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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 the tourist is
proximity to the glorious rural scenery of
the Puget Sound. The islands here
are stepping stones to the Olympic
Peninsula to the west, whose rugged
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.
The
problem here is the weather: as the
clouds sweep in off the Pacific, they
deposit bucketloads of rain on the western
part of the state, and only in the summer
are the odds on for warm weather and blue
skies. Further south, the lower coast
is flatter and more accessible but not as
appealing, splodged with industrial towns
and glum holiday resorts. It’s much better
to spend time inland, amidst the wasted
volcanic scenery of Mount St Helens.
The
sprawling prairie-plateau that makes up
most of eastern Washington is a
real grind to drive across and frankly
there’s little to enthrall, 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 spectacular
400-mile round-trip through the rugged
Cascade Mountains.
Click here to go to Washington
State web site. |
