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I am a bit confused about your plan, but if you are looking for a place to stay, Quinnault Lake Lodge is a nice more expensive option. There are many others but it depends on what you are looking for. Do you want to stay more than 1 night in Seattle proper?
We also drove over to Hurricane Ridge for a day hike which was spectacular. Spent 4 nights here and also 4 nights in the Cascades close to the town of Winthrop- a very cute western cheap airline tickets and car rental packages town. Its a long drive from the Cascades to the Olympic National Park- beautiful but don't think it would be worth a day trip.
Other great trips from Seattle include Mt. Rainier, the San Juan Islands, and the North Cascade Loop (over Stevens Pass, up the Columbia River Gorge, and back on the North Cascade Highway--or cheap airline tickets and car rental packages vice versa).
Enjoyed kayaking at Lake Quinault, exploring Ruby Rialto cheap airline tickets and car rental packages beaches, short hikes in the Hoh Rain Forest and to Marymere Falls. LOVED Hurricane Ridge. Almost skipped cheap airline tickets and car rental packages it for a daytrip cheap airline tickets and car rental packages to Victoria (thank goodness I didn't) and was rewarded with breathtaking views and wildflowers.
Instead of the train, you might get a car in Vancouver and cross over to Vancouver Island, cheap airline tickets and car rental packages spend a half-day or a full day in Victoria, then take the Coho ferry across to Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula. Visit Hurricane Ridge (just south of PA) in Olympic National Park, and maybe take a day and travel a couple of hours west to the Pacific coastal strip of the national park, visiting cheap airline tickets and car rental packages the Hoh Valley rain forest and possibly Rialto Beach near La Push.
We hiked to Sol Duc Falls and it is a really good waterfall to see. Also did the Hall of Mosses Trail in the Hoh Rain Forest. Hike Ruby Beach and then Rialto Beach to Hole in the Wall-this is nice at low tide for tide pooling. I think I like Rialto Beach better than Ruby, but both were very nice.
I didn't like Sol Duc either- too many people and most of the time we were there one of the hot pools would be closed while it was being cleaned so the open pool was packed. No desire to go back there-
You need to shop aggressively cheap airline tickets and car rental packages for rates on transborder rentals during cruise season - a lot of people rent cars one-way in conjunction with cruisers departing/arriving in Vancouver but wanting to use the cheaper airfares to/from Seattle. Try phoning some of the major agencies rather than using their online booking services. As a rule the daily rates typically run around $20 - $40 higher per day for the one-way rentals. We've used National, Budget and Hertz in the past (also Avis, but that's now Budget) and found it much more convenient than the train. Your time is worth something, after all.
Be careful when planning to use the train; there are only 2 trains daily - early morning and evening. The Amtrak schedule is a little sneaky by including a number of buses in the schedule - you don't want that.
Then you could fly Kenmore Air from the inner harbor to Seattle- its a seaplane - lands at Lake Union. Watch for web specials on their website. Then you could rent a car on the US side and avoid drop off fee. They fly into other places as well, like Port Angeles
I've taken the Amtrak bus several times between Vancouver and Seattle. cheap airline tickets and car rental packages The buses are quite comfortable. You do have to pick up your own bag(s) to put them on the conveyor belt for inspection cheap airline tickets and car rental packages at the border.
I'm pretty set on the Olympic Peninsula now but if we could still pick up a car in Bellingham or another station cheap airline tickets and car rental packages before Seattle it might save some time or give us the opportunity to be more flexible.
Avis used to have a station in Fairhaven, the historic district of Bellingham where both the Amtrak station and the Alaska ferry terminal are located, but it appears to be closed, leaving only the downtown area (several miles) or the airport (more miles) as the only car hire pick-up points in Bellingham. And you'd still be limited by Amtrak's schedule, which IMO is very inconvenient for your needs.
My suggestion: If you don't want to spend any time on Vancouver Island (which is fine, given your limited time) then pick up a car in downtown Vancouver and drive over the border to Bellingham, specifically the Fairhaven exit (signposted Alaska ferry). Go into Fairhaven, then take Wa. Hwy. 11, called "Chuckanut Drive," south. Chuckanut is a lovely road that runs along the bluff overlooking the water.
Just after Chuckanut intersects with Interstate 5, take the exit westbound to WA 20, toward Anacortes, cheap airline tickets and car rental packages but stay on the "main line" of SR20 toward Whidbey Island. SR 20 crosses Deception Pass, a narrow channel between Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands, and the state park and bridge at Deception Pass are must-sees - very impressive cheap airline tickets and car rental packages particularly when the tide is changing; the water flowing through the Pass is awesome.
Just past Coupeville (a cute little town, worth a lunch stop) on Whidbey SR 20 continues to a ferry dock, from which you take a short ferry ride to Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula. Depending on how long you wait for the ferry (and you can book it ahead - it's a small boat) you can overnight in Port Townsend, or continue on to Port Angeles cheap airline tickets and car rental packages (around 60 min. from Port Townsend.) Port Townsend is a great 19th century seaport, with many stunning Victorian buildings (many B Bs, etc.)
That puts you on the Olympic Peninsula the same day you left Vancouver, and much faster than you'd probably make it by going all the way to Seattle first, and certainly faster than going via Victoria/Vancouver Island. Cheaper, cheap airline tickets and car rental packages too, since the ferries between the Canadian and US mainlands and Vancouver Island are quite pricey.
Whatever the cost differential might be for the car rental, I can't imagine it doesn't wash out when you add costs of taxis to/from train stations, individual pricing for train/bus fares vs. one price for a car, baggage storage or check fees, and so on, never mind the considerable time and convenience savings, plus the chance to see things inaccessible from the train, buses, or ferries.
We should be able to leave Vancouver by 10am on Friday so should we aim to stay a night at Port Townsend or continue onto Port Angeles that day? Not sure on timing yet and I haven't checked the ferry schedules.
Nice pic! We've stayed at the Misty Valley Inn as well - breakfast was HUGE. Too sweet for our tastes, but they sure go all out. We have also stayed at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver, one of our favorites as well.