August Seattle Area Visit

[StealthRabbit]

Might as well add a loop though Columbia River Gorge (Missoula to Portland Via Rte 12 (Clearwater))
Westbound on I-84 in afternoon and early evening will give you great lighting for pics, and views of the WA side of Columbia Gorge. Lots of Falls, dams, scenic overlooks. You can add Portland and Mt St Helens and even scenic northern OR coast (1. hr west of Portland).
https://www.fs.usda.gov/crgnsa
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...ea-Oregon.html
https://traveloregon.com/places-to-g...a-river-gorge/

https://www.panamajack.com/blog/6-of...-oregon-coast/
https://www.pdxmonthly.com/articles/...-s-north-coast

For Mt Rainier, try to drop by this free place. (near west entrance) danielklennert
https://visitrainier.com/ex-nihilo-sculpture-park/

Best thing about August in PNW (besides cool evenings) is fresh Salmon and wildberries! We host a lot of travelers from MN and add homemade Ice Cream for those berries! Picking fresh blueberries in AM for the pancakes or muffins.

If trip is short, you can drive ND and eastern MT and eastern WA or OR at night.

While in Seattle...
Do a Friday or Sunday evening at Chittenden Locks. (currently under construction, but still some limited viewing).
Sunset at nearby Golden Gardens with take-out Salmon and chips.

Please bring a trunk load of 'double smoked' Klement's sausage! our Costco only has the Summer Version (which is great, but not the treat of 'double Smoked'). I see your Farm Stores have it at a good price!

I find Salmon is good trading material back in MN, so you can bring a cooler of Sausage and return to MN with Salmon. (We buy for $3 / # (live weight) from PNW Native Fisheries). If you buy it from the parking lot guys in pickup trucks (middlemen) it is $7/ lb. We prefer steelhead (ocean going trout). Same price, as is Sturgeon (in Columbia River)

Have a nice trip... my last drive from MN to PNW was 100% blizzard in a junker I bought off Craigslist in MSP. Made it home in 19 hrs! only one fuel stop in western MT (970 miles / tank). 138 miles through ND without seeing another vehicle 2-4 AM, busting drifts at each bridge (blowing / drifting snow). Was -20F.

August should be smooth sailing if no Forest Fires in western MT.

[Botev1912]

Originally Posted by leastprime

I'd visit Portland. Seattle in August is very crowded. So is Portland, but Portland doesn't have 3 cruises ships porting Sat-Mon.

If people don't want traffic or crowds, they shouldn't travel at all and just stay home.

[CrazyDonkey]

You've got three days, which is not much, so I'd say skip anything that involves driving through, or even to, Downtown Seattle. Save that for your next trip out. Some things you can do that will be closer to Des Moines:

1. Local eats:

Wally's Chowder House: https://www.google.com/maps/place/42...4d-122.3286032
Jack's Country Breakfast: https://www.google.com/maps/place/21...4d-122.3251354
Anthony's Homeport: https://www.google.com/maps/place/42...4d-122.3286032

2. Day hikes:

Des Moines Trail: https://www.google.com/maps/place/22...!4d-122.328203

Lake Fenwick Park: https://www.google.com/maps/place/La...4d-122.2729612

Seahurst Beach Park: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...ashington.html

Point Defiance Park (Zoo and Aquarium): https://www.google.com/maps/search/5...22.5399711,14z

3. Museums:

Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum: https://www.google.com/maps/place/59...4d-122.2607398

The Museum of Flight: https://www.google.com/maps/place/94...4d-122.2989742

LeMay - America's Car Museum: https://www.google.com/maps/place/27...4d-122.4304617

[thatguy950]

North Cascades, Snoqualmie Falls and pass, other stuff on the eastside is what I’d recommend.

If you’re going into Seattle pack your purell, lysol, and watch out for needles laying around in parks/playgrounds, benches, and in the buses, and I’m actually not joking about that unfortunately

[StealthRabbit]

Rainy Day Seattle (hope not in Aug)
I like the Klondike Museum / NPS. FREE IIRC, and very interesting history / perspective on Seattle.

For your free ferry ride (Passengers), come inbound from the west to Seattle in the evening and watch the lights of the city turn on.

[leastprime]

Originally Posted by leastprime

I'd visit Portland. Seattle in August is very crowded. So is Portland, but Portland doesn't have 3 cruises ships porting Sat-Mon.

It's 5 ships, 3 berths. Sat and Sunday 2 ships. Monday 1 ship. At 5000 debarking and another 5000 embarking on Sat and another on Sunday. 10,000 visiting people on each day.

[Brunswick A2]

Wow, so many great suggestions, recommendations, and words of warning. After clearing the 10" of snow we received over night, I'll have more opportunity to study all your fantastic posts. We realize we don't have allot of time and our travel hours out and back will be greater than estimated. But we want to make the most of the time we have to visit and explore the Pacific Northwest. We also do not plan on making this our only trip out this way, just the first. Thank you all once again for taking the time to assist with planning our adventure.

[mhays25]

Much of the year it's three cruise ships per day: https://www.portseattle.org/maritime/cruise or http://online.pubhtml5.com/itgp/hwpj/

We'll have 11 ships this year, including four per week on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays in addition to generally six on the weekends. One of the 11 is less frequent including Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday sailings on top of the four.

[leastprime]

wow More days to park myself at the docks and watch the older farts. Amazing how much these people bring on a cruise.