1. The Needle: The best time to visit is on a nice sunny day before sunset and stay till dark so that you get both a night view and sunset view. If your child wants to visit the needle, you might consider making a dinner reservation to get the free deck visit. Here is how the math works (assuming they don't require a minimum spending to get the free deck visit - you may need to double check when you call to reserve): The deck visit is $8-16, depending on age. If you order the cheapest items on the menu, i.e. appetizers and soups, you might actually come ahead. Restaurants at these places as you know are never cheap. But if you order, say, clam chowder at $9, you'd get the soup and free deck visit. Again, be sure to ask if they have a minimum spending requirement. Here is their lunch menu:
http://www.spaceneedle.com/restaurant/menus/lunch.asp
2. With 7-8 year old kid, consider visiting Ballard Locks, good place for kids and adults
http://www.nws.usace.army.mil/PublicMenu/Menu.cfm?sitename=lwsc&pagename=mainpage
3. Another good place for kids and adults alike is south Lake Union - Center for Wooden boats. It's a place with a nice city view and activities for kids. Kids also might like the float plane takeoff and landing right on the lake next to the center. On Sundays, they offer free sail boat rides on the lake (reservation is needed)
http://www.cwb.org/
4. Pike Place Market: Longest running public farmers market in US, celebrating centinial this year. Kids might like the colorful pigs and the fish tossing.
5. Olympic Sculpture Park: brand new this year. Great place for beautiful scenery and modern art in park setting on water front.
6. Boeing Factory in Everrett: watch airplanes to be assembled in the largest factory building in the world. Not for everyone, but kids might like and also educational for kids. Could also visit Boeing Museum south of Downtown Seattle.
7. Ride the ferry from downtown Seattle across Puget Sound to Bainbridge Island and extend your trip further to Olympic National Park, time permitting (you need at least 2 days or more to fully enjoy Olympic NP)
8. Northwest is very different from San Francisco. For one thing, you don't see snow-capped mountains in summer (or any time) in SF.
9. There are many many more places to visit outside the city such as Mt Rainier (road is a mess this year), Mt Baker, Olympic National Park, N Cascade National Park, San Juan Islands, Mt St Helens, etc. 4 days are not enough to visit these places, as they each require at least 1 day and some longer.
这够写几本书的！先给你个提纲吧，回头有空再加详细的：
时间：年中旅游旺季，人太多；下半年不能太下－多伦多１０月中下有可能就开始下大雪了。也许你想看雪，不过雪地开车对左开右开都不好玩！（至少雪地里我情愿在滑雪板上不愿在轮子上）理想的是九月份到十月初，在１０月的前两周内正好到东边赶上看加拿大国旗上那东西。不会让大花葱开车吧？ ；－）
不知道你好啥，是单程还是双程的（走法会不一样），也许可以这样走：
西雅图－》温哥华－》加拿大落基山－》多伦多－》大瀑布－》渥太华－》蒙特利尔－》魁北克
蒙特利尔和魁北克我更喜欢魁北克。加油尽量在美国加。
西雅图两整天的话，喝完一两杯咖啡后（星巴克是外地人喝的，要冒充本地人的话就去Espresso drive through或街上的咖啡担子推车, 加一长串形容词叫一杯不叫咖啡的咖啡)：
－爱看飞机的上波音北面那个厂子参观 （时间合适可以放在去温哥华的路上）－有人喜欢有人觉得没意思。
－太空针不一定上：不过如果在多伦多那塔和西雅图的针之间选一的话，还是选太空针吧，挑个好天的太阳没落前半小时到一小时间戴到天黑。在那吃饭可以免费上太空针。
－PIKE PLACE MARKET：说白了就是菜场啦！不过美国一百年以上东西不多，这市场去年刚庆了百年，就算它那兔子尾巴那么长的历史里比较长的那个了。有MM随行的话一定要带去那给MM买束鲜花/干花，没MM随行可以去那找艳遇，因为MM都喜欢去那儿。去第一个Starbucks喝杯咖啡。有吃有喝有热闹看的地方。停车在市场下面往下坡走更靠水边的那条Western街更好找。晚六点以后不开。
－奥林匹克 Sculpture PARK: 是个新景，离Pike Place Market和海湾水边不远，所以可以顺路去了。
－Kerry Park: 西雅图的标准相是从这拍的，看日夜景都很好，常能看到Mt Rainier & Needle， 下午比较好。不容易找。
－Hiram M. Chittenden Locks: 可以看大小船只过闸入海, 看三文鱼跳闸回游。运河两边的花园也不错。西雅图人管它叫The Locks.
－Mt Rainier国家公园: 需要一整天，开车单程２ 个半 到３ 小时。雪山冰川（是个在睡觉的火山）
－来之前要看的电影：西雅图不眠夜； Sleepless in Seattle里有的船屋在Lake Union，要坐船才能看见。那湖也可以看水上飞机起降，来来往往的大小船只。
－你的胃要还是和你的中国心一样爱国的话，可以去中国城，在下城downtown南面，Jackson交１０街及King那一带，当地人叫International District。嗯，要不，把胃口留着去温哥华吃吧。你家４哈姐姐肯定比我知道哪有好吃的。
－Olympic国家公园：我的最爱，不过你多半没功夫去啦，光那至少两天。
Enjoy your trip!
