Seattle city guide
Explore the Pacific Northwest
Vancouver and British Columbia
Explore the Pacific Northwest
To our north you will find the beautiful Vancouver, BC, known for it’s breathtaking scenery and bustling city center, not to mention its thriving Interaction Design community which hosted Interaction09 and the 2017 Information Architecture Summit. Visitors can explore Stanley Park, take a leisurely bike ride along the Seawall, and visit the aquarium or one of the many museums! As a previous host, Vancouver’s IxDA Chapter is lending its full support to Interaction 19.
Portland and Oregon
Explore the Pacific Northwest
Travel just a few hours south and you find Portland, known as one of the most bicycle friendly cities in the Northwest. Enjoy brews from the many craft breweries and check out some of the many eateries, including gourmet doughnuts and brunch to food trucks and everything in between! Oregon’s recreational opportunities are legendary in their own right, from winter sports to white water rafting, and kite surfing in the beautiful Columbia Gorge. Portland is host to a thriving IxDA chapter that is also supporting Interaction 19.
Puget Sound and Washington State Ferries
Explore the Pacific Northwest
The Puget Sound region is full of astonishingly beautiful places, and many of them can be accessed by Washington State Ferries. Though some use them for commuting, a ferry ride is much more than just another mode of transportation. The ride itself is remarkable. You’re sure to see spectacular scenery no matter the weather, and you might see otters, seals, sea lions, porpoises or even a pod of Orcas! From Seattle you can take a ferry to Bainbridge Island, Vashon Island and other points west on the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas. A moderate drive north will also get you to the long and windy Whidbey Island, and the San Juan Islands archipelago, where you can go whale watching, eat fresh Dungeness crab, or just chill out and get a feel for the slower paced Island Life.
Olympic National Park
Explore the Pacific Northwest
The largest national park in the contiguous United States is home to the majestic Olympic Mountains, the setting, weather permitting, for Seattle’s glorious sunsets. Surrounded by Hood Canal to the east, the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the North, and the Pacific Ocean to the west, the park features some of the last remaining temperate Old Growth Rainforest in the United States, and is home to many species of wildlife found nowhere else on Earth. Most of the underrated Washington coastline is in the park as well as 15 major rivers, 13 of which are pristinely protected under the Wild and Scenic Rivers act. Truly the wildest place left in the Lower 48, the ONP has it all.
Mt. Rainier and the Cascade Mountains
Explore the Pacific Northwest
You can’t miss Mt. Rainier out your plane window as you fly in, and will notice it in the distance throughout your stay in Seattle. Boasting an elevation of 14,411 feet, Mt. Rainier is the state’s tallest mountain, and is home to avid hikers and climbers. Mt. Rainier is part of the Cascade range, that features thousands of square miles of wilderness some within an hour’s drive of Seattle. One highlight is Snoqualmie Falls just an hour from Seattle on Interstate 90, which begins in Seattle, then passes through the Snoqualmie Summit and Alpental, world class ski areas on its way to Eastern Washington and, eventually, the rest of the United States.
Washington Wine Country
Explore the Pacific Northwest
Washington State is home to one of the premiere wine regions in the world. Most of the fruit is grown in the Yakima and Columbia Valleys, but there are urban wineries, such as Charles Smith, right in Seattle! Woodinville, just a 30 minute drive northeast of Seattle is home to nearly 500 of the state’s wineries, including the legendary Chateau Ste. Michelle, DeLille Cellars, Betz, and Januik, as well as innovative “garagiste” producers like Avennia, Savage Grace, and Erica Orr. Or travel east to Walla Walla where Leonetti, Doubleback, Dunham Cellars, and Charles Smith have their home bases.
