Washington State USA
Destination Travel Guides & Hotel Reservations
Although Seattle is one of America's most likeable and vibrant cities, well worth a
few days of anybody's time, perhaps its greatest asset for visitors is its proximity to
the glorious rural scenery of Puget Sound . The islands here are stepping stones to
the Olympic Peninsula to the west, whose mountains are home to rare elk and lush
vegetation that merges into rainforest, and whose wilderness beaches have remained
unchanged for centuries. The Olympic National Park , which occupies the bulk of the
peninsula, is dazzling, and a hike along one of its clearly laid-out trails can be a
highlight of any trip. Just make sure that you don't mind the wet, often stormy weather
of western Washington, which only offers predictably warm temperatures and blue skies
during the summer.
Not quite as rainy as the mountains to the northeast, the southern coast is
flatter and more accessible but not as appealing, littered with industrial towns and glum
holiday resorts. The nearest worthwhile destination lies a few hours east, where you can
marvel at the wasted volcanic scenery of Mount St Helens .
Much drier and more desolate, the sprawling prairie-plateau that makes up most of eastern
Washington is a long, slow grind with little of interest, though if a cross-country
trek takes you through Spokane , the Grand Coulee Dam is worth a detour.
Otherwise you're only likely to come out here if you're traveling the Cascade loop, a
memorable 400-mile round-trip through the stunning Cascade Mountains .
Reserve a Hotel Room in the State of Washington USA
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