Weekend in Seattle
 

I have to use up a flight voucher, and was looking for some place different. I travel tons for work, but its work and I'm the big cities for the most part. So I'm looking for a change of pace weekend trip. Of course the voucher flies me into big cities, so I'm wondering if anyone could recommend something different in the area of Seattle? I'll be travelling early november with my 12 year old daughter, and want an upscale hotel that we do room service breakfast and head out for a few day long drives to something we can't see here on the east coast. Any suggestions are appreciated!!

Go visit the Olympic Peninsula, and more specifically Neah Bay with its museum and the walk to the western-most point of the 48 states. However, it might be very rainy if you are thinking of going now.

Curious as to what others think of Neah Bay as a choice....It's a long way to nowhere, in my opinion. I have not been to the museum, but have not found the rest of the area of particular interest to the casual observer. I'd think, if one were only in Seattle for a few days and had never been, going to Neah Bay would not make my list.

I'd consider going to islands, instead, like Whidbey Island or the San Juans. You and your daughter might like the ferry ride and visiting Langley, plus walking along the water in a state park on Whidbey Island.

It takes about 2 hours to get to Anacortes and pick up a ferry to Friday Harbor and San Juan Island. This would be a very fun day trip. You would enjoy the town, and could visit English Camp, and drive around.

Port Townsend, on the Olympic Peninsula, is a picturesque town. You could take the ferry to Winslow and drive there. If the weather is good, you could visit Hurricane Ridge, in Olympic National Park. It has beautiful hikes and drop dead gorgious views towards snow capped peaks to the south and the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Victoria to the north. You could visit Hurricane Ridge in the morning, and Port Townsend in the afternoon.

You could also take a day trip to Victoria on the Clipper. I think your daugther would like this, and you would also. The Museum of British Columbia is excellent, in Victoria.

If the weather is good, Mt. Rainier, has a high "wow" factor. Again, drop dead gorgious mountain, but you need a clear day to enjoy it. Ditto for Mt. St. Helens, which has fascinating National Park Service visitor's centers off of I-5 at Castle Rock. It's about a 2 hour drive. If the weather is decent, I would seriously consider Mt. St. Helens. What 12 year old (or older or younger) isn't fascinated by volcanos?

What an original idea--send a woman and her pre-teen daughter to Neah Bay as the center piece of a weekend visit to Seattle!

I was in Neah Bay this summer. It is, literally, at the end of the country. A few miles of the drive getting there along the Strait of Juan de Fuca is spectacular.

As luck would have it, the road from Neah Bay to Cape Flattery (most NW point in US) was under construction and private vehicles were not permitted on it. As a result, the folks who run the museum drove visitors there in vans. On the return trip our driver played the drum and sang some songs particular to his family.

It was a great experience.

However, I believe a drive to Mt. Rainier or one of the other options described by Orcas would be more appropriate.

Were you my relatives I would suggest the following--take the ferry from Edmonds. Stop in Port Gamble on your way to Hurricane Ridge. On your return to Seattle visit Port Townsend.

If you have more time, drive to Lake Crescent from Hurricane Ridge and take the 1.5 mile hike to Marymere Falls.

Be prepared for rain.

The original question mentions a few days outside Seattle. That is sufficient for a drive around the Olympic Peninsula. On the other hand, November might be the wrong month for that part of the state--I've only been there in the summer.

Neah Bay was a suggestion as part of the Olympic Peninsula sights. The museum is interesting because it contains artifacts from a village that was buried in mud 400 years ago, which is why these wooden artifacts survived, albeit without the colors that we associate with Northwest Indian art.

Now I get it. On first reading I thought the emphasis was on Neah Bay.

And, I thought the OP was ambiguous about how long she plans to be in the area. We have "weekend" in the headline and

...I think she means she wants us to suggest "a few day-long drives" from which she can select. It's not clear.

I fly in on thursday, out on Sunday AM. We don't mind driving a few hours to get somehwere, but would want to be able to get back to the city to sleep.

That was how I had read it - day trips from Seattle. Actually, you might consider spending the night other places. There are some nice places to stay in Port Townsend, for example, and you'd be positioned for Hurricane Ridge and the Dungeness Spit on different days.

Hi Vabraone,

On a Seattle/Vancouver Island trip this summer (the PNW Fodorites gave me some great suggestions), we stayed in Port Townsend and absolutely loved this quaint, quiet and arty little town.

Some great restaurants (T's) and shops, art galleries and wonderful architecture. Nice people and a great Saturday morning market.

We stayed at Holly Hill House B&B which I would highly recommend.

We actually liked Port Townsend and Tofino (Vancouver Island) better than Victoria (except for Buchard Gardens which is unmatched).

Have fun!

#1- An overnight on Whidbey Island is fun. I like the Captain Whidbey Inn.

#2- Drive down/out to the coast say to Ocean Shore, Graylands, Long Beach, etc. is nice for a couple nights. Head south, hang a right from I-5 around Olympia out thru Aberdeen, continue on to the coast (about 3 hours from Seattle).

#3- The drive out towards the North Cascade mountains is spectacular, but you'd want a couple days because it take about 4 hours each direction. Head east, aim towards the towns of Winthrop and Mazama.

#4- Upscale hotels in Seattle, I like The Sorrento best. Fairmont Olympic or the new Hotel 1000. Slightly more modest I like Mayflower Park Hotel or suites at The Alexis.

Do you prefer a classic hotel (Olympic, Mayflower, Alexis) or a hotel that is more cutting edge (W or Hotel 1000)?

Do you want a hotel in the center of things (any of the above) or one that is more away from things and up a steep hill (Sorrento)?