Traveling to Seattle Family Feature- Where to Eat, Stay and Visit (7/12)
On your next trip to Seattle, here are some tips of where to eat, visit and stay.
Our dining suggestions include the following:
Chandlers Crabhouse is a fantastic place for a fine dining experience where you get to watch the planes take off and land right on the actual lake water. The world’s best crab cake is a must. Other fish specialties include the local clams with linguine, sandwiches, salads, soups, steaks/chops, chicken and any of their crab entrees. This place is a definite must. The atmosphere and staff are top notch and the view is worth the trip. They have a full menu and wine list but definitely get the crab and shellfish as that is their specialties. You can sit outside on a nice day and enjoy your great dining experience. It is centrally located and minutes from downtown Seattle.
http://www.schwartzbros.com/chandlers-crabhouse
Popular chef Tom Douglas has some great dining options and bakeries in the city. We visited Lola’s for lunch and had a nice meal consisting of fresh sockeye salmon special with sweet corn and squid kebab. This Mediterranean style restaurant offers an array of fresh spreads/dips, kebabs, sandwiches, burgers and more. Located in the heart of the city and not far from many attractions, Lola’s is a great place for a casual yet tasty meal.
http://tomdouglas.com/index.php?page=lola
For dinner, we went to another Tom Douglas right across the street from the water called Etta’s. The dining experience was incredible as we started with the wok fried manila clams with black bean sauce that melted in your mouth and Tom’s tasty tuna sashimi with green onion pancakes. We then had the delicious Dungeness crab salad with butter lettuce, avocado and a light dressing. For entrees, we ordered the fresh Alaskan halibut and Etta’s Rub with Love Wild King Salmon with a cornbread pudding and our favorite item on the menu. We can see why it has been a signature dish for a long time.
If you are looking for some of the best seafood in the city, Etta’s is the place to visit.
http://tomdouglas.com/index.php?page=ettas
In between meals, check out some of the city’s fine attractions like the Space Needle, Aquarium, Harbor Cruise, Zoo and quite a few museums. The way to go is buying the City Pass that offers great discounts. There were some great family and kid options to visit. More at http://www.citypass.com/seattle
There are many places to stay in the city but we chose to stay in the outskirts in a suburb named Renton at the Larkspur Landing. The room was very spacious with all suite rooms. There are some nice amenities such as the gym, Jacuzzi, free internet business area and a continental breakfast served each morning. Larkspur Landing hotel properties feature suites-only rooms at amazing prices at all of their 11 California, Oregon and Washington destinations. Each of these hotels, suitable for extended stay or corporate housing, go to extraordinary lengths to create a truly restful and relaxing home away from home, whether visiting for sales meetings or a hard-earned vacation. Please consider featuring Larkspur Landing properties in any of your round-ups on great travel deals/steals this summer or any “hidden gem” road trip to the West Coast pieces.
The common areas and suites at the hotels emphasize efficiency and feature complimentary conveniences and comfort with: fully equipped in-room kitchens, fitness facilities, laundry services, a complimentary BBQ and even a grocery shopping service available to stock your room before your arrive with all your favorites. These suites are great for any vacationer traveling this summer on a budget or the business traveler who wants space and comfortable amenities during their stay all with value pricing as low as $109/per night. More at http://www.larkspurhotels.com
Lastly, we took a drive to the country outside of Seattle to visit a farm called Raising Cane Ranch in Snohomish. Our kids loved the farm and nature. It was the high of raspberry season there and they offer a U-pick at $4 a pound for the freshest, organic, sweet raspberries you will find. You can eat them while you are picking them, which makes it a fun family friendly visit. Other products include honey, eggs, and live ducklings as well as others depending on the time of year. The owners Melissa and Nick are so hospitable and do a local farmer’s market once a week. More at www.raisingcaneranch.com