What to do outside of Seattle

The Emerald City is definitely a place that you could explore for a long time without discovering everything it has to offer.

However, even in such a beautiful city as Seattle, there are times when you might want to get out of the city and see what the surrounding area has to offer.

When you're enjoying the heart of the city, it's easy to forget that there's some great things to do if you're willing to get out of Seattle for at least a couple days.

This could include things like going to another city in the northwest (of course this would involve renting a car ), visiting some of the natural wonders located close to Seattle, or even heading up to Canada for a drive or ferry ride to a place like Vancouver.

So without further ado, here are some answers to the question: What to do outside of Seattle?

Snoqualmie Falls
Obviously one of the most visited outdoor attractions, Snoqualmie is a must see on your trip to Seattle. There are some great picture-taking opportunities here.

Victoria, B.C.
One of my favorite cities in the northwest is Victoria, B.C. Part of the fun in visiting the city is actually getting there. It can be a lot of fun taking a ferry across the water and then seeing the Fairmont Empress Hotel right there on the harbor.

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
If you're in Seattle during April or May, you'll want to take at least a day to head out to Skagit Valley for the flower festival. If the weather's nice, even better.

Portland
So traveling to Portland can be a little far if you're only visiting for a couple days to a week. If you are going to be there for longer, though, it might be worth it to rent a car and head down there for a couple days.

Forks, Washington
So is there any girl over the age of fourteen who hasn't read the Twilight series books? If you've read them, then obviously you know what I'm talking about. Visiting Forks on the Olympic Peninsula and the surrounding rain forest would be a fun family trip for everyone, even if you haven't read the books.