"calberto22" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi all, we will be in Seattle for 4 days with our 5 year old boy. any
tips on fun things to do? my husband had suggested going to Mount
Rainier for a few days, renting a cabin and have fun exploring. i am
concerned the hikes will be too long for my son to hold his attention.
he loves "exploring" but not if he has to walk 5 miles! is this a good
park for kids? if not, do you have any fun suggestions for the area?
he loves to look for treasure, explore, find bugs, feed animals, etc.
i'd like something outdoors since it's nice this time of year over
there. we were in Victoria last year and LOVED it but we'd like to do
something different. Any tips on a fun vacation near seattle that a 5
year old boy would enjoy? thanks for any tips, Carla


What time of the year will you be going to Mt. Rainier? It can start snowing
in September, and there is still lots of snow on the ground in early July.
Within that window of time, early August is my favorite time for the
mountain wildflowers. A day or two at a cabin would be enough for the
5-year-old, I think. In the southeast corner of the park there are 2
kid-friendly locations, (1) the Grove of the Patriarchs, big old trees a
short walk off the road, and (2) a nature walk to Silver Falls.

Back in Seattle, there's the zoo (activities:
http://www.zoo.org/educate/vstr_prgrms/pprograms.htm), the aquarium, the
Children's Museum and the Science Center at Seattle Center, the public
market, the beaches, the locks and the salmon ladder, the park at Camp Long
(see http://www.cityofseattle.net/parks/E...t/camplong.htm). Somebody
else mentioned the ferries.

If you want to be outside Seattle, you might like to take a ferry to the San
Juan Islands. The biggest, San Juan Island, has 2 historic sites from the
Great Pig War between the US and Britain, kinda fun:
http://experiencewashington.com/Regi...106600_R7.html

Well, that's enough to get you started.

Marianne