My husband and I will be visiting Seattle from 9/23 - 9/30. Part of the time will be visiting my son & daughter-in-law who moved there a year ago just after their wedding. We plan to stay in a hotel as they have a small apartment. We'll spend some time with them, but they will be working during the day. Any ideas of where to stay and what sights to see. We'll have a rental car. I would appreciate any recommendations!

The most popular day trip is the drive to Mt. Rainier (go on a day it is in clear view from Seattle).

A ferry ride to Bainbridge Island, is another good option. It provides great views of the skyline and, on a clear day, the Cascades, the Olympics, Mt. Baker, and Mt. Rainier. Have lunch at Cafe Nola in Winslow.

Our new library is of architectural interest, and we have a great zoo. The Klondike Gold Rush National Park in Pioneer Square and the Olde Curiosity Shop on the waterfront may interest you.

Discount tickets for harbor cruises and theatrical performances are available at the ticket office in Pike Place Market (foot of Pike Street).

Whidbey Island, the Skagit Valley (La Conner), and Port Townsend, are among other good day trips from Seattle.

If I knew the neighborhood in which you son and daughter-in-law live, I might be able to recommend a hotel. Downtown is a great hotel location for sightseeing, dining, and entertainment options; however, parking is expensive there.

Thanks for the info. We're really looking forward to this trip. Can you recommend any wineries to visit? My son & his wife live at 1323 Minor Ave. I believe it's either right downtown or very close.

That's on "Pill Hill" or First Hill. Close to downtown but the east side of the freeway.

I would highly recommend The Sorrento Hotel (if that fits your budget). It's a fabulously classy old hotel, one of my favorites in the city. With the added benefit of being just 5 blocks from their apartment!

www.ste-michelle.com

a winery in nearby Woodinville. I think there's at least one other out that way.

Oh yeah, I definitely 2nd that emotion--the Sorrento is classy and wonderful, and perfect for visiting around 1st Hill...it even has a nice looking palm tree outside (well, for the NW;-)

www.hotelsorrento.com

quackerbacker- isn't it a whole ROW of palm trees around the circular driveway?

You have to go to Seattle's Best Coffee! It is the best coffee I have ever tried- we always stop in and get a cup. Also Pike's Market is fun if you don't mind large crowds.. just watch out for the fish flying in the air!
We live only a few hours from Seattle and we go there once and awhile for weekend trips.

Thanks everyone for the recommendations. The Sorrento may be a bit pricey for a whole week; but a night or two of a little luxury might be nice!

The Silver Cloud on Broadway is also a short walk from your son's home. Silver Cloud is a popular local chain of hotels, and it may be a good option if you don't want to stay at the Sorrento or in a downtown hotel.

I sincerely wish you a very happy trip to Seattle (am going there myself over Labor Day and am very excited)...but please do your son a favor and *never* post his address on the internet again. I would flip out if my mother (or mother-in-law) did that to me!

I was just thinking the same thing. I think this is one time I'd ask the fodor watch dog to get this deleted...
Debi

There they go again, excoriating where a gentle reminder would suffice.

I, too, thought statng the exact address was more specific than necessary; however, I am wounded that my beloved Fodorites would be so harsh in their judgement, "flip" out, and state the horrific things they want to do to their mother-in-law the next time she makes an innocent slip. Where has gentility gone?

I must be flower picking now, L.M. Sunshine

Thanks for the advice. I guess I should have been more vague about the address. However, since it's a large building, I didn't think it would be a problem identifying the location be street address. I now realize I should have just mentioned the XXXX block of the street. Thanks again for your help.

Oh...and how do I go about requesting that post to be deleted?

Hi Svrichard --

You can contact the editors at [email protected]. Thank you for understanding the spirit in which my message was intended. Always best to remain vague and not give too many specifics.

Really hope you do enjoy your trip to Seattle. Anxious to see if you get any additional recommendations for things to do...so far my list only includes things to eat and drink.

Go to Pike Place Market early, it has such a different feel to it before it gets crowded. We like to get coffee/pasty across the street at Le Panier and watch the vendors set up. Very peaceful.

If you enjoy planes at all, go to the Museum of Flight, which is just south of downtown a bit. You can also head north to Everett to Boeing for the factory tour.

Many people enjoy taking a ferry ride. If you do that, I would recommend not during the commuting hours.

Try to catch a Mariner's game at Safeco field.

Go to the spaceneedle, but not for a meal. It is best if it is not a cloudy day.

Another day trip that I don't think was mentioned is Mt. St. Helens. Very interesting, and some good visitors centers along the way.

Thanks for all the ideas; and I did send a request to remove that address post. What time does the marketplace open? It would be nice to go early...I like that idea. It's been a long time since I visited a farmer's market. Many years ago when I lived on the East Coast, my roommate and I belonged to a food coop. One time when it was our turn to shop for the coop, my roommate misunderstood the order; and instead of picking up 7 oranges, she bought 7 dozen! Needless to say, we had a lot of fresh squeezed orange juice!

We are very excited about this trip. I would love to do a day trip to Mt. St. Helens. That would be fun. I haven't put my hands on a good map yet. So it's difficult for my right now to judge distances for everything. In New England everything is so close; however, here in the Midwest you can drive for 5 hours from Chicago and only be in the middle of Illinois!

For a great and very special evening, go to Teatro Zanzinni. Check out the website at www.teatrozanzinni.com. It's sort of a cross between dinner theatre/cabaret/cirque du soleil and it was such a fun evening! The food was very good too. Ask for a ring-side table. You'll have a ball!