While its great to visit any time of the year, spring in Seattle is my favorite time to come here because its not crowded with tourists yet, and you may have good weather. If youre up for a long one, you should do the Maple Heather Pass Loop, which is in the top 3 of the best hikes weve EVER done. If its not your first time, Sunrise, which is on the east side of Rainier, is another great option. Of the three islands in the Seattle area that make for a good day trip (were not counting San Juan Island and Orcas Island in that group, though we love them too), its the one that immediately makes you slow down and get on island time as soon as you step off the ferry. Want to hit the beach? By car: Take I-5 south from Seattle; I . For a meal before your trip back, stop atThe Flying Otter Grill. Leavenworth itself is also worth a couple of hours of exploration, probably after your hike. With minimal time invested in getting there, you can spend a full day exploring and enjoying Whidbey Island and still make it home to Seattle the same evening. You wont want to miss some of the more unique food here, such as tamales that often sell out. How to Get to Victoria from Seattle without a Car | Clipper Magazine While that may sound daunting, a weekend is plenty to get a good feel for the city, which will have you planning your, Read More 2 Days in Vancouver: How to Plan a Picture Perfect Weekend in Vancouver, BCContinue, Generally speaking, were blessed with excellent gluten free food options in the major cities on the west coast. Spending the weekend in Winthrop is a fun mini-vacation to plan. There is also a small town to have lunch at if you want to walk across instead. Afterward, duck inside the museum itself to explore a variety of vessels, hands-on exhibits and unite with other boat-lovers over a shared passion for wooden boats, aquatic skills, history or love of the water. . If you want to take a day trip to Mount Rainier, its going to be a full day, including five hours of driving (without traffic). You can also reach Whidbey is by taking the ferry from Mukilteo (30 miles north of Seattle). 9 of the BEST Day Trips From Seattle (Under 1.5 Hours Away!) If you want to avoid one of those busy urban Seattle day trips, head to Whidbey Island for the day to take one of the more unique day trips from Seattle by ferry. It comes roughly every half hour. Bainbridge Island. Best weekend trips out of Seattle without a car? PS: We have an entire guide to the best things to do on Vashon Island, which has all of our favorite things to do, see, eat, and drink on the island! . Matt is the founder and main writer behind Wheatless Wanderlust, which he started back in 2018 as a way to share his gluten free travel guides with his fellow Celiac travelers. One of the most scenic drives and best Seattle day trips is Chuckanut Drive up by Bellingham. How to have an epic North American trip without a car Yum. All rights reserved, Seattle Walking Guide: 20 Ways to Explore the Emerald City Without a Car, Victoria to Seattle Overnight Package with 2 Nights. Or, rent a bike! Hiking to Towering Comet Falls in Mount Rainier National Park, The Best Things to Do in Leavenworth, Washington (What to Eat, See, Drink, and Hike), Where to Stay in Seattle: 7 Amazing Areas to Stay, How to Plan an Amazing Weekend in Seattle (3 Day Itinerary), One Day in Seattle: How to See The Best of Seattle in a Day, The 8 Best Day Trips from Seattle: A Complete Guide, 10 Amazing Weekend Getaways from Seattle: A Complete Planning Guide, Where to Find the Best Coffee in Seattle: 15+ Amazing Seattle Coffee Shops, Gluten Free Seattle: A Complete Travel Guide for Celiacs, How to Plan an Amazing Washington State Road Trip, 12 Amazing Easy Hikes in Washington State for Beginners, How to Plan an Amazing Olympic National Park Itinerary, What to Do in Leavenworth, Washington: A Complete Guide, What to Do on San Juan Island: A Complete Visitors Guide, The Best Things to Do on Orcas Island: Complete Planning Guide, The Best Things to Do on Vashon Island: A Complete Day Trip Guide, The 25 Best Hikes in Washington State (Helpful Guide + Map), Hiking the Spectacular Enchantments: A Complete Trail Guide, The Best Coffee in Montreal: 10 Incredible Montreal Cafes, Where to Stay in Tuscany: The Best Places to Stay, The Amazing Enchanted Valley Trail in Olympic National Park, All the Best Things to Do in Mount Rainier National Park, The Best Things to Do in Seattle: A Locals Complete Guide (coming SOON! You can go skiing at the Mt. People love to take a day trip to Mount Rainier and the surrounding national park to ski, hike, and go rock climbing. The trip takes about 35 minutes and like other ferries, you'll get an awesome view of the skyline as you leave Seattle. Sign up receive our monthly newsletter with updates and new in-depth guides.. Leavenworth. Use it as a jumping-off point for hiking, skiing, or river floating, explore the weird ubiquity of Bavarian architecture (even gas stations and fast food joints are required to conform), or get a good sausage with sauerkraut. Its right in downtown Vashon, and is always busy. No Wheels, No Problem - Exploring Seattle Without a Car - PacificUpperLeft Learn about the origins of the Emerald City and how it was rebuilt after the Great Seattle Fire of 1889. Pssst! Its a unique, quirky aspect of driving around Vashon. In other words, we think its probably worth it. Distance From Seattle: 135 miles | Travel Time from Seattle: 2 hours 10 minutes. The bridge that connects Whidbey to the mainland is called Deception Pass Bridge, and theres a ton to do and see on either side of the bridge. From Seattle, the Nisqually entrance is your best bet, 39000 WA-706, Ashford, WA 98304. Because we are staying closer to Tacoma, my 1st day itinerary includes driving into Bremerton and taking the fast ferry . Several of the, Read More How to Plan a Perfect Zion National Park Itinerary (2 Days)Continue. To try mead and cyser, a unique experience that you dont find in too many other places, head over to Honey Moon. A post shared by Cory Culver (@_clculver) on Mar 12, 2016 at 2:17pm PST. Its pretty easy, though its a steady uphill the entire way to the lake, and weve seen young kids on the trail before. After years of being on our list to visit, we made it our honeymoon destination. Prefer to watch teams duke it out on the diamond? Introduce your taste buds to a whole new level of culinary goodness on a stroll through one of the Emerald Citys tastiest landmarks, Pike Place Market. It's technically part of the San Juan Islands, but it's much closer to Seattle and more accessible. There are multiple tours from Seattle to Mt. Looking for more of a camping trip? Fortunately, between regional transit, the ferry system, and Amtrak, there are plenty of options that dont require a car at all. A post shared by merlin (@merlinthegirl) on Jan 3, 2019 at 12:57pm PST. Privacy Policy | Clippervacations.com | Contact Us, 2023 Clipper Vacations Magazine. https://postcardstoseattle.com/seattle-winter/. So Get directions. ), head to Mallard Ice Cream and choose from 28 different handcrafted flavors. Planning a Trip to Mount Rainier National Park? Rather than give you a more detailed list of things to do here, were going to direct you to our guide to planning a Mount Rainier day trip to Seattle, which has everything you need to know to plan your trip. Youll start by driving all the way up to Washington Pass, the highest point on Highway 20 (the road that runs through the Cascades down into the eastern foothills), which is a fantastic view. A bunch of them have little farm stands where you can pull over and peruse their selection of farm-fresh produce, flowers, and occasionally homemade cheese. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts Search within r/Seattle r/Seattle Log InSign Up The trip takes about 4.5 hours, and there's Wi-Fi, at seat plugs and a bistro car. It is an experience unlike any other! Home to numerous rotating and permanent exhibits, the museum showcases both ancient and modern art from around the globe. 15 Incredible Day Trips from Seattle - Walk a While with Me All Rights Reserved. Vashon Island is a wonderful, close to home (still in King County!) Below youll get all the information you need to plan your trip how to get there, when to go, and our favorite things to do and see. I use the term hike a little bit loosely here, because this is a very, very short and easy stroll out to the lighthouse. 8 of the best day trips from Seattle - Lonely Planet Immerse yourself in an indoor jungle full of butterflies and colorful tropical plants, travel back in time to meet dinosaurs through an array of hands-on science exhibits and catch a show thats out of this world in the Planetarium at the Pacific Science Center. Since then, Matt and his wife Alysha have visited 18 national parks, spent three months in Europe and six weeks in Colombia, and have explored every corner of the Pacific Northwest, which is where Matt grew up. I used to work for a rafting company in Washington, and its one of the more accessible river trips from Seattle. Ive been to this city about a dozen times at this point, and the places I always recommend are theRoyal BC Museum, Fishermans Wharf, and Butchart Gardens. For a longer tour, sign up for the Boeing and Pike Place Market tour. Im coming from France so Im looking at extending my stay in the Seattle area for some more days. We are flying to Seattle in March for 8 days. I dont know about you, but we generally judge the weather based on whether or not you can see Mount Rainier from the city. Climb on the famous Seattle Monorail and ride right through the belly of the Frank O. Gehry designed building. Hi Marissa, I just wanted to drop you a line saying how much I appreciate all your blog posts! I might be coming to Seattle in mid January for a business trip to Boeing Everett factory.