fun4all4

In March many of you helped with itinerary suggestions for my planned trip to the Pacific NW. A friend and I will be traveling to this area for the first time, leaving behind our kids and husbands for a girls trip. Specifically, we are looking for restaurant suggestions, but would welcome any other itinerary/sightseeing ideas as well.

We like to have a small breakfast (think a cup of coffee with yogurt and fruit or a pastry), a simple, quick lunch (think salad or sandwich) and a nice dinner where we can enjoy a real meal with a glass of wine. Our tastes are broad....Pan-Asian, Southwestern, Italian, Indian, anything..... we don't want ultra-fancy dinners, but our budget is generous just not wanting true splurge type meals. Just a nice, fun, and casual atmosphere - it is a plus if there is a view or interesting decor to go along with a good menu.

We fly into Sea-Tac on July 24 and will take a Kenmore Air Flight to Friday Harbor where we will stay for one night before embarking on a 3 day-2 night women's only sea kayaking trip(thanks, starrsville ). All meals are included while kayaking so we are looking for a dinner suggestion for our one night in Friday Harbor.

Following our kayak trip, we will take the Glacier Spirit from Friday Harbor to Port Townsend where we will rent a car and stay in Port Angeles for 3 nights. We plan to hike and explore Olympic...any favorite hikes or places to venture? Also, looking for dining ideas for Port Angeles.

After spending time on the Olympic Peninsula, we will drive to Seattle for 2 nights at Inn at the Market. I have copied and pasted some restaurant ideas, but am hoping for a few more.

Thanks in advance for all your help!!

fun4all4

Sorry, I have got to learn to check my headings for spelling - I edit and preview my messages, but can't go back on the heading. Uggh. So frustrating as I can spell and have done this twice lately.

I am looking for restaurant RECOMMENDATIONS with only one "c"

AustinTraveler

I'm no expert on the area but we were there in May. I'm sure Gardyloo and the rest of the PNW gang will chime in soon with all their great suggestions.

For hiking in ONP, definitely drive up to Hurricane Ridge. Also, drive out to Lake Crescent and do the Marymere Falls Hike. You'll get to see old growth forest here and the falls are really pretty. And, one day I would drive out to Sol Duc and hike to the falls. This area is gorgeous and is a great place to experience the temperate rainforest ecology.

As for restaurants in Port Angeles, Bella Italia comes highly recommended. We didn't eat there because they were closed for a special event, but our innkeeper recommended it highly and we read many very positive comments in the guest book about it. We ate at Petal's in Sequim and it was really good. Very laid back place but really good food and wine. It's only about 15 minutes from PA.

In Seattle, we ate at Etta's and it was fantastic. It has been recommended on this site many times.

You girls are going to have a great time!!

fun4all4

Thanks for the hiking suggestions and restaurant ideas. Bella Italia was on my list, but from a guidebook, so this is good independent confirmation to give it a try.

Also, will look into Etta's.

Anyone else?

mooselywild

Seattle- had down towards Pike's for breakfast. There's a lot of really great pastry/coffe stops in the nearby blocks. And it's cliche, not to mention expensive, but the Space Needle restaurant is a terrific experience. Maybe spend one night or more in Port Townsend- a really neat, picturesque town. Better than PA. There's a great pub/restaurant- can't remember what it's called, but it had a mermaid for a mascot, and (I think) it was on the main drag- I also recall a 50s style diner/ice cream parlour. Have a great time!

mooselywild

And if you have time- take the ferry/clipper from PA to Victoria, BC. The Empress is a FABULOUS hotel (even just to tour). Great shopping, great museums, good restaurants: Sticky Wicket: interesting place, good and inexpensive food.

NWWanderer

I really like the restaurant at Friday Harbor House so that would be my choice for your one night there.

I second the recommendations of the Marymere Falls and Sol Duc hikes on the Peninsula--if you have time, you might also look into the Lake Ozette 9 mile triangle hike near Neah Bay--it's quite spectacular, esp. the part that goes along the beach (there are Native American petroglyphs carved into the rocks along the way). You need to do the hike at low tide though, because otherwise you have to climb up and over a couple of headlands. If you don't have time to do this one, then Second Beach down near Forks/La Push would be a good beach hike (and you could do this in conjunction with a short hike in the Hoh Rainforest on a long day trip from the PA area).

For breakfast in Seattle, try Macrina Bakery a few blocks north of the Inn on First Avenue. And FWIW, my two favorite restaurants downtown are Dahlia Lounge and Cafe Campagne.

fun4all4

Great ideas, NWWanderer and mooselywild! Thank you. I am really excited about some of the hiking options. For the Sol Duc area ones, is it easy/possible to go into the Springs after or during a hike?

I am cutting and pasting all the restaurant info to check out. I will make some dinner reservations ahead, but have other ideas ready depending on our mood and location.

Gardyloo

The restaurant and cafe right in the Inn at the Market (Campagne and Cafe Campagne) are among the best places in town, so no walking necessary. On the other hand, there are so many other places within the Pike Market precincts that your choices will be head-spinning - Matt's, le Pichet, Chez Shea, Copacabana (good for lunch - Bolivian empanadas with a view; the original Starbucks or umpteen other good breakfast places, some with view...

Can't comment on PA - we don't overnight there.

christy1

Sol Duc hot springs is a commercial facility with a website, so you can read all about how to use the springs there.

enzian

ttt----Ill answer tomorrow.

enzian

Good choice to stay at Inn at the Market. Matt's in the Market is one of our favorite restaurants there---very small, like dining at a friend's house. The menu varies, depending on what is fresh at the market that day. Or, for a waterfront view, try Place Pigalle, a moderate-priced French restaurant in the market.

Hikes on the Olympic Peninsula: on a clear day, my first choice would be to drive up to Hurrican Ridge and do a ridge ramble from there---you have a number of options, varying from easy to quite difficult. The views are spectacular, and the wildflowers lovely. You might see mountain goats.

The Ozette Loop is a beach and forset hike, and good for either a clear or a rainy day (but don't worry, it "never" rains here in the summer). It's a 9-mile triangle; 3 miles through the forest (much of it on boardwalk, sometimes slippery), 3 miles along the beach (with petroglyphs to see), then another 3 miles back to the starting point. As mentioned above, at low tide you can walk the whole way on the bbeach, so many people schedule it for that. But going up and over the headlands is fun---there are fixed ropes to assist you. This hike is quite a long drive from Port Angeles.

Another beach walk, closer to PA, is Dungeness Spit---a long sandspit on the Straits of Juan de Fuca (so not on the ocean beach). We often see seals playing in the water there, and lots of birds. There is a "traditional" seafood restaurant on the waterfront near there, the Three Crabs, that we enjoy whenever we are out that way.

NWWanderer

Hmm...guess we have different ideas of "fun" ;-), enzian. I found the "up and over", even with the ropes, to be a little on the frightening side so I definitely plan on doing the hike at low tide the next time I go. But it's gorgeous out there on the beach in any event!

enzian

Too right, NWWanderer---those rope climbs aren't for everyone---I should have made that clearer.

AustinTraveler

We ate at Three Crabs when we were out there in May. It's a very casual, homey place and the food we had was very good (halibut, of course!). One thing to remember in this area is that the towns basically shut down at 8:00 p.m. so make sure you've had dinner before then!

enzian

Three Crabs is a favorite with locals, for their nice fresh seafood served with a minimum of fuss. Portions are huge, but most dishes can be ordered as a half-portion. It's nicer than a diner, but not a white-tablecloth place either.

fun4all4

You all are the best! =D>

This is exactly the kind of info I was looking for. As for the Ozette Loop, approx. how far is the drive from PA? Also, we are both fit and avid hikers, but I don't want to be scared to death on the edge of some slippery crevasse hanging on to a rope ....is it just a bit challenging or truly terrifying?

The restaurants look great. Yumm! Any others, particularly thoughts on eating in Friday Harbor?

Fodorite018

I don't remember the distance between PA and Ozette, but the hike is very easy and not scary at all. Our kids did it with us when they were quite young, without worry.

beachbum

We just returned yesterday from a few days each in Seattle and Victoria, so had a chance to try several of the places already recommended.

Etta's... definitely! Matt's in the Market is good too. We were disappointed that Cafe Campagne was closed when we showed up there for breakfast yesterday morning. Wonder why. Ended up at Lowell's in Pike St. Market instead, where the view is great, and the food surprisingly good too. If you get down to the waterfront - and there's no reason you shouldn't - Elliott's Oyster House is a nice lunch stop.

One place not yet mentioned is Pink Door, with an entrance on Post Alley in the same block as Cafe Campagne. Ore maybe it's the block north. It's "Italian", but in a NW sort of way. Very fun, casual place with well done food. And again, the view.... (from the outdoor deck anyway). All things considered, it was my wife's fave meal of the trip.

Sticky Wicket mooselywild? We stopped by just because of the name. We liked Irish Times Pub on Bastion Square better, so I'll reserve comment on the food. But I did like the t-shirt! ;-) Next time we go to Victoria, we'll follow Gardyloo's advice and fly. Except for the cute little ferry/taxi boats, I think there's more float plane traffic in and out of the harbor than any other kind.

Fodorite018

Beachbum--Welcome back! We enjoy the Pink Door also. We wanted to hit the Irish Times, but our kids were with us and they won't allow minor even for just a meal. So we DID hit the Sticky Wicket, lol, and it was fine. Decent enough food, nothing real unique, but we had a good dinner there. I look forward to hearing more about the trip