Greenlake Guest House050

When looking for a place to stay with kids, it's often difficult to venture outside the hotel/motel route. The Greenlake Guest House, near the beautiful Green Lake Park north of downtown Seattle, offers a wonderful alternative to families with children ages four and up. Hosts Blayne and Julie McAferty have created a cozy retreat with a couple of options for traveling families. The Parkview Suite is quite a large room, with a king-sized bed and a twin daybed; and the Greenlake Suite is a two-bedroom, two-bath suite - one room with a queen-sized bed and the other with two twins that can be joined as a king. The beds are deliciously comfortable, and if you end up calling it an early night (and who doesn't when vacationing with kids...), they have an extensive collection of Oscar-winning movies on DVD, plus books, games, and a cozy fireplace in the main living room - complete with snoozing dog. Children are also offered a basket with toys and games to use during their stay. There are several family-friendly restaurants within walking distance, and the B&B is across the street from Green Lake Park, which features three miles of walking/biking trails around the lake's perimeter, as well as tennis courts, swimming, boating, a theater, and a playground. Blayne and Julie are warm and welcoming, and ready to offer dining and site-seeing advice, as well as make reservations or print out maps. A full gourmet breakfast is served every morning, and coffee or tea and fresh cookies are always available in the dining room. We needed to check out very early and found bagged breakfasts - including the yummy cookies - waiting for us in the shared guest fridge.