Victoria, BC or Puget Sound Islands
 

We have studied the forum for several days and so far we will fly into Seattle. Go to Mt. Rainier for a couple of days then spend 2 or 3 days in Olympic National Park. Then we are stumped, Go to Victoria for a day OR go, like someone suggested, to Oak Harbor, Coupeville, Port Townsend, OR Bremerton? We like the beauty of the area more than museums and indoor activities (unless bad weather :) We will spend our last day seeing a few things in Seattle. Any Suggestions?
Also Ashford for Mt. Rainier lodging?
Thanks

I think I would go to Victoria for a little splash of international flavor.

Coupeville and Port Townsend are interesting (and are at either end of the same ferry run). Bremerton and Oak Harbor are not really tourist destinations, IMHO.

Ashford works well for Mt. Rainier and is probably as close as you can get without actually staying in the park.

Coupeville, the Ebby's Landing area and Langley are the most attractice (IMO) areas of Whidbey Island. The Deception Pass State Park at the north end of the Island is also worth a visit.

Hello,

I agree with going to Victoria! You can take the Washington State Ferries (very old and humble ships) from Port Angeles to Victoria. Then, I would stay in the Inner Harbour of Victoria - just park your car and walk - at the Delta Ocean Pointe Resort. On your way home, take the BC Ferries (very nice! Make a reservation for your sailing) to Tsawwassen and drive on Highway 1 TransCanada through Peach Arch crossing and Bellingham to Seattle. If you want the scenic route back to Seattle, head west south of Bellingham to Anacortes, drive Whidbey Island with a stop at Deception Pass, take ferry to Mukilteo and you are about 30 minutes from Seattle. Oak Harbor, Port Townsend and Coupeville are small towns and you will see the scenery from the main north/south road. Bremerton is mostly Navy shipyards.

Paradise Lodge is the main place within Mt. Rainier, but you can stay in Enumclaw for better rates, easy access and nice people.

Just need to correct a bit of misinformation in the above post:

1) It's the MV Coho, a private ferry, that takes you from PA to Victoria. It's correct you don't need a car for Victoria, so leave your car on the Port Angeles side and walk on the the ferry. There are many hotels in Victoria's inner harbor area.

2) It's the Peace Arch. Peach Arch is cute, though.

3) You will NOT see Port Townsend when traveling down Whidbey Island. Port Townsend is on the mainland, easily reached by ferry from Coupeville.

Thanks very helpful now to get out my map:)

There's really no reason you can't visit Victoria <i>and</i> Whidbey Island. Do the day trip to Victoria as foot passengers, then on the way to Seattle travel via Port Townsend and Whidbey Island. You'll need to book the Port Townsend > Coupeville ferry - http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/ - but once on Whidbey just drive south to Langley for a short visit, then continue on to the Mukilteo ferry (no booking needed.) Cross to Mukilteo then take SR 526 (the "Boeing Freeway") past the Boeing wide-body plant, biggest building in the world, to I-5 and Seattle.

This route will add an hour or two's drive time to Port Angeles > Seattle via Bainbridge Island, but if you're traveling back to Seattle anyway, it's time well spent.