Enjoy Seattle!
Seattle Tourism – Day-trips from Seattle
Exploring the Puget Sound area from Seattle
One of the many benefits of visiting Seattle, is the wealth of travel experiences located so close by, a bounty for nature lovers, hikers, photographers, and explorers. The beauty of the northwest is just beyond the city with majestic mountains, woodland trails, waterfalls and rapids, and islands with smaller towns, not to mention the close proximity of Seattle to British Columbia, Canada. *Note: This page contains quite a few photos, please allow time to load.
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Brought to you by:
Waterfront Vacation Rental Homes in and near Seattle.
Visit our website at – http://www.SeattleWaterfrontRentals.comBeautiful homes with exceptional views, able to accommodate up to eight,
within 15 – 25 minutes of downtown Seattle!
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Find Particular Destinations:
Snoqualmie Falls / Pass, Mountain Passes,
Mt. Rainier / St. Helens, Ferries: islands, peninsula,San Juan Islands,
Canada: Victoria / Vancouver, Tulips,
Dinner Train, Boeing / Museum of Flight,
Seattle Attractions Parks
Another popular mountain pass that takes just a little longer to drive to and through is Stevens Pass, about 1 1/2 hours from Seattle by car. Along the way stop at the pull-off for the waterfalls, a trail will lead you directly to a bridge where you will find yourself standing directly over the rapids of the falls.
This drive offers breathtaking views of brilliantly colored foliage in the autumn months. The hillsides become tapestries of vibrant colors, bright red, flaming orange, and vivid yellow, offset by the evergreens which retain their forest green color.
The pass will eventually lead you to a charming bavarian town called Leavenworth nestled in the mountains. Leavenworth offers interesting shops for exploring and cafes for enjoying lunch. A wonderful Christmas shop is located here as well. Take a different way back and return by Snoqualmie pass to take in new scenery the whole trip.
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Your trip will take you through small quaint towns by farms and cattle. |
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Find Particular Destinations:
Snoqualmie Falls / Pass, Mountain Passes,
Mt. Rainier / St. Helens, Ferries: islands, peninsula,San Juan Islands,
Canada: Victoria / Vancouver, Tulips,
Dinner Train, Boeing / Museum of Flight,
Seattle Attractions Parks
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typically only takes about 1 1/2 hours, but the winding road upwards can add another hour. |
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This mountain is snow covered all year. (Photos |
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Mount St. Helens, a volcano as is Mount Rainier, differs in that it relatively recently erupted. The restorative powers of nature can be witnessed as the area is slowly reborn after the 1980 eruption. Mount St. Helens can be reached by driving about 4 hours from Seattle.
Brought to you by:
Waterfront Vacation Rental Homes in and near Seattle.
Visit our website at – http://www.SeattleWaterfrontRentals.comBeautiful homes with exceptional views, able to accommodate up to eight,
within 15 – 25 minutes of downtown Seattle!
Find Particular Destinations:
Snoqualmie Falls / Pass, Mountain Passes,
Mt. Rainier / St. Helens, Ferries: islands, peninsula,San Juan Islands,
Canada: Victoria / Vancouver, Tulips,
Dinner Train, Boeing / Museum of Flight,
Seattle Attractions Parks
Taking a ferry ride to Bainbridge Island can also make for a pleasant afternoon excursion. If on foot, ride the ferry inexpensively as a passenger, departing from downtown Seattle, and explore Winslow once on the other side. The 30 minute ferry ride itself is quite enjoyable. The WA state ferries offer both indoor and outdoor observation areas with great views of other water traffic and the surrounding shorelines.
You can also drive about 1/2 hour north of Seattle and take either the ferry to Kingston from Edmonds, or the Whidbey Island ferry from Mulkilteo. Once on Whidbey Island, you can explore the island and visit Deception pass, the waterway between the island and mainland.
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The boat rides are always enjoyable, and crew members are knowledgeable about sites and nature. |
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![]() (Orca whales near the boat on a whale-watching excursion.) |
The ferry to Kingston will take you to the peninsula across Puget Sound, just a 1 1/2 hour drive will bring you to Olympic National Park where another 1/2 – 1 hour will get you to Hurricane Ridge, part of the Olympic Mountain range. Weather permitting, you can drive to the top where you will find top-of-the-world views, snow, and also wild deer feeding in the sloping meadows. By driving another 2 hours from the park, you will find a rain forest – the only such forest in the northwest.
On the way to the Olympics, you will pass Port Angeles, a point of departure for the ferry to Victoria on Vancouver Island. Another car ferry to Vancouver Island departs from Anacortes, about 90 miles north of Seattle off I-5.
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Find Particular Destinations:
Snoqualmie Falls / Pass, Mountain Passes,
Mt. Rainier / St. Helens, Ferries: islands, peninsula,San Juan Islands,
Canada: Victoria / Vancouver, Tulips,
Dinner Train, Boeing / Museum of Flight,
Seattle Attractions Parks
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Victoria features a renowned garden just outside of town that can be reached by tour-bus or car.
To enjoy even more of Canada while visiting Seattle, drive north on I-5, the main interstate, about 2 1/2 hours to find yourself right in the heart of Vancouver, B.C., Canada. Vancouver has similar weather to Seattle and is also a city located on the water. Vancouver offers a large, lovely park at it’s north end, Stanley Park. Vancouver also has a central shopping district with a variety of stores, a downtown mall, and many restaurants to choose from. The exchange rate is typically favorable to U.S. dollars making shopping and dining out that much more fun! (You can also stop off at Anacortes on the way there or back from Vancouver and visit the San Juan Islands and / or Victoria.)
Brought to you by:
Waterfront Vacation Rental Homes in and near Seattle.
Visit our website at – http://www.SeattleWaterfrontRentals.com
Beautiful homes with exceptional views, able to accommodate up to eight,
within 15 – 25 minutes of downtown Seattle!
Find Particular Destinations:
Snoqualmie Falls / Pass, Mountain Passes,
Mt. Rainier / St. Helens, Ferries: islands, peninsula,San Juan Islands,
Canada: Victoria / Vancouver, Tulips,
Dinner Train, Boeing / Museum of Flight,
Seattle Attractions Parks
Tulip Festival. |
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If you decide to continue north, consider taking the scenic route along the coast – Chuckanut Drive, a scenic drive through farmlands and along the coastline, taking you from the Skagit Valley to just outside Bellingham to the north.
For an excursion closer to home, try the Spirit of Washington dinner train, with lunch departures as well during summer weekends. An excellent dinner is served with narration of the passing sites during the 45 mile trip along the eastern shore of Lake Washington. On the way, you’ll cross a 102 foot high, 974 foot long wooden trestle. The trip leads to the Columbia Winery in Woodinville, where a tour of the winery is offered or wine tasting with the opportunity to purchase favorite selections. Dessert is served on the return trip and the whole outing lasts 4 hours.
There are several other wineries in Woodinville if you decide to make the 1/2 hour drive instead:
Delille Cellars
Facelli Winery
Hightower Cellars
Matthews Cellars
Silver Lake Winery
While in Seattle, visit the area’s largest manufacturer and employer, Boeing. Tours of the airplane plant are available Mon. – Fri., with 3 tours lasting approximately 1 hour offered daily. Large 747 jets are built completely indoors at the Boeing plant – a sight to see! The Boeing airplane plant is located about 1/2 hour north of Seattle.
If you have further interest in planes, visit the Museum of Flight, located near Boeing’s aerospace plant just south of downtown Seattle. A huge collection of aircraft, including 20 full sized airplanes, are suspended from the glass ceiling. The history of flight is chronicled from the Wright brothers to the space age. The collection includes military, commercial, and amateur.
Click here to view and download Washington State Highway Maps.
Click here for a list of National Parks in Washington State.
Click here for a list of State Parks in Washington State.
Find Particular Destinations:
Snoqualmie Falls / Pass, Mountain Passes,
Mt. Rainier / St. Helens, Ferries: islands, peninsula,San Juan Islands,
Canada: Victoria / Vancouver, Tulips,
Dinner Train, Boeing / Museum of Flight,
Seattle Attractions Parks
Brought to you by:
Waterfront Vacation Rental Homes in and near Seattle.
Visit our website at – http://www.SeattleWaterfrontRentals.comBeautiful homes with exceptional views, able to accommodate up to eight,
within 15 – 25 minutes of downtown Seattle!
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