OT - Pacific NW vacation ideas

[dawgie]

My wife and I are planning a 9-day vacation to the Pacific NW later this summer, in July, August or September. We probably will fly into Portland but would consider Seattle. Would like to spend a few days in the city and then visit some national parks in the area -- Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, possibly Olympia.

We would like to stay at one of the NPS lodges at Rainier (and Olympia if we go there). Rainier has two lodges, Paradise and Longmire. Any recommendations between the two? Any recommendations for places to stay near Mt. St. Helens or at Olympia?

My preference is to fly into Portland because I've been there once and know my way around a little. Plus, it's a cool bike-friendly city with excellent public transportation, lots of brew pubs and a great Japanese garden. We won't have bikes with us, but plan to do some hiking.

Seattle is also appealing because we've never been there and could see some new sights, plus we might have time to visit Olympia as well. Would we be trying to squeeze in too much visiting Olympia as well as Mts. Rainier and St. Helens?

[tumbler]

We did this a few years ago. We flew into Seattle and spent some time in Olympic National Park, then traveled up to Vancouver (which is also a beautiful and amazing city to visit). Within Washington State and ONP, I would look into Hurricane Ridge and also the various beaches along the Washington coast (Ruby Beach was one). Both were spectacular places that I’ll never forget.

[Ken Robb]

Leslie and I had a great time staying in a B and B (Blue Goose) in Coupeville on Whidby Island where residents claim the nicest weather in the Seattle area because they live in the rain shadow of the Olympic Peninsula. It seemed to be true while we were there.

[EDS]

My wife and I are planning a 9-day vacation to the Pacific NW later this summer, in July, August or September. We probably will fly into Portland but would consider Seattle. Would like to spend a few days in the city and then visit some national parks in the area -- Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, possibly Olympia.

We would like to stay at one of the NPS lodges at Rainier (and Olympia if we go there). Rainier has two lodges, Paradise and Longmire. Any recommendations between the two? Any recommendations for places to stay near Mt. St. Helens or at Olympia?

My preference is to fly into Portland because I've been there once and know my way around a little. Plus, it's a cool bike-friendly city with excellent public transportation, lots of brew pubs and a great Japanese garden. We won't have bikes with us, but plan to do some hiking.

Seattle is also appealing because we've never been there and could see some new sights, plus we might have time to visit Olympia as well. Would we be trying to squeeze in too much visiting Olympia as well as Mts. Rainier and St. Helens?

I think hitting all three (if assuming you mean Olympic National Park) would be a lot of driving but doable - though it would not give you much time at each place. Maybe take 101 back down to see the coast. I have only camped in those areas

[paredown]

Hurricane Ridge and Whidby/Coupeville would be on my list...

When I took my future wife out west to "meet the folks" we flew into Seattle, then drove to Anacortes and took the ferry from Mukilteo to Whidby, then the ferry across from Coupeville to Port Townsend--on inside of the Olympic peninsula. (PT's claim to fame--the best preserved Victorian downtown in the US--and the bar scene from Officer and a Gentleman was filmed there). B&Bs and restaurants galore.

Then up and across the Olympic Peninsula-a visit to Hurricane Ridge (a great bike ride BTW is up that damn climb) and out to the coastal forest (if possible). Then take the ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria BC--see at least the Provincial Museum and Beacon Hill Park. Quite the tourist trap, but underneath it is the most English of Canadian cities.

Then drive out to the ferry at Swartz Bay and catch the ferry to the mainland of BC--and Vancouver. Lots to see and do, and your $$s are worth more. Good Japanese garden (Nitobe--on the UBC campus) and great anthropology museum across the street--and good Chinese gardens (downtown). Ski hills with summer trams on the North Shore, hiking etc.

Then dead-head back to Seattle, but take the slow road on Chuckanut Drive to Bellingham (voted one of the most scenic in the US).

The nice thing about this itinerary is that you see a lot from the ferries--and feel like you are far away, but you are not really doing that much driving.

My $.02

[Ken Robb]

Hurricane Ridge and Whidby/Coupeville would be on my list...

When I took my future wife out west to "meet the folks" we flew into Seattle, then drove to Anacortes and took the ferry from Mukilteo to Whidby, then the ferry across from Coupeville to Port Townsend--on inside of the Olympic peninsula. (PT's claim to fame--the best preserved Victorian downtown in the US--and the bar scene from Officer and a Gentleman was filmed there). B&Bs and restaurants galore.

Then up and across the Olympic Peninsula-a visit to Hurricane Ridge (a great bike ride BTW is up that damn climb) and out to the coastal forest (if possible). Then take the ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria BC--see at least the Provincial Museum and Beacon Hill Park. Quite the tourist trap, but underneath it is the most English of Canadian cities.

Then drive out to the ferry at Swartz Bay and catch the ferry to the mainland of BC--and Vancouver. Lots to see and do, and your $$s are worth more. Good Japanese garden (Nitobe--on the UBC campus) and great anthropology museum across the street--and good Chinese gardens (downtown). Ski hills with summer trams on the North Shore, hiking etc.

Then dead-head back to Seattle, but take the slow road on Chuckanut Drive to Bellingham (voted one of the most scenic in the US).

The nice thing about this itinerary is that you see a lot from the ferries--and feel like you are far away, but you are not really doing that much driving.

My $.02
This post makes me want to make a return visit!

[pjmsj21]

Like many great vacation destinations, I think it is wise not to try and see everything but to locate in one area and use that as a base for day trips to other locations. Otherwise you can spend all of your time travelling.

While I live in Eugene, Oregon, I spend a good amount of my time on Bainbridge Island which could make a wonderful base location. From Bainbridge you can walk on to the ferry and see almost limitless attractions in downtown Seattle....then get back on the ferry for a 35 minute scenic ride back to the island which I would describe as semi-rural.

If you want more rural you can then do day trips to Hurricane Ride on the Olympic peninsula, head up to historic Port Townsend and a host of other attractions to the west.

We have a house on Bainbridge that we rent on VRBO and have lots of experience with travelers who come to area on vacation and many have found that Bainbridge makes a great centrally located base. Yet many folks come and just spend a week or more on the island relaxing and seeing the very local sites.

The island also has very good cycling....not as good as Eugene but very courteous drivers none the less.

Your challenge is to try and narrow all of the possible things and locations down to the most important for you.

[texbike]

Hurricane Ridge and Whidby/Coupeville would be on my list...

When I took my future wife out west to "meet the folks" we flew into Seattle, then drove to Anacortes and took the ferry from Mukilteo to Whidby, then the ferry across from Coupeville to Port Townsend--on inside of the Olympic peninsula. (PT's claim to fame--the best preserved Victorian downtown in the US--and the bar scene from Officer and a Gentleman was filmed there). B&Bs and restaurants galore.

Then up and across the Olympic Peninsula-a visit to Hurricane Ridge (a great bike ride BTW is up that damn climb) and out to the coastal forest (if possible). Then take the ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria BC--see at least the Provincial Museum and Beacon Hill Park. Quite the tourist trap, but underneath it is the most English of Canadian cities.

Then drive out to the ferry at Swartz Bay and catch the ferry to the mainland of BC--and Vancouver. Lots to see and do, and your $$s are worth more. Good Japanese garden (Nitobe--on the UBC campus) and great anthropology museum across the street--and good Chinese gardens (downtown). Ski hills with summer trams on the North Shore, hiking etc.

Then dead-head back to Seattle, but take the slow road on Chuckanut Drive to Bellingham (voted one of the most scenic in the US).

The nice thing about this itinerary is that you see a lot from the ferries--and feel like you are far away, but you are not really doing that much driving.

My $.02

Wow! Great post and wonderful timing on this thread. Seattle, The Olympics, and Victoria are our family Summer vacation destination this year. My wife has been researching places this week to stay on Victoria/Vancouver Island. My wife and I have been out there several times over the years before kids and always loved Port Angeles and Victoria. This time we're taking the kids along and plan on spending a little bit of time in each place (less in Seattle and more on the Penninsula and Vancouver Island). Do you guys have any suggestions for nice, little cabins along the coast W/NW of Sooke?

Thanks!

Texbike

[john903]

Hello there, as PJMSJ21 pointed out there is a lot to see in the great pacific northwest to I would suggest picking an area and basing out of their. Bainbridge Isl would be a great spot my town of Sequim is 1hr from Brainbridge. I live on the Olympic Penninsula between Port Angeles and Port Townsend we have great hiking and of course great cycling if you come out this way send me a PM and we can go for a ride or I can give you some more details. Yes, if you like climbing Hurricane ridge is a 70mi round trip from my front door.
Have fun

[GeorgeTSquirrel]

If you are in Seattle on a weekday, avoid the Space Needle and go to the Columbia Tower (or whatever they call it these days). Make the required stop at Pike Place and then go wander around Fremont for the best photo ops, Gas Works Park... especially on a weekend, the Sunday market is always fun. I like Chinook's near Ballard for a fun seafood eating environment.

If you are on bike, play around on the Burke-Gilman trail. Stop by UW and check out the library and catch the view of Rainier from campus (if it's a clear day). There is a Mexican restaurant near by that is wonderful. You can rent a kayak and paddle around. You can walk around at the arboretum.

Maybe ride out to Woodinville and visit some wineries (stop by the Mac&Jack's brewery if Saturday for tour).

Give yourself a day at MntStHelens. It's a beautiful and almost unreal hike if you go down into the valley and walk towards the base of the mountain. Take a camelbak, I can easily go through three liters of water if I spend enough time there.

Lots to see along the Columbia River Gorge, might want to just drive along the river and then come back into Seattle on i90... one of the few highway drives that managed to be scenic in its own right.

Rainier is fun to hike up to the snow line later in summer, not as much fun when there is still ten feet of snow at the visitor's center.

No clue about lodging as I've never made use of it... always took day trips.

[blessthismess]

This thread is making me homesick for the Northwest. Me and my GF did a whirlwind tour of Washington when visiting my folks last summer. Rainier is great, we did a great hike in the Paradise area it was a beautiful day trip but we didn't stay over night. Really worth checking out, wish we could have spent more time. Saw a one lone cyclist climbing to the tip top of the mountain! Bring a jacket, weather changes very fast and make sure to drink a Rainier when your up there. Haven't been to Mount St. Helens in well over a decade so can't really offer much help there, it is an amazing place and within driving distance of your area. Definitely worth checking out. We did the whole Olympic Peninsula last summer as well, got to hike in the Rainforest and do some camping on the coast. Ran out of time for Hurricane Ridge which was a bummer. I remember camping with my Dad there when I was a kid, car ran outta batteries when we were done and we had to coast the whole way down the mountain to town! Very sketchy with no power steering around those turns.

If you and your wife are efficient, early risers and people who like driving as part of the adventure you could maybe do both but otherwise i'd stick to either the Rainier/ St. Helens/ Cascades area or the Olympic Mountains/Peninsula and the Pacific Coast. Theres gonna be a lot to see. Have Fun.

[dawgie]

Thanks for all of the excellent suggestions. We definitely would like to minimize driving, so we will probably base our trip in either Portland or Seattle and not try to hit all three national parks/monuments. However, we'll probably need to rent a car to visit any of the parks. We like staying in NP lodges because you are located right in the center of the parks, and every lodge we have stayed in has been extremely nice.

[texbike]

Thanks for all of the excellent suggestions. We definitely would like to minimize driving, so we will probably base our trip in either Portland or Seattle and not try to hit all three national parks/monuments. However, we'll probably need to rent a car to visit any of the parks. We like staying in NP lodges because you are located right in the center of the parks, and every lodge we have stayed in has been extremely nice.

Then you would love Paradise. We've only stayed there once, but it was a great experience. We somehow randomly booked our stay for the last weekend that the lodge was open for the season and it ended up being a great time involving an unanticipated, snow storm and an end-of-season party. Good times.... ;)

Texbike

[redir]

If you like to hike then go see the Hoh Rain Forest. Beautiful place, easy hike too. +1 on Whidby too. There are some beautiful mountains in the North Cascades too.

[Kirk007]

Paradise over Longmire, hands down. Paradise is special.

[CaptStash]

If you like to hike then go see the Hoh Rain Forest. Beautiful place, easy hike too. +1 on Whidby too. There are some beautiful mountains in the North Cascades too.

I would second that. The PNW temperate rain forest is unique and really needs to be seen to understand the incredible beauty of it. The Hoh is outstanding. There is a really nice bit of rain forest closer to Port Angeles in Sol Duc. It's basically the oother ide of the mountain from the Hoh. Very beautiful, and an easy day trip from Seattle or even better if you are staying in Port Angeles.

CaptStash....

[11.4]

Lived there for years and recently left, but my grandfather was warden of the Olympic National Park and I grew up in the mountains with him.

Here are a few thoughts: Rainier is a bit crazy during the summer. Beautiful but crazy. I'd suggest you make the far point of your trip at Lake Quinault Lodge on the Quinault River, just off the Pacific coast. Be sure to stay in the old part of the lodge. You're closer to real Native American traditions and "old" Washington than you are at Rainier. You can just veg on the grassy lawn going down to the lake, or you can take a gorgeous trail up towards Enchanted Valley. It's a great one day out-and-back or an overnight trip with family. Nothing too challenging but beautiful. If you go all the way to Enchanted Valley you are in a large bowl surrounded by hundreds of waterfalls and an old (1913?) chalet in the middle. Lots of wildlife (just got closed temporarily because of bears). You are also not far from Kalaloch Lodge, which has a bunch of small cabins looking right out onto the beach (stay in the cabins, not the lodge). Miles of beach for kids, a restaurant in the lodge, and the cabins have kitchenettes.

Closer in, Bainbridge is a good recommendation because you can get into Seattle for when you want to but you have much faster access out to the scenery. Actually Bainbridge, Pt. Townsend (old Victorian town full of bed and breakfasts -- check out the Ann Starrett Mansion as the grand dame and very reasonable place to stay), or various B&B's all along the coast. Bainbridge actually has less really interesting housing (short of VRBOs) than Pt. Townsend, but it's worth a day or two on its own -- plus two superb bike shops, one with a huge collection of vintage bikes. You can rent a couple decent quality bikes at either shop and do a loop of the island. There's also an ITT Rayonier campground on the Hoh river half way to forks, called Klahowya, which is a beautiful place to camp from -- rushing water right below you, amenities, etc. It's run by Rayonier as part of their rights to log parts of the adjoining area.

Hurricane Ridge is beautiful; check to be sure the road is open because it's had more than a few instances where the road washed out. Basically, there's one big road loop going from Bainbridge out around the north coast of the Olympic Peninsula, south along the Pacific (sometimes close, sometimes not), back east towards Olympia, and then back up to Seattle or Bainbridge. Parts of the loop are a bit boring, but most of it is quite scenic and because it's basically the only road there, most of the sights are along the road.

You have countless beaches, many on small detours that are worth taking -- a couple with gravel full of agates, a beach with old worn glass pebbles, lots of flyfishing if you're into that. Frankly some of the nicest beaches and amenities for kids are in Pt. Townsend -- North Beach is a great beach you can walk for miles, and it adjoins Ft. Worden which is now a huge parkland with trails, old gun emplacements, rich wildlife, and so on. It's not quite up to the Pacific beaches but it's a lot closer and definitely worth the trip. All in all, don't leave Pt. Townsend out of your plans -- it was built by wealthy clipper captains to be the original state capital but that was before the railroad came to Seattle (and couldn't cross Puget Sound). You can sea kayak right from the beach in the middle of town, go sailing, go shopping in lots of little boutiques, and so on. Nice town.

I'd suggest that if you had a couple days for Seattle, a couple days for Pt. Townsend, perhaps a day on Bainbridge (including Poulsbo, a classic old Scandinavian community), a day or two out on the coast, you are probably getting in a good vacation. If you want to hike more, you can hike from Hurricane Ridge. You can get directions to Mount Townsend on the eastern side of the Olympics -- easy access and a well-groomed switchback trail up the side of the mountain with fifty-mile views of all of Puget Sound, and at the top a long flat ridge with huge population of rare Alpine vegetation and great views. It's only about 5 miles or so from the parking lot to the crest, but the views are gorgeous. There are countless beautiful trails there.

Olympia isn't much to look at, but since you mentioned it, it has some small neighborhoods with good brewpubs and restaurants right downtown. The state hasn't exactly invested in its capital, and there isn't much else there except a big military base nearby. More of a drive-through place in my opinion. If you want to see a different side of Washington, drive down to old-town Chehalis on I-5 (a rejuvenating old town with antique stores, and good food at the Olympic Club -- and you can sit on the patio right next to the railroad tracks and watch the trains go by). (Reminds me: If in Pt. Townsend and visit the local airport. You can sit on the patio of the Spruce Goose Cafe and watch all kinds of vintage planes take off and land all day, and the cafe itself is full of old aviation mementos, photos, models, etc. They do a great family breakfast.)

Olympia is just a point on the loop around the Olympic National Park. I think you can find better places to spend your time. I'd stay on the coast at Ocean Shores instead -- a bit of a crowd scene during the summer but sea lions, whales, all kinds of birds, whale watching trips, and beaches on both sides of the small peninsula that it's on. Head down to Westport, right across the bay, to wander around too.

Overall I'd rate the options as follows:

1. Pt. Townsend -- Fort Worden, North Beach, the downtown, the old homes uptown. (And a one-day side trip to Whidbey with a small ferry right from Pt. Townsend, another side trip to Hurricane Ridge.)
2. Bainbridge Island and Poulsbo -- possibly your first day and on the way out of town. More civilized than anything else around the Peninsula. Lots to see, get a rental bike ride in if you have the time, drive Lemolo Road into Poulsbo and spend an hour or two there on the old main street). Mount Townsend isn't far away and is more or less on the route out to Pt. Townsend from Bainbridge.
3. Lake Quinault/optional hike/optional stay at Kalaloch -- if you wanted the lodges at Rainier, you'll get that experience at Quinault, and the lake and lodge are actually owned and managed by Native Americans. Good restaurant at the Lake Quinault Lodge.
4. Seattle -- Lots of spectating to do in town, and if you want to hike a bit more, try a couple hikes in the Cascades. There are loads of guide books and online resources to good nearby hikes. The Cascades are sharp, rugged, steep, gnarly, compared to other mountains, with lots of mountain lakes. Or just take a drive up to Snoqualmie Peak on I-90 just to see the scenery and perhaps stop on the way back to do a run-walk up Mount Si (popular local day hike, not long but good elevation). Just in Seattle proper you can visit Pioneer Square, downtown/Pike Place Market, Fremont, Golden Gardens and the Ballard Locks, Lake Washington Drive, Volunteer Park (big park with a gorgeous huge arboretum greenhouse and the Asian Art Museum), Discovery Park (nice shorter hikes, great for kids, beautiful Puget Sound views right in town), and so on.

Going to Bellingham takes a day, half of which is spent on I-5. I honestly don't see taking the detour unless you are going to Vancouver anyway or going out on one of the ferries up there to Canada.

You can take a ferry right from Pt. Angeles (close to Pt. Townsend) straight to Victoria, or take one from downtown Seattle if you want to go in that direction. Vancouver and Victoria are both beautiful. I'd say you want a car in Vancouver to get around. Very different world -- much more European -- but you may not have the time. There's so much to see in close. I'd skip Olympia. You could drive down and do an overnight and a day in Portland and just explore the downtown and Pearl District, but with driving that's still a couple days out of your schedule.

The bottom line about visiting the Northwest is that you can focus your visit or you can spread it out, but if you do the latter, you're doing a lot of driving that isn't all that pretty. At a guess, without knowing your preferences any better, I'd suggest doing Seattle plus the loop around the Olympic Peninsula -- Bainbridge, Pt. Townsend, Lake Quinault, possibly Hurricane Ridge, Ocean Shores, Klahowya, Kalaloch, etc. Lots of Seattleites on this forum so I'm sure you can get plenty of guides and advice.

[bcroslin]

Lived there for years and recently left, but my grandfather was warden of the Olympic National Park and I grew up in the mountains with him.

Here are a few thoughts: Rainier is a bit crazy during the summer. Beautiful but crazy. I'd suggest you make the far point of your trip at Lake Quinault Lodge on the Quinault River, just off the Pacific coast. Be sure to stay in the old part of the lodge. You're closer to real Native American traditions and "old" Washington than you are at Rainier. You can just veg on the grassy lawn going down to the lake, or you can take a gorgeous trail up towards Enchanted Valley. It's a great one day out-and-back or an overnight trip with family. Nothing too challenging but beautiful. If you go all the way to Enchanted Valley you are in a large bowl surrounded by hundreds of waterfalls and an old (1913?) chalet in the middle. Lots of wildlife (just got closed temporarily because of bears). You are also not far from Kalaloch Lodge, which has a bunch of small cabins looking right out onto the beach (stay in the cabins, not the lodge). Miles of beach for kids, a restaurant in the lodge, and the cabins have kitchenettes.

Closer in, Bainbridge is a good recommendation because you can get into Seattle for when you want to but you have much faster access out to the scenery. Actually Bainbridge, Pt. Townsend (old Victorian town full of bed and breakfasts -- check out the Ann Starrett Mansion as the grand dame and very reasonable place to stay), or various B&B's all along the coast. Bainbridge actually has less really interesting housing (short of VRBOs) than Pt. Townsend, but it's worth a day or two on its own -- plus two superb bike shops, one with a huge collection of vintage bikes. You can rent a couple decent quality bikes at either shop and do a loop of the island. There's also an ITT Rayonier campground on the Hoh river half way to forks, called Klahowya, which is a beautiful place to camp from -- rushing water right below you, amenities, etc. It's run by Rayonier as part of their rights to log parts of the adjoining area.

Hurricane Ridge is beautiful; check to be sure the road is open because it's had more than a few instances where the road washed out. Basically, there's one big road loop going from Bainbridge out around the north coast of the Olympic Peninsula, south along the Pacific (sometimes close, sometimes not), back east towards Olympia, and then back up to Seattle or Bainbridge. Parts of the loop are a bit boring, but most of it is quite scenic and because it's basically the only road there, most of the sights are along the road.

You have countless beaches, many on small detours that are worth taking -- a couple with gravel full of agates, a beach with old worn glass pebbles, lots of flyfishing if you're into that. Frankly some of the nicest beaches and amenities for kids are in Pt. Townsend -- North Beach is a great beach you can walk for miles, and it adjoins Ft. Worden which is now a huge parkland with trails, old gun emplacements, rich wildlife, and so on. It's not quite up to the Pacific beaches but it's a lot closer and definitely worth the trip. All in all, don't leave Pt. Townsend out of your plans -- it was built by wealthy clipper captains to be the original state capital but that was before the railroad came to Seattle (and couldn't cross Puget Sound). You can sea kayak right from the beach in the middle of town, go sailing, go shopping in lots of little boutiques, and so on. Nice town.

I'd suggest that if you had a couple days for Seattle, a couple days for Pt. Townsend, perhaps a day on Bainbridge (including Poulsbo, a classic old Scandinavian community), a day or two out on the coast, you are probably getting in a good vacation. If you want to hike more, you can hike from Hurricane Ridge. You can get directions to Mount Townsend on the eastern side of the Olympics -- easy access and a well-groomed switchback trail up the side of the mountain with fifty-mile views of all of Puget Sound, and at the top a long flat ridge with huge population of rare Alpine vegetation and great views. It's only about 5 miles or so from the parking lot to the crest, but the views are gorgeous. There are countless beautiful trails there.

Olympia isn't much to look at, but since you mentioned it, it has some small neighborhoods with good brewpubs and restaurants right downtown. The state hasn't exactly invested in its capital, and there isn't much else there except a big military base nearby. More of a drive-through place in my opinion. If you want to see a different side of Washington, drive down to old-town Chehalis on I-5 (a rejuvenating old town with antique stores, and good food at the Olympic Club -- and you can sit on the patio right next to the railroad tracks and watch the trains go by). (Reminds me: If in Pt. Townsend and visit the local airport. You can sit on the patio of the Spruce Goose Cafe and watch all kinds of vintage planes take off and land all day, and the cafe itself is full of old aviation mementos, photos, models, etc. They do a great family breakfast.)

Olympia is just a point on the loop around the Olympic National Park. I think you can find better places to spend your time. I'd stay on the coast at Ocean Shores instead -- a bit of a crowd scene during the summer but sea lions, whales, all kinds of birds, whale watching trips, and beaches on both sides of the small peninsula that it's on. Head down to Westport, right across the bay, to wander around too.

Overall I'd rate the options as follows:

1. Pt. Townsend -- Fort Worden, North Beach, the downtown, the old homes uptown. (And a one-day side trip to Whidbey with a small ferry right from Pt. Townsend, another side trip to Hurricane Ridge.)
2. Bainbridge Island and Poulsbo -- possibly your first day and on the way out of town. More civilized than anything else around the Peninsula. Lots to see, get a rental bike ride in if you have the time, drive Lemolo Road into Poulsbo and spend an hour or two there on the old main street). Mount Townsend isn't far away and is more or less on the route out to Pt. Townsend from Bainbridge.
3. Lake Quinault/optional hike/optional stay at Kalaloch -- if you wanted the lodges at Rainier, you'll get that experience at Quinault, and the lake and lodge are actually owned and managed by Native Americans. Good restaurant at the Lake Quinault Lodge.
4. Seattle -- Lots of spectating to do in town, and if you want to hike a bit more, try a couple hikes in the Cascades. There are loads of guide books and online resources to good nearby hikes. The Cascades are sharp, rugged, steep, gnarly, compared to other mountains, with lots of mountain lakes. Or just take a drive up to Snoqualmie Peak on I-90 just to see the scenery and perhaps stop on the way back to do a run-walk up Mount Si (popular local day hike, not long but good elevation). Just in Seattle proper you can visit Pioneer Square, downtown/Pike Place Market, Fremont, Golden Gardens and the Ballard Locks, Lake Washington Drive, Volunteer Park (big park with a gorgeous huge arboretum greenhouse and the Asian Art Museum), Discovery Park (nice shorter hikes, great for kids, beautiful Puget Sound views right in town), and so on.

Going to Bellingham takes a day, half of which is spent on I-5. I honestly don't see taking the detour unless you are going to Vancouver anyway or going out on one of the ferries up there to Canada.

You can take a ferry right from Pt. Angeles (close to Pt. Townsend) straight to Victoria, or take one from downtown Seattle if you want to go in that direction. Vancouver and Victoria are both beautiful. I'd say you want a car in Vancouver to get around. Very different world -- much more European -- but you may not have the time. There's so much to see in close. I'd skip Olympia. You could drive down and do an overnight and a day in Portland and just explore the downtown and Pearl District, but with driving that's still a couple days out of your schedule.

The bottom line about visiting the Northwest is that you can focus your visit or you can spread it out, but if you do the latter, you're doing a lot of driving that isn't all that pretty. At a guess, without knowing your preferences any better, I'd suggest doing Seattle plus the loop around the Olympic Peninsula -- Bainbridge, Pt. Townsend, Lake Quinault, possibly Hurricane Ridge, Ocean Shores, Klahowya, Kalaloch, etc. Lots of Seattleites on this forum so I'm sure you can get plenty of guides and advice.

This thread makes me really miss Seattle. I would third doing some hiking in the Hoh rain forest and check out La Push on the pacific. Also, even though Paradise at Rainier can be nuts during the summer it's still worth the trip IMO. It's in my top 3 of the most beautiful places I've ever been. The earlier in the season you go the better it is because there's still snow on the ground yet you can hike in shorts and a t-shirt. There's also the hike on the other side of Rainier to carbon glacier which is incredible.

Man, I miss Seattle.

[Climb01742]

I grew up in Portland. I'd far rather live in Portland and Oregon, but I'd strongly suggest visiting Washington. It is more visually dramatic. For example, Mt Hood is a pretty nondescript mountain vs Mt Rainier. And the Olympic peninsula is memorable. That said, a few days in Portland is pretty cool.

[majorpat]

I'm too lazy to read this whole thread, but if it wasn't mentioned go to Powell's Books in Portland.

[fogrider]

if you go to Seattle, the main library is pretty cool to checkout along with boeing factory tour and lots to do and see in Vancouver. but Portland seems to be the empicenter for hipsters and bikes...

[bking]

i'll throw a curve. spend a few days in portland, then head west on 30 along the columbia river to astoria, and point the vehicle south. spend 4 days along the coast of oregon, ending in northern california. be sure to drive the newton drury byway or avenue of the giants if you get that far down. come back you could do crater lake and the sisters area.

the oregon/northern california coast is like nothing else we have in this country. i've driven it slow, really slow (bike), and fast and really fast. most of the towns along the way have plenty to offer for a day. ride a fast boat up the rogue, or the school of oceanography in newport. if you golf, bandon dunes.
http://bking.smugmug.com/Tour-de-Bike/Tour-de-Oregon-2009/i-6dRft57/0/L/Le%20Tour%20de%20Oregon%20Stage%204%20061-L.jpg (http://bking.smugmug.com/Tour-de-Bike/Tour-de-Oregon-2009/i-6dRft57/A)
http://bking.smugmug.com/Road-Trip/RT-NWCoast03/i-nDT8dbx/0/L/IMG_0144xz-L.jpg (http://bking.smugmug.com/Road-Trip/RT-NWCoast03/i-nDT8dbx/A)