My husband and adult daughter (age 28) will be attending a family wedding in Tacoma in August. Planning a 1 week vacation, Saturday to Saturday, starting in Seattle. First time in the region, looking for some itinerary help!

We are NOT hikers/outdoorsy adventurers but can walk on easy trails as long as they don't involve any steep parts. One of our party is extremely fearful of heights. We love cities (native New Yorkers). Beautiful scenery is appreciated IF the views are from the ground looking up, BUT mountain hikes, twisty roads with steep drops, and mountain top views aren't our thing. Also love views from water/based activities (whale watching, ferries, etc) and beaches. Would prefer a relaxing pace rather than cramming lots of sights into a short stay.

Re: logistics ... we can fly in and out of Seattle, or into Seattle and out of Vancouver. We can rent a car or rely on other transportation options. Budget not an issue.

1. One idea is Seattle plus San Juan Island (s) and/or other coastal itinerary. Would appreciate itinerary help from Sunday am to Saturday am (6 nights)

2. The other idea is Seattle and Vancouver over 6 nights ... taking either the train or some ferry combo from Seattle to Vancouver/Victoria. NOTE: A future cruise to Alaska may present a future opportunity to explore Vancouver/Victoria ... so don't need to cram both destinations into this trip -- just a possibility we haven't excluded yet.

Thoughts/suggestions? Thanks in advance!

Going into the mountains is a choice, not a requirement. The places you have mentioned are all at or near sea level and are eye-poppingly beautiful. With a rental car you can drive up to Anacortes, Washington and catch a ferry to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, or you can take the fast catamaran Victoria Clipper to Friday Harbor (and Victoria, for that matter). You do not have time for Olympic National Park this trip, but keep it in mind for the future...the ocean beaches and rain forests do not require going into the mountains to visit. Hurricane Ridge can be "visited" by webcam from your motel room.

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Plan your visit | Visit Olympic National Park

I agree with Bob, the San Juan Islands sound like they would be an excellent option for you. San Juan Island has the most options for lodging and food, but Orcas has some nice places to stay as well. If that is your choice, do make ferry reservations. As Bob noted, you would need to rent a car, drive to Anacortes and take the ferry to one of the islands.

Another option would be to divide your time between Seattle and Vancouver, flying into Seattle, out of Vancouver. But if you are thinking about an Alaskan cruise, save Vancouver for that trip (as you will likely want to sail out of Vancouver).

With six nights you could also do an "island-intensive" loop that includes Vancouver, Victoria and both the Canadian Gulf islands as well as the San Juans. Map - https://goo.gl/maps/Hdma62moNw92

This would entail driving up to Vancouver for a night or two, then take the BC ferry to one of the Gulf islands - I've shown Salt Spring on the map as it offers the most variety and choices for accommodations and activities, then spend a day in Victoria before returning to the US via the Sidney-Anacortes (WA State) ferry. You could then either return to Seattle directly via WA 20 or I-5, or as I've shown on the map, visit Deception Pass (view if from the beaches rather than the bridges) and then travel down Whidbey Island, perhaps stopping in picturesque Coupeville or Langley, before returning to the mainland at Mukilteo.

The BC Gulf islands aren't as well known in the US as their San Juan counterparts. They're somewhat similar in terms of vibe and scenery, but tend to be a little cheaper and a little less touristy. https://www.hellobc.com/places-to-go/gulf-islands/

I like the Orcas Island suggestion: http://orcasislandchamber.com/20182019Guide.pdf

Thanks so much for your suggestions about the Anacortes ferry options -- will investigate further. Thanks!

Thanks Kathie ... my thinking as well, but good to get confirmation from the pro's on this board

So does Oprah!!!

I would spend the entire time exploring the cities of Seattle and Portland... the cities are rich in food, history, funky attractions, and plenty to do and see...
Ferry to Bainbridge, take one of the many water tours, visit the wineries and ride the duckboats... take in the market, see the Chihuly museum... in Portland, ride the hop on hop off trolley and spend some time people watching...

save Canada for a separate trip...

If you do spend time in Portland, and you have a car, don't miss Multnomah Falls.

Thanks to all who responded with suggestions and tips about my itinerary.

@gardyloo, thanks in particular for your suggestions about the Canadian island option, and for the map.

On this trip I'm inclined to split time between Seattle and the Washington coastal areas, focusing on the San Juan Islands, and save Canada (and Portland, for that matter) for future travel. I think that will strike the right balance between moving around and relaxing,

One last question, for those of you who know the topography of the Washington coast: Could you please say a little more about the heights involved in the coastal driving? The person with the fear of heights was not able to tolerate the Pacific Coast Highway driving from SF down to LA, or drive through Rocky Mountain Park in Colorado, etc. The view of Deception bridge makes me wonder if this will pose a similar challenge. TIA.

The view from Deception Pass is entirely different from what you will see driving along the WA coast. Highway 101 in WA does not go along the coast for very much of the route at all (more inland), and the drive along 101 is not very scenic except in just a few spots. For the WA coastal sights from the car, a fear of heights will have no bearing so you will be just fine

For the Seattle/San Juans route, the only "close your eyes" moment would be the 30 seconds spent actually crossing the Deception Pass bridge. Once you're down on water level these are the scenes you'll have -





I'll also note that there are a couple of road bridges between the airport, Seattle, and areas north. Seattle is a very hilly town, and for example the main north-south route, Interstate 5, crosses the Lake Washington Ship Canal on a high bridge. Would this be a problem? The bridge is crossed at around 1:25 on this video -

I live here. I never go hiking in the mountains only partly kidding around.

I think the San Juan islands or even Whidbey island would be nice. It's only a week which I personally could easily fill up with only things in the city and even including some natural beauty (like the Arboretum, Japanese Garden, Lake Washington, Golden Gardens, cruise on Puget Sounds, etc.)