Naturally Seattle.  Gardeners should not miss Flower World, located north of Maltby and west of highway 522, which has over 15 acres of plants, flowers trees, shrubs, vines, and garden accessories.  It has to be the largest public nursery in the entire NW.  Start with a leisurely breakfast at the Maltby Café and enjoy the sinfully huge cinnamon rolls along with your ranch breakfast.  Stop at Half Price Pots in Thrasher's Corner at Bothell Everett Highway & Maltby Rd for decorative & functional garden pottery for your new plants.  Seattle is in encircled by farms that sell produce direct to consumers from Spring to Fall.  The Puget Sound Fresh website lists the farms that sell each type of produce, and the open air markets that distribute them.  Maps and directions are available on-line.  The calendar of harvest festivals and other important events is maintained on their website, including the monthly meetings of the county Noxius Weed Control Board.

If the farms are closed it must be winter.  Take the family to the mountains and cut your Christmas tree in a real forest, not the asphalt one in the corner of the supermarket parking lot.  Cutting permits ($10 fee) are issued by the Forest Service at several locations around Western Washington.  You get a map of the allowed cutting areas with your permit.  Be sure to check the current roads conditions online before your head into your planned cutting area.  Many have ice & snow, and are outside cell phone coverage. You should have snow tires, chains, 4 wheel drive, warm clothes, and an emergency kit.  If your not that adventurous check out the local Christmas Tree farms in the area.  Most are in the lowlands, a short distance from paved roads. Pretty much all of them furnish drippy weather, a hand saw, scratchy Christmas carols over a distant loudspeaker, and warm apple cider.  The best ones offer a roaring fire, hayrides, live music, Santa, snack bars, picnic tables, and a petting zoo.  Go in early November to find a nice tree.

The Super Trip.  Would you like a trip where you stay in a Mediterranean Mansion, dine at a five star French restaurant, down a few in a London Pub & visit Parliament, take a Cruise Ship through emerald isles, and visit a garden suitable for a Queen.  Three weeks on the continent?  Nah!  Three days in Victoria.  First you drive to Tsawwassen just south of Vancouver.  Your cruise ship is one of the BC Super Ferries that cruise between Vancouver and Victoria every day.  The style and quality of the boats, the smooth ride, the well appointed seating, and the variety of good restaurants make it seem like your on a cruise ship.  They have small work spaces where business people can use their laptops, and private conference rooms for meetings.  The Canadian Gulf Islands have about the same geology and climate as the San Juan Island group south of them.  The combined group of islands is better than any emerald isles in Europe.  Every turn of the ship brings wondrous new cliffs & creatures, points & passages, and beaches & bays into view.  You want to stop at every one and explore.  But that's another trip.

In Victoria you are magically transported to merry old England.  You can find a good English Pub, ride a double decker bus, visit Parliament (where the BC provincial legislature meets) or sip high tea at the Empress hotel and toast the Queen.  The Mediterranean mansion where you will be staying is located about 25 minutes northwest of town in the Malahat district.  The 30+ rooms have dramatic views southward toward the Olympic Mountains and the San Juan Islands.  The owners build The Aerie Resort Hotel with red tile roofs, and pale stucco walls to remind them of south Europe where they grew up.  It features old world elegance in a beautiful northwest setting.  Travel & Leisure magazine voted it the best North American resort.  Dining is an equally important part of the experience at The Aerie.  Executive Chef Christopher Letard offers French cuisine with a Pacific Northwest influence.  It was Voted #1 Food in the Americas by the Conde Nast Traveler Magazine.

Before you leave the area be sure to tour the marvelous Butchart Gardens.  They feature 50 acres of gardens including a Rose, Japanese, Italian, English, and sunken garden.  At night the garden visitors are dazzled by the creative lighting and the fireworks show.  At Christmas time the lighting features holiday colors and decorations.  It's the favorite time for many repeat visitors.  When your ready to leave you can return to the US by ferry to Port Angeles or Anacortes (through the San Juan Islands), or go back to Tsawwassen.