Seattle Trip

Well, I'd say that there is no "sea" to be spending any time on in the Seattle area. We do have a bay/inlet thingy called the Puget Sound. But, if you want ocean, you have to drive a few miles to get there. Lodge in the woods, hmm, how rustic do you wanna get? What type of food do you want to eat while in Seattle?

 

conde nast traveler is a great resource. My family is planning a trip to seattle also. I've wanted to see the space needle and go up it since I was just a little guy haha. Another stop I think is appropriate for us ferrari guys is a stop at the local ferrari dealer

I'll be buying an alfa there also

 

Try visiting Mt Rainier, there are some nice places to stay and great hiking trails on the mountain.

 

The Salish is very nice, and not too far from Seattle.

 

The Salish is outstanding. Semiahmoo is also very nice and *is* on the Ocean (a superb stop if you're into bird watching at all).

There are many superb restaurants in this region, including El Gaucho, Troiani, Metropolitan Grill, Palisade, and then a bunch of other smaller places that offer good value.

The "wine country" of this state is around Yakima, Walla Walla, Tri-Cities and other places that offer very little in the way of a tourist attraction or nice lodge. The only place I can think of that's pretty good is Eagle Lakes Lodge which is near Othello, but there is very, very little to do around there (other than visit wineries -- but the wineries do tend to be dispersed all over the place).

 

Salish Lodge is a wonderful place to stay. If you can get a room overlooking the falls............that would be even more spectacular. Service is to notch as well.

 

As mentioned above the major wine growing/ winery areas are in the Yakima Valley and Walla walla valley. There are wineries cropping up all over the state though. A link to Washington wineries is http://www.washingtonwine.org/index.cfm
To blow my area's horn I would suggest the wineries around the Zillah Area off I 82. Portteus Vinyards being a personal favorite.
One has to do a bit of planning because some of the side trips take quite a bit of time.
The Zillah wineries are 150 miles from Seattle. Mount Ranier National park would require a long day but is beautiful if the sun is shining.
The lake Chelan area may have some of the things you are looking for.
Mountains, lake, wineries, and a bit off the path. http://www.cometothelake.com/home.html

 

Salish is beautiful, the falls are a sight in themselves but the place is extremely busy. It is a favorite tourist spot for groups.
If you planned to stay there you would probably have to have a reservation months in advance. It is definetly not "a lodge way out in the mountains"
To put it in prospective, my niece lives two miles from the lodge and commutes to down town Seattle daily..

 

this would be fun:

http://www.spiritofwashingtondinnertrain.com/

 

Check this link. Every recommendation is spot-on.

http://www.hemispheresmagazine.com/3pd/three/2004/seattle.htm

 

The restaurant usually requires reservations, as most Five Star places do.

I've found that the secret is the bar upstairs with the two windows providing a great overlook of the falls. It is a great place to take dates for an after dinner dessert event too; just a short ride from Seattle, no reservations needed and it is heavy on the wow factor. Their pastry chef has something for everyone...sorry I'm getting hungry now.

Yes, it is great and the food is decent. Highly recommended and everyone in your party can relax and chat along the way. The winery isn't half bad too.

 

If you want a romantic getaway, the Rosario Resort on Orcas Island offers amazing accomodations and activities
http://rosario.rockresorts.com/