<p>our family (me, my husband and two 21+ daughters) is planning a first-time trip to the pacific northwest, flying into seattle at the end of july. we only have seven days and would like to explore seattle, vancouver and points in between. does anyone have any suggestions on places and sights we shouldn’t miss?</p>
<p>I’m sure you’ll get some great tips here- but while you’re waiting you can do a search for a thread I had a while back asking for Seattle suggestions. There were some great ideas and some lively debate about the best restaurants, attractions, etc. We actually used quite a few suggestions on our trip.</p>
<p>We have a god number of Pacific NW folks here on CC that are quite helpful!</p>
<p>BTW- we loved Seattle!!</p>
<p>For Seattle, Pike Place Market, Ferry to Bainbridge and back, Snoqualmie Falls if we have some recent rain, UW campus, Alki Beach maybe. Not that many sites really without a long drive ie Mt St Helens etc.</p>
<p>There’s alot to see in 7 days. Suggestion, take the victoria clipper to victoria BC on Vancouver Island. Everything’s pretty much in walking distance and there’s the Butchart (sp?) Gardens that will be beautiful then. Kinda a double whammy trip… you get to “see” puget sound up and back. Victoria is home of the true MVP of the NBA (Steve Nash) as well. 
Depending on your budget you can take high tea at the empress hotel or just do like we do and head a few blocks down to Murchees for tea and biscuts. </p>
<p>Drive up to Levenworth WA and take in the sights. Obviously, Pike Place Market is fun, kind of a signature of Seattle. The Seattle Center has the Experience Music Project and Si Fi center. Mt. Saint Helens is kind neat. It’s going to depend on how much traveling you want to do and how fit you are. </p>
<p>Vancouver is fun and you can get downtown really easy with public transportation. And if you wanted to you can take the Tawassen Ferry over to Vancouver Island and do the victoria thing. </p>
<p>I would say get your goggle fingers busy and map out some great days. Add time into your travel by car in the Seattle area and at the border (even go to the truck crossing one at Blaine Wa as you can be there for hours. </p>
<p>Luck.</p>
<p>I took the ferry from Washington to BC and then from BC to Vancouver. I saw the usual tourist stuff like Buchart Garden, having tea at the Fairmont Empress Hotel. My family really like Vancouver China town, but I did not find a good dim sum restaurant.
Check this out:
<a href=“http://www2.hellobc.com/travelmedia/story.aspx?section=2&cid=6&sid=1161[/url]”>http://www2.hellobc.com/travelmedia/story.aspx?section=2&cid=6&sid=1161</a></p>
<p>If you visit the beautiful UW campus (and I think you should), go to lunch at Agua Verde. It’s near the new Genome Sciences buliding - south of the Pacific and 15th intersection. Get there before noon and eat outside overlooking the water. After lunch you can rent a kayak downstairs, or go to the UW Waterfront Activities Center (at the back of the football stadium parking lot) and rent a canoe there. Paddle across the Montlake cut into the arboretum. A whole new world down under the freeway bridges!</p>
<p>Or go down to the waterfront and take the water taxi to West Seattle (look on the King County Metro website) . I call it the Poor Man’s Harbor Tour. When you get across, there’s a free bus or you can walk the mile or 2 to Alki beach. Lovely walk on a nice day (week days and mornings are less crowded).</p>
<p>My H loved the air/space museum. We stayed at the Edgewater which really is on the edge of the water. The cruise ships went right outside our windows.
Vancouver was wonderful to walk around- it’s definitely a big city feel. Victoria we went whale watching on the boat that looks like a blow up boat- I think that was the highlight for me of the whole trip. We did all three cities in 9 days. I liked Victoria more than Vancouver, personally.</p>
<p>If you want to head to Vancouver Island/Victoria, the clipper (from Seattle) is pretty expensive (just under $100) RT and does not allow a car. If you take the Tswassen Ferry, it is about $10CD walk on or about the same as the clipper RT but you can take the car. It also has many more sailing times <a href=“http://www.bcferries.com%5B/url%5D”>www.bcferries.com</a>. Summer time is busy, avoid Friday/Sunday travel to be smart. I would head to the island mid-week, not weekend for the best bet. Butchart Gardens is worth seeing, tea at the Empress is totally overpriced. (like $55/person for high tea)</p>
<p>For border crossing info, tune to radio AM 1130 and they give traffic every ten minutes. Taking the “truck” crossing not Peace Arch (one exit sooner) is generally better, but lots of construction means always checking the radio to be sure the best route. There is also Lynden/Aldergrove, about 15 minutes east which sometimes has less traffic and the small town of Lynden is quaint and sweet, and has a nice tea at Lynden’s Cup of Tea ;)</p>
<p>Vancouver does not have freeways, and traffic is annoyingly bad. You would cross at the border and then you are about 20-30 minutes from the Tswassen Ferry and about 45 minutes (depending on traffic) from downtown. One nice thing, there are signs all the way to downtown directing you to the Horseshoe Bay Ferry on the north end of town. If you follow them, you get to Robson street, Lion’s Gate Bridge, Stanley Park (a great place to stop) etc. You can park and walk/shop/eat around Robson street. Have a crepe, check out yoga gear at Lululemon, etc.</p>
<p>You could drive to the Western edge and see UBC and some lovely old homes along the water.</p>
<p>Vancouver Island is gorgeous, depending on the time you have, driving north of Victoria you will reach Goldstream Park, a spot 100 yards from the highway where Salmon spawn, at the right time of year, tons of eagles are feeding there. Over the Malahat (a beautiful drive) pass and you are now “up island” and can see Shawnigan Lake, or head north to quaint towns like Chemianus, Nanaimo, etc. If you are really ambitious head to the west coast (and overnight trip) to the Wickininish Inn at Tofino and watch the waves break.</p>
<p>There are many lovely places to hike in the hills just north of Victoria. Or after you walk around downtown Victoria, head for the water for a drive around Oak Bay on the eastern side and enjoy the lovely old homes.</p>
<p>thanks so much for all these great ideas. i’m really looking forward to this trip.</p>
<p>I’ll be in Seattle earlier in July, with a 17 year old. He loves amusement & water parks, white water rafting, anything that gets the blood pumping. Any suggestions? He’s already found the parks but we would welcome any other suggestions.</p>
<p>When we lived in Vancouver, visiters always enjoyed visiting Stanley Park, and we often had brunch at the Teahouse Restaurant. <a href=“http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2801323-teahouse_restaurant_the_vancouver-i[/url]”>http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2801323-teahouse_restaurant_the_vancouver-i</a> You can then walk on the seawall, which is lovely. If you wanted to do the entire walk it would take a couple of hours, but it’s nice no matter how far you go. <a href=“http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/Parks/parks/stanley/[/url]”>http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/Parks/parks/stanley/</a> You can drive through the park, and see totems and other wonderful sites.</p>
<p>We also used to visit Granville Island Public Market. <a href=“Granville Island - Vancouver, BC”>Granville Island - Vancouver, BC; If I remember correctly, you could take a little water taxi to the other side of the Burrard Inlet, which was a fun jaunt for the kids.</p>
<p>We also enjoyed visiting the Museum of Anthropology at UBC. <a href=“http://www.moa.ubc.ca/[/url]”>http://www.moa.ubc.ca/</a> They had many interesting First Nations artifacts and totems.</p>
<p>Also, it’s fun to shop along Robson Street in downtown Vancouver. </p>
<p>If you take the ferry from Tsawwassen to Victoria, you might check regarding wait times or see if you can make a reservation. I remember waiting on the Vancouver Island side for 2 - 3 hours in line for the ferry during busy times. It was always a great ride, though, and we often saw orca and other marine life. <a href=“Error | BC Ferries”>Current Conditions | BC Ferries;
<p>If you’re planning to arrive in B.C. via boat from the U.S., be sure to have a valid passport with you. It’s recommended that you have one when arriving by car, too, but the law that went into effect in January requiring passports includes arrival by sea as well as by air.</p>
<p>If you have time while in Vancouver, take a drive up to Whistler. It, and the drive there, are both beautiful, and an easy day trip.</p>
<p>Why has no one mentioned Stanley Park in Vancouver BC, the largest “natural” urban park in North America? Yes, I found the Chinese cuisine in Vancouver surprisingly mediocre.</p>
<p>For a re***<em>l afternoon in Seattle, Luther Burbank Park (is it still called that?) on Mercer Island is a hidden treasure on the lakefront. All ages enjoy the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field. For really good and elegantly presented Chinese food in Seattle, visit House of Hong in the International District, or go to the family restaurant at the Asian Mall south of Seattle between Renton and Kent, just off the Renton-Kent Highway. Finally, have your passport ready at the Canadian border and don’t be a smart aleck there. Check the calendar for Canadian holidays because most businesses/restaurants could be closed (happened to me, #%@!</em>) if the day you visit is a Canadian holiday. And use an ATM in Vancouver rather than exchanging your cash into $CAN stateside. And yes, many smaller commerical establishments in BC, like mini-mart type places, do not take $US.</p>
<p>Lake, somemom and sjmom both mentioned Stanley Park. :)</p>
<p>Using an ATM is a good idea, or you can exchange your U.S. cash at any Canadian bank for Canadian $$. Most Canadian business will accept U.S. cash (which does not happen in the reverse situation!) but you will usually not get as beneficial an exchange rate. </p>
<p>July 1st, Canada Day (which will be celebrated on Monday July 2) and the first Monday in August are the only holidays during the summer months.</p>
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<p>No extreme white water rafting in July – too late in the season. You could find a raft outfitter for some place like the Skagit and have a nice time, but it won’t be like it was in May. (I haven’t used them, but some place like <a href=“http://www.wildwater-river.com/[/url]”>http://www.wildwater-river.com/</a> could help you.)</p>
<p>How about sea kayaking? It’s a lot different experience from river running, and most locals love it. Look for an outfitter in Anacortes or take the ferry over to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island.</p>
<p>It’s not a place for an amateur kayaker, but if you are near the San Juans, you need to park and check out Deception Pass. I never tire of looking at the kayaks playing around the whirlpools, wondering, “What are they thinking?”</p>
<p>ditto taking a water taxi to Granville Island, biking around Stanley park and the UBC Anthropology museum in Vancouver. I would add the Ballard locks for Seattle. It’s free and you can watch the boats go in and out the locks to the sea/lake and the salmon climb up the fish ladders.</p>
<p>Vancouver, BC: for Dim Sum, I’d suggest the Pink Pearl, which is not in Chinatown. It was recommended to us as we searched Chinatown–by people who saw us reading menus–and we were delighted with it. Better than any dim sum I’ve had in Seattle’s Chinatown and as good as Bellevue’s Noble Court on its best days (Bellevue is a Seattle suburb). </p>
<p>We go regularly to Vancouver to eat at the Cafe de Paris on Robson Street, which is excellent and has the best pepper steak (cream sauce) and frites I’ve had anywhere ever. The owners are French and will speak French to you if you like. My D likes their endive salad.</p>
<p>To speed crossing at the border from Canada to US, go to the liquor store and buy something. That enables you to cut massive portions of the line. Worth $10 for me. Going from US to Canada, get off and get gas, which will save you money over Canadian gas prices, and also allow you to cut massive portions of the line.</p>
<p>As for Seattle: if your 21+ daughters like to shop and like funky clothing, I would suggest a walk down Broadway to the various boutiques. My husband would hate that, though. Tell me more about your D’s and husband’s interests and I can steer you more accurately.</p>
<p>For the 17-year-old water activity fan, I would suggest kayaking in Puget Sound or Lake Union (both are in Seattle), swimming in Lake Washington or renting a jet ski on Lake Washington
<a href=“http://seattleinsider.kirotv.com/recreation/guides/boating/rentals.html[/url]”>http://seattleinsider.kirotv.com/recreation/guides/boating/rentals.html</a>
or both. The Center for Wooden Boats rents some of their boats but is also fascinating in terms of boat building and history. There is a water park near Tacoma, went there once, but it really doesn’t get hot enough in Seattle for it to be enough fun for my taste.</p>
<p>I emphatically endorse WashDad’s suggestion of a Deception Pass visit. Absolutely stunning for me as a history buff and lover of the explorers (Lewis and Clark, etc.) L&C didn’t ever reach deception pass, but the place is inspiring nevertheless.</p>
<p>Double check the Wooden Boat Center because I believe I read that financial problems and pressure from City Hall may compel them to close shop, as South Lake Union is becoming “the next thing” in urban hipness (and real estate $$).</p>
<p>One more thing about Vancouver BC, if you’re a foodie you’ll faint at all the fresh stuff at Granville Island.</p>
<p>For the water lovers, take a whale watching cruise. You can get a three hour cruise from Victoria, either in a regular boat, or a motorized raft, which is much more fun for the kids. There is a large pod of orcas.</p>
<p>If it was me with kids, I’d skip Vancouver. If you’ve been to San Francisco, it isn’t much. Instead, I’d go to the San Juan Islands. Grab a ferry in Anacoste and take your car. I like San Juan, the first island, best. Then I would get back on the ferry and go to Victoria.</p>
<p>I agree Victoria is nicer than Vancouver and gets second billing. Better shopping and historical sites.</p>
<p>UBC is a gorgeous campus and the Museum of Anthropology is great.</p>
<p>There is a gourmet cooking school in Vancouver near the Granby Market. You can get a gourmet meal there very cheap.</p>