Five Seattle Trips That Take You Out of Downtown Seattle

Visiting Seattle again? You’ve seen the view from the Space Needle, enjoyed the “flying fish” at Pike Place Market, ridden the ferries and are itching to get out of the Emerald City. Or perhaps, you’re a Seattle native and want to show visitors something unique. With a car, time and willingness to get off the beaten track, there are other things to do in the Seattle area:

If you have animal loving kids in the group, drive 55 miles southeast from Seattle to the tiny town of Eatonville and Northwest Trek. Northwest Trek allows you to enjoy a safari-like experience in the Pacific Northwest. Make time for the one hour narrated tram tour and view bighorn sheep, deer, Roosevelt elk, woodland caribou, mountain goats, bison and more up close and personal as your chatty narrator rattles off animal trivia. Stroll pathways to see grizzlies, black bears, wolves, bobcats, lynx, cougars, owls, and wetland animals in natural exhibits. There are also displays and zoo keeper led shows where you learn cool facts about bald eagles. After a morning at Northwest Trek, take a detour north to Puyallup and then due west to Tacoma and the Port Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. View beluga whales, Sumatran tigers, Red Wolves, octopus and all manners of marine creatures. For a very reasonable $5 per person you or your little rugrats can even ride a camel! Also take in a live half hour zoo keeper presentation (I would recommend the shark feed and bird show.)

Northwest Trek 360- 832-6117 or www.nwtrek.org.

Port Defiance Zoo & Aquarium (253) 591-5337 or www.pdza.org

Take either the Mercer Island (I-90) or Evergreen (Highway 520) floating bridge to the upscale Seattle ‘burb of Bellevue and the Bellevue Square Mall. You can stock up at the usual suspects like Macy’s, Gymboree or JC Penny’s and then window shop at Tiffany’s, Burberry, Giorgio Armani and Van’s. (I dare you to try something on at Armani that costs more than your monthly mortgage or rent.)  After a morning at the mall, hop back on Highway 520 and head northeast to Woodinville and the Chateau St. Michelle Winery.  Chateau St. Michelle allows you to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at winemaking operations and discover what makes the Northwest a premier grape growing region. The tour culminates with a sampling of premiere wines. Bring Artisan bread, a slab of gourmet cheese and comfy blanket, purchase a bottle of Johannesburg Riesling in the gift shop and enjoy a picnic on the beautiful grounds. During the summer months, the Winery is the site of an outdoor concert series featuring acts such as Jackson Browne and the Moody Blues. Make reservations at the nearby five star “Herb Farm” restaurant and call it an evening.

Bellevue Square www.bellevuesquare.com

Chateau St. Michelle 425- 415-3300 or www.ste-michelle.com

Herb Farm Restaurant 425-485-5300 or www.theherbfarm.com

Arise early and drive about 30 miles east of Seattle on I-90, to the Snoqualmie Falls Lodge for a breakfast to die for. Try a stack of the blueberry pancakes or oatmeal with “honey from heaven”. (The presentation is as good as the food.) Work off your meal and wander over to the nearby 270 ft. Snoqualmie Falls. A short hike that even the most unfit can handle takes you to the base and an abundance of picture taking opportunities. On the way back to Seattle visit Cougar Mountain Zoological Park featuring a mountaintop preserve of rare and endangered species of animals including one of the largest exhibits of cougars, lemurs and reindeer (yes, reindeer) in the country. Stay for one of their hourly shows.

Snoqualmie Falls Lodge 425-985-6906 or www.snoqualmiefalls.com.

Cougar Mountain Zoo 425-392-6278 or www.cougarmountainzoo.org

September is one of the warmest and most beautiful months to visit Seattle. Start the morning with a peaceful stroll or romantic canoe ride at Washington Park Arboretum in Seattle’s Madison Park neighborhood. Let your eyes feast on brilliant Japanese Maples and Oaks and other fall foliage as you meander among trails and coves. Free tours are offered the first and third Sundays of each month. Nearby is Husky Stadium, home of the University of Washington Husky football team. Although the last few seasons have been on the lackluster side, you can’t beat sitting in a packed stadium with thousands of screaming purple and gold decked fans listening to the Husky marching band play “Tequila” on a fall day. Also, check out the tailgate parties, Husky-style – by boat.

Washington Park Arboretum (206) 543-8800 or www.depts.washington.edu

Husky Football www.gohuskies.com.

Take I-5 about two hours north from Seattle to Mount Vernon, then follow the scenic North Cascade Highway forty miles east to the town of Nehalem and Diablo Dam, one of three dams constructed to provide hydroelectric power to the city of Seattle. There is a visitor’s center with displays and videos but take the time for a two and a half hour motor coach/boat tour of the dam and emerald green Diablo Lake. Camera strongly suggested. Returning to Seattle, take Highway 20 back to Mount Vernon then continue west to the Whidbey Island cutoff then south across the Deception Pass bridge to Deception Pass State Park. Deception Pass provides an opportunity to wade in Puget Sound (It’s too cold for swimming much of the year.) and dig for clams and sand dollars (with the sand dollars more abundant). There are also the remains of a cool old fort bunker for kids to explore. As you make your way down Highway 20, side trips to the artsy towns of Langley and Coupeville provide opportunities to poke around in funky art galleries and shops. Highway 20 ends at the Clinton Ferry terminal, then a quick twenty minutes back to Seattle (Be prepared - the wait to get on the ferry by car can be as long as a hour, hour and a half or more during summer months.)

Diablo Dam Tours   (206) 684-3030  or www.skagittours.com 

Deception Pass State Park/Whidbey Island  or www.whidbeycamanoislands.com

Washington State Ferries   1.888.808.7977  or www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/