Please help me plan our first visit to Seattle. I am attending a conference in Bellevue on July and my husband and 3 kids (teens) are coming with me and I want them to have a good time. I am wondering if we should stay in Bellevue or in Seattle. I will be in the conference in the mornings only. Any suggestions on where we should stay and places that we should visit? We will be renting a car. Thank you all.

You could stay either place. Bellevue might be more convenient, since you'll have a car. For the kids there is a world-class mall called BellSquare that should be a hit.

Besides that the usual suspects: Pike Place Market, Pioneer Square historic district, Woodland Park Zoo, Chinatown, visit the various public lakes and parks.

If your meetings are in the morning, you are better off staying in Bellevue--the morning commute from Seattle to Bellevue is horrible! (The express lanes run in the other direction in the morning, making Bellevue to Seattle a short trip, but the "reverse commute" is a parking lot). Your kids can sleep in and then look around Bellesquare (which will probably be only a block or two from your conference hotel) until you are finished with your meeting.

Then head for Seattle---the traffic is fine at mid-day---and enjoy the "usual suspects" as Suze suggests. Dinner at one of the waterfront restaurants is a "must". Or ride a ferry over to Bainbridge Island one evening and dine there, returning at sunset. If you do this, park your car in Seattle and take the ferry as foot passengers--it is expensive and time-consuming to put a car on the ferry.

Agree with the others--stay in Bellevue. There is a brand new Westin and a 5-10 year old Hyatt that are "attached" to Bel Square. There are also restaurants etc in that immediate area.

Things to visit (in addition to above), the Future of Flight Museum/Boeing tour in Everett, Underground Tour, Snoqualmie Falls, Tillicum Village, Museum of Flight in Renton.

Let us know if you need more!

The Ballard Locks is a fun 1/2 day if the weather's nice, have lunch at Ray's Boathouse on your way back.

Thank you very much everyone. We will stay then in Bellevue area. You are very informative.
The conference will be at Meydenbauer Center. I booked the hotel at Woodmark (2.9 miles away). They have a complimentary boat ride to lake Washington and "raid the pantry" at night. But I also like Hyatt Regency in Bellevue (0.6 miles) because it is closer and if you upgrade your room (which I need anyway) they offer a free continental breakfast. Any opinion from those who stayed from these 2 hotels?
Thank you again to all.

Take a look at www.nwtrek.org

It is a nature center/ wilderness natural setting "zoo", for lack of a better word. We loved it. Your kids will really love it.

Even the gift shop had good prices.

Hello! I live in the Seattle area and have stayed as well as planned events in both the Hyatt and the Woodmark. While the Woodmark is a bit more pituresque, the Hyatt is much more convenient to Meydenbauer Center - you will battle some major traffic from the Woodmark to Meydenbauer. Additionally, there is quite a bit more for teenagers to do @ the Hyatt as it is right in Bellevue next to shops and restaurants. Just my two cents. Have a wonderful trip!