Northwest Vacation

[TBird41]

My family is thinking about taking a trip up to the Pacific Northwest this summer, either to Portland or Seattle, for a long weekend (4-5 days).

Aside from seeing Safeco (my idea) what else would people recommend seeing/doing up there? We'd be up for pretty much anything so any recommendations/pointers/ideas for hotels would be greatly appreciated.

[StPetersburgHoya (Inactive)]

If you can get a tour of the Boeing headquarters in Redmond, Washington it is absolutely incredible how that factory works - the fish market in Seattle, and space needle are all good. If you can get across the border (i.e. have passports) Vancouver is excellent.

[Deleted]

Vancouver is a must if you have the time. In my opinion, best looking city in North America by far.

[tgo]

Portland has a Nike HQ which has a tour and a store which is cool if you are into that sort of thing but the main thing in this area is beer. Great beer in both Seattle & Portland, many great breweries. Both cities have some interesting neighborhoods with local pubs and restaurants you should check out and both do a lot of street fairs and festivals, you should look to see what festivals might be going on when you are there.
Portland also has a nice minor league baseball stadium that is worth looking into.

[HoyaLawya]

What a coincidental topic. ;D

Just got back from a Western swing yesterday, and Seattle and Vancouver, BC were on the itinerary! As well as NorCal. Since the main purpose of the swing was college-shopping for "final child" who fancies himself a West Coast collegian, will spare you that part of the itinerary.

BUT ..... when not taking campus tours, we did take an official tour of Qwest Field right next to Safeco Field and that was pretty interesting. Paul Allen (co-founder of Microsoft, co-owner of Portland Trailblazers) had a major role in getting it built and it's really a gem of a football stadium. No columns or posts inside, so every seat is a good seat. Scoreboard was specially designed as a vertical contraption so it could be "framed" by the Seattle skyline.

We also did a dinner out "on top of the town" last Thursday night at the restaurant in the Space Needle. If you go on a weeknight, you can usually book dinner an hour to 90 minutes beforehand, then spend that downtime wandering around the former World's Fair grounds which have an IMAX theater and science and art museums, plus amusement park rides. If it's a summer weekend evening though, then call a day or two ahead to book the restaurant. The floor revolves 360-degrees full circle over the course of 47 minutes and offers spectacular views of Puget Sound and the surrounding hills. ("First Hill" a/k/a "Pill Hill" for all of its hospitals, Queen Anne Hill which is also worth a side trip to explore its old Victorian houses, Mt. Rainier if the weather is clear ... we lucked out with 3 out of 4 days sunny during our visit!) Expect a meal with wine to set you back about $45 -- food is good but the view is the main thing.

In addition to the breweries mentioned above, Washington also has a wine industry (big on Reislings and other varieties that are Germanic in origin) so tours of wineries are possible not far outside Seattle.

On past trips to the area we've done the Seattle-to- Victoria, BC ferry and spent the day wandering that quaint town. High Tea at the hotel is a must! They've got a recreation of Anne Hathaway's cottage (thatched roof and all) as one of the attractions, plus the town itself seems to be a slice of old England.

Hadn't been to Vancouver in over 20 years before this last jaunt and my, has it grown! It also seems to have become Hong Kong West -- I think a lot of people wanting to get out of the British Crown Colony before it was returned to mainland China found Vancouver a welcoming place to start over. So the city bustles with a lot of ethnic eateries and attractions. The modern monorail makes getting around fairly easy.

The waterfront and Pike's market area in Seattle offer a lot of attractions including an aquarium (kinda big on its explanation of the salmon migration). While you're out there, don't forget to try Dungeness crab at one of your dining out spots.

If you enjoy getting around by boat, check into taking a trip to the San Juan Islands ... pretty nice scenery there.

Have done the Boeing tour and it was amazing years ago. Went to a plant where they assembled 747's one at a time -- and, at that time, also hydrofoils.

Small semi-funny anecdote from this last trip. My son wanted to visit UW's Husky stadium after concluding the UW main campus tour and while there, wandered into the tunnel towards the player's lockerroom in search of a men's room. While at the sink, a man comes in and demands of him "Who are you and what are you doing here?" But then he softened up a little bit and asked the kid if he was a football fan or player. (Answer: yes, on both counts.) Then he offered to show him around the locker-room and offices etc. while mentioning that he'd just been watching game tapes with "the other coaches". So the son -- who follows the NFL more than college ball -- figured the guy was an assistant coach. Later, when he recounted his little "adventure" in explaining why the trip to the bathroom had taken so long, I asked him if the "assistant coach" had a name.

Yeah ... you've probably guessed it ...... turned out it wasn't an assistant at all. It was Tyrone Willingham. Took 30 minutes out of his schedule to give a 17 year old kid from NJ a little cook's tour of the inner chambers at Husky Stadium.

Planning trips are fun ... but the most memorable moments are usually the totally random and serendipitous ones. ;D

[Nevada Hoya]

Great story, HoyaLawya. I hope you had your son look at UP.

I agree with all of the suggestions. Vancouver has to be the most beautiful city in North American. My favorite part of Vancouver is a small neighborhood park -Whytecliff Park. The vistas that are presented from this small park are amazing.

Oregon has a nice wine country also, south of Portland in the Willamette Valley. Sokol-Bloesser (spelling?) is nice and during the summertime, they have some concerts there, so if you are up in Portland, you might check out the schedule. Also a visit to Mt. St. Helen is interesting.

The rain forest in Washington and the Oregon and Washington coasts are very nice. Not made for swimming, but you will appreciate their rugged beauty.

You should get fairly good weather in the summer, as opposed to the winter and early spring.

[HoyaDestroya]

TBird - I am a native Washingtonian (as in the State) - born and raised on Bainbridge Island which is a ferry ride from Seattle. I would reiterate what has already been said about a Seattle/Vancouver trip being your best bet for a couple days. Portland is a great town – but other than the Nike tour it’s more of a day trip town with the guys to check out some good beer. In Seattle – a Mariners game is a must at Safeco, so plan the trip accordingly. As others have said, Pike Place Market and the fish throw is a must as well. Sometimes overlooked, the Seattle Center and the Science Center can be great for kids, especially if it is raining. Depending the time you plan to go – there are always activities going on – Labor Day Weekend is Bumbershoot (native term for umbrella) which is a cultural/music fair that brings in a lot of big names. A trip to the San Juans or Victoria can be fun on the Victoria Clipper (high-speed catamaran) – they do fabulous San Juan Island trips to check out the Orca whales. As well, Argosy cruises runs tours of the waterfront at pier 55 – they do water tours of Elliott Bay (1 hour tour – cheapest and quickest), dinner cruises to Blake Island (a fictitious Indian village) including salmon dinner, and a locks tours that take you through the Hiram Chittenden Locks which connect the Puget Sound to Lake Union (you even get to see the Sleepless in Seattle house. If you want a cheap tour of the water – take the Washington State Ferry to Bainbridge Island – take a quick walking tour of downtown Winslow – get back on the 35 minute ferry ride and return to Seattle. I have plenty of ideas if you want to shoot me a personal message I can give you my email or phone. A lot depends on how old the kids are… a two-day trip to Victoria on Vancouver Island could be fun (it is more English than England is)… they have a great Wax Museum and Natural History Museum. My top three musts then are 1) Mariners game 2) Pike Place Market 3) Orca Whale Watching… just spend as much time near the water as possible.

[SFHoya99]

Pike Street Market
Go to some of the local bars and music scene
Music Experience is good
Pyramid Brewery - Draught Pale Ale my favorite beer period.

[HoyaDestroya]

Pyramid is right across the street from Safeco - making it an easy trip on game day.

[david]

You must take the train to Vancouver. Vancouver is probably my favorite city in North America, and one of the best in the world.

[HoyaDestroya]

In Vancouver - for the kids - Stanley Park is pretty fun... the Vancouver aquarium is located there - one of the largest in North America.

[TBird41]

We're going later this July. We have tickets to a Mariner's game, we're going to dinner in the Space Needle, going down to the Pike Place Market and possibly spending a day in Vancouver. We're only there for a long weekend (wed.-Sun.), but it's shaping up to be a fun trip.

Thanks for everyone's advice.

[Nevada Hoya]

Tbird, have fun. Hope you get some good weather. Wish I could be there (actually going to Seattle for a meeting next spring).

[HoyaDestroya]

TBird - I will be up in the San Juans for a wedding on the 23rd - hope we get good weather!