Things To Do
Walking, Running, and Biking Trails
Burke Gilman, Cross-Kirkland Corridor, Sammamish River Trail, Eastside Trail, and 520 Bridge Trail These trails cover most of Seattle and Eastside. They are designated biking, running, and walking trails with no car traffic (100's of miles of trail to explore!) Very dog-friendly!
Woodinville Wineries
Woodinville is a really popular wine country and is where the wedding will be (JM Cellars is also a winery in the area) You can easily do several wine tours (or cider) from some very famous brands or smaller local ones. Chateau Ste Michelle is the most famous, but Woodinville has many others to chose from. It's also along the Sammamish River Trail and Eastside trail so it's very easy to bike there (Eastside trail drops off right at Chateau St Michelle's front door). There's a Lavender farm nearby as well with a great view of Mt. Rainier.
Cascades
We definitely spend most of our time here and we haven't even done close to everything. Every hike is great - even the scenic drive is nice. Our favorite hikes: Wallace Falls, Teneriffe Falls, Lake 22, Lake Serene/Bridal Veil Falls, Talapus & Olalie Lake... you pretty much can't go wrong. Great for alpine fishing as well. Lake Wenatchee and the Puget Sound would be destinations for some bigger fishing. North Cascades National Park is pretty far, but the Cascades along I-90 and Highway 2 are very accessible, closer, and where we've done all our adventures.
Mount Rainier National Park
An ice volcano! In an un-erupted state. You can probably see it from the plane ride depending what side you sit on - it is huge and very noticeable around many parts of Seattle. Really anything around Mt. Rainier will be fun. If you want a specific hike checkout Tolmie Peak Fire Lookout. It does get crowded so be sure to arrive early - also need a National Park pass The pic above is during a hike we took around June/July 2023.
Mount Saint Helens
Another volcano! (last one, we promise!... although Mt. Hood is also neat...) This is a state park and is much less crowded than Mt. Rainier and also a little bit closer to Seattle. It erupted decades back and is amazing to hike through the blast zones and see how it carved up the environment. Highly recommend if you have time for a couple hour road trip.
Cougar Mountain
Very close to Eastside (20 min drive) and is a State Park. Has tons of great hiking and trail running with scenic views. Tiger Mountain is also close by.
Snoqualmie Falls
A huge amazing waterfall along I-90 and is about 30 minutes from Eastside. Has a short hike you can do to the bottom of the falls. Snoqualmie Falls Brewing is pretty good as well.
Seattle Ferry Terminal
The Seattle Ferry terminal can take you to pretty much any of the islands (even Victoria, Canada). Reservations aren't needed and they run several times throughout the day. It's right by Pioneer Square in downtown Seattle and has a nearby metro station. It's a very scenic ride through the Puget Sound - Bainbridge is the most common and quickest trip. Sometimes get to see seals and orcas along the way!
Pike Place Market
The Pike Place! In downtown. Get a photo with the famous sign, watch people toss a salmon 20 yards, see the original Starbucks, Beecher's cheese. Go to Piroshky Piroshky for Seinfeld-esque "Soup Nazi" experience.
Space Needle
Very cool views of Seattle at the top. Definitely do this along with Chihuly Glass Museum - they are right next to each other and you can get a ticket bundle. Requires reservations along with the glass museum.
Chihuly Garden and Glass
One of the coolest art museums, has both indoor and outdoor exhibits. Right next to the space needle so you can snag a two-for-one pic like above!
Museum of Pop Culture
Another cool museum with neat architecture. Has a lot of things to explore regarding Seattle's music history (Hendrix, grunge, etc.). It is right next to Chihuly and the Space Needle as well.
Kerry Park
Hands down has the best view of downtown Seattle. The photos online match reality. If you drive a few blocks west to Parsons Gardens you'll get really nice views of the Puget Sound.
T-Mobile Park
The Mariners play here - and it will be baseball season!
Seattle Chinatown-International District
Who doesn't love going to Chinatown!? Lots of places to eat around here. Pretty close to Lumen Field where the Sounders are playing.
Lake Union
South Lake Union is closer to downtown and is great for restaurants. North Lake Union has Gas Works which is a cool looking industrial park to walk around. Also has a good view of downtown Seattle.
Lumen Field
The Seattle Sounders play here and in Summer 2025 they will be playing in the FIFA Club World Cup, keep an eye out for any games that pop up around the same weekend.
Starbucks Reserve Roastery
Imagine Starbucks on steroids (not in Pike Place Market, but close).
Washington Park Arboretum
Huge park with tons of walking and running trails (connects to Burke Gilman and 520 trail). Massive garden with tons to see, famous for cherry blossoms, but Azaleas and Rhododendrons will be in bloom.
Leavenworth
Leavenworth is a neat German town in the middle of the Cascades. It's about a 2 hour drive, but the scenery is amazing, numerous bratwurst varieties, free (yes FREE) apple cider sauerkraut, reindeer farm, great hiking, camping, rock climbing, and fishing. The drive there along highway 2 is considered part of the Cascade Scenic Loop and is incredible in the Summer (would depart early if on a weekend though)
Juanita Beach Park
This is pretty much where we live. Has kayak rentals, lots of walking bridges over the water - get to see lots of fish, turtles, eagles, etc. Spud Fish & Chips across the street has tasty milkshakes.
Jakob Two Trees
It's a massive troll made from wood in the middle of the forest, try to find him!
Olympic National Park
Definitely a bit farther than Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, or the Cascades, but it is definitely one of the most scenic places in the Pacific Northwest (unfortunately a 4 hour drive from Seattle).
The Spheres
Another downtown attraction to checkout. They are pretty neat to look at.
The Gum Wall
It's an entire wall made of gum! It's at Pike Market so worth a quick look (and you may contribute to the wall as well).
Costco Wholesale
THE Kirkland Signature Costco Not much different from other Costcos to be honest. The hotdog combo for $1.50 is the cheapest food you can get in Seattle.
Forks
We've never been here, but supposedly Twilight was filmed there if that's your thing. Olympic National Park is right by it.
Berry Picking
It may be too early in the season for berry picking. Some varieties will be ready, but the invasive blackberry might not. You are encouraged to pick as much as you can - there is a free blueberry park in Tacoma, you can stop there to/from Mt. St. Helens or Mt. Rainier (Charlotte's Blueberry Park).