Great
Day Trips
Rain or Shine: Four Great Day Trips from Seattle,
by Carol White
Map of Routes
| There
are few places in the United States more beautiful than
Seattle on a sunny day, but therein lies the rub - "a
sunny day." Alas, Seattle is famously rainy, but
hey - that's what windshield wipers are for! Put an umbrella
in the trunk or put a hat on your head like the locals
and join Carol White on four day trips outside Seattle.
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One measure of a road tripper's commitment to
adventure is his desire to drive in the rain. Fair-weather
road trippers close the sunroof and hunker down to wait for
bluer skies. That's a good plan - unless you're in Seattle,
where the wait could be long. Seattle gets 150 days of rain
a year, on average - nowhere near as rainy as, say, Arkansas
or Hawaii, but wet enough to take some gleam off the open
road.
But think of those other 200 days of the year!
I've lived in the Pacific Northwest for more than 50 years
and I can tell you the region offers some of the best sightseeing
in the country. Take these four day trips out of Seattle,
and you'll see what I mean.
Tacoma
30 minutes to the city
Thirty minutes south on Interstate 5 brings you
to Tacoma, Wash., a city of many faces. Long considered the
stepchild of Seattle, Tacoma has come into its own in the
last few years with a revival of its downtown area and the
opening of some interesting new attractions.
My favorite place to visit is the Dale
Chihuly Museum of Glass, on Dock Street. Chihuly, an internationally
known glass artist and native son of Tacoma, has lent his
tremendous talent to the museum as well as to many of the
buildings around town and around the world. You can watch
the glass blowers blow the signature bowls and other objects
that Chihuly has made famous, or you can wander through the
museum and gift shop, but the highlight for me is the Bridge
of Glass, which begins at the museum. This 500-foot-long
pedestrian bridge links downtown Tacoma to the waterfront,
spans an interstate, and is filled with beautiful glass pieces
everywhere you look. A walk across the bridge is worth the
trip to the city.
If you want to try your hand at glass blowing,
head on over to the Tacoma
Glassblowing Studio on South 23rd Street. You'll quickly
discover how difficult it is to make those masterpieces as
you huff and puff and twist and turn the glass, but you will
leave with one of your very own creations.
Be sure to leave time for a drive along the waterfront
on Ruston Way, which will take you past many of the sights
of Commencement Bay - the hardworking shipyards, the tony
restaurants and the abundant wildlife - before taking you
to the city's wonderful public space, Point
Defiance Park. Point Defiance is home to Tacoma's zoo
and aquarium, a rose garden, a gorgeous five-mile drive and
much more. It's a great place to while away an afternoon.
The locals really use this park and you will often encounter
special events there, especially in good weather.
On your drive back to Seattle, take a detour
off the interstate at Exit 147 (follow the signs) and head
for Redondo Beach, a quaint, old-fashioned beach off the beaten
path yet close to city life. If you time it right, you can
enjoy a nice evening meal at Salty's
and watch the sun set over Puget Sound.
Snoqualmie Falls
30 minutes to the falls
Traveling east from Seattle on Interstate 90,
you'll pass through beautiful fir forests and sprouting bedroom
communities as you climb the foothills of the Cascades. In
less than 25 miles, exit at State Highway 18 and continue
a few miles to famous Snoqualmie
Falls, which drop an impressive 270 feet. A good trail
leads to the bottom and there is a handicap-accessible viewing
platform near the top.
Next door is the famous Salish
Lodge & Spa, where Phil and I spent our honeymoon
in the early 1990s. With a fireplace in every room, luxury
linens on the beds, spa tubs opening to the view and impeccable
service, it is as romantic today as it was then. Be sure to
ask for the private booth in the dining room that sits nearly
on top of the falls - you'll feel a million miles away yet
pampered. Their spa is done in a tranquil Asian décor
and is well worth a visit for relaxing treatments. My favorite
is the hot rock massage, but the signature "rain drop
therapy" gets points for cleverness.
Day trippers looking for outdoor adventure will
find plenty nearby. There is hiking at Mount Si, horseback
riding around Tiger Mountain Outlook, and kayaking and whitewater
rafting on the Snoqualmie River. Nearby North Bend, made famous
as "Twin Peaks" in the TV series of the same name,
has a charming downtown area with many restaurants and memorabilia
from its tele-famous days.
On the way back to Seattle, stop at Lake Sammamish
State Park in Issaquah for a picnic and swim in the lake,
or for a hike over three miles of trails.
Mount Rainier National Park
2 hours to the park
No visit to Seattle is complete without a trip
to Mount
Rainier National Park. Looming over the city at 14,410
feet, Mount Rainier is the tallest mountain in the Pacific
Northwest. The park encompasses more than 200,000 acres and
is divided into five areas. The most accessible and popular
area is Paradise, whose historic Paradise Inn has recently
undergone a two-year renovation; a new visitors center has
also been erected to help serve the park's 2 million annual
visitors.
It's here in the park that you really appreciate
the Northwest Coast's storied rainfall. Without it, these
lush valleys, beautiful rivers and snow-capped peaks wouldn't
have you out of your vehicle every two minutes for a photo.
You almost can't turn around without encountering another
spectacular view to frame in the lens.
If you are a hiker, you can hike stretches of
the 90-mile trail that encircles the mountain. If you prefer
a less strenuous visit, I recommend starting a motor tour
at the Nisqually entrance on the southwest corner of the park,
which you can reach via State Route 706 from Ashford. From
here you can circle more than half the mountain, heading east
and north past wildflower meadows, tumbling waterfalls and
herds of elk and other wildlife before leaving the park at
the northeast corner, on State Route 410 for the drive back
to Seattle.
Ferry Rides - 30 minutes or more
Serving both foot traffic and vehicle traffic,
Washington
State Ferries are a major part of the area transportation
system - and great fun for visitors. You will need reservations
for vehicle crossings at peak times, and you can make them
on the Web site.
One of my favorite ferry trips is to Bainbridge
Island, a 35-minute crossing with frequent service. Bainbridge
is known for its arts scene and has many galleries and art
stores in and around the town of Winslow, which also has a
famous playhouse and many restaurants (I love the Rose Café
at Bainbridge Gardens).
Another short crossing, but equally fun, is by
water taxi from Pier 55 to Seacrest Dock in West Seattle.
The taxi leaves very frequently and accommodates both cars
and pedestrians. From the dock, head over to Alki Beach for
lunch and shopping. The ferry is met by the local bus but
you can easily walk from the dock to town, and there are spectacular
views back to Seattle. For fun, hop on the bus and tour the
entire island in less than an hour. The bus runs a continuous
loop and you won't find a friendlier group of locals anywhere
than on the West Seattle bus.
The Seattle area holds so many places of interest
that I find myself going back to the area time and again.
No matter which way you head from downtown, you'll find something
new to do.
Carol
White
5/29/09
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