Seattle or other vacation in the Winter

[Aggie_Ama]

I inherited a small amount of money from my Nanny passing and would like to use it how she would have, travelling or living it up. I know a charity is more honorable but Nanny would have wanted us to do something fun. She loved the sea and sea food, so we were thinking coastal. DH and I are trying to visit all 50 states and have never been to Washington or Oregon. So we thought Seattle might be fun for a 5 day weekend excursion but it would likely be early November. How is the weather? We want to see all the touristy stuff like the Space Needle, the zoo, etc... Suggestions? Alternate vacation spot? We have warm winters so we don't need to escape to Florida but bitter cold will be a bit much for us Texans!

[BikingNurse]

if you want to go to the zoo. I suggest woodland park zoo
http://www.zoo.org/zoo_info/planning/activities.html
Some good walking and you see the animals in their habitat not so much of a glass box. We went there a few weeks ago. There is also point defiance zoo. I don't remember it well I haven't been there since I was 4. And also hit up Pike Place Market. it's a must see and it's really fun.
http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/frameset.asp?flash=false

[Biciclista]

Seattle isn't the best place to be in later November, December, or January for touristing. THe days are very short and if it's cloudy (and it generally is) it is even darker. I guess early November wouldn't be so bad. It won't be frigid, probably in the 40's.There are certainly a lot of things to do, but traffic stinks too.

Our zoo is really nice !

[Aggie_Ama]

Seattle isn't the best place to be in later November, December, or January for touristing. THe days are very short and if it's cloudy (and it generally is) it is even darker. I guess early November wouldn't be so bad. It won't be frigid, probably in the 40's.There are certainly a lot of things to do, but traffic stinks too.

Our zoo is really nice !

Oh dang! I forgot about you being so far north and having short days. It would likely be early November though. I love zoos, I don't like to travel anywhere that doesn't have one.

[salsabike]

Amanda, we have a wonderful zoo, and early November is a good time to see the animals, since cool weather seems to make them more active. We have two snow leopard cubs who are going outside in a really wonderful enclosure, every day!

Don't be afraid to come here in early November. It'll be cool and grey, might rain, but it's perfectly do-able. We don't get bitter cold here at all, ever. It'll likely be in the 40s.

[salsabike]

PS We could meet you! That would be great.

[shootingstar]

We spent a few days in Santa Fe, NM area at end of October and loved it. Dry, sunny...no rain. The colourful rock formations around Georgia O'Keefe (the artist's) Ghost Ranch estate is just gorgeous..

However, a foreign country...is just a 4 hr. train ride (1 hr. for border crossing checks) from downtown Seattle to downtown Vancouver, British Columbia.

From Vancouver, B.C.
lst photo is a cove area within North Vancouver that we bike to frequently. Local mountain have hiking trails. 29 kms. from home. Kayakers go up the inlet. There is also kayaking directly in downtown Vancouver. We see the kayakers paddle by from home.
2nd photo is from a local park, within city. Actually park has soaring old growth Douglas fir trees, etc. Located in a wealthy area overlooking a strait.

[Aggie_Ama]

ShootingStar- Vancouver is on our list of places to see but since they changed the laws and you need a passport I have to wait to get one. I have never left the US. Sad but true!

[NbyNW]

If you can hold off until next year (and get your passport!) there are a few cruise ship companies that go from Seattle to Alaska. I've heard they're quite good. -- Never done it, but it's something we've always had on our "someday" list!

[Ana]

Seattle is also one of my favorite places I think you would have a good time there, especially since there are so many things to do there and places nearby (hiking, skiing, biking, etc)

[channlluv]

Wow, Vancouver is beautiful!

I spent two glorious weeks in Seattle over Christmas break in 1994-95. DH proposed to me in a little cabin on Puget Sound. It was very beautiful, too, and romantic, and it never rained once, although it did snow overnight a couple of times, but the weather was really mild compared to what it's used to. I didn't notice the short days. (Maybe because we were enjoying the long nights. Ahem.)

Anyway, San Diego is a great vacation destination. We have mountains to hike in, and that time of year the old stagecoach town of Julian has its apple harvest going on and you can find amazing pies and cider. There are great biking roads up there, but they're shared with cars. You can rent cabins, though, and it's really quite pretty.

The San Diego Zoo is world-famous for a reason, and our Wild Animal Park is pretty cool, too. You'll see animals in pretty close to their natural habitat. Take the Jeep tour.

The swimming at La Jolla Cove is great, and you can see while sea lions and seals at the Children's Pool in La Jolla still - I don't think they've run them out just yet.

Great dining, oh, and you can take a whale watching cruise that time of year, too, and you may see some gray whales migrating. They come in mid-November.

There are places to rent bikes, I know, down at the beach, but they're cruisers. I don't know about renting road bikes.

If you come this way, I'd love to take you to my favorite ride, the five-mile loop around Lake Miramar.

Roxy

[Aggie_Ama]

Trek and Knott- I told DH we could rent bikes and ride to a brewery, he was so excited. I guess that is probably going to be the ride, better bring my knickers.

MMM chocolate too!!

[jesvetmed]

Aggie -- you will enjoy yourselves immensely! Great advice from everyone. The only thing missing -- a plan for a TE get-together! Schedule us in -- there are lots of us around the area!