059 Visiting Seattle with Kids

Planning a visit to the Emerald City? Local outdoor enthusiast and mom Kate Spiller from WildTalesOf.com shares her tips and ideas for visiting Seattle with kids. ON THE PODCAST 00:32 - Talking with Kim about Seattle 10:38 - Talking with Kate about Seattle 13:12 - How long to stay in Seattle 14:22 - Must dos for families 21:00 - Taking the monorail 21:43 - Outdoor activities 23:46 - Favorite hotels 25:45 - Parking tips 27:40 - Kate’s food recommendations 33:28 - Off-the-beaten path 36:30 - Tips for saving money 39:35 - Best place for a family photo 41:42 - Kate’s favorite travel gear 45:38 - Tip of the week ABOUT KATE SPILLER Kate is a former elementary school teacher, turned stay-at-home mom, writer and blogger living with her family in Seattle, Washington. Her blog, WildTalesof.com is all about outdoor adventure and travel with kids. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. TIPS FOR VISITING SEATTLE WITH KIDS Plan on visiting Seattle for at least a long weekend. If you are coming from a long distance, there are plenty of other attractions for you to pair with a visit to Seattle. Visiting the downtown area of Seattle, you will be able to explore the Seattle Aquarium, walk through Pike Place Market, and check out what there is to offer on the waterfront. If you would like to visit the Space Needle, you can go up to the observation deck for free if you eat lunch or dinner and their restaurant. If you are planning to also visit Vancouver Canada while you are in Washington, keep in mind that the border lines tend to be very long crossing into Vancouver. If you are into the outdoors there are some great parks to visit in the area, which are all free. Discovery Park has some great hiking and beautiful views of the Puget Sound. While the Washington Park Arboretum is a great place to explore and Seward Park has some hiking trails as well, is famous for old growth trees and has views of Mount Rainier. There are plenty more parks for you and your family to explore. Hotels in Seattle tend to be pretty pricey so look for last minute booking deals that may help you out with along with the options of renting or using site like Airbnb. Some places to visit off the beaten path would be to take a ferry to Bainbridge Island or you can visit Whidbey Island. There is also a beautiful waterfall called the Snoqualmie Falls that is about 40 minutes east of Seattle and is one of Seattle's famous waterfalls. BEST PLACE TO TAKE FAMILY PHOTO An iconic view to take a family photo would be in Kerry Park where you can see the Space Needle, Mount Rainier (if it’s out) and other building in Seattle. Another good spot for a family photo would be in front of the market sign. No matter what is going on around photos here always seem to turn out great. FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR Kate loves to wear her Chaco sandals that are super comfortable for an active life. Kate has also started to wear a lot of Ibex wool clothing that is breathable and great for weather changes. TIP OF THE WEEK If you are NOT traveling to Seattle in late June to early September, it will not necessarily rain the whole time but it will be cloudy and overcast. So if you really want to a vacation will lots of sunshine make sure to travel in the summer months. MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST Pike Place Market Seattle Aquarium Olympic Sculpture Park Vacation Rental Tips Steelhead Dinner Serious Pie Skillet Chinook’s Tutta Bella Pizzeria Thriffty NW Mom Site FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD! If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035#. You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!