Planning a Seattle vacation.....need some help (Renton, Bremerton: where to stay, hotels)

[noahj1102]

I have some questions and looking for some advice, tips, suggestions.

First off i'm looking for some suggestions on activities while we are there. It'll be my wife and I along with our 5 year old son. Looks like about 4 or 5 days we'll be in the city.

The wife really wants to go sometime in April (probably the middle of the month) because she wants to go to the Tulip Festival. So that's one day of activities right there. She also wanted to go to Mt. Rainier, but it looks like it'll still be winter in April if i'm not mistaking. We aren't interested in anything Winter related.

Other than that, we haven't made plans on what we want to do. I was in Seattle over 15 years ago and remember Pike Street Market a fun place to spend a few hours. Besides that, we are up to suggestions.

What should we consider? Are there any must see areas or places we would enjoy? Things really good for a family with a child?

Any good restaurants we should check out. We loooooooooooove sushi, any really great sushi restaurants we should not miss?

Also, we are looking for advice on somewhere to stay while we are there. I have no intentions of breaking the bank on a room, but we'd like somewhere economical that's not a Motel 6 or Holiday Inn. Something relatively in the city that's nice, but not expensive. Would appreciate any advice or tips for that as well.

Looking forward to the advice and suggestions.

[Northman]

I vacationed there in 2006. You HAVE to do Space Needle.....the view from the top is one of the most amazing sights I've ever seen. I went to Rainier, but that was in June and there were STILL a couple roads closed because of the snow! I also went over to the Olympic National Park....the coastal section, along with Hoh Rain Forest is worth a days round trip from Seattle. A ferry ride across Puget Sound is a must do - I did the Bremerton to Seattle one and it was fantastic. I wanted to go to Safeco Field while I was there, but the M's were out of town.

As for hotel, I stayed at two Marriotts, one downtown off of Denny Way, and one out in Renton. Both were very nice, but well over $100 a night. not sure if that's over your budget or not.

I loved Seattle so much I would have moved there in a second had it not been on the other side of the country from my family.

[MichaelinWA]

In 4 or 5 days, you must hit 75% of these Seattle (city) attractions:

NWsource: Guide to the best Seattle restaurants, food and dining

Then again, I've lived here since 2003 and am still missing three of them.

Originally Posted by noahj1102

I have some questions and looking for some advice, tips, suggestions.

First off i'm looking for some suggestions on activities while we are there. It'll be my wife and I along with our 5 year old son. Looks like about 4 or 5 days we'll be in the city.

[allforcats]

Hi. Have you done research yet on TripAdvisor.com ? If not, it's a site where real travellers write their own real reviews of their experiences -- about hotels, restaurants, attractions, cities, etc. which are then ranked according to the travellers' own ratings. TripAdvisor.com is a superb way to put together a trip.

I totally agree that the Space Needle is just plain fun, because you get to gaze out for hundreds of miles in all directions at sights you've never seen. Is Cleveland that way? Is Japan that way? :-)

Pike Place Market is what the downtown farmer's market is called (rather than Pike Street Market). It's fun and fairly irresistible for fresh fruits and veggies -- if you have someplace you can wash, prepare and eat them. The Market has several restaurants downstairs -- various foods, various prices.

While you're in that part of town, you might want to go to the Seattle Aquarium.

Mt. Rainier is an amazing experience at any time of the year, and is a long drive back and forth. If I were you I'd avoid all weather and traffic considerations, and take a Gray Line Mt. Rainier tour bus from downtown Seattle (which leaves from the Seattle Sheraton Hotel at 6th Ave. and Union St. every morning). I'm not certain if it's running in mid-April, but here's their web page: Seattle sightseeing tours-explore the Northwest with Gray Line
If you go, be sure to take layers of really warm clothing, shoes and socks.

Northman has a great idea for a ferry ride across Puget Sound, to any of the islands. Delightful! You can Google Washington State Ferries for info.

Driving to and back from Olympic National Park, Hoh Rain Forest, etc. on the Olympic Peninsula would take so much time that there'd be very little time left in one day to get out and enjoy much of anything. The Oly Pen is a big place, and the only way to really enjoy it is to spend some days there, or at least three for the east side and the Park, the north side, and the west side including the two rain forests.

Do you want a zoo? Woodland Park Zoo just north of downtown Seattle is a full day's worth of wild and woolly and feathered delights.

Something you might enjoy is Tillicum Village, a boatride across Puget Sound to Blake Island for an Indian meal. Great fun, and small children are catered to. Chilly on the boat, so wear warm layers. Seattle Attraction | Tillicum Village & Tours | Seattle, Washington | One of Seattle's Top Attractions | Home of Seattle's World Famous Salmon

Would you like to drive, or even take a bus, 25 or 30 miles east of downtown to the Cascade Mountains and see them still with some snow on them in April? Several delightful tiny towns there (Preston, Fall City, Snoqualmie) with small, local restaurants. Or go skiing in the mountains at Snoqualmie Pass or Crystal Mountain? We've had massive snowfalls in the mountains this winter, and the skiing/snowboarding snowpack is likely to last to May this year.

Check out TripAdvisor.com. You'll be glad you did!

[MichaelinWA]

I actually like this "must see" list better than the one I posted earlier.

Seattle's Convention and Visitors Bureau

The website is also pretty useful in general.

[fastsix]

Go to Kerry Park on Queen Anne. Every postcard of the Seattle Skyline with the Space Needle out in the front and Mt. Rainier in the background was taken from this park. After you're done with the park, walk 1/4 mile west down to the end of the street for views of the Olympics and the Sound.

kerry park seattle - Google Image Search

[noahj1102]

thanks for the suggestions thus far.

anyone got some good ideas for places to stay thats fairly economical but nice?

[ijoe13]

Originally Posted by noahj1102

I have some questions and looking for some advice, tips, suggestions.

Any good restaurants we should check out. We loooooooooooove sushi, any really great sushi restaurants we should not miss?

Looking forward to the advice and suggestions.

My wife and I took my mother to Seattle this past new years, and we ate at some pretty good restaurants. There were three good restaurants we dined at, all of which were located in Pike Place Market. Cafe campagne was a nice little French restaurant with some nice lunch items. We are also sushi lovers, and would recommend Japanese Gourmet. It is located at 82 Stewart St., right up the hill from the market. Finally I would recommend Chez Lounge Bistro which had a nice three course offering at a reasonable price. From what I have read, they have been remodeling it during the last week or two, so the ambiance might be a bit different than what we experienced. If you do decide to try Chez Lounge or Cafe Campagne, I would recommend making reservations for both.

Hope this helps!

Joe

[SaltyDawg]

I'd recommend the Residence Inn Marriott on Lake Union (there are two - about 5 blocks from one another).

For a family on a budget, it's terrific - they have kitchenettes, breakfast is included (a HUGE plus to me when traveling) and are convenient.

[noahj1102]

just looked up that Marriott and the web site says they have construction going on till May and it'll be noisy.

gotta find somewhere else. anyone have other suggestions or ideas?