My husband and I have 3 days in Seattle. We've never been there so what should we do and where should we stay?

What are you interested in? What kind of budget are you working with? Will you have a car?

Absent more information on your likes and dislikes, budget, and especially when you're coming, the best advice is to type "Seattle" in the search box and stand back.

BOATS
Take a ferry ride to Bainbridge Island or the Kitsap Peninsula.
Take a boat tour around Elliot Bay
Take a boat tour out to Tillicum Village and have dinner there.
Take the Victoria Clipper boat to Victoria, B.C. for the day, then return.
Rent a kayak on Lake Union, or a canoe on Portage Bay, at UW.

IN TOWN
Visit Pike Place Market
Visit Seattle Center, which includes the Space Needle, Experience Music Project, The Science Center, and more.
Take the monorail from Seattle Center to downtown Seattle.
Visit the Waterfront (just below Pike Place Market), which includes the Aquarium, a trolley car line, restaurants, and shops.
Go to a Seattle Mariners game in their new stadium.
Visit the Seattle Art Museum

DRIVES
Drive up to Everett for a tour of the Boeing airplane plant.
Drive to Snoqualmie Falls and take a walk.
Drive to the Mukilteo Ferry, take it to Clinton, then drive up Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands. Head east on Route 20 to I-5 for the return to Seattle. Along the way, visit the quaint town of Langley, beautiful Deception Pass State Park, and Anacortes.
Drive to the northeast entrance of Mt. Rainier (via Rte 167), continue to the Stevens Canyon Road, and take that up to Paradise. Return from Paradise down the Nisqually River, via Tacoma. Along the way, visit Sunrise (if the road is open), Ohanepecosh, Box Canyon, and several scenic overlooks.
Drive I-90 to Snoqualmie Pass and take a walk on one of the nearby trails.
Drive over the Cascades on Route 2, via Stevens Pass. Head down to Wenatchee, drive north, then pick up Route 20 and pass back over the Cascades via Rainy Pass. Return to Seattle via I-5.

Sorry I left out a lot of important details! We will be there over Memorial Day weekend and will have a rental car. We are interested in seeing some of the beautiful nature areas and the "touristy" things i.e. the Space Needle and the Market. Any other suggestions.

Thanks for all those ideas Alf! That gives us some good ideas!

Susan

Alf's suggestions are great, that would make a pretty good 3 day trip. If you're traveling at the end of May you might not be able to visit Paradise and Sunrise on Mt. Rainier because the snow doesn't usually melt until late June or early July. I was there last June (middle of the month) and there was too much snow to visit Paradise. Mt. Rainier is too beautiful to pass up though, even if you have can only make it up to about 4000 feet. Visit http://www.nps.gov/mora and click the "facility status" link under the "Quick Links" section at the bottom of the page to find current conditions. The Washington Park Arboretum is beautiful also, it is a 200+ acre park just south of the University of Washington. The website is http://depts.washington.edu/wpa If you like seafood I would suggest eating at Emmett Watson's Oyster Bar across from the Pike Place Market in Downtown Seattle--they have the best oysters in town and are very reasonably priced.

I would recommend Pike Market with this suggestion. We always hit the market on our last day in Seattle so we are able to pack fish and other goods to bring home on the plane. We always get the alder smoked salmon at Pure Fish. We also have brought home Copper RIver salmon or simply fresh wild salmon from there as well. They will pack the fish for travel. Stop at Three Girls Bakery for delicious breads(they also make good sandwiches). There are many vendors in the market who sell things from the Pacific Northwest. We always load up on roasted hazelnuts and dried cherry items. Both can be found there. We happen to really like Cafe Campagne for lunch. This is right up the street from the market near the Inn at the Market. It's a bistro type atmsophere. The suggestions for Emmet Watson's is a good one. For dinner check out Campagne(ask for a table with a view of the market if possible). We have also eaten at and liked The Dahlia Lounge(downtown) and Brasa(Belltown).
Other places that seem to get good reviews(I haven't eaten at yet) include Flying Fish and Oceanaire for seafood. We have also eaten at some smaller neighborhood places we like. I really liked Tango for Tapas in downtown.
I would also recommend Pioneer Square. There are many antique shops and galleries here. This is also the home of Elliot Bay Books which is massive and worth a stop. My favorite place to eat in Pioneer Square is a tiny(maybe 5 tables) place called Salumi. This is a sausage and cured meats place run by Mario Batalli's Dad. There are many kinds of things to taste and order. It's very low key and very comfortable. I also like the Seattle Art Museum and have seen some great exhibits over the years. It is located between the Pike Market and Pioneer Square. The ideas for going out of the city are good. Frankly, you will also be in the city when many folks will be gone so you'll have the opportunity to see and be without crowds..that's one of my favorite times to be in a city.
If you decide to go someplace try and go in such as way as to take one of the ferries. The vistas alone are worth a trip. My favorite guidebooks for this region are the Best Places series. Enjoy..I think it's a great city!

If you like baseball and the Mariners are in town, try to see a game at Safeco. Its the nicest ballpark I've been in and the Mariners are a fun team to watch. There's a fun atmosphere on the pedestrian streets prior to the game with beer, food and souveneir vendors. While in the park, its fun to walk around and you can visit all parts of the park no matter what ticket you've bought. There are nice views of Puget Sound from the arcades. Fans are lively and interested in the game so that adds to the atmosphere also. The park is walking distance from downtown.

Thanks for the ideas everyone! Lots of things in there that we had not considered! I appreciate all the advice and look forward to putting it to use!

Susan