Need HELP on Vancouver/SeattleTrip after cruise

[kendy]

HELP!! I've been on these boards for years and LOVE them. We are flying to Vancouver on Thursday before leaving on Radiance Saturday 7/2. Staying at Hyatt [$97. on Hotwire -Thanks to yalls help] After cruise we plan to drive to San Francisco leaving there on 7/16 for home. We are renting an SUV in Seattle for trip to S.F. My problem is::::: getting to Seattle, seeing all we can see, Not spending more money than I have to, not wasting time and Not being worked to death because of the choices. I have looked at the train which doesn't leave till 6 pm, But would be a beautiful trip I hear. But, what do I do in Vancouver all day with luggage. Luggage service is closed at Amtrak on Saturday. Rental car: with the pickup hassle and hard to get one big enough for 5 bags[2 adults and 2 teenagers] and 4 adults. Shuttle Bus, What time could we make the bus? Could we make the 8:45 bus from Ballentyne pier? and is it a horrible trip? Crowded? Scenery? Also I need a hotel in Seattle to sightsee from. We only plan to be there 1-1.5 days and will only be able to hit the hight spots. We plan to stop in Portland, maybe do some rafting, redwoods, wine country and of course San Fransico. WOW I need a month not a week. Any help or suggestions would be wonderful. Thanks!! ALSO I booked Capt Larry and rented a car in Skagway, Thanks to the BOARDS.

[Gardyloo]

Phew. Howsabout some paragraph breaks next time?

 

Okay - just my humble (okay, who am I kidding?) opinion.

 

Rent a car in Vancouver and drive to Seattle. Get a minivan if you must; I expect the cost will still be favorable to the train, especially if you count taxis to stations/hotels blah blah at both ends. Yes, the train view is attractive, but you'll have just returned from a week of killer scenery, so a couple of hours of freeway won't be a tragedy. The freeway is quicker, and if you're desperate for roadside scenery between Vancouver and Seattle, I can suggest some alternate routes that have an added advantage of less-congested border crossings.

 

If you need an SUV in Seattle, try to book your one-way Van-Sea car with the same company; you may get a weekly or longer rate that reduces the total car cost.

 

I'm trying to get my head around your schedule in Seattle and down to SF. I gather you'll be in Vancouver the 9th, and need to leave SF the 16th, thus 7 days on the road

 

Day 1 (Sat) - AM - to SEA

 

Day 1 - PM - around Seattle - Pike Market, something downtownish. Dinner and movie or other recreation at Pacific Place - big downtown shopping center with multiplex, high-end shops, restaurants.

 

Day 2 - (Sun) AM - ferry ride across the sound to Bainbridge Island (no car needed) - breakfast at Streamliner Diner in Winslow (5 min. walk from ferry). Back to Seattle - best view in town, bar none.

 

Day 2 - PM - Walk from ferry terminal to Pioneer Square (historic district) and over to International District. Visit Uwajimaya Village; feed hungry teens at amazing Asian food court in Uwajimaya (giant Japanese/pan-Asian) supermarket. Hop waterfront trolly back up to Pike Market Hillclimb, wander through market area; back to hotel for freshening. Dinner at restaurant-with-view; my suggestion would be Elliott's Oyster House on central Waterfront; if you must do the Space Needle this is the time.

 

Day 3 - (Mon) Drive south to Portland, if time permits detour into Mt. St. Helens if weather good and mt. able to accommodate visitors (ie not erupting at the moment.) Where are you staying in Portland?

 

Day 4 - (Tues) S. on Interstate 5 to Ashland - around 4-5 hours. Evening at the Shakespeare Festival - see http://www.orshakes.org for times. Enough tourism; time for some culture.

 

Day 5 - (Weds) - Backtrack to Grants Pass, take US 199 to Crescent City, through and into the Redwoods.

 

Day 6 (Thurs) - More redwoods, lunch or late breakfast if possible at Samoa Cookhouse (old log mill mess hall - family style food served by your grannie) in Samoa, over the bay from Eureka. PM into SF, around 5 hours from Eureka.

 

Day 7 (Fri) - Cheerio.

 

I'd look for whitewater rafting in Alaska as an excursion. Not much snow in the mts. in the Northwest this winter, so water flows in rivers in July will be zilch.

 

Others may have other opinions.

 

Happy planning, Kendy...

[kendy]

Thanks so much for such a great answer. Sorry I had no Paragraphs, Once I started writing I couldn't stop! I am not happy to hear about the rafting this summer. We were looking at some rafting companies southeast of Portland. ALL the pictures in Whistler show all the rafters in wet suites. I was hoping for something a little warmer.

 

Any ideas about a hotel in Seattle. It would be nice to include breakfast and since we will have a car should we still stay downtown? If so, Any fabulous places at reasonable rates?

 

Thats very true about the scenery on the train. It would be nice but maybe overkill. Whats wrong with the space needle?

 

Do you have any ideas on a winery around Seattle or Portland?

 

This is a big trip for us and we are really excited. Our plane doesn't leave till Sat so we plan to have at least 1 day in S F to show the kids around a little.Thanks again for all the info. Please send all the extra info you can! I'm a detail person and I love DATA DATA AND MORE DATA!

[Gardyloo]

Silver Cloud Inn or Residence Inn, both across the street from Lake Union (floatplanes, houseboats, restaurants...) around a mile north of downtown. Both places have shuttles to haul you around the city (saves on downtown parking) - don't know if parking at either/both is free; do know that both offer breakfast as part of the deal.

 

Winery/Portland - no brainer. Stay at McMenamin's Edgefield (http://www.mcmenamins.com) in Troutdale, 20 min. E. of the city (5 min. from PDX airport). Former Multnomah County Poor Farm, converted to funky/fun/clean hotel/restaurant/yadda yadda resort. On-site brewery, winery, distillery, restaurants, golf, several pubs, flower gardens, fabulous art, movie theater (free to guests) ... do a late afternoon drive along the "old" Columbia Gorge highway, which starts in Troutdale - as far as Multnomah Falls, then back on the freeway. Fabulous, fun place to stay.

 

Not whitewater, but if you skip Mt. St. Helens and make tracks south, head for Hood River Oregon (also in the Gorge.) How about windsurfing on the Columbia River? HR is the "windsurfing capital of the world" (self proclaimed.)

[BCHappyGal]

RE; Storing your luggage for a day - no problem. When you disembark off of your cruise ship at Canada Place - just before you get to the terminal exit doors there is a luggage storage counter on your left.

 

RE: Easiest way to get to Seattle from the crusie ship terminal is to go on the bus called Quick Shuttle cost approx $45. pp CAN - this bus will pick you up at the crusie ship terminal and drop you in downtown Seattle.

 

However if there is a group of you 4 or more think about a rental car / van will probably be cheaper and the drive to Seattle is easy from Vancouver.

 

Enjoy your vacation