Hello Carol and welcome to Flyertalk --

Summer is the best time here. No rain and late sunsets.

In Seattle for kids: try the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field or the Pacific Science Center at Seattle Center. If the Mariners are in town, consider baseball tickets -- Safeco Field is one of the nicest ballparks in America. The Seattle Aquarium is on the waterfront and pretty nice. The Woodland Park Zoo, a couple of miles north of the city core, has a young baby elephant and some excellent big cats; don't go if it's a rainy day though.

Ride the "Duck", a fleet of ampibious land/water vehicles, around town and into and across Lake Union; they start across the street from the Space Needle. But think twice about going up the Space Needle -- it's blessedly expensive, and that goes double for eating there.

One of our favorite places in town is the Ballard Locks, the water connection between Elliott Bay and Lake Union, where you can often see salmon running up the ladder through special side-view windows from an underground observatory. The locks are also a fine place for a sunset picnic.

While in Ballard take the kids to Archie McPhee's and buy them all sorts of weird kitschy retro plastic toy stuff.

Good kid-friendly places to eat include the Pike Place Pub in the same-named market, the Bell Street Diner down on the waterfront, or Ray's Boathouse up in Ballard. Forecasters Pub in Woodinville, run by the Redhook beer people, is also fine -- filled with hikers and bikers on the weekends.

A little out of town, the Boeing factory tour up in Everett is pretty interesting if your kids are interested in large aircraft being built. Check with Boeing to insure they meet the height requirements. Hike the Burke-Gilman trail on the Eastside. Or drive out to Snoqualmie Falls, famous from "Twin Peaks," and get a huge breakfast at the Salish Lodge.

If you go out on the peninsula, you can drive up Hurricane Ridge near Port Angeles for a spectacular view. Or press on to the west coast, visit the Hoh Rain Forest (the only genuine rain forest in the continental US), and stay at Kalaloch Lodge by the water (say "CLAY-lock"). Reservations are a must for Kalaloch in summertime.

Victoria is a more grown-up destination but Butchart Gardens, about ten miles north of the city, is a sprawling floral display and is really something to see. The British Columbia Museum usually has something good going -- it's right on the harbour. If you are not locked into driving up there, which can be laborious, consider the Victoria Clipper high-speed boat from Seattle to Victoria -- walk-ons only, but a fun ride. Consider high tea at the old Empress Hotel -- your 15-year-old might be more into that than the 10-year-old, but if you dragged her on the Boeing factory tour because he was interested, that'd even the score.

Any other questions feel free to PM me.