We plan to fly to Seattle sometime around the 7th of July with about 10 (+/- a day or two) days to spend exploring. I lived there decades ago and have visited twice since on business. It is time to share the wonders of this area with my DW of 26 years and 20 y/o daughter.

In no particular order, I'd like to see the Olympic National park, Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, Seattle, Ferry to Victoria (not interested in Vancouver) and anything else you fine folks care to recommend.

I'm looking for a general "Battle plan" or routing to have only 2 or three different lodging venues. Any input on lodging along the way would be greatly appreciated.

I had initially planned to include Portland on this trip but I'm thinking the Victoria portion will be more to our tastes and take away the time I was planning to hit Portland and NW Oregon.

Thanks for your help. I know you folks will be extremely helpful and make this trip into a memorable one for my family and I.

MvK

We recently did a clockwise loop starting from Seattle in this order: Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, cross to the coast and up past the ONP beaches and Hurricane Ridge; ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria with a couple of nights on the southern coast thee (Sooke); ferry from just north of Victoria through the San Juan Islands to Anacortes, drive down Whidbey Island back to Seattle. Two weeks, not counting the drive from our home to Seattle (one day each way).

We were mostly camping but I'm sure others would have good suggestions on lodging once you get the general route and stops decided.

If you want 2 or 3 lodging venues, you could (1) visit Mt. Rainier and St. Helens as daytrips from Seattle (or stay south of Seattle nearer the mountains, even right at Mt. Rainier if you like); then (2) move to the Olympic Peninsula, then (3) ferry to Victoria. You can also easily visit Victoria as a daytrip from Port Angeles and save the cost of taking the car on the ferry. In that case I would suggest two different bases for the Olympic portion---Port Angeles and another south of there and closer to the ocean.

I am more familiar with the Mt. Rainier area and Victoria so will let someone else suggest lodging for the Olympic Peninsula. I've only visited there from Port Townsend, which is one of my favorite places around---but it's too far from the coast to make a good base.

Whatever you choose, you should have a great visit---mid-July is often some of our best weather. It's a bit early for the outrageous wildflower displays at Mt. Rainier, but probably not for ONP.

ONe question---do those 10 days include time in Seattle? Or would you rather stay somewhere more rustic/scenic for visitint Mt. Rainier and St. Helens?

enzian,

10 days total, from arrival touch-down to departure wheels-up. I like the idea of daytrip(s) to Victoria from Port Angeles. How long does the ferry trip take?

MvK

I think it is an hour and a half, or a bit less. The ferry, the M.S. Coho, departs right from downtown Port Angeles and comes into the Inner harbour at Victoria---right by the Empress hotel, the Parlaiment buildings, and the wonderful B.C. provincial museum.

http://cohoferry.com/main/

They have several sailings a day in summer---you can leave PA at 8:20, arriving in Victoria around 10 am, then spend the day and return on the 7:30 from Victoria.

If you aren't putting a car on it is very easy. I've done it lots of times, but not very recently.

In July, you can also take the Victoria Express (passenger only) ferry from PA to Victoria. It is a high speed ferry and does the crossing more quickly (about an hour), plus the sailings are more frequent than MV Coho.

Good suggestion, azzure. I didn't even think of that---I think that service is new since my last trip to Victoria (in 1999!)

And to throw another option in is to take ferry to Victoria from Tsawwassen in BC - the plus is that it is a much prettier trip as you cruise through the islands and there are departures every hour in the summer
The downside is that you have to go through customs at the border which can mean long lines
I have never experienced the long lines at the border but I know it happens
and I always take the Tsawwassen ferry when I go - I believe you can make a reservation as well -

I suggest this itinerary: Seattle, Mt. Rainier NP, Mount St. Helens NP, Olympic NP (splitting stay at Quinault Lodge & Crescent Lake Lodge), Victoria from Port Angeles, Seattle.

Driving clock-wise you get these not-too-thrilling drives out of the way at the beginning of your trip: Seattle-Mt Rainier; Mount St. Helens-Quinault.

HTTY

That is what Nora_S suggested too, but where would you put the three lodging stops?

I took Nora's trip. I would definitely do an overnight in Victoria and take the time to see Butchart Gardens. It had been recommended to me and I really didn't think I wanted to see it but I went for my t/c's. LOVED it. And, I loved staying overnight in Victoria. The ride through the San Juans (on the ferry) is gorgeous. Those two things plus time in Seattle were my favorite parts of a few PNW trips.

A question for those who have been recently - How much is remaining of the devastation (trees down) around Mt. St. Helens? I went sometime around 1990 and you could still the impact of the eruption, but I wonder how much the forested area around it has recovered.

MvK, consider afternoon tea at the Empress too. I KNOW. It's probably not high on your list but you may enjoy it more than you expect. It's just one of those travel "experiences" that one remembers years later. IMO anyway.

Starrs--Although vegetation is slowly coming back, you can definitely still see the very dramatic effect of the eruption. It really is something, and those of us that were here when it happened will never forget where we were that morning.

Starrs---we visited Mt. St. Helens last summer. It was my first time so I can't compare to how it looked in 1990. I was amazed at how lush and green it is most of the way up the road---the part that Weyerhaeuser re-planted. I don't recall how tall the tress actually are, but they look thick and healthy.

Closer to the crater--the actual "blast zone" --- they have left much of be, and you can still see the trees down, etc. It has taken much longer for this part to recover, as everything within that zone was killed. So no trees. But there are some very interesting hiking trails.

It is a beautiful and awe-inspiring place, well worth a day trip. But I couldn't spend days on end there like I can at Mt. Rainier. We spent one day cycling (on the road) and one day seeing the visitor center and taking a few hikes, and that was enough.

I think we need to hear from MvK as to whether they want to stick with the "three lodging venues" idea or move from place to place each day or two. I will say there isn't much down near Mt. St. Helens---we stayed at a funky fishing lodge at Silver Lake but I don't know that I would recommend it! And rather than stay in a chain motel along I-5, I'd suggest staying in a cabin at Ashford, at the entrance to Mt. Rainier, and visiting Mt. St. Helens from there.

What about a loop that doesn't include a trip up to Victoria? Coming out of Seattle? I love Crater Lake NP but visited it as a side trip out of N'n CA. Would that be a better route for 10 days?

I'm biased because I love Victoria so much. But, would it be a better use of his 10 days to do Seattle and the Olympic penisula, Mt Ranier and Mt St Helens and maybe add on Crater Lake? I don't know.

That is what Nora_S suggested too, but where would you put the three lodging stops?

The interesting places to stay in the areas you are visiting at Paradise Inn at Mt. Rainier, Lake Quinault Lodge and Lake Crescent Lodge in the Olympic National Park, and several places in Victoria.

Some problems with where to stay is that Paradise Inn is probably already fully booked for the first week in July and Quinault Lake Lodge is at the very southern edge of Olympic National Park. So, when you do the not-very-interesting drive from Mount St Helens to Olympic NP, you will not be very far into the park.

It would be better to stay at Crescent Lake Lodge, but there is a great deal to see between Quinault and Crescent Lake (ocean beaches, Hoh Rain Forest, Marymere Falls, etc.).

A reasonable alternative might be to visit Mount St Helens and Mt Rainier as a day trip from Seattle. (I will suggest the routing, if you ask).

Then, you could visit Olympic NP via Port Gamble and Port Townsend staying at Crescent Lake Lodge or Best Western Olympic Lodge in Port Angeles.

I like the suggestion of staying overnight in Victoria.

I'm biased because I love Victoria so much. But, would it be a better use of his 10 days to do Seattle and the Olympic penisula, Mt Ranier and Mt St Helens and maybe add on Crater Lake? I don't know.

Victoria is logically and conveniently included in this itinerary; Crater Lake is not.

You do know that St. Helens is much closer to Portland than it is to Seattle, right?

Agree that Crater Lake isn't in the cards for this trip, as it would add 1.5 days in driving alone.

I only scanned the postings, but didn't see that anyone mentioned taking the Victoria Clipper from Seattle. It's a high speed, passenger only ferry; takes about 3 hours. You could do it as a day trip, giving yourselves 6-7 hours in Victoria, or better yet, an overnight. And if you spend any time near Victoria's inner harbor, you'll regret having taken a ferry and wish you'd taken a float plane instead.

Yet another possibility would be to ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria, then Sidney (near Victoria) across to Anacortes, maybe stopping for a night on San Juan Island.

Taking the ferry from either Port Townsend or from Tsawwassen, you may want to consider taking your car as you will need it to get to Butchard Gardens.

I'd trade Mt St Helens for Vancouver. Vancouver is a lovely city and there's lots to do and see there.

I'd agree with enzian that Mt Rainier area is much more interesting than St Helens. St Selens would logically go better with a Columbia River Gorge and even Crater Lake combo trip.

Don't forget your passports!

HTTY---that sounds good; I was wondering if something like that would work but didn't know the good/interesting places to stay on the Olympic Peninsula and the driving times.

What about:

3 nights near Rainier---if Paradise is not available there are cabins at Ashford or the nice place at Alta Crystal on the Sunrise side. They could daytrip to Mt. St. Helens if that is on their "must" list. Or could they swing south between Mt. Rainier and Quinault? Might be a long day.

2 nights Lake Quinault Lodge---Olympic beaches?

3? nights Lake Crescent? Or could they do 2 nights, then drive to Port Angeles, park the car and ferry to Victoria for an overnight? I think an overnight stay there is well worth it. Lots to do and see there.

I wouldn't take the car to Victoria---the town is very walkable, and the main reason to take a car would be to go to Butchhart Gardens. I confess I am not a fan---as a former botanist/horticulturist, I find it not all that interesting---they tend to use big drifts of standard varieties. Lovely, but not interesting to me personally.

Depending on what time their flight out is, they may need a last night in Seattle.