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I've had the week of this game circled for quite some time. I'm going to take the week off from work and fly up to Seattle w/ my girlfriend to take in the Pacific Northwest before driving to Pullman for the Wazzu game. Can anyone give me some suggestions on what to do/places to eat in Seattle? Any help would be much appreciated! I've already looked at things to do in Pullman and it looks like absolutely nothing except for the football game.

I was in Seattle a few weeks back and here are some of the things we did on a 3 day weekend.

1. Pikes Fish Market - they have fresh fish, flowers and vegtables. orig starbucks.
2. Space Needle - Cool views but a little over rated for the 20 bucks you pay to go up
3. Mt Rainier - took a day trip and went hiking on the mountain. Its beautiful up there.
4. Alkai Beach - a good little beach with views of downtown Seattle
5. Fishing - I didnt get a chance to fish but saw a lot of people doing it and seems like they were easy to catch - not to mention they were catching huge fish

Take a day or two and go up to Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands. Go whale watching, fishing or just enjoy the great northwest. Great restaurant in Friday Harbor called Downriggers that has the best Halibut and Chips anywhere. If you are just going to stay in Seattle, stay at the Inn at the Market. Great boutique hotel next to Pike Place Market.

I agree with the previous comment about the Pike Street Market and the botique hotel across the street. Ivar's on the waterfront is a "must" place for fresh fish IMO and within walking distance of the Market just mentioned. The steamed clams and the salmon at Ivar's are great. Just take the elevator down to the lower street (water) level. Next to Ivar's is the ferry station for the boat across to Bremerton and that is the cheapest good sightseeing anywhere if there is no fog. Ride across and back with out getting off. Good anytime and spectacular at night. A great value compared to any boat tour around the harbor.

There are some nice bars in the area, including very smooth ones in the big hotels at the top of the hill.

The Space Needle, previously mentioned is also good if the day is clear. Ride the monorail from downtown if it is running. Actually, Seattle, except for the up and down, has a very human size and walkable down town. It is not a big deal to walk from the Market to the Space Needle or to the a point near the Kingdome.

from Ivar's ride the tourist trolly towards the Kingdome and the old town. More interesting shops for your girlfriend but Seattle Underground is probably for history buffs. An incredible Japanese grocery and small department store. Best packaged sushi you ever had there. Good Oriental food all around if you are into that. Ride the underground bus back towards down town if you are staying at the Market.

If you have the time, drive up to Vancouver and take the ferry back or vice versa. The boat ride is incredible. "Salmon House on the Hill" - I am close if not exact on the name - has the prettiest setting for a restaurant in North America, IMO. A shorter drive and very worth while would be to go to Deception Pass, preferably near sundown, picnic, and drive back.

By all means go to Ranier. Drive up to the parking lot at Paradise and turn around. That's another possible place to spend a night, in the old lodge, but I don't know how late in the seasn they are open.

There is an outdoor organization in washington State named The Mountaineers. They publish a series of guidebooks for hikes. Buy one of their guidebooks if you are into hiking. Some of the places they mention are in and close to Seattle. including one park in Lake Washington with a stand of the original forest and also Alkai Beach. Snoqualmie Falls is still another place for a day trip and you can eat a meal overlooking the falls.

The Boeing Flight Museum has neat stuff if you are into airplanes. The Aquarium is different than any in the country, with a fish ladder running through it. The fish ladder at the end of Lake Washington is interesting also.

You are not going to want for things to do in a week.

go here and you can spend a night in a cabin if you want, or a day trip:

http://www.visitsolduc.com/

it's a real hot springs, water heated by mother nature not by man. about 109 degree and feels great.

Mt Rainer is wonderful but here is the best kept secret and since you’re a pony fan I'll share it with you.
http://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/c ... lacier.htm
you hike to a Glacier. If you never seen one up close this is the lowest elevated Glacier in the 48 states. the trail is not crowded. Like I said, the best kept secret. the tourist are on the other side of Mt Rainer.

I'm a map freak. go here
http://www.metskers.com/
and buy a topographic map of Mt Rainer section to the above glacier.

driving seattle to pullman, a bit out of your way but cool is the Grand Coulee Damn.
one heck of a big dam.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Coulee_Dam

Snoquamalie falls

Boeing used to have a tour of their large airplane factory in Everett back when I worked there. Not sure if they still do, but it's pretty impressive if you're into that sort of thing.

I can't add much to what everyone else has said here, but I do highly recommend taking a few hours to go to Vancouver - easily the most beautiful city in North America.

Seattle is a great city this time of the year - if I could live in one city all summer that would be it. Hit the restaurant in the Space Needle if you want a nice play to take the girlfriend...great restaurant and amazing views.

Bellingham (last city before the border) is a nice place to stay too.

I thought I would add a little.

IIRC the Mountaineer's publications include Footloose Around Puget Sound which is about the Serattle area and Fifty Hikes in Western Washington. There is also one that is specific to Mt. Ranier but I don't recall the name. It may be that there is one for the Pullman area as well, or that it is in the Fifty Hikes, I don't remember. These hiking guides are very complete in that they give the total distance to travel plus the total vertical work, the sum of the ups and downs over hill and dale. For about anything except Elliot Park, Alkai Beach, or Deception Pass (from the parking lot to the waterline) make sure that you and your lady have something to wear other than sandels. FYI there is a goeduc fishery at Deception Pass but the creatures are all but sub tidal and you probably won't see one there. You can see them in the aforementioned Japanese grocery, in the coldcase, packaged whole or sliced for sashimi.

A comment about Ivar's and one of their dishes. They serve a Puget Sound variety of clam chowder. It is red, kind of like Manhattan clam chowder. IIRC they also have a NE style chowder. But the NW coast steamed clams are exceptional, far better than anything I've had in Boston.

If you visit Vancouver take your lady to high tea at the Empress Hotel. You'll feel like you are a British colonial in Queen victoria's time. If you arrrive by ferry, you'll pull in just across the street from the Empress. Same view arriving governors had 150 years back, I guess. Vancouver has a great Canadian Territorial Museum and a small aquarium that again is probably different than any you have seen. There used to be shopping for heavy wool sweaters made by natives, but maybe all that comes from Maylasia nowadays.

In Vancouver you might want to check the availability of east bound out and back train rides to the Canadian Rockies and McKenzie Gorge, although I think that is mostly a summertime excursion. Hey, you might decide to return!

Check the passport requirements for any trip to Canada.

A final note about day trips and longer from Seattle. In a couple of days you can drive around the Olympic Penisula. Mt. St. Helens is another day trip. You will also be close to one of America's wine countries.

Don't forget to look for the troll under the Fremont bridge!

Kamiak Butte
Snake River - Cliffs at Wawawai (Granite Point)

If any of you want to fish:
Spring Valley Reservoir
Snake River
North Fork of Palouse River
Grand Ron
Elk River Falls
Moose Creek
Potholes State Park