Will be staying in Seattle for 4 days prior to a cruise. Want desperately to visit Butchart gardens on a day trip. Any advise? Will be staying at the Embassy Suites. Also any recommendations for Seafood in the airport area? Have reservations at the Needle for dindin Sat. night. Any suggestions? Thanks. Julie

My wife and I have taken the Victoria Clipper on a daytrip from Seattle to Victoria--a few years ago. The boat leaves from Pier 69 in Seattle.

During the ride to Victoria, we bought tickets for a bus excursion from Victoria harbor to Butchart Gardens--don't recall the exact cost, but it was pretty reasonable. I forget how many hours we got to spend at Butchart, but it was plenty of time for us to take a leisurely stroll around the grounds.

We got to spend at least a couple of hours (and maybe a few hours) in Victoria after the Butchart excursion before the Clipper left for the return trip to Seattle.

The Clipper Web site is at http://www.victoriaclipper.com. You'll find schedules, fares, everything you need to know.

I agreew/ Don's postings. My husband and I went on that exact excursion and it is a scenic relaxing ride up.
You will LOVE Butchart Garden - If it is in May the tulips will in bloom and some of them were as tall as me. They are just gorgeous!
If you like hiking I suggest a day to Mt. Ranier(sp). The passes should all be open now. It is beautiful.
There is a Bavarian village in the Cascade Mt.s called Leavenworth. It features some pretty good German restauants and some cute shops. The drive there is spectaclar!
I cannot rmember how long of a drive, maybe 1and 1/2 hours.
Have fun.

For a little more per person than the peak excursion fares on the Victoria Clipper, you can fly on a seaplane from Lake Union in Seattle to the Inner Harbour in Victoria, then catch one of the many tours available to Butchart Gdns., returning in the evening. http://www.kenmoreair.com. The plane takes around 50 min. and is a blast, the clipper takes around 2 1/2 hours each way. If you haven't ridden a float plane maybe now's the time to check it out.

It's a 15 min. cab ride from the airport, but you might try Salty's at Redondo (on a pier over the water) for seafood near the airport.

Don't forget too - any costs up here are figured in our Northern Pesos, much lower than the real dollar.
If I recall, Buchart is about 10 miles from the harbour, so you would be best advised to get a tour bus if you can. I'm guessing a taxi would probably be about the same as an airport trip (??? $25 each way ???) So if there's more than 2, you might consider a cab cheaper? Not sure what admission would be.

I never understood the point of taking a tour to Butchart's. You can take a city bus for $2.50 per person each way, as long as you don't plan on staying too late. They might only run every hour but if you took the float plane you'd have saved time there.

Please be aware that the best dining in Seattle is NOT to be had at the Space Needle. Youare paying for the view. If that is your main reason for going you will love it! If not then you may want to rethink your dinner plans.

I'm not sure about seafood near the airport but in town I love McCormick & Schmitds, the Brooklyn, Waterfront, Rays, & Ivars Restaurant.

Have fun!

April,

Good info on the buses that run to Butchart Gardens. We didn't know about them when we took our trip to Victoria, so we paid for the tour bus. Next time, we'll know! Thanks!

Thanks, the seaplane with city buses it will be.I will traveling solo so cabs are expensive. Thanks for the dining advice, I live in Atlanta and I dine at the McCormick and S's here at least weekly so will try another suggestion. Is the Needle really that bad? How about taking the seaplane oneway and the boat the other? I presume the city bus stops right at the pier. Thanks

A Seattle friend took me to the Space needle for lunch. On our way there, she kept warning me, "we're going for the view not the food" The view was terrific, and we both agreed the seafood fettucine was the best we had ever had! Pleasant surprise!

You can certainly take the floatplane one way and the Clipper one way, of course the combined will be more expensive than a round trip on either, but it's entirely doable.

The Space Needle isn't that bad, but most folks think you're paying a premium for okay food and a knockout view. Probably worth it once in a great while, even for us locals.