NW vacation advice
 

We are going to be vacationing in the Seattle-Vancouver area the last two weeks in Sept. What are the "must see" places? Hiking in Mt rainier NP is on my list. Is Chinatown worth seeing? We love railroad rides. Is Mt St helen worth the trip? How about Mt hood? We're not looking for night life.
Thanks in advance.
Jay

Might want to check out Olympic NP and see the Rainforest.

There's a nice hot spring resort in the Olympics -- Sol Duc Hot Springs. Part of the Nat. Park system I think. A bit out of the way - a few hours from Seattle.

Pike Place Market in Seattle is worth a visit. The University of Wash in Seattle is pretty grand. One professor I had there said it was the only west coast university that reminded him of the storied east coast ivy league colleges.

Leavenworth, on the east side of the Cascades, Steven's Pass Hiway, is sort of a tourist trap -- German villag theme, but it's well done and the mountains and creeks nearby are first rate. Icycle Creek has some nice camping and hiking available. The Enchantment Lakes loop hike is sorta famous -- bunch of little lakes at 7 to 9 thousand feet altitude.

In a similar spot on the North Cascades Hiway is Winthrop, another tourist trap, this time with an old western town theme. Kinda cute and the mountains are way cool.

Of course you will want to
 

first know where the best Steeler bar in Seattle is located and second arrange your travels around the games in that period. Hint: Sideline in Factoria -in Bellevue.

The suggestion concerning Winthrop is interesting. The town itself is not that big a deal but the drive on the North Cascades Highway is a very big deal. I guarantee that you will not see the like in PA or anywhere back East.

You can take a ferry to Bainbridge Island and continue up to the Hood Canal Bridge and up the Olympic Peninsula to Port Townsend. Way beyond there is Port Angeles and the turn off to the hot springs but Sol Duc hot springs reminds me of a tenement in the forest. Better to go to the Dungeness Spit and walk out as far as you like. It is magnificent.

Closer to Seattle, the Pike Place Market is great-especially on Saturdays.

PM me if you need more detailed suggestions.

Seattle has some interesting areas. The underground tour might be worthwhile if you're into that kind of thing. Mt. St. Helen's has some spectacular scenery. Mt. Hood only looks good from a distance this time of the year. Vancouver, WA would be a waste of time as there really isn't much to see except for the fort. Portland which is just across the Columbia river has much more to see than Vancouver, but not as much as Seattle has to offer.

The signature "Smokey Met" martini at the Metropolitan Grill, downtown Seattle

Ray's Boathouse, near the salmon locks in Ballard

Dixie's BBQ in Bellvue, and don't forget to meet "The Man."

Le Panier Bakery near Pike's Mkt. Grab some smoked salmon bellies from Seattle Flying Fish and get a baguette from Le Panier.

Pike Street Fish Fry around Capitol Hill. New place that serves late night cravings for fish that's fried and between bread.

X2 on the underground tour. My favorite was the Olympia brewery- a must drink!

Seattle
 

If you have kids take them to the aquarium especially if the salmon are running. They have acrylic tubes and ladders that run though the place. On the ferry up to Fort Townsend (I think) they hae an old corvette class vessel for inspection and a good little pub/sandwiches straight up the hill.

Sol Duc is a little down in the mouth. My mom used to go there when she was a child and she took all of us kids there a few times. Now my sister takes her kids there every other year or so for a camping trip. The lodges are not too alluring.

I went there last summer and met a sweet young lady from Quebec City. It draws quite an international crowd.

http://www.peachparts.com//shopforum/showthread.php?t=230404

I really dig both the Stevens Pass and North Cascades highways. I've driven via SP to Tonasket at least 20 or 30 times. The drive north from Wenatchee along the Columbia is pretty cool.

If you make it to the Eastern Washington, The Dams are interesting places to Visit. Rocky Reach Dam has a nice little visitor center, and Grand Coulee Dam has a nice visitor center as well, and is worth the drive, and lots of Basalt cliffs on the drive. There are also some nice wineries in the Wenatchee-Leavenworth-Lake Chelan Areas.

If you like the wilderness and want a unique tourist experience, there is a ski resort about 70 miles south and east of Seattle. It’s called Crystal Mountain. It’s the next mountain over from Mt Rainier. This time of year the ski resort offers a package deal where you ride 2 high speed chair lifts up to about 7,000 feet of elevation, to the summit of one of the mountains. There is a restaurant at the top with a drop dead stunning view of Mt Rainier. The ski resort has no snow this time of year (Rainier does) and there are miles of wildflowers. The package was for the chair lift rides (up and down) and a meal. I think the cost was about $60 or so per person. I did it a few years back. It was a great day trip.

In Seattle there are a number of attractions in a fairly small area. You can make a day of going downtown. Start at the Pioneer Square area. Then go a few blocks north and west to the waterfront, which is where the aquarium, many ferry boat rides and other cool stuff are found, and then continue north a little further to the Pike Place market. After that it is about 2 miles or so to the Seattle Center. You can walk a few blocks from the market and catch the monorail and ride that to the Seattle Center. Going to these destinations will take most or all day, but you’ll have taken in many of the touristy spots. Also a truly great restaurant that is open 24 hours is called the 13 Coins.

Jeez, I REALLY ought to move back to Seattle.

Inerita.

Thanks, everyone. I didn't know that there is a Vancouver Wa.(sorry) We are looking to spend a few day in the Vancouver BC area.(150 radis) The first week we will be staying in a resort in Blaine Wa. on the BC border. and the second week we will be moteling it as we return south toward the Seattle area.
A few people mentioned the N. Cascade highway. Is that route 20?
Also, I see that there is a ferry on Rt 20 to Port Townsend. Can anyone tell me who runs the ferry or do you have a link to there website?
Thanks again, Jay

That's a Washington State Ferry - the Port Townsend-Keystone route.

Note on this ferry - make sure you get a reservation, if you plan on taking it. There's very little room on it for cars compared to other WA ferrires, and it's particularly tough to get on right now - height of tourist season.

Reservation/tickets can be made/purchased at the link above.

Book a night at Paradise Inn if you can.

http://www.mtrainierguestservices.com/accommodations/paradise-inn