in Seattle (not interested in the typical Space Needle/EMP/musuems.. attractions that seem to be the main tourist appeal to the city, at least from what I have read). We do want to get a chance to explore the Market, being foodies and all.

Are there any restaurants nearby the Lake Crescent Lodge that you saw? I'll probably still look online but since you were just there, I'd be curious to know.

happytrailstoyou

Welcome to the forum, and thanks for spelling out so clearly the reasons most of our suggestions miss the mark.

HTTY

Gardyloo

We are not fans of typical touristy stuff, which is why we were turned off Victoria in the first place, but seeing pictures of the gardens makes me rethink that position. What else is there to do in Victoria and nearby on Vancouver Island anyways? And if we went option 2, is the scenery on Vancouver Island too similar to the Olympic NP?

The Butchart Gardens in Victoria are very beautiful. However they're very expensive to visit, and crowded to the max. With a smaller time commitment (and a much smaller financial one) you can visit some wonderful botanic gardens right in the city of Vancouver - Queen Elizabeth II Park and Bloedel Conservatory, and the nearby Van Dusen Gardens. I would not go to Victoria if Butchart was the prime draw.

Vancouver Island is enormous, and with several distinct environments. Comparisons with the Olympic Peninsula and Olympic NP are a bit hard to draw - with more time, going out to Ucluelet and Tofino on the west coast would be marvelous, but you really don't have the time.

A couple of reasons you could justify visiting Vancouver Island would be (a) to avoid the bad border delays crossing on the mainland - by using the Coho you cruise through border controls, and (b) it would allow you to drive up the island to Nanaimo and take that ferry across to the mainland, arriving at Horseshoe Bay, which puts you on the Sea-to-Sky right off the bat, rather than having to weave through Vancouver traffic in the process. Then you could visit Vancouver after Whistler, which would be far easier.

Note that you will still encounter serious border delays on returning to Seattle on the 8th. If your flight is in the evening, then make as early a start as possible, and if you're through the border early enough, you could take the Chuckanut - Deception Pass - Whidbey - Mukilteo ferry route going southbound. This would add 2-3 hours to the freeway route from the border to the airport, but you'd end the trip on a high note.