Seattle - 3 days - What to do????
 

Oops, I forgot to post this in "Washington" my first try, sorry for the double post!

Hi! My husband and I will be doing business in Redmond, WA on Thursday, March 23, and will be staying in the area until Sunday to make a long weekend out of it. We plan to spend at least Wednesday night in Redmond to be near our business meeting, but have no plans after that. We've never been to Washington before.

Here are my questions:
Where should we spend the remaining 3 nights? Willows Lodge in Woodinville looks nice, but is that near anything? Should we stay in Seattle instead?

What are the "don't miss" things to see and do in that region if you have three days? We will have a car.

Thanks for your help!!

One more question, what will the weather be like at the end of March??

The weather will probably be great, with highs in the sixties and lots of sunshine (It could rain, but that seems not likely this dry, dry year.) The flowers will be flat out gorgeous at that time. Definitely stay in Seattle for one night. Don't miss the Washington Park arboretum. You have way too many choices of things to do. Are you interested in mountains? If so, think about consider going to the NW Cascades National Park, where they just reopened the road as the snow has melted early. Maybe you could stay one night at Sun Mountain Lodge. If you like islands, you could drive to Anacortes and go to San Juan Island and stay there one night.
Way too much to do! I think Oregon schools may be on break that week, so hotel space could be hard to come by. Kids around Seattle are in school, so this is a great time for ferries and vacationing, as the roads won't be too crowded.

There are several important points in your original message. Like, this is your first trip to Washington and you only really have three days free. While you're in Redmond, you should take advantage of the winery tours nearby just north of town. You should take the short trip out highway 202 to Snoqualimie Falls. Water flow will be low this year due to our ongoing drought. You should dine at Juanita Cafe in neighboring Kirkland and walk around the nice downtown a bit. THEN, get over to Seattle. I recommend staying at the Waterfront Marriott because it's very nice, on the bay, and near Pike Place Market. I you go anywhere outside of Seattle, it should be a day trip only because you will find your time short. You could drive to Anacortes and walk on the ferry to Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands. This is a big but doable day trip. Orcas recommendation of the North Cascades would be great particularly if Mountain scenery is what you want. That's pretty long for a day trip and quite early in the season. The road just opened this week for the earliest opening ever. I would reserve that trip for the full loop over the mountains and back over highway 2 some other time. That trip is quick even for an over night, an agressive drive. Another idea is to take the day trip by fast ferry to Victoria, the capitol of British Columbia. That's a long day trip too, but always gets raves from first time visitors. It requires a fairly long boat trip but is nearly free of driving. In Seattle...don't miss Pike Place. Etta's Seafood is great for dinner just near there. If you don't opt for one of the day trips by ferry, you might also take the short ferry trip to Bainbridge Island for a walk around Winslow and lunch at Cafe Nola. Don't miss the trip up the Space Needle. Locals might disagree with me on that but it's your first trip, so it really must be done if clear weather.

You should also visit Pioneer Square and take the Underground Seattle tour although I would not put it on my don't miss list. If you're down there already and have time, take the tour of Safeco field, our terrific ballpark. Have Dim Sum (chinese lunch) in the International District a short walk away. Again, if you're in Pioneer Sq. seek out Waterfall Park, a tiny uban oasis that many visitors only find by accident. It's a monument to the men and women in brown (that's right, it's the founding site of the massive UPS parcel service).

There's more, but the point is made...on your first visit three is much to miss in Seattle. Don't bite of more than you can chew...er, drive. Enjoy. The weather has been oddly sunny and warm.

For Seattle my list include: Pike Place Market, Pioneer Square historic district, waterfront with ferry ride, Seattle Center and Space Needle, optional Seattle Art Museum, Chinatown (yea! dim sum), Triple door or Jazz Alley.

Around town in the car: out to the Locks with lunch at Ray's Boathouse on the way back, a drive thru the Arboretum with stop at the Japanese gardens, out to Snoqualmie Falls with lunch at Salish Lodge.

Don't try to do so much as suggested in some posts with only 3 days. As mentioned, the weather has been strangely sunny and mild this year. Actually we are hoping for rain because if this continues it will bring drought conditions later in the summer.

Susan in Seattle

Highlights of our first visit to Seattle were: Pike Place Market, the ferry ride to Bainbridge Island, the waterfront, Space Needle and shopping in Pioneer Square. :)

We enjoyed meals at Dahlia Lounge, Salty's in Alki Beach, the Flying Fish and the Six Seven at the Edgewater Hotel where we stayed and loved it!

We'll be visiting Seattle again in June and will be trying the Fairmont Olympic this time. I would love see Teatro Zinzanni this visit, if you like that sort of entertainment, Tom Douglas is the chef and I hear it's really fun! Enjoy Seattle! ***kim*** ((*))

With only three nights on a first trip, I'd skip the suburban sights-the wineries and Willows Lodge, for example, and concentrate on Seattle. The city has plenty to keep you busy. You might take one, or even a half day and check out a nearby island if the idea of getting out of the city appeals to you. For example, if the weather's nice, you could ferry to Whidbey Island, walk around Ebey's Landing or South Whidbey State Park (or even Deception Pass, at the north end of the island). For a shorter trip, you could walk on the Bainbridge Ferry from Downtown Seattle, eat at one of the waterfront restaurants, ferry back to Seattle.

Wow! I didn't realize we had so many options. You have all made some wonderful suggestions. Now, I just need to sort through all of this. We do love visiting wineries, so we may still do that since we're going to be in Redmond anyway. After that, I just don't know yet...

One note about winery tours this time of year - limited opening hours - 10 to 5 I think, so plan accordingly.

If the freaky weather holds, there are no limits on what you might consider.

For example, if you want rural color, I'd take off on the Friday and head up to LaConner, a cute waterfront town in Skagit County (around an hour from Redmond) in the middle of the bulb growing area. The daffodils are all out right now, and the tulips are way ahead of schedule too, so by then there may be some serious color up there. Go on Friday because if the tulips <i>are</i> out, Saturday will be like Thursday on the San Diego Freeway. A wonderful day trip can be had by heading up to the tulips, continue west and south on SR 20/525 down the length of Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands, across Deception Pass, early dinner in Langley (another very cute town on the island) then across on the Mukilteo ferry, back to the I-5 freeway on SR526 (past the Boeing widebody plant - biggest building in the world) and into Seattle. Or, if daylight is waning, stay one night at the Silver Cloud Inn built over the water a couple of doors down from the Mukilteo ferry dock. That's a dynamite day trip in the Puget Sound region.

Then Saturday head into town (25 min. from Mukilteo and hit the Pike Market, Arboretum, see the houseboats on Lake Union, eat at one of the excellent Asian restaurants in the International District or good fish pretty much anywhere, music or bar-hopping in the evening. Sunday book yourselves into Salty's on Alki for brunch (food fair-to-good, view around a 25 on a scale of 10), then drive around Alki Beach and watch the parasurfers, ferries, etc.) Even if the weather turns back to normal, it's still an excellent weekend.

Gardyloo has outlined a very good itinerary—a trip we took this sunny day.

We went about 50 miles up I-5, got off at the town of Conway and drove through the Skagit Valley past fields of daffodils to La Conner--as delightful a town as is to be found in these parts. We had a delicious lunch at the La Conner Brewing Company.

On our way to Deception Pass, we took a little detour to the top of Mt. Erie for spectacular views of the San Juan Islands and surrounding mountains.

On Whidbey Island we visited Coupeville and Langley—two delightful towns.

We plan to do this trip again in late April when the tulips are in bloom, spending a night in Coupeville to explore some of the back roads with their great water and mountain views and also the Meerkerk Rhododendron Gardens near Coupeville.

You guys are so awesome giving me all these great suggestion. I guess I need to get a map, so I can see where all these places are!

I strongly ditto the recommendation to drive through LaConnor and the surrounding valley. I felt like we were in Holland with all the dikes and canals and tulips everywhere. We sort of stumbled on it on our way out of Seattle after a conference and the afternoon spent driving around the valley was one of the highlights of the trip. I found a wonderful pottery there that I ordered gifts from for years - but can't remember the name. &quot;Marguarite&quot; specialized in white paper sack vases tied with blue ribbons (made out of clay, of course).

We did venture on further north, took the ferry to Port Angleles and visited Olympic National Park. That area is just gorgeous.

In Seattle I took the Sewer or Underground tour, which sounds a bit gross but was absolutely fascinating. The guide was very funny and we learned so much about the origin of Seattle. We kept looking at the colored glass in the sidewalk the rest of the time in the city - because the glass was there to illuminate the underground/ ground level infrastructure of Seattle. They still have remnants of the original piping - hollowed tree trunks!

I always ate on the second level of a seafood restaurant in Pike's Market and was tickled to see the restaurant in Sleepless in Seattle. Can't remember the name but perhaps other Fodorites would.

I fell in love with Seattle. Have a great time there and in the Pacific NW!

I was going to recommend the Skagit Valley Tulip Festial, as well. Everything is blooming early. While normally the tulip festival is on for all of March, I believe this week they're opening up a week early. It is GORGEOUS and I can't wait to go myself!

http://www.tulipfestival.org/

If you're taking a ferry to Bainbridge Island, you might consider heading up north to the Bloedel Reserve. It's a lovely, peaceful area where you can go on about a 2-mile hike through some beautiful, lush natural gardens. Reservations are required, in order to keep it from being too crowded. No picnicking is allowed on the grounds, so don't plan on eating there!

http://www.bloedelreserve.org/

As everyone else has mentioned, Pike Place Market is well worth a visit. A true icon of Seattle, and the local vendors appreciate your support!

http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/

Chateau Ste Michelle is an excellent winery, and you CAN picnic there!

http://www.ste-michelle.com/

A Seattle virtual tour might give you more ideas:

http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/tour/intro.htm

(The above also has a good map of the area: http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/tour/seamap.htm)

The Seattle Times datebook will also let you know what's going on while you're here - find the calendar on the right side of the page and click on a date:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...entertainment/

Have a great time! The weather has been stunning, and looks to continue on as such. We need the rain desperately - but while we have the sun we might as well enjoy it!

Hi~my sister lives in Redmond. While the Woodinville area is nice, I'd say spend the three days in Seattle unless you want to head over to Whidbey Island which is lovely.

For the person wondering abovew the name of a 2nd level restaurant IN Pike Place Market, I'll take a guess it was either Athenian or Lowells... both Seattle classics with views out over the water.

I think the Teatro Zinzanni is one of the most fun things you can do - its a wonderful evening of food and entertainment - and I dont think you'l find anything like it anywhere else-
except San Francisco where they have another one -

So many choices!!! I can't believe all the great suggestions I'm getting. Thank you everyone!

This may be a little farther afield than you are looking to do, but I'll throw it out there anyway...we did Mt. St. Helens on a day trip from Seattle several years ago and it was my favorite part of that trip. The site is really incredible. I know there's been some seismic activity lately, so if it's something you're interested in, I'd check the national park's website to be sure it's open to visitors. The visitors centers and rangers were interesting and informative.

LA_FadeAway - try aaa.com for a great online trip planner. You can choose cities, attractions, etc. and get driving directions and modify the trip items by moving them up and down. It's a great way to plan a trip.

I just realized there's an error in my earlier e-mail. I said the tulip festival is normally on for all of March - what I meant was that it's usually on for all of APRIL but will be opening up the last week of MARCH this year. Whoops!!

If you do decide to go up to Skagit Valley for the tulips eat at the Calico Cupboard. There is one in Mt.Vernon, LaConner and Anacortes. My dad lives up there and every time I drive up to visit I stop here for lunch or treats to take home. Great sandwiches, soup, baked goods. I crave their club sandwich!

Well, I'm trying to figure out where to stay now. I'm thinking that the Silver Cloud at Lake Union may work for us, since we don't really need to spend all our time downtown anyway and we would save a bunch of money staying there. What do you all think? Will we be missing out on anything by staying there? I could try to Priceline something downtown, but I don't know if it's worth it, since parking is still outrageous there.

You won't miss a thing. Lake Union's a fine place to stay with a car. The only reason to stay downtown is if you wanted to be walking distance to... well the downtown stuff.

The Silver Cloud offers free shuttles to downtown (Pike Market, Pioneer Square, cruise terminal, etc. - Safeco Field??) so I wouldn't hesitate to stay there over downtown.

Hello,

I live in Redmond, WA. Just so you know, we have had beautiful spring-like weather this month and we are hoping it sticks around. Always be prepared for some rain, though. No, there is not much to see in Woodinville, where you are staying. Most of the fun things are in Seattle. The Space Needle and EMP Music Museum are right by each other. My favorite is the famous Pike’s Market. It is a farmer’s market full of eccentric stores and outdoor vendors. It is right on the waterfront. It’s a fun place to go, but can be crowded on the weekends. Downtown Seattle has lots of great shopping, restaurants and coffee shops. The seafood is really good here. The Seattle scenery is beautiful; we are surrounded by mountains, trees and water. I am from Texas, so it’s a big change for me! There are some boat tours you can go on, although I don’t know the exact names. You can visit Snoqualmie Falls, which is closer to Redmond, where your conference is located. Redmond also has a nice outdoor mall and some good restaurants. Hope you enjoy your stay.

I'm guessing the boat tours you're referring to are Argosy Tours:

http://www.argosycruises.com/

Thanks again you guys for all the great suggestions! We are booked for one night in Redomd and three nights at the Silver Cloud in Lake Union. It sounds like maybe we should hit Snoqualmie falls after our meeting on Thursday and then head toward Seattle from there, giving us all day Saturday and Sunday to explore some your suggestions.

Another question... I keep seeing ads for the &quot;City Pass&quot; which is $39.50 that gets you admission to the Space Needle, Seattle Aquarium, Pacific Science Center, Woodland Park Zoo and Museum of Flight. Is it worth it to buy this and see all/most of this stuff or is it kind of a tourist trap?

Oops, it also include an Arogsy Harbor cruise. I knew I was forgetting something!

The Space Needle is $13 for adults as of December, so that is a start toward recovering $40 worth.

I just don't know that the Aquarium is time well spent for a first trip to Washington and just three days here.

It might make sense if you were from Kansas or somewhere, but you can do the ocean stuff anytime in &quot;LA&quot; (??).

The other things that fall under your pass are decent, for those with particular interests that lean toward any of them, but why commit yourself to enough of them just to recoup your $40, when you can take the chance of maybe &quot;only&quot; catching three of them and spending $35 (or whatever)?

I like the idea that you're booked near Lake Union and you'll be reasonably near to central Seattle. On the right mornings you can walk into town, with the tall skyline being your guide. Otherwise take a bus to the city center.

Bus fare is $1.25 one way, most of the time, and .25 more at rush hour (in the downtown core area). (actually there is a &quot;Free Ride&quot; zone in the middle of downtown, but your hotel is beyond that boundary)

For sure go to the Pike Place Market and watch the merchants throw fish for a little while. Go to the Space Needle just because it is the number one symbol of Seattle. (if inclined to spend a hundred bucks or so on dinner up there, you can make reservations ahead of time and then you don't have to pay the $13 fee going up)

If you're more city/urban people than country bumpkins you might enjoy walking the street along &quot;Broadway&quot; (on a hill a couple of miles due east of mid-town Seattle). Lots of eateries and &quot;society&quot; up there and generally a younger subset of all things Seattle.

Better have plans in case of rain, because it sure could rain the whole time you're here.

If it is sunny, I recommend a round trip ferry boat ride across the water.

Maybe opt for &quot;Bainbridge Island&quot; which would be maybe a 30-45 minute trip one way, then a docking at the other side... and then it turns around and comes back toward the city skyline.

Don't bother getting off on the other side, just enjoy the boat on the water and the views all around.

Maybe you don't have to &quot;do&quot; so terribly much, maybe just let Seattle &quot;happen&quot; to you...

I hope it works out well for you!

Sounds good. Thanks! Would you recommend the trip to Bainbridge over doing one of the Argosy cruises?

I wouldn't do that coupon book, because with only 2 days I wouldn't choose any of those activities (except maybe going up the Space Needle).

Out to Snoqualmie Falls sounds like a great idea from Redmond.

I would give Broadway on Capitol Hill (mentioned above) a miss, it is in transition these days (used to be 'hip' now is under renovation), it is a bit past its prime. The pierced tattoo crowd that used to hang there, is more down on the Pike/Pine corridor these days.

Volunteer Park is nice on 15th on Capitol Hill as are some of the shops and restaurants on the same street. There is a conservatory and old water tower you can climb for free (poor man's space needle).

Honestly because you've just got the weekend, I'd stick with Seattle basics: Pike Place, Pioneer Square, a drive thru the Arboretum and along Lake Washington, maybe the Locks.

Hope the beautiful weather is around for your days here.

While Bainbridge Ferry is a cheap way to get out on the water and a good look back at the skyline, for you I'd probably suggest one of the Argosy cruises as being more interesting.

I think the Argosy Tours are great- I have done the Harbor Tour and also the tour out to Tillicim Village and Blake island - and enjoyed both -
with the tours you get a little history and local info- the ferry is just a nice ride .

I mentioned Volunteer Park in passing (it's in my own neighborhood and I forget how great it is!).

It's a fantastic park and only ~3 miles from downtown. One of the original Olmsted designed outdoor spaces.

The Asian branch of the Seattle Art Museum is there, the old water tower as mentioned above, and a wonderful old 4-room glass conservatory, refurbished lily ponds, reservior, great view.

Nearby (south on 15th 5 blocks or so) are many nice neighborhoody restaurant options.

So, what is everyone's favorite Argosy Cruise??? I think we definitely want to do one of those.