Seattle + in 10 days/ help
 

I am traveling to Seattle via train near the end of June for 10 days including thru July 4th.
Traveling couple with 3 teenagers, 2 boys, 1 girl ages 14-16. Our itinerary is flexible, but we want to see Seattle, whale watch, travel to Canada, and hopefully Puget Sound and Ranier.
How much of that is realistic? Any recommendations/must see and do?
All suggestions appreciated.

It's all realistic. Will you have a car at some point? Have you booked accommodation already? Any particular interests? One-star or four-star budget? One person's must sees are another's don't bothers. But some basic ideas:

Experience Music Project, Museum of Flight, Olympic National Park rain forest, Pike Market, Nordstrom flagship store, Mt. St. Helens, Mariners game, ferry rides, whizbang new library in Seattle, volleyball on the beach at Alki, Boeing factory tour, dim sum in Vancouver's Chinatown, visit the BC Parliament building... golly.

Look at www.argosycruises.com to see about an Elliott Bay/Lake Union fireworks cruise on the 4th of July - just incredible. Also www.seattleweekly.com for events and restaurant listings.

Last year we spent 4 nights on the Olympic Penn., 2 nights in Victoria, BC and 3 nights in Seattle. We didn't feel too rushed.

Two things to bring:
1. Bring heavy duty insect repellant if you hike in the Olympic National Park (with deet).
2. Bring sunscreen for Mt. Ranier. I had read so much about how it is almost always rainy on Mt. Ranier that it didn't even occur to me to bring sunscreen. Our day there was cloudless and I got one of the worst sunburns of my life (once you've hiked up about 4 hours, you can't exactly dash back to the car to get the sunscreen.)

Have a great trip!

We took the train from Seattle to Vancouver a couple of years ago. It ran right next to the Puget Sound all the way. It was a beautiful ride. Once there we spent seveal nights and took a ferry to Victoria to see Buchard (sp) gardens. Not sure if the kids would like that or not, but they would love the ferry ride. Have fun...

With teenagers, I fully second the recommendation of the Seattle Experience Music Project (EMP). Great architecture, cool exhibits.

Message: It's all realistic. Will you have a car at some point? Have you booked accommodation already? Any particular interests? One-star or four-star budget?

Thanks for the replies. 2 answer your questions:
Yes, we are renting a minivan.
Accommodations have only been booked for the first couple of nights in Seattle, and we are on about a 3 star budget.
Any other advise?

What are your kids hobbies or interests? I lived in Seattle for 5 years and have a 20 year old, 13 year old and 10 year old. May be able to narrow down some ideas for you. Seattle is easy to navigate and 10 days is more than enough time to do on your proposed itinerary. Agree with Gardy on Music Project, Olympic Park, Mt. St. Helens and would add Seattle Center and Pike Place.

Hi,
I believe that you should center your first priorities around things you know you can "cover"... such as Seattle proper, and that trip to Canada - I'd confine myself to the greater Vancouver area, not only because BC is 35% larger than Texas.

The whale watching is an inexact science to say the least.

It would be helpful to have a vague sense of where you are from. If you are from, say, Kansas then a ferry boat ride would be a must... Mount Rainier would also be of greater importance to someone from Kansas than it is for someone from california.

Your children will like the shopping in both Seattle and Vancouver... and Vancouver is especially unique for being a "foreign city" that is stunning and unique while also giving them no problems relating to interacting with the area.

Seattle:

Space Needle
Pike Place Market
Pioneer Square (day, and weekend night)
Boeing Flight Museum (maybe)
Ferry Boat ride (just go round-trip)
Shopping downtown (Nordstrom, malls)
Waterfront


Vancouver:

Grouse Mountain (gondola up the side of a mountain w/awesome view of city at top, etc.)
Stanley Park (great park adjacent to downtown)
Robson Street shopping
Beaches
Pacific Centre Mall
Gastown (for dinner and souvenirs)
Chinatown (perhaps best Sat. afternoon)

Good luck!

(oh, Fireworks in Canada happen July 1... just in case you're there)