Seattle trip recommendations for a family with young children
Jul 8th, 2009, 05:42 PM
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Seattle trip recommendations for a family with young children
We are taking a trip to Seattle area in mid August for 8 days with 2 young children (3 and 7 yrs old) What are some must do things? We will be renting a car.
We are planning on spending 2 days on San Juan island and renting a cabin tent so the kids can "camp".
We also plan on going to Victoria via ferry from Seattle, is it worth it to stay there overnight? I
My 7 yo expressed some interest in seeing orcas in the wild, are there any good tours for that from Seattle.
What are some good hotels for families with little kids in Seattle and Victoria in the $150-200 range?
We are planning on spending 2 days on San Juan island and renting a cabin tent so the kids can "camp".
We also plan on going to Victoria via ferry from Seattle, is it worth it to stay there overnight? I
My 7 yo expressed some interest in seeing orcas in the wild, are there any good tours for that from Seattle.
What are some good hotels for families with little kids in Seattle and Victoria in the $150-200 range?
Jul 8th, 2009, 06:21 PM
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Whale watching for orcas is best done from San Juan Island--and since you'll be there anyway, no need to do it from elsewhere (Victoria is also an option but I'd do it from SJI).
You could do a nice "circle" trip with a car from Seattle to SJI to Victoria to Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula, which is 2.5 hours from Seattle. If you can, structure your trip so you avoid traveling to SJI on a Friday; Sat mornings can also be bad. You can't make reservations on that ferry but you can on the one from SJI to Victoria and from Victoria to Port Angeles.
You don't need to pick up the car at the airport and have it for your first day or two in Seattle however; it tends to be much more expensive to rent at the airport than downtown, plus you'd be paying for parking.
How key is having a pool for the kids? Most of the hotels I like in Seattle in that price range don't have them (unless you can score one of the prepaid internet deals at the Fairmont Olympic which have been well under $200). In Victoria, the Inn at Laurel Point is nice with harbor views (or "harbour" as they say in Canada) and has a pool.
You could do a nice "circle" trip with a car from Seattle to SJI to Victoria to Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula, which is 2.5 hours from Seattle. If you can, structure your trip so you avoid traveling to SJI on a Friday; Sat mornings can also be bad. You can't make reservations on that ferry but you can on the one from SJI to Victoria and from Victoria to Port Angeles.
You don't need to pick up the car at the airport and have it for your first day or two in Seattle however; it tends to be much more expensive to rent at the airport than downtown, plus you'd be paying for parking.
How key is having a pool for the kids? Most of the hotels I like in Seattle in that price range don't have them (unless you can score one of the prepaid internet deals at the Fairmont Olympic which have been well under $200). In Victoria, the Inn at Laurel Point is nice with harbor views (or "harbour" as they say in Canada) and has a pool.
Jul 9th, 2009, 06:40 AM
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It would be nice to have a pool for the kids, would it be warm enough for swimming? I thought it was usually kind of cold in Washington (we live in San Francisco and even in the summer it's too cold for swimming here). We might be willing to get a hotel for a little over $200 a night if it's nice.
Jul 9th, 2009, 06:48 AM
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Also, is there a ferry from SJI to Victoria that you can take your car? I also hear that some rental car companies won't let you take your car into Canada. Do we need passports to travel to Victoria? We have them but won't bring them if we don't need them there.
Jul 9th, 2009, 07:38 AM
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Most pools here are indoors. If a pool is key, then you might look at the Sheraton or the Westin. The Silver Cloud chain of hotels is also very family friendly with pools; their Lk Union hotel might be something to consider, although you'd have to shuttle/drive to downtown Seattle from there.
Yes, the WA State Ferry goes from SJI to Sidney, just north of Victoria. Most car companies here do allow you to take your rental car into Canada since that's a big part of doing business here, but check to be sure. And yes, passports are required as of June 1.
Yes, the WA State Ferry goes from SJI to Sidney, just north of Victoria. Most car companies here do allow you to take your rental car into Canada since that's a big part of doing business here, but check to be sure. And yes, passports are required as of June 1.
Jul 9th, 2009, 09:07 AM
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Mayflower Park and the Warwick are my two favorite hotels in that price range. Warwick has a pool in their basement.
Woodland Park Zoo is very nice, and Greenlake nearby (with playground areas). The aquarium on the waterfront is fun.
To my point-of-view, the San Juan island, Victoria, and Seattle is an awful lot of car/ferry time & moving around for only an 8 day trip, and with small kids in tow. I could be wrong, but don't really think Victoria would be particularly interesting for children.
Woodland Park Zoo is very nice, and Greenlake nearby (with playground areas). The aquarium on the waterfront is fun.
To my point-of-view, the San Juan island, Victoria, and Seattle is an awful lot of car/ferry time & moving around for only an 8 day trip, and with small kids in tow. I could be wrong, but don't really think Victoria would be particularly interesting for children.
Jul 9th, 2009, 10:26 PM
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Your kids are perfect ages for the Pacific Science Center, which is right by the Space Needle. There is also a large children's museum, which we did not do. It was a sunny day when we went and we particularly enjoyed the Science Center's courtyard activities. These involved shooting water at targets and riding a bike high up in the air.
Also near both museums are some fairly basic rides which we did a few of--it was nice to just walk to all these things.
You can click my name and find my Seattle trip report for further details....
Also near both museums are some fairly basic rides which we did a few of--it was nice to just walk to all these things.
You can click my name and find my Seattle trip report for further details....
Jul 17th, 2009, 01:25 PM
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I have a little one. Younger than yours, but I feel like there's a whole new city opening up to me because of my kid.
Activities we've enjoyed:
West Seattle Water Taxi. Fish and chips and fantastic views of the Seattle skyline from the West Seattle side. You'll catch the water taxi from the waterfront in Seattle, which is fun on its own. There's a carousel, tourist shops, fantastically large ice cream cones etc. Taxi is $3/person, and $1 on the return if you get a transfer.
Washington State Ferry. This is fun, especially at sunset. Go to Bainbridge and walk the quaint main street. Or Bremerton which is a slightly bigger destination. Still, you can just walk on.
Ride the Ducks. This is a somewhat obnoxious tour, but it'd be fun for kids. It's whimsical.
Smith Tower. The elevator is cool! The views rival those of the space needle and it costs a fraction of the price.
Pacific Science Center, as was mentioned.
Seattle Storm. We went to a game. It was fun because it wasn't too crowded, but still there was energy in the air. Also the crowds are not as fiesty as the NBA crowds used to be.
Seattle Arboretum. You can also rent canoes from the UW side of the cut and canoe over to the arboretum. Lovely on a hot day.
Museum of Flight. Or the Future of Flight museum in Everett. The Everett one, you see the Boeing production line which is pretty cool.
Oh, so much to do in our little town. Enjoy.
Activities we've enjoyed:
West Seattle Water Taxi. Fish and chips and fantastic views of the Seattle skyline from the West Seattle side. You'll catch the water taxi from the waterfront in Seattle, which is fun on its own. There's a carousel, tourist shops, fantastically large ice cream cones etc. Taxi is $3/person, and $1 on the return if you get a transfer.
Washington State Ferry. This is fun, especially at sunset. Go to Bainbridge and walk the quaint main street. Or Bremerton which is a slightly bigger destination. Still, you can just walk on.
Ride the Ducks. This is a somewhat obnoxious tour, but it'd be fun for kids. It's whimsical.
Smith Tower. The elevator is cool! The views rival those of the space needle and it costs a fraction of the price.
Pacific Science Center, as was mentioned.
Seattle Storm. We went to a game. It was fun because it wasn't too crowded, but still there was energy in the air. Also the crowds are not as fiesty as the NBA crowds used to be.
Seattle Arboretum. You can also rent canoes from the UW side of the cut and canoe over to the arboretum. Lovely on a hot day.
Museum of Flight. Or the Future of Flight museum in Everett. The Everett one, you see the Boeing production line which is pretty cool.
Oh, so much to do in our little town. Enjoy.
