My wife and son (13)and I will be in Seattle (first time) for 7 days in August and would appreciate any ideas for lodging (< $200 per night), and fun activities, (including day trips outside of the city) especially from repeat visitors or natives who have teenage children. I am aware of EMP, Safeco Field and Pike Place market. What is Gameworks? How are the whale watches? Mt Ranier? Would like to visit Vancouver for a day or two, any recommendations for lodging? Will the Mariners get by the Yankees or Red sox this year?

No one will beat the Red Sox this year (but I say tht every year). We stayed at Residence Inn, Lake Union which is not walking distance to downtown but we enjoyed it. Enough room for us to spread out with our teenager and younger sister. Lake Union had seaplanes landing almost all day which was fascinating - but you might want to stay closer to downtown (it was really only a 5 minute drive, but you did have to drive). Kitchen and free breakfast was great for us.

PS to above. We did day trip to Mt. St. Helens - it was an incredible sight.
Visitor centers were far better than at most places.

Gameworks is a big, high-end video arcade located in a downtown highrise (16-screen movie upstairs). I believe Spielberg is a co-owner but not sure if that's still true. Bring money. And earplugs.

I don't especially encourage friends to go on whale watching tours. I understand (and share) the attraction, but the Puget Sound Orca population is reportedly showing signs of stress and one issue might be too much intervention by humans in their habitat. If you do go, please make sure the operator's literature makes you comfortable that you won't be loving to death these wonderful animals.

The Lake Union Residence Inn on Fairview is a good idea, also there's a new Silver Cloud Inn just up the street. While a car is convenient, there's easy bus service to downtown right in front. From either of these places you can stroll around the South Lake Union/Eastlake neighborhood, noteworthy for several good restaurants (family-friendly, maybe an advantage in your case.) A little ways up Fairview Ave. (1/4 mi from either hotel), you can see the NOAA research ships' base, and then all the houseboat docks like those featured in "Sleepless in Seattle," along with a great Thai restaurant built out of train cars. This is an off-the-beaten-path part of town you might enjoy, especially early in the morning or evening.

Seattle Center (Space Needle, EMP, Key Arena, etc.) is a big recreation resource in downtown Seattle. This summer the IMAX theater at the Pacific Science Center (big 13-yo attraction) is showing a 3-D IMAX movie of the Intl. Space Station - I can't wait to see it.

A day trip to Mt Rainier is fine (Paradise visitor center maybe a little crowded in August), but you should obviously ride a ferry (can be combined with day outings to Olympic National Park or Port Townsend), consider a couple of days in Vancouver (don't miss the aquarium - one of the world's best), or, for a splurge, take a day trip by floatplane (base across the lake from the two hotels above) to Victoria BC - fun and educational. On the subject of airplanes, your son (and his parents) might enjoy a tour of the Boeing 747-777 assembly plant in south Everett, about 30 min. north of Seattle - features great big shiny planes, a tour of the flight line, and a wander through the biggest building (by volume) in the world.

Will the Mariners get by the Yankees or Sox this year? So far the evidence is not positive. Oh, wait.. Red Sox? Hahahahaha..

PS the Seahawks, new helmets and all, are opening their new stadium (Thanks, Paul Allen...?) in August. Maybe you can go contribute to our local tax base. Thanks.

ttt