9 days in Seattle WA area
 

I will be traveling to the area for work and want to spend some time out that way with DH. Neither of us have ever been, so any and all suggestions would be appreciated.

Interests include but are not limited to:
-Nature (Mountains, flowers, trees, critters, etc.) without major physical exertion due to health restrictions.
-Historical sites (Native, WWII, etc.)
-Food! Japanese is a favorite.

A couple of questions:
-If you had to pick between Victoria and Vancouever (sp?), which would you visit & why?
-How far from Seattle to Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helen's, any other highly recommended mtn/volcanic attactions?
-How many days should I allow for hitting the highlights of Seattle itself? (e.g., the space needle--I know totally touristy, but hey...I'll be a tourist :-)

Thanks so much for your help & suggestions!!!

Jen

Hmmm, realized I should have added some more info. We are in our mid 30s (no kids), but my husband has already had back surgery and I have problems with my hips, so minor walking is ok, but no 5 mile hikes. Also, budget is a consideration. So for restaurants, great food and cheap prices is our favorite. We would be touring around mid-May-ish time period.

Let me know if I forgot any other info!

January? October?

ahhh. . . mid-May. A nice excursion would be to take the Bainbridge Ferry, stop and visit the Japanese American Memorial (http://www.bijac.org/), commemorating the first place (I believe) where American citizens of Japanese descent were led onto boats and taken away to internment camp---one of the few WWII historical sites you will find around here.

Continue on up Bainbridge Island, head north and cross the Hood Canal Bridge, then head south toward Quilcene. There you can drive up (or walk, but that doesn't sould like it will work for you) through blooming wild rhododendrons to the top of Mt. Walker for an incredible view of the whole region. Continue south on 101 to Brinnon if you want to visit one of the area's premier rhododendron nurseries, where most of them will be in full bloom. Or head up to Port Townsend and vist Fort Worden State Park, with bunkers and other structures dating back to WWI (or maybe later?) It was also used during WWII to keep watch for submarines.

Port Townsend is worth a visit on its own; a Victorian town with lots of shops and restaurants, and a small sealife museum.

Another historical site worth a visit is the Klondike Gold Rush National Park in Pioneer Square.

Good Japanese food abounds---many choices in Belltown, but we like Nishino in Madison Park (pricy).

Mt. Rainier is an easy daytrip from Seattle, but in mid-May the flower fields will still be under snow. Also, it is not clear that the park will have re-opened by then---it is closed now due to flood damage to the roads.

Japanese food, I like:
Saito, 2122 Second Ave (downtown)
Aoki, 621 Broadway E (capitol hill)

Victoria is pretty small and quaint, Vancouver is a major urban/city.

Going to Victoria on The Clipper is pretty fun and would cut down on walking necessary.

Mt Rainier is about 2 hours south, Mt St Helen 3 hours or so. You can do them in 1 day but it's a long one.

Gardyloo, we will be visiting around mid-May. I also posted a second message after the first with some more info. Thanks for any help you can give.

Enzian and Suze, thanks so much for the feedback. It sounds like we will definitely be going with Victoria instead of Vancouever. I am really interested in seeing Butchart Gardens.

Thanks again!!

There is a new sculpture garden on the waterfront.
Tillicum Village is fun even though it is touristy. You ride a boat out to an island and see Native American Dancers while you have a salmon dinner.
Check Ujamaia (sp?) a huge grocery store in the International District. They have Asian delights from all over. They also have a Japanese restaurant.

Unfortunately, if you drive up to Paradise in May (the one area of Mt. Rainier that should be open) you'll be met with a plowed parking lot surrounded by 10-20 feet of snow. If it's a clear day you may still want to do this-it can be fun to go when things are so snowy-but just know that there won't be much in the way of hiking or anything else. Also, don't go if it's cloudy, at least not without calling the visitor's center to see if there is visibility.

Mt. St. Helens might be a better bet since the visitor's centers (like Coldwater Ridge) are at a lower elevation-you should be able to walk around a bit. Definitely check visitor's centers spring hours before you go. It is a very long day trip from Seattle, though, and there is the potential to get stuck in a LOT of traffic as you make your way through the south end suburbs and Tacoma if you go on a weekday.

Whidbey Island and the San Juan Islands are good choices for spring nature activities (lots of nice walks, kayaking, whale watching and historic sites). Whidbey has lots of great parks-check out Ebey's Landing National Reserve (www.nps.gov/ebla) and Deception Pass State Park in particular. San Juan Island has a beautiful and interesting National Historic Park (www.nps.gov/sajh), and the San Juan Islands in general have some of the most beautiful scenery in the NW. This could theoretically be done as a day trip but at least an overnight is much better. Gardyloo's Olympic Peninsula/Port Townsend ideas are good, too. You could visit the Olympic NP coast and Hoh rainforest (www.nps.gov/olym).

Here's a neat guide to sites in Seattle that are on the National Register of Historic Places:

http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/seattle/

If you like gardens I'd highly recommend Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island. It's a gorgeous, "natural," PNW type garden. You'll need a reservation (see their website for details).

I agree, Saito's is the pick for sushi (there are other good places, but that is a general favorite). If you have other food questions you might look at the PNW forum of Chowhound, or post there if you can't find what you're looking for.

Victoria is an over-the-top touristy town with horse drawn carriage rides and afternoon tea, while Vancouver is a beautiful, diverse, cosmopolitan city (with one of the most fantastic parks in North America-Stanley Park). They're apples and oranges-it just depends on what you want. If you are interested in food the best Chinese in North America can be found in the Vancouver area (particularly the suburb of Richmond).

I think Vancouver is infintely more interesting than Victoria. If you like Japanese food you must visit Vancouver and check out the Izakaya places. Vancouver has the seawall around Stanley Park which is easily walked(it's flat) in totality or partiality.
There is also the Antropology Museum at UBC which is flat and relatively easy to visit as is Van Deusen Botanical Gardens. I think you have a better chance of finding less $$ lodging in Vancouver vs Victoria especially is you can use points or try priceline etc.

Christy's post reminds me of another place I like: The Captain Whidbey Inn on Whidbey Island is not too far from the city, but a world away. Nice rooms and cabins, and restaurant.