In downtown Bellevue with family for 3 months, what MUST I do? (Seattle: estate, hotels)

[nutsfornutella]

Hi everyone,

I've found a place to live for the summer during my internship (downtown Bellevue). I want to make it a fun time for my family (wife and 3 year old daughter), but I don't know where to begin! What are the must sees and must experiences in the Seattle area? We're coming from Manhattan (boiling summers), so we're hoping to spend a lot of times in the outdoors. We'll have a car, so we're interested in day-trips, weekend trips, local activities, or anything you can come up with. I'm starting my summer wishlist now. So far I have Columbia Valley (wine country), trip up to Vancouver, and we must visit at least one beach (not for the swiming, purely for sandcastle building), the fish market (is this worth it?).

Thanks in advance to all!

[Ira500]

1. A trip to Mt. Rainier ( you don't have to climb the thing) and the nearby steam train.
2. Ferry rides!
3. Even without a dog, a stroll through the Marymoor Park Off Leash Area is absolutely amazing! It's a 300 + acre park, and 44 acres of it is devoted to happy dogs and their owners..it's great for people and dog watching.
4. Port Townsend is a fun Victorian seaport town. LaConner is another town on the water worth checking out.
5. The Pike Place market is worth going to once, but also check out the Fremont Sunday market..Fremont is "colorful" and Roxy's Diner has pastrami better than many places in NY.

[sean98125]

Your 3 year old should love the Imagine Children's Museum in Everett. It puts the Seattle Children's Museum to shame. And Remlinger Farms has rides geared toward the pre-school set.

[sundevilmelissa]

The weather will be beautiful when you're here, but be forewarned that since the weather will be so nice, its high tourist season. Most of us here spend as much time on/near the lake either by boat, water skiing, swimming, etc. Here are a few places to consider:

1. Pike Place Market
2. Seattle Aquarium
3. Lake Chelan
4. Leavenworth (Bavarian Village)
5. Red Hook Brewery, Columbia Winery, Chateau St. Michelle Winery-all in Woodinville (20 minutes from Bellevue)
6. Downtown Kirkland beach (10 minutes from Bellevue) offers parasailing and boat tour of palacial homes along the waterfront including Bill Gates's Estate
7. Seattle Children's Theatre
8. Mt. Rainier
9. Mt. St. Helens
10. Snoqualmie Falls
11. Water taxi to West Seattle & visit Alki Beach
12. Ferry boats to just about anywhere, including Vancouver, Victoria & Whistler, Canada.
Victoria is very British feeling and popular for its beautiful Butchart Gardens. Whistler is very beautiful and well known for skiing/snowboarding slopes. This is where the 2010 Olympic runs, bobsleigh & luge will happen. Its an outdoor enthusiast's dream. Vancouver has fabulous shopping and nightlife.

Enjoy your stay here!

[Ira500]

Soap Lake, Washington is a bizarre and fascinating place, with public beaches, water where you float, that's supposedly healing; where people rub the mud on their bodies and sunbathe, surrounded by coulees (or are they buttes?) (colorful mountains)and the town is like going into a 1950's time warp, with a friendly cowboy feel. Great places to stay( like a log hotel) for cheap with heated lake water piped in to the bathtubs for the healing qualities.

[allforcats]

SUPERB source of info: real reports from real travelers on their real experiences and impressions of attractions, restaurants, hotels, etc. everywhere: TripAdvisor.com. Link opens on Seattle all-info page:
Seattle Tourism - Seattle Vacation Reviews - Seattle Vacations - TripAdvisor

Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle -- a happy MUST for both short people and tall people.
Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle WA

Seattle Aquarium. Oh the sea otters!! And the colorful seastars!!
Seattle Aquarium

In Bellevue, the Kelsey Creek Park and Farm, including park benches and piggies; barnyard animals available for viewing 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM daily; take your lunch:
Rentals and Facilities - Kelsey Creek Park (Official City of Bellevue Website)

Tillicum Village on Blake Island: 4-hour adventure leaving by boat from Seattle, includes a cruise on Elliott Bay, fabulous traditional Indian-style salmon & seafood buffet meal, and Northwest Coast Native American dance performance. Reserve directly, or through Gray Line tours or through Argosy cruises.
Seattle Attraction | Tillicum Village & Tours | Seattle, Washington | One of Seattle's Top Attractions | Home of Seattle's World Famous Salmon

Argosy cruises, to various locations across the water:
Argosy Cruises - Seattle Harbor Cruises & Sightseeing Tours

Gray Line tours in and from Seattle (leave the driving and finding to them):
Seattle sightseeing tours-explore the Northwest with Gray Line

Great bunch of tours -- and ideas -- in and around Seattle:
Outdoor Tours in Washington State - Seattle Sightseeing Tours

The Cascade Loop (Cascade Mountains up I-5 north of Seattle):
State Scenic Byway | Scenic Driving Tours | Washington State

The Olympic Peninsula
Olympic Peninsula - Lodging, Events, Maps, Tour Operators and more
and Olympic National Park including snow-capped Mt. Olympus
Olympic National Park (U.S. National Park Service)
and Quinault Rain Forest
http://www.experiencewa.com/v5/poi/poi.aspx?poiId=243
and Hoh Rain Forest
The Official Site of Washington State Tourism: Hoh Rain Forest
and on the ocean from Kalaloch up to Rialto Beach
WASHINGTON'S HIGHWAY 101 & OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK - MILEPOST 200 TO MILEPOST 100

Rural, very scenic, inexpensive, lots of places to stop and gaze or eat: spend a day driving the length of Whidbey Island
The Official Site of Washington State Tourism: Whidbey Island
plus Fidalgo Island
The Official Site of Washington State Tourism: Fidalgo Island

WA state parks -- opens on the Lake Sammamish page (Lake Samm is a ~15-minute drive east from downtown Bellevue):
Lake Sammamish State Park (page 1 of 2)

WA state official tourism site:
The Official Site of Washington State Tourism: Home Page

HAVE FUN!!

[jwb123]

Originally Posted by sean98125

Your 3 year old should love the Imagine Children's Museum in Everett. It puts the Seattle Children's Museum to shame. And Remlinger Farms has rides geared toward the pre-school set.

Totally agree with this advice!!

Also, Long Beach WA has a sandcastle competition every year. You won't want to swim there though.

Sandsations Sandcastle Competition - Long Beach, WA

and I would add a whale watching ferry to the San Juan's.

[nutsfornutella]

Wow, thanks to everyone. All this stuff is going on my list and I plan on having a fantastic time this summer in the Seattle area.

Another passion is food. Are there any really great restaurants in the area that I cannot leave Seattle without eating at? Especially looking for good Indian and Thai food!

Thanks again for all your help!

[allforcats]

This is a great restaurant resource:
Seattle restaurants | Restaurant menus, reviews and maps on urbanspoon.com

Factoria (which you know) and Crossroads (approximately 156th Ave. NE & NE 8th St.) as well as Overlake (approximately NE 20th St. east of 148th Ave. NE, aprox. near Sears) should have good Indian food as Bellevue has so many Indian residents.

[Ira500]

In Bellevue, Taj Palace is my fave. 2331 140th Ave NE, tajpalaceofindia.com
Great! Lunch buffet...Moghul Palace is another good one, famous for their curry prawns...This is a place that Bill Gates is a fan of ( but then again he likes Dick's Burgers and Burgermaster)..Chantanee is a good Thai place close to downtown Bellevue...Thai restaurants are everywhere in the Seattle area, it seems...Seems like if you have a hankering for Teriyaki, Thai, or espresso, you never have to go for more than a few blocks.