What to see, etc. (Seattle, Bainbridge Island: rentals, house, neighborhoods)

[kelly1922]

We'll be coming out at the end of next month to check out neighborhoods, explore, etc. But we'll also be doing some sightseeing while there. Any must see's besides the obvious? Things someone not local wouldn't necessarily know about? We'll have our two kids with us, ages 9 and 13. We're staying in the University area. Thanks!

[kelly1922]

So.....nothing?

[Seacove]

Sorry, this tends to get asked a lot. Downtown Seattle will have things like the Ferris Wheel, the Space Needle (where you can eat at the top and the restaurant revolves around), you can take the Seattle Ducks tour, the Seattle Underground Tour (Seattle burned down in the early 1900s and the city was elevated one story. Parts of the old city remain one story below), Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle Aquarium, Snoqualmie Falls, ferry to Whidbey Island where you can visit small towns like Langley and Coupeville and either take the Ferry over to Port Townsend and visit the Olympic Peninsula and Hurricane Ridge, or drive to the north end of Whidbey and see Deception Pass, climb down to the water, etc. then go over to Anacortes where you can take a ferry to the San Juan Islands. Or from Seattle you can take a ferry to Bainbridge Island and visit Poulsbo and the Olympic Peninsula that way. There's Leavenworth, Mt. St. Helens Visitors Center, Boeing Air Museum, GameWorks is in downtown Seattle, if you like music there's the EMP, you can take an Argosy Cruise from downtown Seattle to Lake Union and see the floating homes, then it takes you through the Ballard Locks into the Puget Sound. You could take a boat to go see whales. Remlinger Farms in Carnation might be open for the kids and there wineries in Woodinville for the adults including Chateau St. Michele among others. There's hiking everywhere.

That's a start, hope it helps.

[MissAlexRZ]

I'm guessing you know about the Woodland Park Zoo, the Pacific Science Center and the Seattle Children's Museum. Those are all things I did as a child in Seattle.

[kelly1922]

Thanks Seacove and MissAlexRZ! Appreciate it.

[slan490]

Ballard Locks, Golden Gardens park, Uvillage, Gas Works Park, Fremont Sunday Market, eat at Ivar's down on the lake (North Lake Union).

[CrazyDonkey]

Since you'll be in the U District:

* Eats: Aqua Verde (on Portage Bay), Ivar's Salmon House (on Lake Union), Dick's Drive-In (45th, in Wallingford), lots of multi-ethnic cheap eats on the Ave (University Way).

* Parks: Ravenna (trails), Aboretum (trails), GasWorks (on Lake Union), Magnuson (on Lake Washington), UW Campus.

* Recreation: Green Lake, Woodland Park Zoo, Canoe/Rowboat rentals (UW Waterfront Activities Center), bike riding (Burke Gilman Trail)

* Museum: Burke Natural History Museum (NW UW Campus/Dinosaur skeletons!).

* Fun/Quirky: Archie McPhee's (45th & Stone Way, Wallingford)

[kelly1922]

Awesome; thanks everyone!