Help for concert trip to Chateau Ste Michelle Winery in Woodinville?
 

We have tickets to attend a concert in a few weeks at Chateau Ste Michelle Winery, Woodinville WA. We have never been to this place or know anything about the area. We are coming from quite far away by car so have to stay at least 1 night in the somewhat nearby area and probably will stay 2 nights so as to get more from our short trip. All I know of Woodinville is that it has some wineries but we only have a small interest in that, we are more outdoors types.

Does anyone have any input into how this venue is for concerts?Tickets were pricey so we just have general admission tickets....can you see well enough if you just bring a blanket to sit on?

We are on a tight budget too as gas is so high etc so does anyone have any suggestions for a lower price but clean decent place to stay anywhere within 10 miles of the venue?

Any suggestions for outdoor things in the area like hiking or good parks to go to or anything else that is interesting? We do have Groupon discount tickets for the Smith Tower but I don't know where that is except in Seattle somewhere so we do want to go there so is there other good things to do in that area?

Top Tips for Attending a Concert at Chateau Ste. Michelle:
1.BRING YOUR OWN LAWN CHAIR. There are a limited amount of seats for people who pay extra money. You can also rent a chair from the venue, if you get there early (they were gone by the time I arrived). The rest of the people pile into the lawn – picnic-style – so bring something to make yourself comfortable.
2.BRING ONE BLANKET FOR EACH PERSON. We only brought one blanket for the two of us. Since we didn’t bring chairs, and it was raining, we were forced to fold the blanket in half and sit on it to attempt to keep our butts dry. An extra blanket would have been nice to drape over our shoulders or shield our jeans from the elements.
3.WINE IS SOLD BY THE BOTTLE ONLY. This isn’t a complaint, first off. I love having a bottle. But, they are a little pricey ($20 for the cheapest bottle) and you need to be sure you can finish all of the bottles you purchase while at the show. Oh, by the way, they stop selling alcohol at 8pm… which means, if your show starts at 7pm, you don’t have long to warm your belly, if you know what I mean.
4.YOU CAN BRING FOOD INSIDE. I was so jealous of the people that had a complete picnic dinner set out on their blankets. I never assume that I can bring food, and I prefer not to buy the bad stuff at the venue, so I always stuff my face before I go to the show. It would have made the night so much more magical if I had known my picnic basket full of cheese and sammies was invited to join me.
5.DON’T FORGET THE BINOCULARS! Ok, this is something I’m learning to bring for all concerts I attend. Since I’m a little cheap (I’ll admit it), I never buy tickets too close to the stage. Binoculars are extremely handy because you can watch your favorite performer’s facial expressions and dance moves from the comfort of your cheap seats in the back. If you don’t have any, just pick up a small, cheap pair at Big 5 Sports or Target, likely not more than $20. This is also a fun way to make friends with the people around you, as you work on your sharing skills.

Smith Tower is in "Pioneer Square" which is the historic district at the south end of downtown Seattle. Once you are there you are basically in downtown Seattle so can do any of those things like see the Pike Place Market, walk thru Chinatown, go to the Waterfront, walk around downtown, etc. whatever interests you.

Sorry I have no idea about inexpensive lodging out in that area.