Seattle Suggestions?
 

My husband and I will be visiting friends in Seattle (Greenlake) this October. We will be visiting them for a weekend and then staying for a week on our own to explore the city and surrounding area. We are very excited b/c we have never been before. Our friends have not had too many suggestions on what to do or where to stay really so I am hoping I can get some advice.
I think we'd like to stay downtown Seattle during the week as a base camp. Any suggestions on hotels?
We'd also like to go to Mt Rainer for some "light" hiking. Do we need to stay overnight there or can we just make a day of it and return to the city.
Wineries?
We are also thinking of checking out Portland for a day but not sure if this is realistic ? Too much driving?
I have heard about the San Juan Islands? Worth checking out?
We love food (some vegetarian) so restaruant suggestions would be great!
Any advice is much appreciated!

Forth and Pike is the heart of the downtown retail, entertainment, and dining core. I suggest you stay in a hotel in that neighborhood or as far west as 1st Avenue. There are many to select from: The Mayflower and Warwick among them.

Mt Rainier is a popular day trip from Seattle.

San Juan Island and Orcas Island are the two most popular of the San Juan Islands. I prefer the former for reasons I can explain if you ask.

Portland is a delightful city and it is a short drive from the spectacular Oregon Coast and Columbia River Gorge.

There are no vegetarian restaurants downtown, but Capitol Hill's excellent Plum Bistro is within a walk or short bus ride: http://www.plumbistro.com

Following are some favorite things to see or do in Seattle:

Pike Place Market
The Space Needle
Waterfront

Pioneer Square
Chinatown (International District)
Seattle Art Museum
Frye Art Museum
Olympic Sculpture Park

Woodland Park Zoo
Safeco Field
Experience Music Project
Science Fiction Museum
Museum of Flight
Pacific Science Center
Seattle Aquarium
Argosy Tillicum Village Tour
Argosy Locks Cruise

Perhaps you will find more ideas here:

http://www.seattle-side-trips.com
http://www.frommers.com/destinations...2_indattr.html

HTTY

For mid-priced hotels downtown I like The Mayflower Park or The Warwick. Also look at Hotel Max, Olive 8, Inn at the Market, Hotel Andra all nice in different price ranges.

Mt Rainier is a 2 hour drive each way, so works as a day trip. Portland is 3 to 3-1/2 hours drive each way so not really a "day trip".

San Juan islands are beautiful but again takes some time to get there because of ferry schedules etc. 3+ hours each way.

Whidbey Island is sweet and much closer, so you might do that instead?

Another fun closer-in place to visit is Snoqualmie Falls. It's a pretty drive and only 1 hour from the city.

www.cafeflora.com is an all-vegetarian restaurant, on Madison a couple miles from downtown (on the #11 Metro route). but Seattle is very veg-friendly generally speaking so you'll have no problems anywhere you go.

First of all, Stephy, where are you from?

I would sooooooooo use Priceline.com for a downtown hotel during October, when demand will be fairly light and the prices will be alluring.

Mount Rainier makes for a reasonable day trip, and you can drive, say, to "Paradise" (Mt. Rainier) and then all the way around the east side of the mountain on the way back.

If you were taking ONE day to see a different city nearby, I think Vancouver, Canada would be a more interesting destination than Portland, but that depends entirely on where you're from (and, of course, on whether you both have passports for getting across the border).

Canada is 110 miles from central Seattle and Portland is 166 miles from central Seattle (of course time spent at the border would have to be factored-in). (note: central Vancouver is another 30-ish miles from the border)

Hopefully the 'friends' who are hosting you for a weekend will cover SOME of the Seattle tourist attractions. And IF you are then "staying for a week (additionally)", you probably have time in there where you could allocate a night or two to Vancouver, Canada (IF you both have <b>passports</b>).

Where are you from??

Right in their neighborhood, there's Greenlake which is... well... a lake :-) with a walking/biking trail around it. Also the Woodland Park Zoo is right there.

Thanks so much! Getting some ideas. We are from Chicago and looking forward to the sea and mountains! Sounds like Mt Rainier is a must and we will have to decide on Portland or Vancouver. I am partial to "Portlandia" b/c of the show! :) Thanks for the hotel suggestions. We want to stay withing a reasonable budget for the week so I will look into those. Our friends suggested the W and Monaco but those seem expensive. Will check October rates.

HTTY tell me more about the islands you like more? Will look at Whideby too!
I know we will check out Pike's Market for sure.
Keep the suggestions coming!

OH and Wineries? Does anyone have any to check out?

HTTY and Suze both give you great advice.

You really have enough to do without leaving for Portland or Vancouver. Either could be their own trip another time. If it were me, I'd do a trip to one of the San Juans and stay overnight in a B&B. It is possible you could have rain by October, but the Pacific Northwest is often still really beautiful. You don't appear to have kids along on this trip and would be able to enjoy the scenery without pressure from bored little ones.

So if you do Mt. Rainier for a day and the San Juans for two, that takes 3 of your seven days touring. The other four, I would spend in the city working through some of HTTY's list.

If your friends have not been, I'd suggest you all day trip to one of the locations on his list.

EMP and the Museum of Flight I have not been to but both are highly thought of. Argosy Tillicum Village Tour would be fun and this I can tell you about. This is an island off the coast of Seattle that is a state park. You take a ferry to the island and you have a Native American feast in a Long House, complete with salmon, clams in their shells and story telling. You also will see some beautiful work of the carvers and the costumes. It was a highlight of a week we spent in Seattle a few years ago.

There's a number of wineries out in Woodinville, those are the closest to Seattle. Sorry no details, as I've never been.

One week is definitely not enough for Seattle, Portland, and the San Juans. I think it would be enough for Seattle, Victoria, and Whidbey.

I agree!