Three Days of Adventure in Seattle Backcountry
Snohomish County’s attractions and activities make it a perfect family getaway
Seattle’s Backcountry lies between the snow-marbled Cascade Mountains and the royal-blue waters of Puget Sound in Snohomish County, Washington State. Quaint coastal communities, beautiful mountainous regions and adventurous river corridors are just 25km north of downtown Seattle. The area’s many attractions and family activities make it the perfect place to find a perfect family getaway. With Seattle minutes to the south and the San Juan Islands or Olympic Peninsula just a ferry ride away, Snohomish County is a great basecamp for exploring the entire Pacific Northwest.
Day 1: Check into your cozy hotel. From intimate cabins and cottages to hotels and bed and breakfasts, there are plenty of places to stay in Snohomish County. Plus, room rates are often 40 per cent less than downtown Seattle and kids stay free in nearly all the area’s 6,400 hotel and motel rooms.
If you have a love for aviation, history or mechanical wonders, the area is home to some of the most significant displays of flight history and modern aeronautical innovation in the U.S. Spend the afternoon at Paine Field in Everett, where you’ll find the Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour, Museum of Flight Restoration Center and Reserve Collection, Historic Flight Foundation and Flying Heritage and Combat Armor Museum. On the Future of Flight & Boeing Tour, marvel at the world’s largest building and see where Boeing’s 747, 767, 777 and 787 Dreamliners are built.
Top off your evening sipping some Pacific Northwest brews at one of Snohomish County’s breweries, including River Time Brewing in Darrington, Scuttlebutt Brewing Co. & Pub in Everett or American Brewing Company in Edmonds. At Scuttlebutt, pair the Tell Tale Red Ale with the sausage sampler, three Washington-made sausages cooked in the brewery’s beer and served with homemade stone-ground porter mustard, for a satisfying treat. Day 2: Seattle Backcountry’s great outdoors beckon to be explored today. Plan a whale-watching excursion with Puget Sound Express which offers year-round tours of the gray and orca whales out of the Port of Edmonds. Whether you’re 4 years old up thru retirement age, there is a great memory waiting for you when you experience the High Trek Adventures high ropes course and zipline series. On their Captains Course, you choose the difficulty level from the 60 challenge options. The Cadets Course is perfect for children 4-7 years old to get a taste for ropes course elements.
Traveling with the little ones? There are endless options for family entertainment in the area. Check out the award-winning Imagine Children’s Museum in Everett, where kids can sit in a real airplane cockpit and two-story tree house; or the Western Heritage Museum in Monroe, an interactive logging, mining, agriculture and wildlife museum.
Day 3: Your last morning calls for some retail therapy. For department store staples and boutique favorites, head to Alderwood mall in Lynnwood for more than 200 options, including Nordstrom, American Girl and Apple. Or snag namebrand
steals and deals at Seattle Premium Outlets in Tulalip, where 130 stores brands like Coach, Nike and Burberry await.
The town of Snohomish, known as the Antique Capital of the Northwest, is a must-stop for vintage treasure hunters. More than 175 antique dealers show off their goods at stores in downtown Snohomish, where you can also peruse more than 30 specialty shops.
Other great Snohomish County shopping locales include Bothell
County Village, Everett Mall, the artist community of downtown Edmonds filled with galleries and boutique shops, and the walkable Mill Creek Town Center. Come back for the holidays! A must-see stop is the Lights of Christmas at Warm Beach in Stanwood, WA, just under 130km from Surrey. The largest holiday festival in the Pacific Northwest, it features more than 1 million twinkling bulbs and a full holiday adventure. The magical event kicks off on November 30 and runs Nov. 30-Dec. 3, 7-10, 14-17, 1923, 26-30; Hours are 5-10 p.m. daily.
Visitors walking the expansive grounds will be enchanted by the arched walkways, fully bedazzled trees, and creative displays. Carolers provide a festive atmosphere as they stroll in song. The young and young at heart can meet Santa, ride the Polar Express train, taste meltin-your-mouth donuts, enjoy a fivecourse dinner theatre program, listen to a captivating storyteller, and enjoy the hands-on toy and ornament shop.
More itineraries to help you discover all that Snohomish County has to offer are found at snohomish. org/journeys. Open up to life, to adventure and to discovery in Seattle Backcountry.