146 ReviewsThe book said that it was one of Seattle highlights, so we had to go there.
Maybe it is something odd for the American way of life, but I must confess that I found no distinctive details comparing...
88 ReviewsNaturally when someone says Seattle the first structure that comes to mind is the Space Needle.
It was built somewhat by accident: the vendor that was supposed to have that site at the 1962 World's...
60 ReviewsIt's on the southern end of the city center and has an old town quaintness. Lots of art galleries here and there in the area. A nice coffee shop, Cafe Umbria, is on Occidental. Take the Underground...
43 ReviewsCentral Seattle is a good place to walk.
Some nice buildings, short distances from hotels, though the so called "highlights" are not that high, it's a nice place to spend an afternoon.
And not...
44 ReviewsThis was probably one of the coolest things I did in Seattle. The exhibits were really cool! They had the Nirvana exhibit while I was there. I'm sure Kurt Cobain is rolling in his grave that his art...
24 ReviewsIt interesting to see the locks, the fish ladder and the garden. Be mindful where you stand so that you are not in the way when they open the gates.
It is best not to do a city tour because they do...
4 ReviewsWhile it is an hour north of Seattle, and therefore not in Seattle proper, the annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in April is an impressive and colorful display, and comes with a wide variety of...
15 ReviewsAlthough Fremont started out as an independent city, it has been part of Seattle since 1891; however, I'm not sure that people there got the notice! There definitely is something special about that...
12 ReviewsSeattle is synonymous with Boeing, the leading manufacturer of commercial aircraft in the world. For the aviation enthusiast, no visit to Seattle is complete without visiting Boeing. Tours of Boeing...
24 ReviewsUnfortunately gfs and me didn't make it to this great Museum Of Flight as there was not that much time left. I yet like to quote from SteveOSF's helpful tips : The Museum of Flight is an outstanding...
34 ReviewsBorn in Tacoma in 1941 and with art installations in various parts of the globe (some temporary and others permanent), Dale Chihuly is perhaps the most famous of artists living in Seattle today. His...
26 ReviewsNOTE: Pets and baloons are not allowed into the Seattle aquarium. Tickets are not valid for re-admission after you have left the building.
Half of the Seattle Aquarium is located inside an extremely...
8 ReviewsThe International District is one of the many places in Seattle that is very interesting and very diversed. Just bear in mind that Seattle is one of the cities in the United States where 59 languages...
7 ReviewsOnce again, if you are visiting Seattle, you might as well drive because the views are absolutely spectacular! There is about 100 million acres of forest at the Olympic Peninsula that is protected by...
6 ReviewsThis has long been one of Seattle's secret places that we hoped no one would discover. Alas, if it's in the Virtual Tourist list, it is now out in that dreaded public domain. No matter, if it has been...
5 Reviewsthe Biggest and most Majestic Peak of the Cascades Mountain range, Mount Rainer is fairly visible from Seattle but it is about 80 miles far in the Town of Ashford. It is right in the Middle of the The...
7 ReviewsThe first week of August in Seattle has the highest probability in the year for decent weather. These days are also the time when the Seafair community celebration peaks with hydroplane boat races and...
6 ReviewsCapitol Hill (so named by a developer with political aspirations) is the counter culture heart of the Northwest. It's also the most densely populated neighborhood. The streets are lined with midrise...
5 ReviewsRobinson Park is on the eastern side of the Maury Island part of Vashon Island, and marks the midway point between Tacoma and Seattle in Puget sound. The rocky beach here is good for beachcombing, and...
9 ReviewsSpeaking of successful ventures, it's hard to believe that the mega coffee company Starbucks started out as a small coffee store located at the heart of Pike Place Market. The first store actually...
15 ReviewsHere is a place that I've wanted to visit for a long time but just never did. The Nordic Heritage Museum is a three story old brick building that documents the immigrants of the scandanavian countries...
12 ReviewsIf you like looking at architecture, particularly homes of the rich and famous, yachts, house boats, water homes, beautiful scenery then this is for you. They narrate during the cruise so it goes by...
8 ReviewsOne thing that you can appreciate in the City of Seattle are the arts and crafts! It's the one of the cities in the United States that value arts. Everywhere you go, there is an art or anything of...
12 ReviewsI went to the Aquarium in 1994 and I may have eaten a meal there. Using a point and shoot film camera I had a problem with the reflections and sometimes with dirty window glass.
They have a carousel...
12 ReviewsYou can't miss this downtown art museum. Just look for Jonathon Borofsky's Hammering Man, an animated three-story steel sculpture that pounds out a silent beat in front of the museum. Inside, you'll...
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Puget Sound; Washington's Unique Inland Maze
by glabah
Other states have bays, inlets and assorted other inland waterways. Washington, however, has Puget Sound, which is an extensive maze of salt water that combines all of the above in a branch of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Salish Sea. All of the previous named types of waterways, plus many others, occur here.Image 2 and 3 are maps of Puget Sound from the many local interpretive centers that dot the region. 2 actually shows everything in pretty good detail, but to see everything you have to zoom out so far that you can't see all the little details. The second map doesn't show the details, but it shows the water in blue and land in white so that it gives a more clear waterway impression. It also shows the major cities, so it is possible to grasp the scale a little bit.In order to give some perspective to the size of Puget Sound, the southern tip of the salt water is Budd Inlet, at...
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Washington Coast and All That
by glabah
This tip is primarily designed to act as a starting point for those that ask questions in the VirtualTourist forums about traveling the Washington coast. As part of answering these questions, however, some general information may also be gained. The sample questions are merely samples of what has been seen there, and is not a specific question asked by a specific person on a particular day. As noted below, Washington has a huge section of salt water shore that doesn't face the Ocean and thus other than mentioning it I am not including Cape Flattery east to Puget Sound and north to Point Roberts - those places aren't on the coast.1. I am starting in Seattle and am going to drive down the coast. Any suggestions?You must first realize that Seattle is not on the coast. In fact, by water it is some 200 miles (300 km) from the open Ocean. Therefore, the first question you need to answer when...
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Willapa Hills Trail: Chehalis to South Bend
by glabah
Due to the sheer number of communities through which this trail passes, it is difficult for me to cover much of it here. However, I can at least give some basic information and reference what I have written about it in other locations.Much of the trail is a state park, and therefore requires the use of a Discover Pass to use the parking areas.While some of the maps officially show the Willapa Hills trail starting at Centralia, the reality is that the current east end of the trail is located in the far southwest side of Chehalis.The western end of the trail is in South Bend, some 56 miles away.The railroad line here was put out of service in 1994 and the start of trail conversion started in 1995. However, due to lack of funds the process has been quite slow. Some sections are virtually non-rebuilt and have bridges that would be dangerous to use in their current form, while other areas...
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Mount Rainier National Park
by traveldave
Established in 1899, Mount Rainier National Park is the fifth national park to be designated in the United States. It is also the first national park created from what had been national forest. One of the most popular attractions in Washington State, the park attracts about 1,300,000 visitors per year. Mount Rainier National Park protects 368 square miles (953 square kilometers) of old-growth forests, subalpine meadows, glaciers, lakes, and streams. There are 91,000 acres (36,826 hectares) of endangered old-growth forest within the park. And 97 percent of the park has been designated a Wilderness Area under the National Wilderness Preservation System.Of course, the main feature of the park is Mount Rainier (visible in the background), a 14,411-foot (4,392-meter) active volcano. The mountain is covered with 35 square miles (91 square kilometers) of permanent snow and ice fields, as well...
Discover Pass
by glabah
On July 11, 2011 the Washington State Legislature declared that many state parks in Washington would no longer be free of charge. Instead, a day use pass called the Discover Pass was implemented, which is valid for virtually all state parks, state wildlife refuges, and various other state lands. It is a $10 per day pass that may be used in any of these places for one calendar day, or a $30 annual pass ($35 if you purchase from any of the 600+ hunting and fishing license vendors). This pass is a parking pass: if you arrive by bike, public transit or walking there is no need for a Discover Pass, and the pass is hung in your vehicle to show that you paid to park.NEW for 2012: As of March of 2012 it is now possible to use the Discover Pass in either of two vehicles. Before the legislature passed this clause it was only possible to use the pass with one license plate. For those wanting to use...
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Washington State Parks
by glabah
Most of the Washington State Parks have made their way into the VirtualTourist system as locations in and of themselves.There are many spectacular locations within the Washington State Parks system, as well as historical sites, and some simple recreational locations. There are some 120 developed parks and some 7,000 camp sites within the state parks system. There are special vacation rentals of certain properties within state parks, ocean beaches, Puget Sound beaches, land and water trails, and various historical sites.If you visit a Washington State Park, you should probably try to find a copy of the map shown in the photo at right. It has all of the Washington State Parks listed, as well as features (including types of accomodations available in each), and a great deal of other information about the various parks. These maps are available free of charge in literature racks in many of...
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CATHLAMET
by mtncorg
Cathlamet was one of the largest Indian villages that Lewis & Clark visited along the Columbia River during their journey of discovery with some 300-400 people living here. The first white settler was James Birnie who retired from a career with Hudson’s Bay Company – his last post was the Chief Factor at Fort George (Astoria) – and came here in 1846. He and his family of 12 came here setting up a trading post. Many retirees have followed his example today – especially out on nearby Puget Island. Cathlamet is the only incorporated town in Wahkiakum County – the third smallest county in Washington boasting some 3,978 people – and accounts for some 532 people. White settlers replaced the local Native Americans who were devasted – some 90% of the Native population died in the 1830-40’s. Salmon fisheries were the first industry in the area with the logging industry shortly behind. Both...
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Olympic National Park and Olympic Peninsula Part 2
by glabah
[This is a continuation of a tip written about the Olympic Peninsula and Olympic National Park. It is still in development. Please try back again later. Due to the 10,000 character limit of the VirtualTourist tips, the first part of this tip is located in a tip called Olympic National Park and Olympic Peninsula Part 1.]The focus of this tip is the section of highway between Olympia and Ocean Shores. I have separated this section from the rest of the Olympic Peninsula tip because:1. I had to in order to reduce the original tip to 10,000 characters.2. This section of highway is called part of the Olympic Peninsula Scenic Loop but really isn't that scenic and really is in a different category from most of the rest of the Olympic Peninsula loop.If you want to make a true complete loop of the Olympic Peninsula, it is possible to follow the tourist signs in Olympia and follow highways 101 and...
Olympic National Park and Olympic Peninsula Part 1
by glabah
[This tip has been adapted from a response to a question in the tourist forums, and is still in progress into making it more generic. Please check back later.][Also please note due to the 10,000 character limits this tip overflows into Olympic Peninsula Part 2.]The first thing to take into consideration, far before anything else, is the weather. Please check local conditions and average temperatures as your travel time draws close. The Olympic Mountains are a vast area uncrossed by road because they are difficult to travel through, and it may be that late in the season there will still be a lot of snow at the higher elevations. Hurricane Ridge and some of the roads that get to those places may still be snowed in by the time you visit, if it is in late spring or early fall, so you may want to make alternative plans just in case what you want to do isn't accessible. Understand that the...
Chateau Ste Michelle Winery
by sarahandgareth
When you think wine in the US, you mostly think California, but Washington has been making serious inroads to the reputation of its southern competitor in recent years, and Chateau Ste Michelle is one of the reasons. It's a good-sized winery (no Robert Mondavi, but no small-fry any more, either), famous now for the summer concerts that are such an attraction, as well as for the fine wines, which have been prize-winners in recent years. We still haven't quite figured how wines win these prizes, but we're suckers for medals. There are tours every day of the winery, and they do a good job of explaining the process without being either too technical or too pretentious (a common problem in the wine world). The tours include the requisite complimentary tastings. We're particular fans of many of their white wines. The Gewürztraminer works especially well with Thai food - an experiment we'll be...
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