Just back from a great five-day trip to Seattle WA with my wife and son Caleb, we had a fantastic time and wonder of wonders… it was perfect weather ! Despite it’s sulky reputation, Seattle was most welcoming to us. Sunny and cool, highs in the low sixties and no rain or fog to be found anywhere for our trip.
Wow, what a beautiful place Seattle can be!
We have a family tradition o
f taking our kids on a special trip for their sixteenth b-day and as the youngest, Caleb had been watching patiently as his two older sisters each took turns picking and planning their coming of age trips. Jessica picked Boston and New England, Bethany visited the beach at Siesta Key, FL and now Caleb had chosen the pacific northwest!
My son loves all things music and art and his choice of Seattle was well suited to his personality and style. A hub of independent music and art, we had no lack of unique and interesting places to visit, see and enjoy on our trip.
We determined to cram as much as we could into the five days we had… so my wife and Caleb flew out early on Saturday from Nashville (Compliments of my frequent flier miles on Southwest) and I followed them on Monday. We grabbed another fantastic hotel bargain online before we went from Priceline.com. It surprised us with a sweet 17th story window view of the harbor in our spacious downtown (Red Lion -Hotel link) room, so close to the action that they were able to walk to most of their adventures before I could fly in and pick up our rental car on Monday.
Some of the Highlights…
Pike Street Market, anything you can eat at the 100-year-old 3 Girls bakery (Yelp Link) and the many music stores buried all over the downtown city blocks surrounding Pike street. The Seattle Space Needle and Chihuly Museum, are “must see’s” in our book and the panorama from the top of the needle was everything you hoped it would be.
Paige, Caleb and Dad at the Space Needle and Chihuly
Prices were in line with other major attractions in cities and the combo-package discounts were very reasonable. $33.00 per adult for two attractions. The Hotel was price-lined at $85.00 per night for a very economical visit. Southwest services Seattle – Tacoma International airport directly from most major cities and has the round trip airfares in the $300.00 range.We enjoyed the uniquely urban sophistication of Seattle and its gorgeous water ways, harbor views and many excellent coffee shops, eateries and city parks. The only thing that limited our adventure was time and fatigue. We barely scratched the surface. By the start of day three we hit the Washington State ferry and Bainbridge Island to do a quick circuit of Olympic National park and the Olympic Peninsula’s North shore.
The Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge is a must visit for those driving the peninsula in any season. The views and the unique atmosphere that walking a driftwood and stone beach gives is not to be missed. The glory of the snow-capped Olympic mountains only a few miles inland filled the horizon on one side while the blue beauty of the Pacific ocean rolled to the other. For those with the time to stay and explore, there are a host of cabin and vacation lodging options in Seattle, ideal for families of any size with a few days or weeks to explore the area!
Dungeness National Refuge
Moving on, we had reserved a space on the Black Ball ferry to Victoria BC from Port Angeles WA only a 30 minute drive from Dungeness. A blustery and beautiful ride from the Olympic Peninsula to the island of Vancouver BC was a little over an hour-long and gentle enough to stomach for anyone. Complete with concession cafeteria, duty-free shopping and excellent coffee, the ferry comfortably housed all on board and allowed for open deck viewing of the journey for those with a warm enough coat to enjoy.
Follow along with us tomorrow, as we fill up both remaining days of our journey exploring the legendary beauty of Victoria BC, experiencing the remote San Juan Islands and a late season snowmobile ride into the Cascade mountains.
Peace out RTP!
Pastor B.
RoadTrip Parenting 