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Advice please? Where to stay not in Seattle?

FinallyCruisinAgain
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FinallyCruisinAgain

FinallyCruisinAgain

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No offense to the Emerald City, but when we cruise out of Seattle next summer, we do not want to stay in the city or out near SeaTac for the few days that we will be there before the cruise. It seems, however, that everyone chooses one of those two options. Last year, we did stay in the city near the space needle and liked it. However, we are very outdoorsy types and would like to explore Washington's coastal areas or maybe even go further inland (Mt. Rainier for example). Does anyone have suggestions of where to stay,within say an hour or so of the port, that would put us either closer to the coast or closer to "the countryside". Obviously, we will be renting a car and don't mind driving. Oh, there's 5 of us - 4 adults and a preteen. Thanks!!!

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reallyitsmema

reallyitsmema

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No offense to the Emerald City, but when we cruise out of Seattle next summer, we do not want to stay in the city or out near SeaTac for the few days that we will be there before the cruise. It seems, however, that everyone chooses one of those two options. Last year, we did stay in the city near the space needle and liked it. However, we are very outdoorsy types and would like to explore Washington's coastal areas or maybe even go further inland (Mt. Rainier for example). Does anyone have suggestions of where to stay,within say an hour or so of the port, that would put us either closer to the coast or closer to "the countryside". Obviously, we will be renting a car and don't mind driving. Oh, there's 5 of us - 4 adults and a preteen. Thanks!!!

 

Not sure what would be a good choice but this might be a starting point for some ideas.

 

http://www.visitseattle.org/things-to-do/day-trips/

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Gardyloo Excellent Advice! Rare

Gardyloo

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Look at the Silver Cloud hotel in Mukilteo. http://www.silvercloud.com/mukilteo/

 

Mukilteo is a little town about a half hour north of Seattle, with a cute little lighthouse, a great beach for picnics or barbecues or weenie roasts using fire pits, a waterfront branch (and quite a good one) of Ivar's, an iconic local seafood restaurant chain, and a dynamite brewpub, all within steps of the hotel. Just up the hill (you'll pass it on the way) is the Boeing Everett plant, home of the big jets and the biggest building in the world. You can tour the plant; the Silver Cloud has a shuttle.

 

From Mukilteo (again, basically next door to the hotel) is the Whidbey Island ferry, which crosses umpteen times a day to Whidbey Island (20 min.). You can drive up Whidbey through the picturesque little waterfront towns of Langley and Coupeville, visit Fort Casey State Park with its lighthouse, coastal gun batteries, and trails, then cap it off with a visit to Deception Pass, the narrow channel between Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands. Deception pass is awesome both from the bridges above and the beaches below, especially when the changing tide roars through the gap. From Deception Pass back to Mukilteo takes around 40 min. on the freeway (no ferries in this direction.)

 

Mukilteo can be a terrific base for a couple of days.

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Casagordita

Casagordita

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That's a good suggestion, if it's in your budget. Beautiful hotel, top-quality restaurant, great location (right at the top of Snoqualmie Falls). It's a bit off I-90, on the way up Snoqualmie Pass.

 

Another area you might like is Woodinville. It's a suburban, but it's right on the edge of the more developed areas. There's a beautiful trail for walking and bicycling along the Sammamish River, and you can rent kayaks on the river nearby (they also rent bikes). Woodinville also has a lot of wineries and tasting rooms, plus a few breweries and distilleries, if that's an interest. It's within easy reach of US Hwy 2, which goes up over Stevens Pass to Leavenworth, with lots of hiking opportunities along the way. The Willows Lodge is a very good hotel in Woodinville, and there are a few bed and breakfasts in the area. You might also want to check out sites like FlipKey.com and VRBO.com for vacation rentals. There are some very good restaurants in the area (the Herb Farm is world class).

 

The coast is more than an hour away from Seattle (it might look closer, but there are no roads that go straight across the Olympic Peninsula, because the mountains are so rugged). It's beautiful over there, but so is the Sound--and it's a lot more accessible from here. You might want to look at staying on one of the Islands--Whidbey, or Vashon, and doing some exploring there. The San Juans are gorgeous, but again, you're definitely getting farther from Seattle there than you said you wanted. Another area worth a look is the Hood Canal--more than ah hour from Seattle, but not too much more, and really pretty (it's a natural fjord, not a man-made canal).

 

Hope that helps!

Edited by Casagordita
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Casagordita

Casagordita

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These places all look more like we're looking for. I wasn't sure of distances/times, so your advice is great. I just feel like we missed the real beauty of the Pacific Northwest last year. I think Leavenworth is further out, but it's still a day trip, right?

 

It's a pretty reasonable day trip--longish, if you stop a lot, but quite do-able. Highway 2 is gorgeous--great views of some rugged peaks and valleys. Leavenworth is VERY cute--too cute for some people's tastes! There are lots of shops and restaurants along the main drag, mostly with a Bavarian theme. Downtown Leavenworth tends to be jam-packed with tourists, especially on weekends. I like it there...in small doses!

 

If you go a little further past Leavenworth on Highway 2, you start descending out of the mountains and down to the Columbia River Plateau. You're getting into prime fruit-growing country there. The area around Wenatchee has lots of fruit stands selling cherries, apples, pears, and other tree fruits in season. North of Wenatchee is Lake Chelan, a very popular resort area and escape for Seattleites who haven't seen the sun in too long.

 

You can go up to Leavenworth and back on Highway 2, or make a loop--south on US Hwy 97 to I-90, and back over Snoqualmie Pass. I think Highway 2 is prettier, but I-90 is a better road, and certainly not unattractive--and I like the variety. Another cute little town, much less touristy than Leavenworth but still worth a stop, is Roslyn, just off I-90 near Cle Ellum. If you were ever a fan of the 1990's TV show Northern Exposure, you might recognize it--Roslyn stood in for Cecily, Alaska, and they filmed almost every episode there. You can visit The Brick Saloon, which was prominently featured in the show, but it's a real place that pre-dates television--it's Washington's oldest continuously-operating bar, open since 1889!

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Gardyloo Excellent Advice! Rare

Gardyloo

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Just my opinion, but Leavenworth is a really long drive, and in the summer it's frequently very hot and crowded. I personally don't like the fake yodel-ay-hee-hoo kitsch too much.

 

The scenery en route - either by US2 or I-90/US97 runs from okay to great, but with a group of five including a preteen I'd be concerned that between the length of the drive (allow 2 1/2 - 3 hours in each direction, with the sun in your eyes coming back) and the throngs when you get there, you'd be pooped big time by the time you got back.

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xlxo

xlxo

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You need to budget 5hrs round trip to Leavenworth....

https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/Seattle,+WA,+United+States/Leavenworth,+WA,+United+States/@47.8204036,-121.6605472,9z/data=!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x5490102c93e83355:0x102565466944d59a!2m2!1d-122.3320708!2d47.6062095!1m5!1m1!1s0x549a4d92a4f8f98d:0xa14f95fb0abfef7e!2m2!1d-120.6614765!2d47.5962326

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FinallyCruisinAgain

FinallyCruisinAgain

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Yes, thanks...but if I'm staying an hour or so outside of Seattle (my goal), the trip would potentially be shorter (depending upon where we stay).

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sherryf

sherryf

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You might also consider Issaquah. It's right at the base of the Cascades, so convenient for day trips into the mountains. There are a couple of new hotels that are quite nice. Lake Sammamish state park offers water sports opportunities/rentals.

 

Of course, I'm a bit biased about my lovely town. :o

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kdeans1010

kdeans1010

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I live in Anacortes, which is the gateway to the San Juans. It is gorgeous. And if it helps convince you Johnny Galicki (sp?) From "Big Bang Theory" vacationed here last year.

 

Sent from my SM-T217S using Tapatalk

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