After exhausting the sites of Seattle between attending sessions at the Seattle '08 Conference, you might want to take advantage of being in the Pacific Northwest and visit places nearby!

NORTH

Everett , approximately 30 miles north of Seattle, is the home of the Boeing Commercial Airplane Company factory for the Boeing 747, 767, 777, and 787 model aircraft. The Future of Flight Aviation Center and Boeing Tour is located on the premises and offers interpretative exhibits and displays for all commercial aviation enthusiasts.

Victoria, British Columbia --The easiest way to travel to Victoria is to hop aboard the Victoria Clipper in Seattle at Pier 69 . The Victoria Clipper is a high-speed passenger ferry service operating daily between Seattle and Victoria, BC. Walk aboard, enjoy the three-hour ride through the Straits of Juan de Fuca (see weather forecast ), and then stroll through Victoria, or visit the Butchart Gardens where the roses will be blooming, or indulge in Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Empress Hotel .

Vancouver, British Columbia --Because Washington has its own Vancouver , near Washington's southwest border, we always need to distinguish between it and the much larger metropolis in British Columbia . Vancouver, BC is located just 25 miles north of the U.S.-Canada border which makes it about a three-hour drive north from Seattle along Interstate 5. Amtrak runs train service that leaves Seattle at 7:30am and arrives in Vancouver at 11:30am - tickets are $28. There is so much to do while you are in Vancouver. Make it a true busman's holiday and visit the Vancouver Public Central Library while you are in the city.

If you want to take a cruise to Alaska, five major cruise operators depart from the Port of Seattle (Pier 66) or from the Terminal 30 Cruise Facility for Alaska during the cruise season (May - October). Here is another schedule .

To see the orcas in the Puget Sound and nearby, there are several whale watching tours ; most day tours leave from ports north of Seattle.

Don't forget to visit the San Juan Islands! See below, under "West" for more details. 

EAST

Take the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge (SR-520) (the longest floating bridge in the world) to the eastside of Lake Washington, where you can find cities like Bellevue, Redmond, and Kirkland. Lots to do and see in these former suburbs of Seattle which are now their own cities, Bellevue being the largest.

North of these three cities, you will find Woodinville which is home to more than 20 wineries , including the big boys: Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Winery . Many of these wineries offer wine tasting, wine clubs, special dinners, and other special events. Check in May for the outdoor summer concerts held at Chateau Ste. Michelle.

If you take Interstate 90 east from Seattle, you will go over another bridge, the I-90 bridge, and then land on Mercer Island. As you drive further east on the interstate, you can visit places like 268 ft Snoqualmie Falls and other filming locations for the Twin Peaks TV show in North Bend, or Snoqualmie Summit.

If you like the outdoors, you might want to hike some of the trails near the I-90 corridor while visiting the area.

Other smaller Washington towns heading east on Interstate 90 include: Roslyn (used as the fictional Alaskan town in Northern Exposure), Cle Elum , Ellensburg , Moses Lake , and finally, the last large city, Spokane , just miles from the Idaho border.

SOUTH

Tacoma is about 20 miles south of the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, along Interstate 5. Tacoma Link (light rail system) connects one end of downtown Tacoma to the other - and it is free to ride. Places you might want to visit include the Tacoma Dome, the Museum District, the Convention Center, and the Theater District mapped here .

Mount Rainier is about 60 miles south of Seattle, located in Ashford. If you didn't see it while visiting the Space Needle or while driving south on Interstate 5, this awesome mountain, the tallest in the Cascade Mountain Range at 14,410 feet, is worth a visit up close. Located in the Mount Rainier National Park , you will find many recreational activities there. Note: there is no public transportation into the park. Access is via personal car or bus tour with Gray Line Tours (800-426-7532)

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument is part of the [Gifford Pinchot
National Forest |http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/index.shtml]) http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm/ View Volcano Review http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm/volcano-review/downloads.shtml

Portland, Oregon
Dip across our southern border into Portland, the Rose City , a 2 - 2 1/2 hour drive from Seattle, following Interstate 5. Portland, a progressive city, is situated about 1 1/2 hours from the west coast and about the same distance from the Mt. Hood National Recreation area to the east. There is also the beautiful drive down the Columbia Gorge. Portland is also home to Forest Park, one of the largest wooded city parks in the nation, with miles of hiking trails. Friends of Forest Park

WEST

West of Seattle lies the Puget Sound, not the Pacific Ocean. Argosy Cruises on Puget Sound are fun ways to see the sites from a different vantage point while on a brunch, lunch, or dinner cruise. Cruises depart daily year-round from downtown Seattle, Lake Union, and Kirkland City Dock. All have live narration, wonderful views, and feature Seattle's famous places.

For an evening outing, consider taking an Argosy cruise to nearby Blake Island's Tillicum Village for a buffet dinner featuring Native American style baked salmon; the tour includes a stage show called "Dance on the Wind" produced by Greg Thompson Productions. Departs from Seattle's waterfront at Pier 55.

Or take a Washington State Ferry to nearby Bainbridge Island (ferry schedule ) or Bremerton (ferry schedule ).
To visit the Pacific Ocean, you can continue via car from Bainbridge Island along highway 101. As you travel west, you can visit larger towns such as Sequim (the lavender capital of North America) and Port Angeles . If you want to see the furthest northwest point of the contiguous United States, it's here in Washington at Cape Flattery (head west on highway 112). You will find a trail to the Pacific Ocean at Cape Flattery.
If you stay on Highway 101 at Port Angeles, and head west, there are several entrances to the Olympic National Park .  The 17 mile drive from Port Angeles to Hurricane Ridge takes you from sea level to one mile in elevation, and offers amazing views.  Continuing west on 101, near the Hoh Indian Reservation, you will finally meet up with the Pacific Ocean. This journey from Seattle takes several hours (longer than you think it would take). There are several fun places along the coast to visit, including Kalaloch , Queets , Quinault, , Moclips , Ocean Shores , and Westport . Further south you can visit towns such as Long Beach and Ilwaco .

More Olympic Peninsula resources are here. 

Not to be missed, if you have the time, are the San Juan Islands: http://www.guidetosanjuans.com/ Though very busy in the summer season (leave plenty of time ~ hours to wait for the ferry), the islands offer incredible views, wildlife and sense of really getting away from it all. The ferry ride over is also a treat in itself. Ferries to the San Juans run regularly from Anacortes: http://www.anacortes.org/

There have been questions about needing a passport to go to the San Juans. Read this from the Washington Post to get the straight scoop.