Surrounding Seattle

[didan]

Hi,
We will be in Seattle for 3 days before our cruise on Aug 29. We have a pretty good idea of what to see in the city, but are also interested in taking a day to see some of the area around Seattle as we have never been out that way. Going out to Mt Ranier is one idea - has anyone done this? Is there more to do/see at Mt. St. Helen's? Any other suggestions?

[Gardyloo]

Both Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens are doable as day trips from Seattle - Mt. St. Helens actually quite a longish day - allow 3+ hours each way to the visitor centers from Seattle. Can't say which is preferable to a one-time visitor; more facilities and options at Mt. Rainier, also somewhat crowded, and frankly I find it to be a "okay, seen the big mountain, now what?" sort of destination, but that might be because we've been there too much.

Mt. St. Helens offers interesting insight into volcanic activity and the interpretations are excellent. But honestly I have the same problem - it's a long way for one or two (admittedly spectacular) views. It's not helped IMO by the fact that the bulk of the drive to MSH is really boring, along Interstate 5.

The perspective I'd offer is that in cruising through SE Alaska on your trip you're going to be seeing all the mountain and sea scenery you could want, so look for something on land that's different. And coming from Mass., seeing quaint seafront villages is something you can manage without flying cross country, so that eliminates tours around Puget Sound as "unique" experiences.

So my suggestion is to do something neither the cruise nor the Northeast has to offer; however it requires an overnight away from Seattle. If you can manage it, it's a great drive.

From Seattle cross the Cascade Mountains on Interstate 90 (next traffic light, Boston) then veer off on I-82 towards Yakima. Once you've crossed the mountains (around 90 min. from Seattle) you'll be in pure Cowboy-and-Indian country which will become progressively more desert-y as you approach Yakima.

From Yakima (Toppenish, really, look for the signs) take US 97 south, past the tribal headquarters of the Yakama Nation (stop for their good little museum and a buffalo burger). US 97 then climbs up to Satus Pass through some of the most beautiful "old West" country there is (most on the Reservation) until you drop down into Goldendale, with Mt. Adams - sacred to the Indians - on your right and sagebrush country on the left.

US 97 then hits the Columbia River. (By this time you're about 4 hours out of Seattle.) Near the junction is the Maryhill Museum, a remarkable little museum set on the bluff above the river, with views of Mt. Hood across the way, peacocks on the grounds, and an interesting collection inside - many of Rodin's plaster studies for famous sculptures, an amazing collection of post-war Parisian fashion mannequins used to help the French fashion industry recover, various Art Nouveau furnishings and personal effects of European royalty, a great little collection of Native American crafts, a chess set collection, paintings... pretty interesting stuff for being out here in the middle of nowhere. Down the road (built by the same visionary) is a copy of Stonehenge, built as a war memorial. [url="http://www.maryhillmuseum.org/"]Here's[/url] the museum's website.

Continue west along the Washington side of the Columbia to the bridge over to Hood River (Oregon) for an overnight stay. Great funky shops and galleries, watch the windsurfers along the river (world center for windsurfing) and have a nice evening.

Next morning, continue west on the Oregon side of the river, stopping at Bonneville Dam to see the monster Sturgeon in the fish hatchery, then stop again at Multnomah Falls. Take the "Historic Columbia Gorge Highway" (not the I-84 freeway below) through the heart of the Columbia Gorge. Stop for lunch at McMenamin's Edgefield in Troutdale at the west end of the historic highway - the converted Multnomah County Poor Farm, now a marvelous hotel-restaurant-brewery-winery-gardens-golf-brewpub-cinema complex. [url="http://www.mcmenamins.com"]Here[/url] is their website.

After lunch, continue west to I-205 and cross the river, taking I-5 back to Seattle. If you're energetic you can go back via Portland, where there are numerous distractions, great restaurants, Powell's Books (one of the world's biggest bookshops) and plenty more to see.

The way I figure it, Alaska offers lots, so don't duplicate it before or after your cruise. I can assure you there's no scenery in Alaska or Massachussetts like the Yakama Reservation or the Columbia Gorge.

[sherryf]

I usually sugges Mt. St. Helen's over Mt. Rainier for a first time visitor. Mt. Rainier is a gorgeous mountain - so much so that I named my son after it - but it's just another big mountain. Mt. St. Helen's is much more interesting, IMO. I've taken my mother, sister, and in-laws there and they all loved it.

Sherry

Carnival Spirit - July 11, 2001

[Budget Queen]

But don't bother with Mt. St. Helens if cloudy. I too most always make a trip there and go to Johnson's visitor center. Plenty of interest along the way with full views.

[holton]

Come to Whidbey Island. Take the ferry from Mukultio to Clinton and have lunch in Langley.
You'll love the view and the quaint shops. You can then return the same way or drive north on the island, crossing beautiful Deception Pass and continuing on Route 20 to Interstate 5 south and return to Seattle. We chose the Island route on our way to a cruise out of Vancouver 10 years ago and moved here 5 years later! The Island website is [url="http://www.donothinghere.com"]www.donothinghere.com[/url] Very misleading...as there is lots to do. The visitors center at Mt.St.Helens is also fantastic if you really want to understand the dynamics of a volcano.
Whatever you do...you will love this area!

[travellady]

For a shorter day trip, take the ferry, about .5 hour and really pretty, from Seattle to Bainbridge Island and then take a Kitsap Transit bus over to Poulsbo. Poulsbo is a quaint Norwegian themed town - very pretty with nice little shops along the main street just above the waterfront. It's geared toward tourists but not in a kitschy way.

This makes for a nice day trip without venturing too far.

[didan]

Thank you so much everyone! Everything sounds so interesting - I wish we were here at least a week to do it all. But thanks for the leads -this gives me a place to start researching!