One of the many benefits of visiting Seattle, is the wealth of travel experiences located so close by, a bounty for nature lovers, hikers, photographers, and explorers.  The beauty of the northwest is just beyond the city with majestic mountains, woodland trails, waterfalls and rapids, and islands with smaller towns, not to mention the close proximity of Seattle to British Columbia, Canada.

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Brought to you by:

Waterfront Vacation Rental Homes in and near Seattle.
Visit our website at - http://www.SeattleWaterfrontRentals.com

Beautiful homes with exceptional views, able to accommodate up to eight,
within 15 - 25 minutes of downtown Seattle!

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Only about a half hour drive east from downtown Seattle you can overlook the magnificence of Snoqualmie Falls.  Beautiful at any time of year, the park surrounding the falls offers a great observation deck, picnic tables, and a trail (3 miles round trip) to hike down to the foot of the falls.  The Salish Lodge, overlooking the falls, offers lunch & dinner.

Continuing east for another half hour will put you into the Snoqualmie Pass.  With snow-laced mountains on both sides and beautiful scenery...
	...this quick getaway is a great way to see the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.  Several winter ski areas are located here.

Another popular mountain pass that takes just a little longer to drive to and through is Stevens Pass, about 1 1/2 hours from Seattle by car.  Along the way stop at the pull-off for the waterfalls, a trail will lead you directly to a bridge where you will find yourself standing directly over the rapids of the falls.
	This drive offers breathtaking views of brilliantly colored foliage in the autumn months.  The hillsides become tapestries of vibrant colors, bright red, flaming orange, and vivid yellow, offset by the evergreens which retain their forest green color.

The pass will eventually lead you to a charming bavarian town called Leavenworth nestled in the mountains.  Leavenworth offers interesting shops for exploring and cafes for enjoying lunch.  A wonderful Christmas shop is located here as well.  Take a different way back and return by Snoqualmie pass to take in new scenery the whole trip.

Another nice drive through the mountains is via the North Cascade Highway.  It’s a 4 hour drive to the other side to eastern Washington where the climate is quite different - warmer in summer, colder in winter.

Your trip will take you through small quaint towns by farms and  cattle.

This drive is also know for its maginificent fall display of color.

You will pass several mountain waterfalls and rapids.

Mount Rainier, the Northwest’s largest mountain,  is located south of Seattle, about 2 - 2 1/2 hours by car.

Getting to Mt. Rainier typically only takes  about 1 1/2 hours,  but the winding  road upwards can add another hour.

This mountain is  snow covered all year.  (Photos  taken in  autumn.)

Mount St. Helens, a volcano as is Mount Rainier, differs in that it relatively recently erupted.  The restorative powers of nature can be witnessed as the area is slowly reborn after the 1980 eruption.  Mount St. Helens can be reached by driving about 4 hours from Seattle.

Brought to you by:

Waterfront Vacation Rental Homes in and near Seattle.
Visit our website at - http://www.SeattleWaterfrontRentals.com

Beautiful homes with exceptional views, able to accommodate up to eight,
within 15 - 25 minutes of downtown Seattle!

There are many boat excursions to explore the islands, and view wildlife,  whales, etc.  Many vessels offer inside or outside seating.  The boat rides are always enjoyable, and crew members are knowledgeable about sites and nature.

Whale watching excursions depart from different points.  One of the closest, relative to Seattle*, is the Everett based Mosquito Fleet, about 1/2 hour north of Seattle.  There is also a nice combination cruise departing from Bellingham, 1 1/2 hours north of Seattle, offering whale watching on the way to Victoria (see below), and additionally, a buffet dinner on the return trip: Victoria-San Juan Cruises. *Nov. - Mar., Salish Sea Charters departs from Seattle (in the summer months, they depart from San Juan Island).

(Orca whales near the boat on a whale-watching excursion.)

The ferry to Kingston will take you to the peninsula across Puget Sound, just a 1 1/2 hour drive will bring you to Olympic National Park where another 1/2 - 1 hour will get you to Hurricane Ridge, part of the Olympic Mountain range.  Weather permitting, you can drive to the top where you will find top-of-the-world views, snow, and also wild deer feeding in the sloping meadows.  By driving another 2 hours from the park, you will find a rain forest - the only such forest in the northwest.

On the way to the Olympics, you will pass Port Angeles, a point of departure for the ferry to Victoria on Vancouver Island.  Another car ferry to Vancouver Island departs from Anacortes, about 90 miles north of Seattle off I-5.
 

	From Anacortes, take a  WA state ferry through the  San Juan Islands to Vancouver Island.
For an interesting side trip, stop off at one of the islands, San Juan, Lopez, or Orcas.  Orcas Island is not the largest island, but is thought by many to be the most scenic, with a varied topography offering a mix of forests and pastures.  *We can recommend a nice B&B on Orcas!

At the upper most point of the island is a wonderful look-out, where the major mountains, waterways, and islands  can be seen.

	Be watchful for deer grazing  just beside the roads.
On the ferry ride back, an evening trip may present a nice photo opportunity for a  sunset picture!

To visit Victoria, B.C., Canada from dowtown Seattle without a car, take the Victoria Clipper.  This ferry will have you in Victoria in 2 1/2 hours, departing from downtown Seattle as a passenger only ferry.  The Clipper has several a.m. departures and several return boats in the evening.  Victoria is a charming Canadian town with a distinctive English character.

Victoria features a renowned garden just outside of town that can be reached by tour-bus or car.

To enjoy even more of Canada while visiting Seattle, drive north on I-5, the main interstate, about 2 1/2 hours to find yourself right in the heart of Vancouver, B.C., Canada.  Vancouver has similar weather to Seattle and is also a city located on the water.  Vancouver offers a large, lovely park at it’s north end, Stanley Park.  Vancouver also has a central shopping district with a variety of stores, a downtown mall, and many restaurants to choose from.  The exchange rate is typically favorable to U.S. dollars making shopping and dining out that much more fun!  (You can also stop off at Anacortes on the way there or back from Vancouver and visit the San Juan Islands and / or Victoria.)

On the way to Vancouver, about 1 hour out of Seattle, LaConner is a destination in spring during the  Tulip Festival.
	The entire Skagit Valley is a sight to behold with field after field of bright tulips and daffodils displaying their colors.

If you decide to continue north, consider taking the scenic route along the coast - Chuckanut Drive, a scenic drive through farmlands and along the coastline, taking you from the Skagit Valley to just outside Bellingham to the north.

For an excursion closer to home, try the Spirit of Washington dinner train, with lunch departures as well during summer weekends.  An excellent dinner is served with narration of the passing sites during the 45 mile trip along the eastern shore of Lake Washington.  On the way, you'll cross a 102 foot high, 974 foot long wooden trestle.  The trip leads to the Columbia Winery in Woodinville, where a tour of the winery is offered or wine tasting with the opportunity to purchase favorite selections.  Dessert is served on the return trip and the whole outing lasts 4 hours.

There are several other wineries in Woodinville if you decide to make the 1/2 hour drive instead:

While in Seattle, visit the area’s largest manufacturer and employer, Boeing.  Tours of the airplane plant are available Mon. - Fri., with 3 tours lasting approximately 1 hour offered daily.  Large 747 jets are built completely indoors at the Boeing plant - a sight to see!  The Boeing airplane plant is located about 1/2 hour north of Seattle.

If you have further interest in planes, visit the Museum of Flight, located near Boeing’s aerospace plant just south of downtown Seattle.  A huge collection of aircraft, including 20 full sized airplanes, are suspended from the glass ceiling.  The history of flight is chronicled from the Wright brothers to the space age.  The collection includes military, commercial, and amateur.

Brought to you by:

Waterfront Vacation Rental Homes in and near Seattle.
Visit our website at - http://www.SeattleWaterfrontRentals.com

Beautiful homes with exceptional views, able to accommodate up to eight,
within 15 - 25 minutes of downtown Seattle!