Sara8374

A lake, beach, etc... A seaside resort? A nice place for lunch? Something nice and relaxing?

NWWanderer

Can you be more specific about what you're looking for? Are you doing a day trip from Seattle to Mt. St. Helens, or what?

Shane

There's a nice Mexican restaurant along the Seattle-Mt. St. Helen's route, nearer to the volcano, according to my wife. She and a friend dined there aduring the round trip.

suze

How much of a detour are you willing to drive? Assuming you are driving from Seattle down to Mt St Helen? That's inland not on the coast, so a seaside resort is necessarily a bit out of your way.

beth48

Go see Mt. Ranier, too. It's awesome!

sgorces

Wow! Any places to stop. Heck, yes! Let me see...Snake Lake Park in Tacoma is a wonderful nature preserve, Pt. Defiance Park in Tacoma is a terrific urban forest with panoramic Puget Sound views plus Pt. Defiance Zoo is a nice small zoo with Beluga whales and walruses, Washington State History Museum and Glass Museum in Tacoma with a stop for lunch at splendid Indochine Thai Restaurant. Pacific Rim Bonsai collection in Federal Way. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge trail. Dechutes Falls in Olympia has a great forest canyon walk, the state capitol campus in Olympia. The small burg of Gig Harbor has cute shops and bay front dining. Mima Mounds in Litterock south of Olympia. Wolf Haven in Tenino. As Beth said, you could visit Paradise on Mt. Rainier and take the back way via highway 7 to St. Helens. I'm just taking a breather. How much more can you handle. What about in Seattle and North? Lots to do. Enjoy!