My family is going on a tour of Seattle, Victoria and Vancouver next week. Does anyone know of some fun and interesting things to do? We will have six kids along from 6 to 16, so some ideas that will let me seem like a cool uncle would be great. I would also be interested in activities for the adults.
Stanley Park in Vancouver is quite nice. 
The Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria is a must see. Kids will also joy a trip to Roger’s Chocolates in Victoria, with the lawsuit proof slogan “Quite Possibly the World’s Best Chocolate”.
Thanks grim spectre, it looks like a great place on their web site.
Excellent suggestions BobT. Of course the trip to the factory will set off the inevitable debate between milk chocolate lovers and dark chocolate purists in my family.
Seattle and vicinity:
Pacific Science Center (in Seattle)
Space Needle (it’s just a high tower, but how can you say you’ve seen Seattle without going to its most famous landmark?)
The IMAX theater at Pier 59 - especially the show about Mt. St. Helens (in Seattle)
Boeing Airplane Factory Tour (in Everett, about 1/2 hour north of Seattle)
Washington State Museum (in Tacoma, about 1/2 hour south of Seattle)
Vancouver:
Stanley Park (as others have mentioned)
Pacific Space Centre
Enjoy your trip! We loved ours.
In Vancouver, take the kids to Science World. They have an exhibit on flight right now that looks pretty cool. You can take the tram up to Grouse Mountain and enjoy the spectacular view. There’s always Stanley Park, and the Museum of Anthropology at the University of BC. The Vancouver aquarium used to be cool, but I haven’t been since they got rid of the orcas. There’s still some cool stuff there, apparently. The jazz festival is going on right now - I’m not sure when it ends. The kids will like Gastown and Granville Island (There’s a train that runs at certain times from Science World to Granville Island that might be fun, or you can take a water taxi). Go shopping on Robson St for the high end stuff, or head down to Commercial Drive for more casual, funky atmosphere. If the weather’s nice, head down to Kits or Jericho beach. There’s a ton of stuff to do here, especially if you like the outdoors.
In Victoria, take the kids to the wax museum and the undersea gardens. When I was a kid we went to Butchart Gardens, and I remember being bored out of my skull (Oh, look. More flowers. Hooray.). The adults might like it, but the kids probably won’t. Go whale watching, or do a guided kayaking tour.
Ooh - almost forgot about the Vancouver Aquarium (which is actually in Stanley Park). That is one awesome aquarium.
Chaim Mattis Keller
freesok seconds the Pacific Science Center in Seattle. He also recommends visiting the aquariam at the waterfront. Pike Place Market (he says) is famous. Record shopping in the U district (45th and University Way). Laser shows at Seattle Center, which probably ties in with PSC. He says eat fish at Ivar’s on the waterfront and feed the seagulls while you’re there. Hop on a WA State ferry from the waterfront; they go all over. And now freesok’s list is exhausted. He grew up near Seattle, btw, so I’m guessing he knows what he’s talking about.
Cancel the trip to the Boeing plant. Only children 12 and above are allowed. I worked at the Everett plant for 4½ years. With all the tourists in the summertime, you feel like you are in a zoo.
I will suggest the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle over the zoo in Vancouver. They have the baby elephant. And no one has mentioned the #1 tourist trap, er, attraction in Seattle, Pike Place Market. It is the place where people throw fish for fun. And Seattle has one of the best fireworks shows anywhere on the 4th. And the 4th is just another day in Vancouver, as my wife discovered a few years ago.
Mrs. 72 while visiting Vancouver about 5 years ago: “It looks like everyone is working today here, don’t they know it’s a holiday?”
Me: “Yes, they probably know that it is a holiday in the U.S.”
Mrs. 72: “Then why is everyone working then?”
Me: “Because we are not in the U.S.”
Mrs. 72: “Oh”
Thnks for your suggestions flyboy88, cmkeller, Lord Derfel, BrattiAtti and racer72.
We are going to be in Vancouver on the 4th, just like Mrs. 72. But we will celebrate anyway!
The first word in the post above is Thanks. :o
If you like tea, go to a place that serves High Tea! Yummy scones, clotted cream, good tea… yum… 
You can go upscale (Empress Hotel, in Victoria), or relatively down scale (places that don’t care much about what you’re wearing, so long as everything is covered).
<< Tea. No tea. >>
Having seen this on TV, I have to agree with you. Now that we’re here, is there anyplace that’s particularly good (ideally with parking) to watch it from?
For the fireworks show in Seattle, it depends on which one. Granted I haven’t lived there for years but they used to do a show over Lake Union and over the waterfront downtown.
I prefered to hit up the north or northeast side of Lake Union because you could see both shows. I’ve never had much trouble finding parking near Gasworks park because there is a fair amount of residentual blocks north of it.
There is a very small and almost unknown park on the west side of Capitol Hill, right at the end of Bellevue Place E. MAP (I hope the link works)
You will almost never find parking because in all I think there’s only 4-5 spots. But sometimes there is parking on Lakeview and you can walk over.
This, IMO, is THE prime place to watch the fireworks in Seattle.
Opps. That map above didn’t work.
Let’s try this one
<Homer>ummmm…tea</Homer>
Looks like we’ll be in Seattle for the Vancouver Jazz Fest and in Vancouver for the Seattle fireworks. 
But we’ll still have a good time.
Lord Derfel:
When did they do this? I was there in March of 2000, they still had orcas.
They shipped Bjossa down to Sea World in San Diego last year. Checking the Aquarium web site, it seems that she died shortly after she was moved.
They still have the belugas - one is pregnant. Click on the web cam link to see them live. Pretty neat.