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Seattle in April, What's the "Don't Miss Places"

Seattle in April, What's the "Don't Miss Places"

Old Feb 25th, 2001, 08:38 AM
  #1  
DJ Fox
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Seattle in April, What's the "Don't Miss Places"

Spending 5 days in Seattle. Looking for advice on the local attractions i.e Festivals, beautiful places, small town around with charm. Also intersted in lodging ideas, great restaurants etc.

What should we expect for weather?
 
Old Feb 25th, 2001, 08:41 AM
  #2  
Rain
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Expect rain - it always rains in Seattle. But you'll get adjusted to it quickly. It might rain in the morning to be followed by a beautiful sunny afternoon.

You might want to do a search for Seattle. There have been a number of other postings in the past few days on this city and recommended sites, restaurants, etc.
 
Old Feb 25th, 2001, 09:31 AM
  #3  
Rick
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Don't miss Pike Street market,,,Seattle Center,(they have a fantastic brunch on Sundays in the space needle)
The Waterfront is a neat area. Lots of shops and great food.
The Edgewater Hotel is a very nice place to stay. Right on the bay.
For something a little differant you could take the "underground" tour of Seattle.( If they still do it, has been years since we took it) If you didnt know, parts of downtown Seattle were destroyed by fire in the early 1900's.Or maybe late 18's not realy sure when. Anyway, Instead of tearing down things. they built on top,,so around the pioneer square area "old" Seattle is underneath. Guides took you underground..its pretty interesting..kinda a time capsule.
 
Old Feb 25th, 2001, 10:03 AM
  #4  
jc
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Monaco Hotel is a really hip and fun place to stay (more for the younger set). Alexis Hotel is a great hotel near Pike Place Market. The Pike PLace Market is a must-do. Take a ferry ride out to the other side of the sound, even if you don't intend to visit the other side, and enjoy the views. Edgewater Hotel is neat for being right by the water (you can fish from some of the guestrooms) and has some history (the Beatles stayed there), but I tend to think that it's a bit out of the way. Also, the rooms aren't the greatest, so unless you're right on the water, I wouldn't bother. Depends what you're looking for, though, and how much you want to pay. It's been a while since I've lived there, but I don't recall any small charming towns around Seattle. I'm from NY and I used to try to go for "Sunday drives" around Seattle. We didn't find any charming small towns like those in the Norteast. We would head into the mountains (the Cascades?) on the west side of Seattle. There's a funny town an hour or two away from Seattle (can't remember the name, starts with an "L," I think it's on Route 2) that has turned itself into a kind of village in the Alps. We found the village to be quite amusing.
 
Old Feb 25th, 2001, 10:07 AM
  #5  
sheri
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If you like small towns and festivals, be sure to head up to the Tulip Festival in Mt. Vernon/La Conner which takes place in March/April. Not sure what the tulips will be like this year since it's been such a dry winter. Go on a weekday to avoid the worst of the crowds.

We *hope* it will rain while you're here ;-). It's been so nice this winter that our water supply is dangerously low, esp. in light of the current power crisis.
 
Old Feb 25th, 2001, 11:30 AM
  #6  
kam
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They do still do the underground Seattle tour. It leaves from an old and famous bar in Pioneer Square. You might try to get over to Victoria,BC, while you're there, especially if you have a lovely sunny day. There's a hydrofoil called the Victoria Clipper that leaves from near the Edgewater Hotel. It's a great restaurant town--some of the best are at or very near Pike Street Market and our favorite hotel is the Inn at the Market, mainly because of the beautiful roofdeck with great views of the bay. Enjoy and don't mind the rain--it's part of Seattle as fog is part of SF.
 
Old Feb 25th, 2001, 01:42 PM
  #7  
G. Kremer
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Along with the previous posted suggestions, go about 80 miles southeast of Seattle & visit Mt. Rainier National Park. Absolutely awesome. Takes about 1 3/4 hrs. to get there.
 
Old Feb 25th, 2001, 04:13 PM
  #8  
ALF
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The town with an 'L' referred to by jc is Leavenworth, and it is almost 2 hrs from Seattle via U.S. Route 2. The drive through the Cascades on Route 2 is very scenic, with many opportunities for walks. I wouldn't go all that way just to go to Leavenworth, but if you want mountain scenery, you could end up there. A nice loop is to take Interstate 90 over Snoqualmie Pass, then head north to Leavenworth, passing back over the Cascades on Route 2, via Stevens Pass. The best mountain road is Route 20, the North Cascades Highway, but I suspect that it will still be snow-covered in April. My vote for a small town with charm is Langley, on Whidbey Island. You can reach Whidbey Island by ferry from Mukilteo, about 20 miles north of Seattle. From there, it is a delightful drive, with chances for stops at beaches and ocean overlooks. Langley is a nice little town with country-style stores and some wonderful lodges. The Whidbey Inn is sumptuous and the food spectacular (and pricy). You can continue over the spectacularly high Deception Pass Bridge onto Fidalgo Island, where there are some great high lookouts and beaches. From there, head east on Route 20 (Yes, the same Route 20 that ends up as the North Cascades Highway) to Interstate 5 back to Seattle. Another fine restaurant is on a great little coastal road called Chuckanut Drive, on the mainland, north of Fidalgo Island. Its called the Oyster House, and its a tiny seafood restaurant perched atop a cliff overlooking Padilla Bay. As for weather, April is typically a dicey month, but we are undergoing a drought right now that is projected to extend at least throught he Spring and into Summer. Good news for you - bad news for those of us who depend on all that water for breeding salmon and hydroelectric power.
 
Old Feb 26th, 2001, 01:24 AM
  #9  
ldsant
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I'll agree with the other folks who are obviously from SEA and let you know that for the last few weeks I haven't needed a jacket yet alone an umbrella. This is a real problem here BTW.

Small towns - I would suggest you take the ferry to Bainbridge Island, visit the winery, Bloedel Reserve, and the Native American museum. It's a nice few hours, plus as previously mentioned, the ferry ride itself is pretty cool.

Great restaurants? Depends upon how much you want to spend, but here are a few I really enjoy (and take out of towners to as well):

Sostanza's - Madison Park - Italian
Canlis and Rovers - very pricey
Cafe Campagne (Pike Place - great for lunch)
May want to try and get a reservation at the Herbfarm (I think they'll be open then).
Ray's Boathouse
Red Mill Burgers

Lodging - where are you interested in staying i.e., downtown, on the eastside, on one of the islands (if you have time I would highly recommend visiting the San Juan Islands and going whale watching).

I would also recommend driving and seeing Mt. St. Helens. If you're not from the west/Hawaii, this is very cool. It's about a 2.5 hour drive, but well worth it. Spirit Lake is gorgeous and the visitor's center is very cool as well. Although, there is an IMAX production too on Mt. St. Helens in SEA (Seattle Center) so, if you don't get time. . .One of my other favorite places is the Museum of Flight. IMHO, it rivals the National Air & Space Museum in the "other" Washington.

Hope this helps. Have a wonderful time.
 

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