We are looking for someplace different to stay outside Seattle. We thought about Salish Lodge for Fly Fishing/Spa retreat? We will be going at the end of June. Any ideas or suggestions will be much appreciated.

Different from what? What Seattle outskirts have you been to already?

Salish Lodge is lovely, and their spa is is very tranquil. It's located about 40 minutes outside of Seattle proper. I don't know of any fly fishing in that area though.

End of June can still be a little iffy re:weather.

Perhaps consider the Olympic Penninsula? We recently stayed at www.chevychasebeachcabins.com in Port Townsend. It's in the rain shadow (dryer) of the Olympics and a quaint Victorian town.

Thank you. No I have not been to Seattle, but we wanted something different from the ordinary. They offer a fly fishing experience that sounded like fun and the same for the spa. We like the idea of hiking, kayaking and general exploring. Coming from Florida we wouldn't mind cooler weather, but hopefully not rain. We plan to spend 2 days in Seattle proper before going up there on the way to Vancouver,B.C. Is there anything to do around the area of Salish?

I was curious about those packages, so I went to their website to see what's included and what the price is.... holy moley.

Just IMO, the Salish is not that nice (good waterfall, lots of crowds during the day) to justify those prices. I also don't know where they'd take you fly fishing - local streams will still be high, but there are some lakes within an hour's drive or so that might be good.

Have a look at a couple of other places that would be well located en route to Vancouver - Sleeping Lady near Leavenworth (faux Bavarian village in the Cascades) - http://www.sleepinglady.com - and the Inn at Langley on Whidbey Island - short ferry ride from the mainland, easy return to the freeway to Vancouver at the north end - http://www.innatlangley.com. Either might provide the retreat atmosphere you're looking for, and both would (IMO) be better located and offer more to see and do than the overpriced Salish.

Note that Sleeping Lady is all-inclusive. Langley is a seriously cute town, and getting to the ferry at Mukilteo (which goes to Whidbey) will take you past the Boeing widebody plant, biggest building in the world and today's point of entry for Chinese President Hu. Hu? Yes! No, Who? Not No, Hu! That's what I'm tryin' to ask... (sorry.)

Salish isn't really on the way to Vancouver, it's actually out of the way.

Other options might be Willows Lodge in Woodinville. You can go hot air ballooning from there, or rent bikes and ride the Burke-Gilman trail. Woodinville has a wine district, but it's not nearly as expansive nor picturesque as California wine country.

Or, while in Seattle, consider renting a houseboat rather than staying at a hotel. Try www.vrbo.com or www.craigslist.org for possibilities. That will still have you right in Seattle, but give you that "Sleepless in Seattle" experience.

Fly fishing--I could be wrong, but I don't think Seattle is particularly known for it.

The San Juans will have plenty of Kayaking and offers a nice alternative to the cities you are visiting. Particularly if you are going during the week, you should have many lodging options.

Have fun. I hope Seattle shows its sunny side to you!

Thank you all. I will definately reconsider Salish, we want an experience, not an experience being ripped off. Been there done that as they say. The Chinese market sounds like fun.

I'm with Gardyloo on the Inn at Langley. Cute, artsy town on the water. Another idea is to drive up to Anacortes and take the ferry to San Juan or Orcas Island. They are on the way to Vancouver.