World City Guide

Excursions

For a Half Day

Local islands: For foot passengers, Washington State Ferries depart from Pier 50 eight times a day to Vashon Island, located 16km (ten miles) southwest of downtown Seattle (journey time – 35 minutes). The island is still considered ‘counter-culture’ in that it has resisted suburbanisation and is home to many artists. The ferry also lands at Southworth, at the top of the Kitsap Peninsula. The ferry from Pier 52 takes cars to Vashon, as well as Bremerton, situated approximately 32km (20 miles) west of Seattle and home to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Naval Museum (tel: (360) 479 7447). The museum is open Monday to Saturday 1000–1700, Sunday 1300–1700 (May to September) and admission is free. The historic destroyer, USS Turner Joy, is located right next to the Bremerton ferry docks. Bainbridge Island, some 16km (ten miles) west of downtown Seattle, is also accessible from Seattle within 35 minutes, has its own winery and is a great place for biking. From there, it is an easy half-hour jaunt to the historic town of Winslow, one of Greater Seattle’s antique capitals. Ferry fare starts from US$5 (foot passengers) for a round trip (tel: (206) 464 6400; website: www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries). Private speedboats from Yarrow Bay Marina (tel: (425) 822 6066) take passengers from the city centre’s Lake Union to Lake Washington, home to many of Seattle’s wealthiest residents, from around US$60 an hour.

Snoqualmie Falls: Approximately 24km (15 miles) east of Bellevue, just off I-90, these dramatic 82m (268ft) falls are perched on a rock precipice near the town of North Bend. North Bend was the setting for the quirky television series, Twin Peaks, and many scenes took place in the Salish Lodge, beside the falls. Snoqualmie Falls makes a pleasant bike trip or picnic destination. The Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce (tel. (425) 888 4440; website: www.snovalley.org) can provide information.

Wine and brew country: The Chateau Ste-Michelle Winery, 14111 NE 145th Street (tel: (425) 415 3632 or (800) 267 6793; website: www.chateau-ste-michelle.com), in Woodinville, 24km (15 miles) east or a half-hour drive from the centre of Seattle, is an impressive French-style chateau with landscaped grounds perfect for picnicking and sampling the locally produced wine. The winery is open daily 1000–1700, with a free tour and a US$5 tasting bar. Nearby, the Columbia Winery, 14030 NE 145th Street (tel: (425) 488 2776; website: www.columbiawinery.com), offers free tours on the weekend 1000–1800, all year round. Opposite Ste-Michelle, Redhook Brewery, 14300 NE 145th Street (tel: (425) 483 3232; website: www.redhook.com), offers daily tours for US$1, including beer samples. Grayline (see Tours of the City) organises bus tours here.

For a Whole Day

Olympic National Park: The Olympic Peninsula (tel: (360) 565 3130; website: www.nps.gov/olym), which separates Seattle from the Pacific, covers nearly 40,000 hectares (100,000 acres) and 97km (60 miles) of coast, with a haunting rainforest near Lake Quinault. The far northwest corner of the region is home to the Makah Indian Cultural Center, Bayview Avenue, at Neah Bay (tel: (360) 645 2711; fax: (360) 645 2656; e-mail: mcrc@olypen.com; website: www.makah.com), as well as windswept Pacific beaches. The centre is open Monday to Sunday (June to September) and Wednesday to Sunday (September to May). Entrance is US$4. The park includes the glacier-studded Olympic Mountains, rainforests, lakes and streams. Route 101 encircles the park and can be reached from Seattle by Black Ball Transport ferry (tel: (206) 622 2222) across Puget Bay to Port Angeles (journey time – 3 hours).

Mount Rainier National Park: Located 144km (90 miles) to the southeast of Seattle, Mount Rainier National Park (tel: (360) 569 2211; website: www.nps.gov/mora) is one of the USA’s oldest – one of five national parks founded in the 19th century. It was created to preserve one of the country’s most spectacular scenic wonders, the snow-capped volcano known as Tahcoma to Native Americans in the past and as Mount Rainier today. At 4392m (14,410ft), it is one of the region’s tallest peaks. The 94,245 hectares (235,612 acres) of park also contain mountain ranges, glaciers, rivers, deep forests, lush meadows, covered with wildflowers during the summer and around 500km (300 miles) of trails. Although there are provisions for skiing and other wintersports, 96% of the park is classified as wilderness,

Access is from the I-90 east from Seattle to Highway 202; the main entrances being on Highway 706 near Ashford or Highway 410 near Enumclaw. The mountain road ends at the aptly named village of Paradise, which has a visitor centre and historic lodge. The Henry M Jackson Memorial Visitor Center (tel: (360) 569 2211 2328; website: www.guestservices.com/rainier/html/visitor.html) is open May to October. Every year, thousands of climbers begin their long trudge to the summit from here. Grayline (see Tours of the City) offers a ten-hour bus tour of the park, leaving every morning, May to September, from the Sheraton Hotel in Downtown Seattle.

San Juan Islands: Located in the northwest corner of Washington State, the San Juan Islands stretch from the coast off Seattle north to Vancouver. The largest are San Juan, Orcas, Lopez and Shaw, all served by the Washington State Ferry System. The islands contain miles of stunning, unspoilt beaches, various marine facilities, state parks and primeval forests, fishing, camping, cycling and picnicking opportunities, as well as many Native American heritage sites. Friday Harbor (website: www.friday-harbor.net), on San Juan Island, is a prosperous fishing town and now a popular dock for yachts and other pleasure boats. There is a whale spotting point at Lime Kiln Park. Moran State Park, on Orcas, is home to Mount Constitution, the highest point in the islands. It also contains three lakes. The film, Snow Falling on Cedars (1999) was set in the islands.

Boats to the San Juan Islands and Victoria, British Columbia, in Canada, leave from Pier 48 during the summer and Pier 69 all year round. The four-hour excursion to Tillicum Village, on Blake Island, offers a cruise of the harbour and a taste of Pacific Northwest crafts, traditional dance and a salmon buffet in a cedar longhouse. Tillicum Village Tours (tel: (206) 933 8600 or (800) 426 1205; website: www.tillicumvillage.com) depart from Pier 55–56. There are also scheduled and charter seaplane services to Victoria (Vancouver Island, Canada), the San Juan Islands and other destinations from Kenmore Air (tel: (425) 486 1257 or (800) 543 9595, toll free in the USA and Canada; website: www.kenmoreair.com). Washington State Tourism (tel: (800) 544 1800) can provide further information.