Washington Travel Guide
Seattle seen from the Space Needle. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Washington packs rainforest, volcano, alpine peaks and a great city into one corner of the country. Seattle is the anchor: the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, the waterfront, and the coffee culture that went global from here.
Beyond the city: Olympic National Park's temperate rainforest and wild Pacific beaches, Mount Rainier's 4,392 m glaciated peak, the San Juan Islands, and the wine country of the Yakima Valley east of the Cascades.
Destinations in Washington
Olympic National ParkHoh Rainforest, Hurricane Ridge and the wild Pacific beaches.
Mount RainierThe 4,392 m volcano; Paradise's wildflower meadows in summer.
Pike Place MarketThe 1907 public market: flying fish, flower stalls and the original Starbucks.
Space NeedleThe 1962 World's Fair icon; the Loupe's revolving glass floor looks straight down.- San Juan IslandsOrca watching, Friday Harbor and the ferry ride itself.
- Mount St. HelensThe volcano that blew in 1980; Johnston Ridge looks into the crater.
Chihuly Garden and GlassDale Chihuly's glass sculptures at the foot of the Needle.
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Top Cities & towns in Washington
Regional food
- Cedar-plank salmon (the Pacific Northwest signature)
- Dungeness crab (served whole in season)
- Teriyaki (Seattle's beloved fast food, a local tradition)
Getting there
Seattle-Tacoma (SEA) is the gateway. The Link light rail reaches downtown in 40 minutes. Ferries cross Puget Sound; the parks need a car, and Mount Rainier requires timed-entry reservations in summer.