My husband and I are from the St. Louis area and are planning a trip to Washington state for the first two weeks of June. We enjoy hiking and scenery (I am an aspiring photographer), not shopping and museums. We also love to stay at unique lodging with friendly people (especially lodging near moving water... ahh, what a soothing sound) and eat at quaint places with great atmosphere (and of course, great food). I was thinking that we could spend the entire time at Olympic State Park, but my husband thinks we should also try to go to Mt. St.Helens, Mt. Rainier, San Juan Island, even into Canada.

To get straight to the point:

Knowing our general interests, what should we focus on?

Also, any suggestions on lodging or eating establishments near the suggested area ... maybe include how far they are from the sugested location? (we are looking to spend anywhere from $50-$150 per night for lodging)

Thank you in advance

There are so many options, it's hard to know where to start. First, you might not know that our summer really starts in July. June can be nice, but it can also be cool for those used to hot summers.

Great photo opportunites await you in all directions: Mt. Rainier, Mount St. Helens, the Columbia River Gorge, the Oregon Coast (stay in Cannon Beach), the North Cascade Highway, etc.

To simplify things, I suggest you start off in the Olymic National Park, visiting Victoria on foot via the ferry from Port Angeles. Crescent Lake Lodge offers the kind of housing and food you will enjoy.

After a few days you should know if you are ready to move on. You could go to Canada, but I suggest heading south for Cannon Beach, OR, after a night at Lake Quinault Lodge. After exploring a little of the Oregon Coast, check out the Columbia River Gorge, staying at Hood River. Return to Seattle via Mt. Saint Helens or Mt. Rainier.

Include Washington Route 14 as part of your exploration of the Columbia River.

The San Juan Islands are lovely and they are a great destination for those who don't mind if they have to wait in line for a few hours to to get on a ferry.

In two weeks you will definitely be able to see more than Olympic NP.
This is probably too much for two weeks, but I think the following are the best places for those who like hiking and photography: the wilderness beaches and the Hoh rainforest at Olympic, Mt. St. Helens if you are interested in volcanoes, Mt. Rainier, the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades. I'd especially recommend heading over the North Cascades Highway, the prettiest drive in the PNW, to the Methow Valley (towns of Winthrop/Twisp), where you'll get to experience the drier, sunnier side of the mountains. Especially in June, when Western Wa can be pretty grey, going to the eastern Cascades is a good idea. The Columbia Gorge is certainly a worthwhile destination, too, especially if you want to hike to and photograph waterfalls.

June is a bit early for mountain hiking here but there will certainly be some places in all of those destinations that are snow-free enough to hike.
At this point, I'd sit down with some guidebooks or coffee table type photo books (maybe as many as you can get from the library) or look online at the National Park Service websites:
http://data2.itc.nps.gov/parksearch/state.cfm?st=wa
and just see what really calls to you. Maybe do some google searches and look at pictures of these places, too.

I think Canada is a whole other trip. There are tons of hiking and photo opportunities on both Vancouver Island and mainland BC.

Maybe after narrowing it down we can help you better with good places to stay and eat.

Wow! This is all fabulous advice. Fodorites are always so helpful.

Here is a strange question from someone who does not enjoy cities.... Is it a good idea to go into Seattle one day, just to go to a market and see the space needle, etc.?

do take the ferry frm seattle to bainbridge island for a quick meal on docks there, and the view from the ferry.

Second the notion on the ferry ride over the Space Needle. It's a good view of the city from above, but the ferry view is better. If you're lucky you'll catch some orcas or dolpins. Or is it porpoises? I can never remember. Anyhoo - from someone's who has lived here for 47 years - the ferry's more fun. Walk on though and forget taking the car if you just want to putz around Winslow.

The Pike Place Market is fun and so is the Aquarium (although if you make it to Vancouver - definitely go to their aquarium and say hello to the Belugas.)

I have heard that some fish markets throw fish amongst employees. Is the Pike Place Market where they throw fish?
Also, a side note: why can't I find my posting when I go to the US section and I search for the word "Washington". I can find it listed if I scroll through all the US entries, but not by searching for the word. What am I doing wrong?

Thank you

A day in Seattle might be nice, even though you sound like you are most interested in outdoor activities. You could stay at a B and B on Capitol Hill or a houseboat, since you like smaller inns, and it would be a chance to eat some good food (the natural areas of Washington are beautiful, but good restaurants are few and far between). The ferry ride is fun, and yes they do throw fish at the Market, right at the main entrance. There's lots of other ideas if you search "Seattle" posts.
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