Tours Northwest — Local services in Seattle

NOT AT ALL WORTH THE PRICE Took the tour to Mt Rainier last Saturday. Starting with, I was pretty excited, having read really great reviews of the tour experience online. The weather was pretty cloudy, and we knew going in that we might not be able to get a view of Mt. Rainier; however, a quick call to the customer care and they ensured us that we'd have time to spend at other locations nevertheless, and should have a good time. On asking about what preparations were required, they just asked us to wear layered clothing and comfortable shoes. The day began pretty standard; we were picked up from our pick-up spot, and the first stop was a Safeway where we were able to make a comfort stop and pick up food for the trip. As we headed into Mt. Rainier, we went through Longmire, Christine Falls and Narada Falls. At each of these exquisite points, we were given about 15mins to make the trip to the viewpoint, enjoy the beauty &/or take pictures; all of 15mins, not long enough at all. After that, we headed to Paradise, where the tour guide gave us some info about 2 recommended trails and then dropped us off. On speaking to the guides at the information center, they informed us that both the trails were snowed in, and that we would not be able to go much further without snowshoes; an information that was neither shared by the tour agency when I had called them the previous day, nor by out tour guide. We ended having to spend much of the alloted 1.5hrs around the visitor centre. On our way back, we stopped at 2-3 more stops, including Reflection Lake, for like 2-3mins. Our tour guide was in a whole lot of hurry to get out of there, I do not know why. At the end, we made a stop for Huckleberry ice-cream, and we were given 20mins for that; 20 mins for ice-cream and 15mins for waterfalls; outrageous. I agree that it was delicious ice cream, but I did not spend $150 to go eat ice cream. I have taken several other tours over the years, and this was the most disappointing. The guide did not give us complete information about the situation there, we were not given enough time at any of the viewpoints, and the only thing the guide was clear about was that he was in a hurry to get back to Seattle. We were back in Seattle by 5:00pm, regretting the choice of having taken this tour; rent a car, hire a driver, ask friends to give you a ride, do anything; but don't waste your hard-earned money...

I have never had so much fun! My sister and I went on the Tours Northwest Mt. Rainier Tour about 3 weeks ago. Our tour guide called the afternoon before to confirm our pick up and answer any questions. The next day started out early at the Urban Coffee House pickup spot where we met, the BEST tour guide, Andreas! Luckily, we were able to grab seats up front as I was worried about potentially getting carsick. I think I would’ve been fine in the back though, the ride was so smooth the whole way! We made one more stop in SeaTac where we arrived a bit early, but that gave the group some time to use the restrooms! Next stop was a grocery store about an hour away, where we were able to use the restrooms and grab lunches which we could store in the ice chest they provided on the bus. Once we made it to the park we enjoyed several fascinating stops all the while listening to Andreas share many interesting facts. He was extremely knowledgeable and a pleasure to learn from! Unfortunately, the restrooms were down at our main park stop but Andreas ensured we had bathroom stops before and after our excursion. At our main stop, I was able to fit a 50 min hike in as well as some browsing time and a short walk down another trail. I chose to eat my lunch on the bus so I could squeeze it all in! I felt like we saw so many great aspects of the park and I was so excited to explore at each stop. Besides the longer treks between Downtown Seattle and the National Park, I feel like we stopped 1-2 times per hour to see something new. Andreas provided lots of great facts and gave us plenty of freedom to explore. He also offered to take pictures of anyone who wanted them!! On our way back into town everyone was pretty beat, Andreas still communicated with us on where we would be stopping next as well as offering FABULOUS insights into Seattle itself and what to do next as a tourist, as well as great local eats.

Thanks for spending the day...

My two-day tour of the Olympic National Park (ONP) was amazing. We visited beaches, waterfalls, and the Hoh Rain Forest. We spent the night in Forks, where the Twilight books and movies were set. Our motel was comfortable and near a wide variety of restaurants.

Our tour guide, Mark, shared specific information about each site. The topics he chose enhanced our experience. He taught us about tides, trees, and yummy local food. Yes, the Olympic National Park is gorgeous. The park is also rich in history, story, and natural wonders.

I enjoyed the variety of locations we visited. We hiked up to Marymere Falls and had lunch on the shore of Lake Crescent. We visited the Tree of Life on sandy Kalaloch Beach. Rialto Beach was rocky and lined with bleached, tree trunk-sized driftwood. Rialto Beach had a minus tide, so we walked through Hole-in-the-Wall to tide pools.

My favorite, though, was our hike through Hoh Rain Forest’s Hall of Mosses. The trees are all different ages and shapes. The ground is covered in ferns. I love folk and fairy tales, and the Hall of Mosses felt full of magic. Mark, our guide, shared Peter Wohlleben’s book, The Hidden Life of Trees. I’ll read it to better understand my experience.

A caution for the tour is please be prepared for incline walking. Scaling the stairs, rocks, and sand are worth every step. The hikes, however, can be a challenge for those of us used to casual, level ground. Our tour guide, Mark, was both patient and encouraging. I appreciated his understanding of individual abilities.

I’ll definitely take Tour Northwest’s Olympic National Park again in the springtime. The change in seasons will make...