My husband and I are going to Seattle for a week starting March 30, 2006. Any suggestions on where to stay, what to see and your favorite restaurants. We are also planning to go to Victoria for one or two days, any suggestions.

We live in Kirkland which is across Lake Washington from Seattle, so we don't stay in Seattle very often, but our favorite hotel is the Inn and the Market, which is small and wonderful. It is in Pike Place Market. It is a bit pricey, however. A more reasonable priced hotel is the Mayflower Hotel which has very nice rooms and is in the downtown area, but not far from Pike Place. Of course, there is a Westin Hotel in a good location. A couple of boutique hotels are the Vintage Hotel and the Alexis Hotel. If you wanted to stay near the Waterfront there is the Edgewater or the Marriott. These are not easy walking distances to lots of downtown restaurants. Seattle is a great restaurant town so when you decide where you are staying and what kind of cuisine you like, please email us and we can give you some suggestions. email - [email protected].

Oops - that should be Inn at the Market.

The Mayflower Park Hotel
Inn at the Market
Hotel Andra
The Sorrento
Roosevelt Hotel

Etta's Seafood
Union
Emmett Watson
AL Bocalino
Il Terazzo Carmine

Pioneer Square Historic District
The Space Needle
Chinatown
The new downtown Public Library
Waterfront and a ferry ride

What type of hotels do you prefer (boutique, B&B, etc.) and price range? What are your interests (art, music, theatre)? Then we can post responses better to fit your needs.

I would add to previous suggestions the Seattle Art Museum or Burke Museum, a show at the Paramount Theatre or Benaroya, dinner theatre at Teatro Zinzanni.

Jak's in West Seattle for best steak, China Gate in Int'l District for dim sum, Dahlia Lounge downtown for seafood and other, Buddha Ruksa for Thai in West Seattle, The Pink Door downtown in Post Alley for excellent ambience, food and fun (entertainment at night).

While in Victoria you might enjoy high tea at the Empress Hotel -- if nothing else, walk into the lobby and wander around. The Royal BC Museum is worth a visit. It is a museum of human and natural history of British Columbia.

A very fun thing to do in Seattle is a dinner theatre called the Teatro Zinzanni- its expensive but the dinner is excellent and the entertainment great. Its like a cross between the Cirque de Soleil and the Moulon Rouge and I highly recommend it.

something's up that the downtown branch Seattle Art Museum will be closed soon. i don't have details but that's why i didn't mention it above. so double-check before making plans for SAM.