Stay in Seattle or outskirts and drive in?

I'm not quite sure I understand your concern...Seattle's downtown is similar to most major cities. Where would you expect the top hotels to be, if not right in the center of things?

In any event, yes, I would stay downtown so you can walk to the places you'll want to see like the Pike Place Market, and to our many great restaurants. You don't really need a car for the time you spend in Seattle--I'd only rent a car if you're heading elsewhere in the region or if you want to take a day trip somewhere.

No offense NWW. I didn't mean to insult the city.

It's not a concern, more just a question. Here in Hawaii, there are no hotels in the downtown area. They are all situated in the most scenic areas, ie. the beach. I don't usually visit the big cities, so this will be a rarity for me. We are actually going there to see Mt. Rainer and some of the other NP in Washington.

But perhaps in Seattle, the scenic areas or places to visit are in downtown, so that's where the hotels are. But I don't really care to stay in the "busy" areas, so was considering staying outside of that area and driving in.

Hence my inquiry.

It is convenient for sightseeing, restaurants, entertainment, etc. to stay downtown from where, on a clear day, there are views of water and mountains to the west.

If you don't like the ambience of a big city, you may prefer one of the motels on Lake Union, which is about a mile from downtown. They are Courtyard, Residence Inn, and Silver Cloud (a popular local chain).

Another possibility is Lower Queen Anne, also about a mile from downtown. Choices there include Inn At Queen Anne, Mediterranean Inn, and Mar Queen Hotel.

If you like B&B's, there are several in the residential neighborhood or Capitol Hill--about 1 1/2 miles from downtown. These include Gaslight Inn, Foxglove Guesthouse, and 11th Avenue Inn.

The problem with booking a place out of town is that it may be inconveniently located for enjoying what Seattle has to offer or, being unfamiliar with the area, you may inadvertently find you have booked into a seedy neighborhood where drugs and prostitution proliferate.

Thanks happy. Understood about the downside of not staying in Seattle.

I'll check out some of your suggestions.

Right now, our very initial planning has us driving into Seattle for maybe a day or two (at most). The rest will be looking at the beautiful countryside of the state. Any opinions (we are planning on Mt. Rainer and Olympic for sure) on scenic areas would also be appreciated.

Much thanks.

It seems your confusion is that Seattle, like most major cities, is not a resort. Hotels are located in the downtown areas so that people are located close to the businesses they deal with, and the entertainment they enjoy while not doing business. The things of interest include fine restaurants, theaters, shopping, museums, art galleries, etc. If you want to get out of the city to see natural wonders, you get a car and drive there, or take a tour.

At resorts, on the other hand, one goes to the natural wonder, and stays at a lodging nearby, so as to be able to enjoy it. Beach resorts, like much of Hawaii, National Parks, like Yellowstone, etc., do have lodging nearby, with just enough infrastructure to support the tourist's needs.

If what you primarily want to do is to enjoy Mt. Rainier, or other similar places, look up the Park and you will find nearby accommodations, I'm sure.

Seattle is crowded and cluttered (haha) it's a major city. And yes most all of the hotels, in various price ranges even the high-end ones, are all right in that same downtown core with shopping, business, financial, etc. I would stay downtown for the convenience.

But if you want to stay outside the city, check out the Woodmark Hotel right on Lake Washington over in Kirkland. If exploring a larger area is your interest that might work nicely for you.

www.thewoodmark.com

Sounds like you might not enjoy staying downtown, which is what I usually recommend. But do heed the advice about about "outlying areas" some of the motels just aren't very nice.

Would you consider a B&B in a residential area close to downtown Seattle? This place always looks nice to be www.sbmansion.com for example.

Oh, I wasn't offended, just confused as to what you were expecting! But your inquiry makes more sense now that you've explained where you're coming from and your experience or lack thereof with cities.

Nevertheless since you're only going to be in the city for a day or two I would still suggest staying right downtown for proximity to the major sites, good restaurants, etc.

Outside of Seattle, in addition to the places you're already planning on visiting, I'd add the San Juan Islands for a wonderful, scenic contrast to those places.

Dear travelinandgolfin, Mt. Rainier and Olympic National Park are the two major tourist attractions here. It would help to know how many days you will be in the area before making additional sightseeing suggestions. HTTY

Thanks all. I'm getting a much better idea of this area and will check out all your suggestions.

We are planning to be in Washingtion about 5 nights/4 days. As I mentioned, I'm not a big city guy, but did want to spend some time in Seattle for the experience.

suze....I will check out the Woodmark. That looks like it has possibilities.

Also as my handle implies, any can't miss golf courses I should check out?

Thanks.

When are you coming? Not in winter, I hope.

This morning, I could what looked like the first snow of winter on the Olympics - or was it the morning light. There is always some snow (glaciers) but this looked like the seasonal kind.

I don't golf, but...

Chambers Bay (about an hour south of Seattle, according to the Web site) will host the 2015 U.S. Open.

Orcas....not until next year, end of summer or early fall.

Don....thanks. I'll check that course out.

This summer we stayed in the Lake Union area at the Residence Inn. I liked this area because you seemed away from the congestion of the immediate downtown area and yet transportation was very convenient (we did not have a car except for renting one day). You could watch the acivity on the lake ( the seaplanes) and it just had a relaxing feeling. Just my opinion. Easy walk to the Space Needle.

one of my favorite places is Edmonds- just a little north of Seattle- Its has a cute downtown area with shops and restaurants right on the water. I have stayed at the Harbor Inn which has recently been updated although is still not a plush hotel but was comfortable. (and parking is included)
From the hotel you can walk to downtown Edmonds or there is a beachwalk along the water- and a couple of beachfront restaurants. It is small and quaint and just a short drive into Seattle- there is no public transportation into the city.
There is a ferry landing there- goes to Kingston- sometimes we just take the ferry over, have breakfast, and take the ferry back.
On Sat in the summer there is a great outdoor market with foods, crafts etc -
I think its a great alternative to staying in the heart of downtown Seattle - don't know about golf though.

Sunbum--I agree, Edmonds would be a good location. Nice to hear that the Harbor Inn has been updated. We stayed there a couple years ago and had a terrible experience, so glad that it has improved. DH used to use that ferry run for commuting I know there is lots of good golf nearby as FIL lives there and golfs several times a week, but I have no idea which courses he visits.

I don't golf, but this golf course near us has some of the most beautiful views in the area and sometimes a bagpipers stands on the hills and plays at sundown. It's pretty amazing:

http://www.newcastlegolf.com/

It is located close to Seattle, no more than 20 minutes east of downtown.

Travelinandgolfin:

I'm from Hawaii too. I was in Seattle by myself for a day and stayed at the Westin, which I found very convenient for getting around downtown on foot. It was close to many good restaurants (got to the Dahlia Lounge and met Tom Douglas himself!) and walking distance to Pike's Market. I arrived late in the evening and got upgraded, but did not know what to until the next morning. I drew the drapes to a lovely view of the bay. There seemed to be lots of discounts at the major hotels, so shop around. In any case, I'd recommend the Westin just for the location, but the service and hospitality were great too!

Four days isn't much time to see the sprawling attractions here. I suggest Mt. Rainier as a day trip from Seattle and then the Olympic Peninsula with one night at Lake Quinault Lodge and another at Crescent Lake Lodge (two places often booked months in advance).

Staying on the east side of Lake Washington requires driving to Seattle on 520, which invariably finds its way on lists of the country's worst traffic jams.

The Woodmark is lovely. Very unique. It's at Carillon Point (a small marina, with a few shops and nice restaurants) in Kirkland, which is east across Lake Washington from Seattle proper. It is an easy drive into the city - or you could even come by Metro Bus for your sight-seeing days downtown, and avoid the hassle of driving in the city. To get on I-5, 405, or I-90 (major highways to get out of the city) are all relatively easy from there as well.

I am not a golfer, but notice places around... I put the words "golf courses Bellevue WA" (which is a larger city near Kirkland) and a surprising number of courses popped up on the list with map, phone numbers, locations.

MMS- Yes the Harbor Inn was quite nice when I stayed there in July - it really needed it - and you know I love Edmonds!

sunbum--If you ever need a dentist, there is a good one there, lol! I love the downtown. Whenever I would go to the dentist I would allow extra time to just wander

With only 4 days, try to figure out exactly what you want to see in Seattle, or if you want to see it at all. If your main focus is Olympic and Rainier and you are lukewarm about even visiting the city, you might as well skip it. If you do want to see the Pike Place Market or museums or whatnot then definitely stay downtown within walking distance of the sights, because you only have time for one night in the city and it would be a shame to waste time commuting (lots of traffic into the city every morning, as you can imagine). Like another poster said the national park lodges book WAY in advance so if you're interested in staying in them, book asap.

I agree with Christy--I didn't realize you had so little time here in WA. You'll barely scratch the surface of both Mt Rainier and ONP in that amount of time.

Thanks everyone for the continued assistance. Good see some folks that helped me plan my Oregon vacation a couple years ago!

mma......I have been looking at the Lake Union area and will check out the Residence Inn there. Thank you.

sunbum, mms.....I will check out Edmonds. It sounds like something my wife would love! You guys gave me great info for my Oregon trip so I trust your opinions! We'll also be spending a few days in Oregon again on this trip. Mostly the Bend/Sisters area this time though.

orcas....I will check out New Castle. Thanks.

Leburta....I know a lot of Hawaii folk relocate to Washington or Oregon. Another reason we'd like to check it out!

happytrails....I was planning on a daytrip to Mt. Rainier and another day to Olympic, but will consider an overnight stay around Olympic. I'll check out those places you mention.

christy....I was thinking of spending maybe just one full day in Seattle. Just check out the main points of interest. But yes, our plans are more to see the outlying areas. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Thanks again all.

sunbum or mms....is the Harbor Inn in Edmonds the Best Western Harbor Inn?

Thanks.

(sigh) (and a moment's pause to take it all in)

Maaaaaaaaybe it would be suitable to arrive at Sea Tac airport on day 1, and then take the new light rail into town, where you could stay for 2 nights, providing one full day downtown withOUT having to pay nightly parking charges... THEN rent a car from any of many downtown, off-airport locations (fewer/lower taxes & charges on the car {vs. airport rates} POSSIBLY... but that depends on whether you are charged to do a one-way rental to return at the airport)...

then set sail toward Mt. Rainier and other outlying drives... perhaps Mt. St. Helens, the Olympic Peninsula, or the North Cascades Highway.


And as to the issue of Seattle's downtown vs. Hawaii... Hawaii is a "vacation destination", where the scores of people wanting to go there for vacation dictate that numerous hotels in a cluster can manage just fine no matter where they put'em.

Seattle's downtown area is cramped somewhat by water and hills, and for that reason it doesn't resemble lots of other U.S. cities of its size in terms of how the downtown core can sprawl.

t&g--Yes, the hotel is the Best Western DH and I just spent a weekend in Sisters a couple weeks ago. We go to Bend fairly often, but this time it was nice to base ourselves in Sisters. So much to do around there!

nwm....thanks for your feedback. With the four days, I was planning on one day for Seattle, one day for Mt. Rainier and two days to drive around the Olympic Penn. I know I won't get to see everything, but will try to get what I can from it.

mms....well, we got the same feelings about the Bend area from our vacation last year that you folks have. We just loved it! The coast was great (everything was really), but something about the high desert and especially the Bend area was really appealing to my wife and I, so we'll be spending about 3-4 days there on this trip. Just to relax and soak in the area! Can't wait.

t&g--We usually stay at Sunriver in various homes, which I love and highly recommend. This time we stayed in a vacation home on the edge of Sisters and loved it as well. If you are interested, just let me know and I can give you specifics for both Sunriver as well as the place we were just at.

MMS- I love Sunriver too - arent I lucky I have a friend who lives in Sunriver and I can stay with her when I want and I have a friend who lives in Edmonds with whom I can stay too

Dont know if I will ever need a good dentist when I am in Edmonds but will keep it in mind just in case.

Its good to have friends in great places !

travelinandgolfin, on our recent trip to Washington, I thought it was fun to stay within walking distance of Seattle's interesting, colorful, and historic Pike Place Market. I booked the hotel for that area on hotwire.com and was very happy to get the Mayflower Park hotel. Then we also stayed on the Olympic peninsula...I liked both places we stayed...The Meadows Inn near Port Angeles and also Quillayute River Resort outside of Forks. Have fun!

mms, sunbum......actually, I was looking to stay at the Sunriver River Lodge rooms. Their website makes those rooms look great, but some reviews on Trip Advisor are pretty bad. Any thoughts on those?

Any info on Sunriver would be great!

What's your thoughts on Five Pines Resort in Sisters? Seems nice with lot's of good reviews.

Thanks!

t&g--I have stayed in the River Lodge at Sunriver several times. It is very nice! I did check the reviews on TA after reading your post. One thing that isn't real clear on those is the different between the River Lodge and the regular lodge, so keep that in mind, FWIW. My last stay at Sunriver was in August, so very recent, and we didn't have any problems with service. We were in a home and not the lodge, but still using the same service to check in/out. Anyway, we have stayed at the River lodge as a family as well as when I have gone for girls spa trips and so far have not been disappointed at all. I have seen Five Pines Resort, but not been there. It looks very nice, but it is very close to the highway if that matters to you. Not an easy location to get in and out of with a vehicle as that area gets very congested in the summer months. But it does have a few nice amenities on site, and the theater is next door. We really debated about staying there for our trip a couple weeks ago, but the house we got was a better deal.

We visited Seattle for the first time just in September; we drove up from Portland at the end of a 3-wk trip to MT, WY, OR & WA. We loved everything about Inn at Harbor Steps. Ideal location. We walked to all the sights, including the ferries, restaurants all nearby. It is a quiet, very comfy place tucked in amongst condos, urge you to check it out. Breakfast included as well as wine & cheese in afternoons. We didnt use our car much and paid to park it underground at $18 per day. Stayed 4 nts, visiting Lake Union, Bainbridge Island, Alki Beach, Ballard (dont miss), the Locks, Pikes Mkt, Pioneer, plenty of time. Decided not to take in Vancouver on this trip.

just to add to the quagmire, we really enjoyed our stay at the el gaucho inn in seattle and were able to garage the car and walk everywhere. they have some good deals, too, and el gaucho is also a fairly notable steak house 'round these parts.
http://inn.elgaucho.com/inn.elgaucho/

I have never stayed at Sun River Lodge as I can stay with a friend who has a home in SunRiver. Before she moved there, I would rent a house or condo through Sun River Realty- I love SunRiver - love riding the bike trails , going on hikes and just hanging out-

There is much to see and do and rather than relax like I should- I try to do it all

Melissa, pdx.....thank you for your suggestions. Regardless of where we stay, Pike's Market and that surrounding area is definitey on our list to see. I will check out your other suggestions as well.

mms, sunbum.....well, right now Five Pines Resort is the place. I checked out SunRiver's River Lodge rooms again, and the prices really went up from when I checked last time. To be expected I guess. My wife loved the Sisters area, so it probably works out anyway. As time grows closer, I'll probably be bugging you folks for more info once again!