Day Trips from Seattle

[dioxide45]

We have an Alaskan cruise from and returning to Seattle. United Airlines has been effing around with the flights so much that we made a change to where our flight won't depart until 11:00pm. Our cruise returns at 6am and we figure we would be off by 9am. We've rented a car for the day. We have been to Seattle before and did the usual highlights and will have two days in Seattle before the cruise, so we are looking for something to do that would be an easy day trip outside the city. We aren't hikers nor very adventurous, but like driving around and stopping to see a few sites. Any ideas?

 

[jacknsara]

If you haven’t been to Paradise on Mt Rainier, then if visibility is great, then it’s a great day trip that doesn’t require hiking. I believe they require reservation. https://www.nps.gov/mora/index.htm
Edited to add if you can’t see the top of Rainier because of clouds, if you drive there you may find yourself in the clouds and unable to see much of anything.

 

[davidvel]

Fun to take the ferry over to Bainbridge Island. Very unique experience.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Snoqualmie Falls is a short trip.

Deception Pass is a bit further, but is nice.

 

[Passepartout]

Boeing airplane museum is cool if you're into that sort of thing. Experience Music Project at Seattle Center is worth it. Chihuly Glass museum in Tacoma. Maybe a Mariners game?

 

[easyrider]

I like a ghost tour that ends at Kells Irish Pub. Sunset at Salty's on Aki Beach. Kenmore Air from Lake Union to Victoria BC Harbor for an English Beer or tea. Maybe even a trip to Buchart Gardens while in Victoria. Kenmore Air does have stops in the San Juan Islands that would be fun. Friday Harbor would be my pick after Victoria.

Driving the West Seattle shoreline near Alki Beach might be fun. Plenty of consignment and odd shops to see. We use to drive the Aurora Highway from Seattle to Everett. You could stop and see the Troll under the bridge then continue to other places like the Mulkilteo Water Front. This Highway does go through a kind of seedy area near Seattle for a couple of miles. Plenty of aircraft type things to see off this road.

Once you get to Everett you can continue to Highway 2 to Snohomish to see all of the antique shops. From Snohomish you can drive to Snoqualmie Falls. Then make your way back to Seattle.

Bill

 

[TolmiePeak]

Mt. Rainier is the obvious choice. Even if you don't hike driving up to Paradise and then Sunrise is top notch. It can be foggy at times but towards the Summer months you should have great views.

 

[TolmiePeak]

I like a ghost tour that ends at Kells Irish Pub. Sunset at Salty's on Aki Beach. Kenmore Air from Lake Union to Victoria BC Harbor for an English Beer or tea. Maybe even a trip to Buchart Gardens while in Victoria. Kenmore Air does have stops in the San Juan Islands that would be fun. Friday Harbor would be my pick after Victoria.

Driving the West Seattle shoreline near Alki Beach might be fun. Plenty of consignment and odd shops to see. We use to drive the Aurora Highway from Seattle to Everett. You could stop and see the Troll under the bridge then continue to other places like the Mulkilteo Water Front. This Highway does go through a kind of seedy area near Seattle for a couple of miles. Plenty of aircraft type things to see off this road.

Once you get to Everett you can continue to Highway 2 to Snohomish to see all of the antique shops. From Snohomish you can drive to Snoqualmie Falls. Then make your way back to Seattle.

Bill

Victoria is nice but his cruise will stop there the day before.

 

[TolmiePeak]

You could always stop by the Camlin Hotel for a Worldmark Owners Update....

 

[easyrider]

Mt. Rainier is the obvious choice. Even if you don't hike driving up to Paradise and then Sunrise is top notch. It can be foggy at times but towards the Summer months you should have great views.

The Crystal Mountain Gondola ride would be the best view of Mt Rainier, imo. Then a burger and beer at the historic Naches Tavern. I love Paradise and Sunrise but both areas, for me anyway, requires some steep hiking to see anything.

Bill

 

[sue1947]

We have an Alaskan cruise from and returning to Seattle. United Airlines has been effing around with the flights so much that we made a change to where our flight won't depart until 11:00pm. Our cruise returns at 6am and we figure we would be off by 9am. We've rented a car for the day. We have been to Seattle before and did the usual highlights and will have two days in Seattle before the cruise, so we are looking for something to do that would be an easy day trip outside the city. We aren't hikers nor very adventurous, but like driving around and stopping to see a few sites. Any ideas?

Week day or weekend? and what month? Traffic issues and the amount of daylight will make a difference.
A ferry ride to Bainbridge or Bremerton and back via Vashon Island to West Seattle and then to the airport (Seatac or Paine?) is a nice option, but not if your timing includes a likely 2-3 hour wait at the ferry dock.
If summer, the drive down the east side of Mt Rainier and up to Chinook Pass is a beautiful drive. However, on a sunny weekend, you may not find a place to park. It's an easy side trip up to Sunrise on the NE side of Rainier, but again, parking will be an issue on weekends or even on weekdays. However, neither spot may be open if your trip isn't in the summer.

The drive up to Deception Pass State Park either via I-5 or via Whidbey Island is a nice one. There's a ferry for the Whidbey Island part and that can back up depending on the timing.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

If you're interested in wine tasting, Woodinville is loaded with tasting rooms.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

The drive up to Deception Pass State Park either via I-5 or via Whidbey Island is a nice one. There's a ferry for the Whidbey Island part and that can back up depending on the timing.

If you want to ride the the ferry, I recommend to drive north to Mt. Vernon, and then take Hwy 20 west to Fidalgo Island, then turn south to Deception Pass before reaching Anacortes. After visiting Deception Pass continue south through Whidbey Island to Clinton, and then take the ferry to Mukilteo from Clinton. Referring back to my wine tasting comment, there are some pleasant wineries on the south end of Whidbey Island.

Prepare for it to be colder and and windy at Deception Pass, so plan accordingly. If it happens to be warm you can drop some layers, But if you aren't dressed warmly enough it will be unpleasant.

 

[jacknsara]

The Crystal Mountain Gondola ride would be the best view of Mt Rainier, imo. Then a burger and beer at the historic Naches Tavern. I love Paradise and Sunrise but both areas, for me anyway, requires some steep hiking to see anything.

Bill

Webcams from mt rainier https://www.rmiguides.com/mt-rainier/weather-info
Summit house restaurant at top on gondola https://www.crystalmountainresort.com/things-to-do/dining/summit-house-restaurant. Not sure about a webcam but the main photo shows what to expect when it’s clear.
It occurs to me that regardless of which you prefer, the view at the top of gondola is great if you cannot get a reservation on the day its required inside the national park.

 

[Huskerpaul]

Boeing airplane museum is cool if you're into that sort of thing. Experience Music Project at Seattle Center is worth it. Chihuly Glass museum in Tacoma. Maybe a Mariners game?

I would second the Boeing museum. I spend a few hours there while my wife was at a conference and really enjoyed it. Easy to get to from SeaTac as well.

 

[amsunshine]

Fun to take the ferry over to Bainbridge Island. Very unique experience.

Yes! I was going to say this. So fun!

 

[dioxide45]

Thanks for all the responses. Someone had asked what time of year and day of the week. It will be the last Friday in May. So not sure what traffic will be like. It is also Memorial week, so not sure if that will make a difference with parking at parks and such.

 

[Luanne]

Fun to take the ferry over to Bainbridge Island. Very unique experience.

My daughter and I plan to do this on an upcoming trip. Anything in particular we need to check out?

 

[easyrider]

My daughter and I plan to do this on an upcoming trip. Anything in particular we need to check out?

It kind of depends on if you are taking your car. Most tourists just ride there and back on foot to see things like Seattle and the Olympics on a nice day. If you take a car you can drive north to Port Townsend to explore that area. There are a few cool beaches in-between Bainbridge and Port Townsend. Port Townsend is a cool old Victorian type city.

Bill

 

[Luanne]

It kind of depends on if you are taking your car. Most tourists just ride there and back on foot to see things like Seattle and the Olympics on a nice day. If you take a car you can drive north to Port Townsend to explore that area. There are a few cool beaches in-between Bainbridge and Port Townsend. Port Townsend is a cool old Victorian type city.

Bill

No car. And I've seen Port Townsend. We stayed up in that area some years back. We are just planning on going over for part of the day, probably have lunch and come back. We just wanted to get out on the water for a bit.

 

[easyrider]

Thanks for all the responses. Someone had asked what time of year and day of the week. It will be the last Friday in May. So not sure what traffic will be like. It is also Memorial week, so not sure if that will make a difference with parking at parks and such.

There is usually snow at Mt Rainier Visitor Center on Memorial Day. Same with the Crystal Mountain Gondola. The views are really something on top of Crystal Mountain as the snow melts. It will be busy. Memorial Day weekend is May 23 - 25 and the Packwood flea market is on this weekend. It's neat Mt Rainier.

I like road trips and the Old Pacific Highway from Alki Beach to Everett is a pretty good short road trip with plenty of places to stop. I'm not a big fan of Everrett but do like Snohomish and the back roads to Snoqualmie Falls which could be another short road trip instead of a loop.

You could drive to Snoqualmie Falls from Seattle. Maybe stop at the small towns and check out the farm stands in-between. Check out the shops in the Snoqualmie historical area.

Bill

 

[sue1947]

It will be the last Friday in May. So not sure what traffic will be like. It is also Memorial week, so not sure if that will make a difference with parking at parks and such.

That adds some difficulty:
The ferries are typically full with multiple hour waits on Friday afternoons (and even late morning) westbound. The Friday of Memorial Day weekend accentuates that. So take a ferry ride off of your list. The exception would be driving around via the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and back via ferry to avoid the westbound back ups.
That Friday will also likely have stop and go traffic eastbound on I-90 especially and US 2 as well. Looking at back roads would work for the trip to Snoqualmie (town or Falls).
Mt Rainier: Sunrise area doesn't open until July 1 (this is the NE entrance). There is usually snow on the ground at other higher elevations, though it's an extremely low snow year this year. A drive around the mountain might work.

And the suggestion to drive Old 99 from Alki Beach (which isn't really on it) to Everett is nuts. Only if you want to see fast food joints and strip malls and lights every few blocks. Not my idea of a nice drive.

 

[dioxide45]

The ferries are typically full with multiple hour waits on Friday afternoons (and even late morning) westbound. The Friday of Memorial Day weekend accentuates that.

It will actually be the Friday after Memorial Day. That said, I doubt we would try a ferry with a flight later the same night. Too much risk for us. Though we will be in Seattle for two days prior to our cruise. The Wednesday and Thursday before Memorial Day weekend.

 

[easyrider]

And the suggestion to drive Old 99 from Alki Beach (which isn't really on it) to Everett is nuts. Only if you want to see fast food joints and strip malls and lights every few blocks. Not my idea of a nice drive.

In the Alki Beach area is the lighthouse and the beach. There are plenty of boutique shops in the area. Between Alki and Everett are plenty of stops like the Fremont Troll, Woodland Zoo, Mukilteo waterfront, Edmonds waterfront, St. Michelle Winery, Boeing Museum and its a short drive. It is true that there are numerous developments on 99 but the point isn't the scenic view. The point is the attractions in-between Seattle and Everrett.


Bill