Guide To A Long Weekend In Seattle

Summer in Seattle involves watching sunsets, playing on the beach, city tours and a gentle breeze off Puget Sound. The views include the Olympic Mountains, Cascade Mountains, Mount Rainier, Mount Baker and Puget Sound. Summertime activities embrace the laid-back attitude of the locals. The Sound is a great place for sailing, fishing, wildlife observation and riding a ferryboat to the Olympic Peninsula. The numerous parks are home to urban wildlife, such as bald eagles, great blue heron and small mammals. The temperate climate seldom soars above 85 degrees, though temperatures can reach into the high 90s. With everything that the Seattle area has to offer in the summer, it's hard to pick out just a few activities for a weekend. Stick to this list and you'll end your long weekend in the Pacific Northwest feeling fully satisfied.
111213 klu 9959 Guide To A Long Weekend In Seattle

The historic Edgewater Inn sits on a pier above Elliott Bay. (Credit, Karen Ulvestad)

The Edgewater Inn
2411 Alaskan Way
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 728-7000
www.edgewaterhotel.com

The historic Edgewater Inn sits on a pier over Elliott Bay. Its history includes stays by The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, KISS and other top musical acts. The hotel was built for the 1962 World's Fair and is the only hotel on the Seattle waterfront. Beyond its history, the hotel is home to the Six Seven restaurant with award-winning cuisine. The hotel is within walking distance to the Pike Place Market, Seattle Aquarium, Bremerton Ferry, the original Ivar's Seafood restaurant and the unique shops along the waterfront.

Kerry Park (Franklin Place)
211 W. Highland Drive
Seattle, WA 98119
(206) 684-4075
www.seattle.gov

The best place to view the sunset over the city of Seattle is Kerry Park in the Queen Anne area of Seattle. The park offers fantastic views of the city, Space Needle and Mount Rainier. It is a popular place for locals and photographers to gather for sunsets, sunrises and great views of the city. The modern art sculpture, "Changing Form," adds unique opportunity to view the city through it, and was added to the park in the 1971.

duckboattours Guide To A Long Weekend In Seattle

Lake Union is part of the duckboat tours in Seattle. (Credit, Karen Ulvestad)

Ride the Ducks of Seattle
516 Broad St.
Seattle, WA 98109
(206) 441-3825
www.ridetheducksofseattle.com

The Duck Boats of Seattle offer 90-minute tours of the city and Lake Union area. These unique vehicles travel on land and sea. The tour is approximately 60 minutes on land and 30 minutes in Lake Union. It includes Seattle history, interesting facts about the city and a view of the houseboat used in the movie "Sleepless in Seattle." Tour tickets may be purchased online. Adult tickets cost $28, children ages three to 12 are $17 and children age two and under are $1 (plus additional tax for all ticket prices).

lockspotcafe Guide To A Long Weekend In Seattle

The Lockspot Cafe is known for its fish and chips. (Credit, Karen Ulvestad)

Lockspot Cafe
3005 N.W. 54th St.
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 789-4865
www.thelockspotcafe.com

The Lockspot Cafe is located at the entrance to the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Ballard. The cafe has served a variety of seafood dishes in true Pacific Northwest style for over 90 years. The prices are reasonable and the food is wonderful. The cafe serves a wide array of hand-crafted brews for the beer connoisseur. It is a great restaurant to stop at after spending an afternoon at the locks exploring the gardens, locks and salmon ladders.

discoveryparklighthouse Guide To A Long Weekend In Seattle

Westpoint Lighthouse is located in Discovery Park. (Credit, Karen Ulvestad)

West Point Lighthouse at Discovery Park
3801 Discovery Park Blvd.
Seattle, WA 98199
(206) 386-4236
www.seattle.gov

Westpoint Lighthouse is located in Discovery Park on Magnolia Bluff. The lighthouse sits on a point along Puget Sound. It is a hike down to the beach and lighthouse through old second and third growth trees. Disabled visitors can obtain a parking permit for the parking lot near the beach. The lighthouse is a great place to view the Olympic Mountains, Puget Sound and wildlife. Discovery Park is old Fort Lawton, and includes many hiking trails through meadows, forests and beaches.

Karen Ulvestad is a mother and professional writer/photographer, who lives in the greater Seattle area. She graduated from the University of Washington with a BA in English Composition. Her background is in fitness, travel, photography and writing. She continually researches locations to visit, and/or entertainment opportunities for family outings and/or photo shoots. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.