go to the pike street markets in seattle..buy some pepper and apple jelly!

so much fun !
try out the russian piroshki bakery …along the street ( not inside the markets)
ull know it by the delicious aroma
try anything..everything and tell em i sent u lol!!!
wow i miss that place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sparks,
Are you from those areas ? How long of a time do you think I will need in Seattle before I drive to Vancouver.

Sparks is from OZ, see side bar…

Sorry i’m not much help, but i’ve never been to either place….YET!!

no, as Nivid points out, im from australia but
seattle is such a great part of the world..hahaha did i sound like i had some local knowledge/ authority? sorry ..no!
hmm as far as how much time to spend in seattle
wow..
if its a weekend…spend the whole weekend..cos the market is alive..the pavements have so much going on ..great street musicians
but
it doesnt have a touristy feel..it feels hometown to me..as if people come down just to hang out and have coffee

i didnt go up to the space needle tower..i woulda liked to cos i love centrepoint tower in sydney..the view makes me appreciate the natural beauty of my city and i like to compare it to places o/s
we stayed at the travel lodge in john street.it was 89 usd but of course with taxes… went up to 104!

we had dinner at cutters near the harbour
what a splendid meal ..what a lovely friendly waitress! she let us sample the chowder..first time i have ever been asked if id like to sample something b4 i order
we spent 72 for two but that was a three course meal and the gorgeous raspberry tea was bottomless
the chowder was 5.99 and the potstickers were 8.99..so not that expensive..my mate had a more expensive fish meal which blew the bill

when ur in vancouver ( u will like that city …i like how the suburbs are so close to the actual city centre and its so leafy ) go to granville markets and compare the pike markets in seattle..seattle was so much nicer in my opinion
in vancouver..id spend a bout two days..english bay beach is nice..u can visit spanish banks..stanley park is a must see…try the indian restaurant on broadway and maine…called chutney village..amazing food !!!!!and reasonable

and then go for a daytrip to WHISTLER ski resort and get the chair lift to the top
along the way to whistler check out furry creek///so pretty…
go past squamish ( industrial but cute) petgil lake ..shannon falls.. is fantastic
stop at the klahanie roadhouse for brunch great view of the falls and really good food and service!
brandywine falls are gorgeous too
canada…i cant bear to think that i might not return ..it was the most heartwarming incredible place
enjoy it!

I loved both places but it’s been years since I’ve been there.
Husband was recently in Seattle and loved Pike’s Fish Market.
I think he stayed at some not-very-exciting Holiday Inn type place.

I am more interested in the natual wonders or something very unique. I live few miles by Manahattan and also 30 minutes from Covent garden in London, so i am not very keen on markets or restaurants, but rather on scenic beauty and nature.

Are their any National Parks that is worth visiting ? in that part of the world and also what can I do for about 10 days of vacation in that locality. Is it worth it for 10 days ?

Prices are also turning out to be very unreasonable so i am now being flexible on dates. Last night on a talk with the Canadian Tourism dept, they said it sometimes snows in Septmeber. Is that true ?

Trust me, in Vancouver it never snows in September. Northern BC would probably get some snow, but you’re more likely to need a pair of shorts (or a rain jacket…depends) then a winter coat. Vancouver usually gets an Indian summer in September for about 2 weeks, then it goes straight to rain for the next 6-7 months.

How is the weather now ?

In Vancouver it rains and rains some more. Bring a rain jacket.

i grew up in vancouver, and no, it almost never snows in september.  lots of puddles though.  if you want scenic beauty, check out stanley park, capilano suspension bridge ($$), or for free, check out Lynn Canyon in North Vancouver.  take a bus over the lions gate bridge and look out into the ocean, check out denman street (near stanley park) and walk down to english bay. 

north vancouver is filled with trails, forests, and parks. head east coming off the second narrows bridge and follow dollarton hwy to find smaller parks and beaches along the fraser river.   and i know you’re not looking for city stuff, but a good photo-op is found at Lonsdale Quay (like pike place market)  there’s a big Q at the top of a staircase.  you can get a shot of vancouver all lit up at night from there.  there’s also grouse mountain, mount seymour, and cypress mountain. (in west van) 

white rock has some nice beaches too, i haven’t been out there much in the day though.

september is a good time to go camping, and there are LOADS of excellent camping areas (sactioned or not) out past Mission. 

Paradise valley is loaded with old growth forests and bald eagles.

the okanogan is a nice drive…about 5 hours from vancouver, but there are wineries, lakes, beaches, forests, and deserts.  i recommend penticton, kelowna, oliver…i’m not sure if the fruit stands will still be open in september though.

have fun!

ugh, who would want to come here…

I grew up in Tacoma Washington and have lived there for most of my life.  I am currently living abroad, but I second the advise on Pike Place, you definately have to go.
 
For natural beauty you cannot beat Mt Rainier National Park, you can hike up to the base camp (Camp Mere)of this huge Mountain in one day and come back the next.  It is a great opportunity to do some climbing without all the mountaineering gear.  you still need some things, but not nearly the stuff you need to summit.  Make reservations becuase it is really busy.
 
Sea Kayaking in the pugetsound is also very fun, just stop by any local outdoor outfitter and they can rent and get a guide for you. 
 
Fishing for Salmon on a charter boat off Astoria for a day is fun, if you like fishing.  Or do river fishing in the Columbia.  There are plenty of guides to help with everything and pretty cheap.
 
Sol Duc hot springs are fun and a sceanic drive and ferry ride from seattle.  Stay overnight and explore.
 
You can even book a sea plane trip to BC from seattle, pretty cheap and a once in a lifetime thing.