Looks like I will be in Seattle through mid-summer, and I am hoping to plan some spring and summer day trips (or longer — even up to 5 days). I know I want to go to some islands for sure. What are some of your favorite side trips? Why? I'd love to hear more about what makes the place special so I can really decide. Honestly, seems like there's so much, I can't choose between Rainier, the Olympic Peninsula, Port Townsend, Orcas .... So: what is your favorite Seattle side trip or getaway? Why? Tell me about it! Thanks very much!!

Mt. Rainier can be done as a day trip from Seattle and you can visit Port Townsend on your way to Olympic National Park.

Other great trips from Seattle include the North Cascade Loop, the Columbia River Gorge, and the Oregon Coast.

Vancouver and Victoria are additional possibilities, and you can get to Victoria by ferry from Port Angeles.

We don't go to the San Juan Islands in the summer because of long waits for ferries.

Our favorite getaways are a three-way tie among Olympic Peninsula, Oregon Coast, and Columbia River Gorge and we don't let a year pass without visiting Mt. Rainier and driving the North Cascade Loop.

HTTY

Have not been to Seattle, but have done a little research on the area and happytrailstoyou seems to have made several good suggestions.

Tacoma is also very close by. What I've read suggests it's a less than appealing city in and of itself, but has several museums and gardens that sound interesting.

I like the North Cascade Loop, but to really get the benefit you need to get off the road a bit. Olympic Peninsula is great and as noted, Port Townsend is an easy detour enroute to Port Angeles and other points on the Peninsula.
Ranier is a good day trip out of Settle, but it does take the whole day.
I like the Gorge more than the Coast, but both are worth visits. If you like wine, you go get to the OR coast via Portland and McMinnville, Dundee, etc., the heart of the OR Wine Country.

I like the North Cascade highway out around Winthrop and Mazama. It's about 4 hours but VERY beautiful with camping or cabins available.

Closer in I like Whidbey Island for a weekend. Captain Whidbey Inn is a fun place.

I like going out to the ocean, say Ocean Shores, Graylands, Westport, Long Beach, any of the Pacific Beaches are very nice, about a 3 hour drive from Seattle.

Snoqualmie Falls is fun for a day or 1-night trip.

If you want a multi-day trip, you can go to Olympic Nat Park (both the coast and the mountains), then take the ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria.

After a day sight-seeing Victoria, take the ferry to Vancouver (or drive up the coast a bit and take the ferry from Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay (just north of Vancouver). The latter would be a good choice if you want to drive up the 'Sea to Sky' Highway to Whistler. I would do this, as the 'Peak to Peak' gondola ride between Whistler and Blackcomb is worth it.

We also like going to Portland, then up the Columbia River Gorge. From there, you can go southward to visit Mt Hood and/or northward to the Columbia Plateau (lava flows, petrified wood, wineries) before returning over Snoqualmie Pass.

You can then spend a day in Vancouver before driving back down to Seattle.

Another alternative would be to skip Vancouver on this trip, and instead return from Victoria via the WA State ferry to Anacortes. This ferry stops at a few of the San Juan Islands, so you could get off for the day or overnight to explore one or more islands before continuing on.


Another great overnight (or super-long one-day trip) is to go to Mt Rainier Nat Park (Longmire, Paradise, Stevens Canyon, Sunrise, White River), then continue on to Mt St Helens (Bear Meadow, Windy Ridge, Lava Canyon, Ape Cave) before driving home. Of course, at that point, you are almost to Portland, so you could include that as well.

Thanks so very much!!

I strongly recommend a Washington State Ferry Ride throughthe San Juan Islands check here for schedules: www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/
You can also catch the Victoria Clipper from Pier 69 for an overnite to Victoria BC. A beautiful city with plenty to do (high tea, great resturants, museums of NW art) within walking distance of the inner harbor where the ferry lands. You can get reasonable "ferry hotel combo" packages.There are good wineries close to Seattle in Woodinville, St. Michelle and Columbia. The Seattle Art Museum is quite good. An Andy Warhol exhibit runs through Sept 2010. IF you like food, music and can handle crowds, the Bite of Seattle is held July 16 thru 18 at Seattle Center www.biteofseattle.com/

I hope that helps

You can also go to Leavenworth (Bavarian touristy but has wonderful chocolate shop)try going cherry season couple of miles east to get cherries usually June can go hwy 2 both ways or Hwy 2,97 and then I5(you can go either highway first. I would go Hwy 2 first just because road is mostly 2 lane and gets crowded later in day).

I like Port Townsend also. could ovenight at Frot worden state park.

Also several wineries in Woodinville and red hook brewery about 10 miles downtown Seattle.

Deception Pass state park.

You can park car in Anacortes and walk on ferry to Friday harbor San Juan island can walk around town otherwise need car.

Another beach and lighthouse Mukilteo can also take ferry to Whidbey from here.

If you are in Seattle already, please head on up North to the Tulip Festival in the next week or two, the show is immense and breathtaking, but only for a few weeks. Bring a bike if you like to ride. Don't forget to look for the great blue herons and the eagles along with seeing the tulips. Stop by LaConnor,WA for some shopping and exploring.

Explore one of the Rainforest Valleys, (in the Summer, hopefully not raining) with moss dripping from the trees, lush huge undergrowth, take a walk on Ruby Beach, which was not crowded even in early August when we were there for our anniversary. And yes, we did see the ruby colored sand shimmering when the sun hit it just right, subtle but amazing.

My favorite trip is up to Victoria, BC, going to the Natural History museum,exploring the town there, going to butchart gardens.

Or down to the Columbia River Gorge, watch all the windsurfers, explore the waterfalls, and take the back way home, stopping at the small family wineries dotting the eastern valley.

Take an easy hike through the Grove of the Patriarchs, one of the can't miss hikes in Mount Rainier, where old growth forest survived fires and humans by being on an island in the middle of the White River. This is on Hiway 410, On the way there, stop at Wapitii Woolies in Greenwater, for a latte and if you want something very uniquely Washington, one of their hand knit hats, that they ship around the world.