We spent time in the PNW last summer with our 2 year old and she loved it. We were there for 2 weeks, so our itinerary wouldn't work for you, but for part of the time we rented an apartment through air bnb on the olympic peninsula and just did day trips into Olympic National Park. There were plenty of hikes/walks we could do that were short enough that our kid could walk them or be put into a carrier. We'd do a morning excursion, come home to nap, and then post nap we'd just head into town to hit a playground or hang our in the backyard of our apartment (on the coast with gorgeous views).

Also, I adored visiting Mt St Helen's as a kid. I found it absolutely fascinating.

Hi again. Seattle poster here. You can DEFINITELY enjoy the outdoors in the PNW without camping. There are cabins, motels, and hotels at the beach, on the San Juans, at Rainier, and in the Olympic National Forest. I haven't gone camping in 15+ years, but I've still visited all these places. This summer, I'm opting for a couple days in a cabin at Sol Duc, the hot springs. (I'm outdoorsy but not especially rustic, myself.)

Plus, there are lots of short "hikes" out of Seattle that even your toddler could handle, I suspect. You might want to drive up to Snoqualmie Falls, for instance. The trail down to the bottom of the falls is less than a mile, and I always see lots of families there.

In case it's your family's thing, the Seattle area's amusement/water park is called Wild Waves, and it's about 20 minutes south of Seattle. It is NOT a world class amusement park by any standards, but your kids may be young enough not to notice that it's pretty small and simple.

The thing you're not going to avoid in visiting the PNW is renting a car. Both Portland and Seattle have good public transit in the cities, but you have to drive if you want to get to mountains or ocean.

I've been to Portland a couple of times in the past two years, and I've been to Seattle as well, but that was over ten years ago. Both cities are beautiful. My information on Seattle is old, so I'll just say a bit about Portland.

First, check out this old thread that has a lot of information on Portland and areas within about a three-hour drive: http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/295703.page#3359689
Lots of good information there.

I would probably try to find a good condo or home on VRBO - that's what we have done. You could go for a bigger rental in the close-in suburbs, or you could go for something more in the middle of Portland. One amazing thing about the central areas is that the light rail is amazing. The streetcar is pretty great too.

I've been to Bend, and I didn't think it was that great. There is a lot outside of Portland that is lovely: there's the Columbia River Gorge, Mt. Hood, the coast, the Willamette Valley (which I associate with wine, but there's probably more

I don't think you can go wrong with either city. The Pacific Northwest is so gorgeous, and summer is the right time to go.

OP here. Thanks for these great suggestions. We live overseas and when we come back to the US to visit, we really try to show our kids someplace new and cool. We don't want them to grow up and say they saw the whole world but not their own country. Anyway, we are very laid-back travelers, not picky about where we stay. With the little one we aren't as outdoorsy as we'd like to be, but we have still done quite a bit of hiking and camping. As we would be flying to the PNW, I'm not sure about doing camping there--we wouldn't have our gear with us, although I imagine we could rent. A cabin could definitely work, though. Great ideas about getting on the water. My older daughter loves the ocean, lakes, rivers, etc. and the little one is happy to be along for the ride. The EMP sounds amazing, as do many of your other suggestions.

I'm a Seattle native, so I obviously have some biases, but here's my opinion nonetheless. I would only try to do both cities if you are super urban people who would only want to see the cities themselves. (And even then, I would probably choose Seattle and Vancouver or Victoria.) Otherwise, I recommend that you choose one city and visit it plus the surrounding area (mountains and water). If you choose Portland, you could spend a couple days in the city, a couple days in Bend, and a couple days at the coast, for instance. (The NYTimes just did "36 Hours in Hood River, Ore," and it had some great suggestions.)

If you choose Seattle, here are my recommendations. When you're in the city, obviously go to the market (Pike Place, where they throw the fish). The Experience Music Project (EMP) museum is great for all ages--very hands on, interactive. I haven't been to the Pacific Science Center in about 5 years, but it has traditionally been good for kids. Make sure to get in a boat at least once, preferably a few times. A ferry is cheap and a great way to get out on the Sound. You can also rent kayaks in Lake Washington. There's a water taxi from Alki to downtown and back. And there are lots of tourist boats from one of the piers downtown. While you're there, check out the aquarium. If you are sports people, Safeco Field is a great place to see a baseball game. The Uwajimaya grocery store right near there is a fun cultural experience. Outside of Seattle, I'd recommend a couple of days either in the San Juan Islands or at Sol Duc hot springs in the Olympic National Forest. If you book now, you should still be able to get a couple nights in a cabin either place. Alternately, you could head for the mountains--maybe Leavenworth, which is a VERY cheesy tourist town, but there's plenty to do there and good options for accommodations. Or you could just do some day hikes out of Seattle. Or drive down to Rainier and spend a couple days there.

I know you said you're going in July, but if you have any flexibility about when, I recommend as late in July as possible. Summers in the PNW get off to a very slow start--August and September are typically the best months (you know, if you like 75 and sunny every day).

So, those are just a few recommendations. If you post more about what you all typically like to do, I'm happy to come up with more suggestions!

We (DH, me, and girls 6 and 2.5) would like to visit Seattle and/or Portland in July. We have about a week, not counting air travel time. Does it make sense to try to squeeze in both or just do one? Which one has your family really enjoyed? What do you consider "must see/dos?" Any recommendations about which part of town to stay in for either place?