Hi dear people. DH and I are flying to Seattle at the end of this month for work. We'll have one free day before work and 3 full days to play with after work. I know it's winter and should be rainy but we want to make the most of our visit. Please give me your best ideas for one day in Seattle. (Pike Place Market is a must.) We'd love the spend our free time by the water. Is heading to the coast for 2 nights a bad idea? We are open to any suggestions on where to go, where to stay, and what to do. My only experience with Seattle is time spent in the airport. Thanks so much for your help.

If by "the coast" you mean out to the Pacific it takes about 3 hours to drive south then head over thru Aberdeen and on out to coastal towns. Sure you can do that if you want to, instead of spending the days in Seattle.

As far as by the water you could take an Argosy cruise &/or a ferry ride. Not sure you want to go kayaking or canoeing in January.

When you ask about where to stay, are you asking about in Seattle, or out to the coast, or what?

For ideas for 1 day in Seattle in addition to the Pike Place Market... Seattle Center, Space Needle, Chihuly Glass Garden, Olympic Sculpture Park MoPOP, Seattle Art Museum, Pioneer Square historic district, Klondike Museum, Smith Tower, Waterfall Garden Park, Chinatown/International District, Wing Luke Museum... obviously you won't have time for all of those, and some are weather dependent, but those are a few options.

Thanks for your reply Suze. I did mean places to stay on the coast as we’re set for our stay in Seattle. I get the feeling you’d recommend staying in Seattle. A wonderful list of suggestions. I need to do my research.

I get the feeling you’d recommend staying in Seattle.

No not really Or only because your time is so very short. I'm not against taking a trip outside the city at all! You could get somewhere like Whidbey Island easier than going all the way out to the Pacific Coast. Flip side there certainly is plenty to see and do in Seattle to fill a few days. I've lived here 30+ years and haven't seen everything. Just depends how you want to spend your time.

Google the places shown on this map - https://goo.gl/maps/MYUV4DPibPM2 . The "Whidbey Loop" is a terrific all-season route (sea level so not much chance of snow) that includes several picturesque towns, a couple of fab state parks, views of the Cascades and Olympics (weather permitting) as well as beaches to walk on, cool inns and B&Bs, a couple of great lighthouses, and, if you're lucky, a few hundred thousand snow geese who overwinter in the Skagit Valley.

Mukilteo lighthouse -



Deception Pass 1



Deception Pass 2



Snow geese near La Conner, Skagit Valley



You could also visit the Boeing Everett plant, home of the big jets and the biggest building in the world.

The Whidbey Island loop looks like a great idea. Thanks again for your help.

Gardyloo, I like this idea a lot. Do you have a favorite Inn or B&B along the way?

I usually make this loop as a day trip, but places with good reputations to investigate:

Silver Cloud Mukilteo - https://www.silvercloud.com/mukilteo/
Inn at Langley - https://innatlangley.com/
Captain Whidbey Inn - whoops, closed for renovation
La Conner Channel Lodge/Country Inn - https://www.laconnerlodging.com/

...but I'm sure there are more.

Gardyloo, they all seem lovely. Thank you. I will look at them today.

Gardyloo--Nice to see that Captain Whidbey Inn is closed for renovation. I knew they had new buyers and were going to renovate it, but didn't know when. It really needed it!!! Can't wait to see how it is this spring when they reopen

Gardyloo always LOVE seeing your photos. They are magnificent. Thank you also for the update on Captain Whidbey being closed for reno, it's a sweet place glad to hear it's getting some TLC!

I think the Whidbey Island loop would be a prefect introduction to the Puget Sound area. It would be a much better experience than driving to the coast, IMO. Since I live in Seattle, I could give you ideas to fill up all of our time in Seattle, but a side trip to Whidbey is a better idea for you, I think.

Gardyloo, I am now looking at your pics on my computer instead of my phone. They are amazing. Thank you so much for sharing them and for the inspiration.

Kathie, thanks for your input. I'm a bit intimidated about the logistics of a Seattle visit and DH is not a fan of museums. Thus, the plan to spend one day in the city and then visit the surrounding area. Given one winter day in Seattle, what would you do?

You could spend the day on foot in downtown (no need to be intimidated). It's only 2 miles total between Pioneer Square historic district (south end of downtown) up to Seattle Center/Space Needle (north end of downtown)... with the Pike Place Market right about in the middle (following along 1st Avenue from south to north).

I know you said no museums... but the Klondike Museum is an interactive national park with displays about the Gold Rush era in Seattle, not your typical art museum. The Underground Tour is a humorous look lead by funny guides telling about the (sometimes ridiculous) history of how Seattle was founded (and a peek at a few rough historic underground spaces).

What kind of thing is your husband interested in?

There is a very nice public library in Seattle. You can get an hour on a computer (free). In the Fremont section is the world HQ of geocaching (Groundspeak). A couple blocks from HQ up under the north end of the Fremont bridge, is a famous troll. Inside geocaching HQ, there is a photo booth and a large geocache to log your visit.

I really enjoy the Argosy cruises- they have several but not sure if all are running in January. I like being on or near the water as well and the Argosy cruise provides a little history as well!

Suse, he told me today the Nordic Museum interests him. He’s an outdoorsy guy; biking, fishing, hiking. Your Klondike Museum suggestion is perfect for him as is the Underground Tour. We both like quirky. And bakeries. We both like bakeries. Thanks for easing my mind about being intimidated. Wish I had more time to research and plan thoroughly.

tomfuller, that sounds like fun!

Thanks sunbum, I’ll check into it. Fingers crossed for a little sun.