6 Day Washington State Family Trip Itinerary
We went on a family trip at the end of February and I wanted to share everything we did for our six days in Washington state.
It was a lot of work taking our three little kids ages six and under, but it was so worth it. Our primary reason for this trip was to visit Mt Rainer and especially Olympic National Park.
Maybe we were a little crazy to go in late winter, but it really worked out for us. Prices for flights and Airbnb were cheaper, and we happened to get great weather. Plus, we avoided the summer crowds.
We technically had seven full days on our vacation, but all the fun stuff happened within six days.
So, here is everything we did:
Day 1
We flew into Sea-Tac airport late the night before, picked up our rental car, and went straight to our hotel.
The next morning, we decided that we did want to take our kids to the Space Needle after all.
We had been on the fence about it since my husband and I had already been to Willis Tower where we stood more than 1,300 feet (412 m) high with only plexiglass beneath us.
The Space Needle stands 520 feet (158 m) above ground level. While we weren't interested in it for us, we thought it would make a memorable experience for our two oldest kids. The great part is children younger than five get to visit for free!
We booked our tickets for 10:30 on a Saturday morning. We parked our rental car at Memorial Stadium Lot just north of the Museum of Pop Culture then walked a short distance to the tower.
Our son was excited about the 12 ft Lego Space Needle built to scale just inside the door. He and his little sister got a thrill on the glass elevator as we zoomed to the top.
The outdoor 360° observation deck is great for viewing the city and coast with glass walls all around. We happened to visit on a rainy day, but we could still see far.
We walked around and took some photos. My six-year-old said he was a little nervous, but excited nervous to be out by the glass walls.
Inside, we walked down a floor to stand on the rotating deck with a glass floor. I even persuaded the kids to jump.
Soon, they were begging for food but it cost $7 for a little cupcake. They needed an actual meal and fast, so we walked across the street to a small Greek restaurant before heading back to see Chihuly Garden.
Chihuly Garden was the one thing I was most eager to see in Seattle, and it did not disappoint!
I have a bit of a fascination with glass art and have even tried making it myself a few times.
But I have never seen glass art like this!
I loved it all, the small pieces resembling seashells with their unique colors and the massive sculptures. There was so much variety, photos do not do it justice.
My miniscule experience with glass making helped me imagine the skill level required to make such remarkable art!
They also do glass-making demonstrations daily which is so cool to see!
If you want to see both the Space Needle and Chihuly Garden book your tickets at the same time to save.
You could also buy a City Pass, but we weren't interested in any other sites listed for Seattle.
I've heard the Museum of Pop Culture and the aquarium are underwhelming.
 |
| I couldn't even try to choose a favorite part of Chihuly Garden |
Next, we took an 85-mile road trip down to Mt Rainier National Park. The drive took about an hour and forty-five minutes. We stopped at Fred Meyer along the way to buy some groceries.
We stayed in Ashford for the next two nights in a cozy little cabin. This place was a 644 sq ft A-frame cabin with a pond and a hot tub out back!
Inside was the cutest little spiral staircase and a small cast-iron gas stove with big windows and tons of natural light. And the kids were delighted to sleep in the loft.
The views of the mountains and the feel of seclusion was lovely. Other cabins were mostly empty so the area was quiet for our whole stay.
We made pizza and ate cookies while watching movies.
Day 2
Despite being late winter, Twin Firs Loop was verdant as ever. It wasn't too cold and it felt so good to be in the fresh air with our little ones.
Twin Firs trail is a quick 0.4-mile loop with about 85 ft elevation gain. So, it's great for little kids. It would typically take about 10 minutes to walk but we really took our time going at our kids' pace and playing along the way.
This old-growth forest was gorgeous. The light was moody on this cloudy day which gave a mystical feeling especially for our kids. Moss covers everything and ferns are strewn all over the forest floor. The evergreen trees are massive with several Douglas-firs being as old as 700 years.
Along the trail, there are pretty steps leading uphill and a little foot bridge over a stream. It's the kind of place where you can pretend to be in Middle-earth or a classic fairytale.
It was chilly, but we had the trail to ourselves. AND we avoided mosquitoes by coming in winter.
After our hike, we ate a picnic lunch in the rain, which we didn't mind at all.
By this time, our kids were eager to get back so they could play at the cabin.
We watched a movie, played and relaxed while the baby got a much-needed nap.
Of course, we relaxed in the hot tub. It had stopped raining so, the contrast of the warm water with the cool air was lovely. It was so serene, and a few deer even came by!
After a walk and some more time to play, we drove a mile or so to Paradise Village Inn & Restaurant for dinner. They serve great Ukrainian food and although it was expensive, everything was so yummy.
The restaurant itself is a vibe of its own with folk style architecture, dark natural wood, and stained-glass windows.
I highly recommend the galushki! The chicken pierogies and apple kombucha were delicious as well. They also serve housemaid honey cake here. And I love a good honey cake.
 |
| This galushki was amazing! |
Paradise Village Inn would be such a cool place to stay. They boast a cannibal hot tub (a hot tub heated over an open fire). It's pricey for a one-hour soak, but what a unique experience!
They also have little bee therapy huts where you can take a nap on top of a beehive full of buzzing bees. Apparently, it's both relaxing and rejuvenating. I think I would love it.
 |
| We got to play in the snow on Twin Firs Loop, but it was also so green |
Day 3
After one last night in our little cabin and its quiet neighborhood, we took the kids to Ashford Country Park where we went for a walk and played on the playground in the winter rain.
I am often impressed with my kids' resilience. The more we take them outside, the more they enjoy it even when cold and wet.
We went to lunch at Copper Creek Inn just outside of Mt Rainier. The location was amazing with the towering fir and hemlock trees on all sides.
The restaurant is cozy and our waiter was friendly as can be. We ate burgers and fries and were too full to try their famous blackberry pie.
Feeling well fed and happy, we headed back north, passed Seattle, and on to Olympic National Park.
After a long drive, we made it our next Airbnb, a guesthouse just outside of Port Angeles. Our stay was just off Old Olympic Highway and only a few miles from Olympic National Park.
I'll describe some of the hikes we did but I will be writing a more detailed post all about our visit to Olympic National Park soon.
We cooked breakfast for dinner while the kids watched a movie. Then we enjoyed some chocolate ice cream before putting the kids to bed.
Day 4
We took our time with breakfast and getting ready in the morning so the kids could play. Then we made a short drive to Elwha River Valley.
Madison Falls was our first hike, if you can call it a hike. The trail is 0.2-miles roundtrip and leads to a 60-ft waterfall.
We went on another, longer trail in the other direction on the Bypass Loop toward Cascade Rock and Elwha Forest Loop. The mountainous trail was lovely on this cool day with clear skies.
Next, we went to Lake Crescent/Storm King Ranger Station to play by the water and enjoyed the views. There was literally no one else there and we got lucky with the weather on this bright day in late February.
The Marymere Falls trailhead is right there by the ranger station. It's a 1.8-mile out-and-back, easy hike, and it was one of my favorite trails during our trip.
 |
| Marymere Falls was breathtaking in person |
After subsisting on snacks all day, we went to dinner in Port Angeles. We got a ton of recommendations from our host, but ultimately, we decided on Hook & Line. My husband and I often crave seafood especially when we are on the coast.
The food was phenomenal. Their seafood gumbo is top notch and the rockfish and chips were great too. We even convinced our kids to try the crabcakes and then regretted it because they wanted to eat them all.
We stopped for one more grocery trip then, back at the
Airbnb, my son and I enjoyed a nice soak in the hot tub together before
bedtime.
Day 5
We got up early and drove all the way from Port Angeles to Second Beach trailhead. This was my favorite hike of the whole trip and possibly my favorite hike that I have ever done with my kids.
This 1.4-mile out-and-back trail led us to a beautiful beach complete with sea stacks and tons of tidepools. Once again, we had the place to ourselves.
We got rained on for ten minutes or so, but that didn't get in the way of the fun. We played for about two hours without even noticing the passage of time.
Next stop was lunch in Forks. I had hoped to eat at Longhouse Cafe, but they were randomly closed, so we went across the street to Rinconcito Del Sabor. The food was okay and at least they had some decent hot sauce.
We spent the afternoon in the Hoh Rainforest. Even the drive there was magical. It felt like another world. Everything was completely cloaked in moss and misty with rain. We saw a dozen or so Roosevelt elk beside the road too.
We walked the Hall of Mosses trail which was absolutely
gorgeous. It's one thing to see photos, but actually being there and feeling so
small is truly humbling.
Day 6
~2.jpg)
The next morning, we checked out at 10 AM and took the kids to Dungeness Beach just a couple miles away. The trail is short and paved, and the beach is so fun.
There are huge logs to climb all over, and my son had a blast wading in the cold water with me. We were there on a Thursday morning and were the only ones on the beach most of the time.
On the hike back to the car, my kids pretended to be grizzly bears and chased me. I felt so happy to be in such beautiful places with the people I love most.
My four-year-old daughter had randomly asked for a bean burrito the day before. To our surprise, we spotted a Taco Time on our way back from Hoh Rainforest later that evening.
So, we decided to take them there for lunch. I would have preferred a local restaurant, but it's the kids' trip too. Also, they had put up with a ton of driving and hiking all week.
It was better than I expected. In a Washington Taco Time, everything is made from scratch in house, even the hot sauce.
 |
| A view of Dungeness Beach from the trail |
We endured one last long drive of about two hours to get to our hotel for one more night in Seattle.
I was tempted to drag my family to Pike Place, but we were so tired from all the driving and taking care of our baby who struggled to sleep all week.
We ended up staying in the hotel room all evening where we finished the last of our groceries. The kids were happy to relax, eat, and watch Encanto before bedtime.
We flew out the next morning. After a week of little sleep, and taking the kids and all our luggage through the Sea-Tac and SLC airports we were worn out.
My husband treated me to a pera pizza and blackberry lemonade from Pizzeria Limone while we waited for our ride home.
I can't think of a better way to end our vacation.
If you liked this 6 Day Washington Itinerary post, be sure to check out my other posts!
Comments
Post a Comment