We may have 4 days before a Seattle business conference next April 21, we've never been to the PNW before (we live in sunny So. Calif.) so here's my lazy question: what may the weather be like and what should we do? We are weather wimps down here.

I know, I know, I've only glanced at the topics for the Seattle area and for Vancouver. I figure we'll have enough down time during the conference to see at least Pike Place market and the space needle.

We aren't city people or shoppers or foodies, we'd rather hike and enjoy scenery. Should we head to Vancouver, Vancouver Island or the Olympic Peninsula? I don't think we can carve out much more than 4 days, fly from LA to Seattle early morning on Saturday the 17th, show up at the conference the afternoon of the 21st, then fly home Sat. the 24th.

Suggestions welcome, or you can yell at me for being lazy.

It could be raining and 50 or pleasant and 60 in April.
If you're not city people and would rather hike, then cross Vancouver off your list. The Olympic Peninula certainly has lots to see (lots of great hikes), but the mountains will be snowed in, and the coast/rainforest could be very wet (the same goes for Vancouver Island).

If, even though you're self described weather wimps, you're okay with the idea the weather might not be ideal, you could book a national park lodge (ie Kalaloch an dor/Lake Crescent Lodge) and also perhaps a night's stay in Port Townsend, and you could tour the Peninsula. The San Juan Islands are an option too; they are slightly drier, and certainly have scenery and some short hikes.

Who know what the weather will be? Seriously no one can predict Seattle's weather.

There are some pretty drives and hikes nearer to the city like Snoqualmie Falls and Whidbey Island. Much easier to reach in a short stay than trying to get all the way to Vancouver & Vancouver Island.

I also think if you want to hike and enjoy scenery, there's no reason to go further than Olympic National Park.

I would suggest staying in more than one place though. The different parts of the park are far apart and have very different ecosystems. It would be worthwhile to stay more than one place and kind of "loop" your way around toward Seattle.

This green banner at the top of this map has links to three very different park lodges (the lodges themselves are not that different but the surrounding areas are).

http://www.youra.com/maps/onp06/sec5.html

Here's what I'd do.

Fly into Portland and rent a car for drop in Seattle.

Head east through the Columbia Gorge (Historic Highway as far as Hood River, then cross to the WA side from there.

Continue east, stopping at the Maryhill Museum and Stonehenge (http://www.maryhillmuseum.org/) near The Dalles/Goldendale. Head for Walla Walla, an extremely attractive town with good restaurants, some excellent architecture, and a lovely little college (Whitman.)

Then wander around the Palouse for a day or day and a half - Pomeroy, Dayton (Patit Creek Restaurant, 4*, who knew) and especially Palouse Falls, before heading west on I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass and down into Seattle.

In April the waterfalls along the Columbia Gorge (Multnomah et al) will be in full spate; the rolling hills of the Palouse will be the greenest thing you've ever seen - the new wheat grass can be flat out awesome. See http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=4604543&size=lg for example. Palouse Falls ditto - remarkable waterfall in fabulous country in the middle of nowhere. See http://blog.oregonlive.com/terryrich...use_falls.html. And because the Cascades stop much of the moisture, it's reliably drier (not necessarily warmer) on the east side of the mountains.

You can drive, wander, hike, stare... at one of the country's real hidden gem regions.

If you're not city people, why would you be considering Vancouver?

With just 4 days to play with, I'd suggest the Olympic Peninsula since you can hike out there year round on the beaches and lower elevation trails. 2 nights at Lk Quinault and 2 nights at Lk Crescent would make a nice trip. You will almost certainly encounter some wet weather however, it's the rainforest after all.

People often forget about the coast. I love the beaches in Washington, that entire area's only about a 3 hour drive (down to Olympia, over to Aberdeen, then beyond). Graylands, Westport, Tokeland, Ocean Shores, Long Beach, etc.

Thanks everyone, some nice suggestions. I'm leaning towards the Olympic Peninsula, we were thinking of going there several years ago then never did.