Arlington, Washington area - where to stay?
 

Does anyone have any suggestions for a nice place to stay in or near Arlington, Washington? I have visited Mt. Vernon and La Conner before but otherwise have mostly just driven along the I-5. My ideal spot would be:
- no more than an hour or two from Arlington by car
- a relaxing place where nature is at the door or at least in view
- could be on the water, in which case it could be in a town
- sunny (not shaded by trees)
- quiet
- not a convention hotel
- clean
- preferably not more than $200 a night
This would be in July.

If you're willing to be a couple of hours from Arlington, why not consider the Skyline Drive. Google it and you'll see how beautiful it is.

You might find what you're looking for in La Conner (28 miles) and, if not, in Coupeville (65 miles).

I've never stayed here, but I've driven by this place on the mountain loop highway, past Arlington near Darrington. The area is beautiful, and it's on a river:
http://www.snohomish.org/accom/MtHigginsHouse.htm

That part of SR 530 is a bit dicey as it nearly got washed out by flood waters and the roadway is in danger of collapsing. I don't know when the repairs are planned, but I'd guess July might be a time for some access problems or delays.

It's in a town and on the Seattle side of Everett, thus around 30-40 min. from Arlington, but have a look at the Silver Cloud Inn in Mukilteo. Literally built over the water with a view of the Olympics; the Whidbey ferry pulls in a hundred yards down the road. Very nice local chain. www.scinns.com

You folks are great! I will look into all these suggestions.

Next question: We usually drive down the I-5 from Canada, but if we took the Coho across from Victoria to Port Angeles, would it be just as easy to cross over assuming there are bridges and/or ferries?

Well, you'd just have to wait for the ferry, so try to avoid peak times (ie Sunday afternoon heading toward Seattle or Edmonds).

The Victoria-PA ferry is easily done, however there are limited daily sailings, so missing a boat can result in long waits in Victoria. Fortunately the ferry dock is right in the middle of the Inner Harbour, so you can leave your car in the queue and wander around for a bit.

Try doing a search for Bed and Breakfast in Camano Island. Have read several good reviews. ((I live in Arlington Wa. at Smokey Point..I-5 and exit 206))

We were just on the ferry from Victoria to PA yestserday. They take a handful of reservations for each run, so you do not need to wait in line for hours.

Will do, circa2. Thanks.

I'm not worried about getting to Port Angeles - we'd get our car in line first thing in the morning. But once in Washington, I don't know the best way to get off the peninsula. Or would it be best to go to the mainland first and drive straight down the I-5?

I guess the Boeing tour would be a must.

If you want to do the Boeing tour, you can take the Kingston/Edmonds ferry and then Boeing is not too far from Edmonds.

We'd probably not do the tour on the way or back but while based in Arlington/Mukilteo/wherever. We plan to spend a few days in the area.

If you go from Victoria to Port Angeles then you have 2 primary choices of ferry routes to get over to Everett:

(1) Port Townsend/Keystone (Whidby Is.) to Clinton (Whidby Is)/Mulkilteo (So of Everett)
(Read the ferry schedules carefully as there are some sailings that do not occur do to low tide..also be aware July is prime tourist time so waits at ferries can be long..)

(2) Drive across the Hood Canal Bridge and to Kingston (Bainbridge Is)/Edmonds (south of Everett)
(FYI the Hood Canal Bridge is under renovation and lines may be very long here...not to mention boat traffic for which the bridge opens)and the tourist traffic is awesome with even bigger lines here.

So if you can set your mind to having fun and knowing you may have some wait times....this can be a fun trip...Sequim is a wonderful place...wineries and Lavenderfest in July...
Port GAmble is a cute little area with a great seashell museum and a quaint old lumber town with cute houses...some for rent...you can almost see the "4 masters sailboats" on the water.

see Washington Ferry map at:

www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/

nice clear map of ferry routes and other info

I would stay at Hawthorne Inn and Suites Arlington WA ...an upscale motel with suites...$89.00 US a night now...

Thanks for all that good info, JAR1. Reading about Camano and other islands, I can see that it would be easy to spend a week or two (or three) in the area. Haven't heard of Port Gamble but I'll look it up.

The Boeing plant tour is near the Mukilteo ferry, not the Edmonds ferry.

The Hawthorn Suites in Arlington (Smokey Point really) is very plain, and meets precisely none of April's criteria. I've been imprisoned there several times for business meetings. Feh.

There are some B&Bs on or near Chuckanut Drive - on the coast north of La Conner, leading into the historic Fairhaven neighborhood of Bellingham. Probably 45 min. to an hour from "downtown" Arlington. Listed under "merchants" at http://www.chuckanutdrive.com/

I would like to do that drive as well, if you think it's worthwhile.

Ha, "imprisoned" doesn't sound like my kind of place. We like your Silver Cloud Inn suggestion, Gardyloo. It gets good reviews.

Thanks, everyone.

Gardyloo--I mentioned it because Edmonds and Mukilteo are so close and it could easily be done.

mms, sorry, my tone sounded a bit harsh - unintentional.

I work in south Everett and all around the county, so Arlington/Mukilteo/etc. are everyday places for me. Thus I probably see them more through commuter eyes than visitors'.

"Imprisoned" has more to do with the activities than the place. The Hawthorn is hardly a prison. Halfway house, maybe ;).

Thanks Gardyloo:) We lived there, and inlaws are still in Edmonds, so I understand what you mean by knowing it so well. My DH worked in Everett also, before changing to the Kitsap Peninsula and using the ferry everyday for commuting. Sounds like we have quite a bit in common!