Explore The Pacific Northwest
Likeable and vibrant, Seattle’s greatest asset may be its proximity to the glorious Puget Sound, the deep-water inlet around which much of the population of Washington lives, and which hosts the metropolis on its eastern shore. To the west is the Olympic Peninsula, whose mountains are home to rare elk and lush vegetation that merges into rainforest, and whose rustic beaches have remained pristine and protected. Not quite as rainy as the mountains to its north, the southern coast is flatter and more accessible but not as appealing. The nearest real attraction lies a few hours south, where you can marvel at the eye-opening volcanic scenery of Mount St Helens.
Dry and desolate, the sprawling prairie-plateau and flood-scoured “channeled scablands” that make up most of eastern Washington are a great, bleak expanse enlivened by the pleasant city of Spokane and the colossal Grand Coulee Dam. Otherwise you’re only likely to come out here if you’re travelling the Cascade loop, a memorable four-hundred-mile round-trip drive through the stunning Cascade Mountains.
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Puget Sound
Puget Sound
The grand waterway of Puget Sound hooks far into western Washington, its array of islands and peninsulas the dramatic setting for passing yachts, oceangoing ships, fishing trawlers and even nuclear submarines. The southern edge of the Sound is strongly urban, where the formerly industrial Tacoma and the small state capital of Olympia are worthwhile stopovers, while the waterway itself surrounds many appealing mountains, forests and lakes. Popular escapes include rural Whidbey Island and the beautiful San Juan Islands further north.
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The Olympic Peninsula
The Olympic Peninsula
West of Puget Sound lies the great Olympic Peninsula, accessible by US-101, which loops around its coastal perimeter. Rugged peaks dominate the peninsular core, which rises high above lush subalpine vegetation, giving way to the tangled rainforests of the western valleys, and the pristine beaches of the Pacific edge. Fringed with logging communities, the peninsula’s most magnificent parts are protected within Olympic National Park, with its superb hiking trails, campsites and lodges.
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The Cascade Mountains
The Cascade Mountains
The Cascade Mountains offer mile upon mile of dense forested wilderness, traversed by a dense web of beautiful trails and spectacular vistas. The most popular access point is Mount Rainier, set in its own national park ninety miles southeast of Seattle, while the haunting scenery around volcanic Mount St Helens compels visitors internationally. Further north, Hwy-20, the high mountain road that crosses the Cascades, is by far the most spectacular route to eastern Washington, traversing the snowcapped wonder of North Cascades National Park.
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Spokane
Spokane
A few miles from Idaho on I-90, SPOKANE (“spo-CAN”), eastern Washington’s only real city of any size, has some grandiose late-nineteenth-century buildings and pleasant parks. The town’s hub, hundred-acre Riverfront Park, was the site of the 1974 World’s Fair and sprawls over two islands in the middle of the Spokane River, which tumbles down the rocky shelves of Spokane Falls. The attractions (hours vary, often daily 11am–6pm, Sat & Sun until 8pm; day passes $16.25; w www.spokaneriverfrontpark.com) include an ice-skating rink, carousel and the Spokane Falls Skyride ($7), which rises above the falls to take in a commanding view of the area.
