Vacation In Seattle And Vancouver
It’s that time of the year again. I’m sure many readers including myself are looking for vacation ideas in an attempt to get away from it all and clear our minds. Where better to go than the beautiful city of Vancouver and Seattle, two beacons of the Pacific Northwest?
If you’re planning to visit another state, the destination must be beautiful. For visitors from other countries, a trip to Canada is perfect, offering an experience of beauty and serenity. You can enjoy great meals in most restaurants, good wines and refreshments at wonderful pubs or bars, and simply relaxing in its parks. In Vancouver or Seattle you can find the right size and type of hotels which will fit the budget.
When it comes to planning a vacation to the Pacific Northwest, you have a lot of destinations to choose from. From tall trees and waterfalls, like in Portland, to bustling cities with quality public transportation, such as Vancouver and Seattle. Amidst all the options, you might feel overwhelmed trying to figure out which is best for your family.
There are a lot of great cities to visit when taking a vacation. You can look down south and enjoy the great weather. Perhaps you want to head east and get a good history lesson. And there’s always the option of staying on the west coast, but sometimes it’s nice to travel a little further from home. Depending on your interests, there are plenty of cities to choose from while planning your next trip.
Vacation In Seattle And Vancouver
For many people visiting Seattle, Washington, a quick trip up to Vancouver in southwest British Columbia, Canada, makes for a great addition to their West Coast vacation itinerary. Located just a few hours apart and accessible by plane, train, bus, car, or even ferry services, these two major cities provide plenty to do on their own, but there are several fun things to do when traveling between them as well. This central northwestern region of North America offers many attractions for transient travelers, including plenty of places to shop for produce, browse the art, take scenic drives, and even gamble.
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Browse Local Art Galleries
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ADDRESS709 S 1st St, La Conner, WA 98257, USA
PHONE +1 360-466-4741
WEB Visit website
Two of Washington’s best art communities are found along the road between Seattle and Vancouver: La Conner and Fairhaven. Between them, you’ll find plenty of great art galleries and pop-up exhibitions of local and international artists.
La Conner, in Skagit Valley, offers the opportunity to stroll along the waterfront while checking out art galleries and shops. The Wood Merchant, Earthenworks Gallery, and Two Moons Galler all have wonderful selections of original art, fine crafts, home furnishings, and gift items. We also recommend stopping by La Conner Seaside Gallery, Caravan Gallery, Blackfish Gallery, and Cassera Arts Premiers for even more great art. Meanwhile, the Museum of Northwest Art and the Pacific Northwest Quilt and Fiber Arts Museum present unique galleries and exhibits dedicated to regional artists and art programs.
Farther north along Interstate 5 is the historic district of Fairhaven, located just south of downtown Bellingham, which has many locally owned shops and galleries where you’ll find a great selection of affordable and unique items. Local favorite galleries include Gallery West, Artwood, and Renaissance Celebration, but newer additions like Whatcom Art Market and Uptown Art Studio also offer great places to shop for unique pieces of art.
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Enjoy a Scenic Drive
Interstate 5 is not only the most direct route between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, it also offers plenty of lovely scenery to enjoy while you drive—or even while you relax on a BoltBus. However, to see the best scenery in the area, you’ll need to rent a car and take a detour off the main highway.
The shortest and easiest scenic drive to incorporate into your journey is Chuckanut Drive, which runs through farmland and along the Puget Sound between the towns of Bow and Bellingham. Chuckanut Drive is Washington’s original scenic byway, which runs 20 miles from Burlington to Bellingham along the shoreline of Samish Bay on Washington State Highway 11. Connected to Interstate 5 on both ends, the Chuckanut Drive is a great, quick detour on your drive to Vancouver.
Meanwhile, scenic drives that can take you off the Interstate for a few hours or more include the Mt. Baker Highway, Semiahmoo Spit, and the North Cascades Scenic Highway. Mount Baker Highway—also known as State Route 542—runs from East Bellingham to Mount Baker, while the North Cascades Scenic Highway stretches over 140 miles from Burlington and Sedro-Woolley in the west to Twisp in the east.
Alternatively, go even further off the beaten path by taking a ferry from Mukilteo to Whidbey Island then driving north on Highway 525 and Highway 20 to rejoin I-5 near Burlington. The sights you’ll discover on Whidbey Island are uniquely beautiful and feature everything from untamed beaches to the quaint Oak Harbor.
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Shop for Farm-Fresh Produce and Seafood
The region north of Seattle contains some of the lushest and most productive farmland in the world, and fresh produce is available for purchase in farm stands and markets throughout Skagit and Whatcom counties. Depending on the time of year, you’ll find berries, hazelnuts, cheeses and dairy products, cider, apples, and even freshly bottled wine at several wineries, many of which have tasting rooms. Additionally, local oyster and shellfish farms provide their wonderful products to markets and restaurants in the area, and oyster lovers will want to stop at one or more of the eateries located along Chuckanut Drive.
Washington State is home to over 33,000 farms, so you’ll have no shortage of options to choose from when driving between Seattle and Vancouver. To find the best produce, check out the 21 Acres Center in Woodinville—just a few miles northeast of Seattle—or visit Bellewood Acres in Lynden, Washington. For fresh oysters, stop by Pike Place Market or Taylor Shellfish Farms in Seattle or take a ferry ride to Vancouver Island for the Fanny Bay Oyster Bar.
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Discover Aviation, Science, and Technology at Museums
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ADDRESS8415 Paine Field Blvd, Mukilteo, WA 98275-3239, USA
PHONE +1 800-464-1476
WEB Visit website
If you’re fascinated with how things work, you’ll love the museums and visitors centers found along the route between Seattle and Vancouver. Whether you’re interested in airplanes or radios—or anything between—there’s plenty of science and history to discover in northwest Washington.
Located near Boeing’s humongous Everett manufacturing plant is the Future of Flight Aviation Center, where you can embark on the Boeing Tour to learn about designing and building aircraft through interactive exhibits. Aviation enthusiasts will want to check out the historic airplanes at The Flying Heritage Collection, also located at Everett’s Paine Field.
Meanwhile, the SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention in downtown Bellingham offers unique collections of historically significant experimental inventions, including one of the first electronic razors, Thomas Edison’s three-wire power distribution cable, and Michael Faraday’s famous rotating cup experiment.
For an experience more geared toward practical education, head to the small waterfront town of Edmonds and the Rick Steves’ Travel Center, which offers travel gear for sale, guest speakers throughout the year, and plenty of classes on specific locations as well as travel skills and strategies.