It’s hard to say which is more alluring for Washington visitors: the sculpted bays of Puget Sound, the volcanic peaks of the Cascade Range, or the lively neighborhoods and first-rate attractions, locavore-minded restaurants, and trendy music clubs of Seattle. Here’s a tour that reveals all of the state’s charms.
Days 1 and 2: Seattle
Begin with two days of touring this world-class hub of acclaimed arts, culture, and dining, visiting Downtown’s must-see sights, including Pike Place Market, the Seattle Art Museum, and—a bit north—the Seattle Center and its iconic Space Needle and other sights and museums. Set aside at least a half day to investigate some of the city’s liveliest neighborhoods, including Capitol Hill, with its indie shops, hipster bars, and diverse cafés, and similarly inviting Ballard and Fremont. If you have extra time, consider a quick day trip south to up-and-coming Tacoma, with its several excellent museums (including the LeMay—America’s Car Museum and the Museum of Glass), or journey northeast to the nearby wine-tasting hub of Woodinville, with more than 130 wineries and tasting rooms.
Days 3 and 4: Olympic National Park
(3 hours by car ferry and car from Seattle, via Bainbridge Island)
Get an early start from Seattle on Day 3, taking the ferry from Downtown across Puget Sound to scenic Bainbridge Island for lunch and shopping in the village of Winslow, and perhaps a quick tour of Bloedel Reserve, before continuing the drive to historic Port Angeles, which you can use as an overnight base for exploring Olympic National Park.
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Hurricane Ridge is the park’s nearest section, but on Day 4, depending on how ambitious you are, you could drive west to the Hoh Rain Forest section of the park, as well as the coastal areas out at La Push, and possibly all the way down to Lake Quinault (125 miles from Port Angeles). Try to visit at least one of the rain forests, where you can hike amid huge stands of Douglas firs and Sitka spruces.
Day 5: Whidbey Island
(1½ hours by car and car ferry from Port Angeles)
Drive from Port Angeles to the Victorian-era town of Port Townsend, a good stop for lunch and a look at the Northwest Maritime Center, and then catch the ferry to Whidbey Island, where there are plenty of sophisticated shops, galleries, restaurants, and inns in the laid-back, friendly hamlets of Langley, Greenbank, and Coupeville (where you disembark the ferry). Bird lovers shouldn’t miss Ebey’s Landing National Historic Reserve. To be closer to your destination on Day 6, you might consider staying just north of Whidbey on Fidalgo Island, which is home to Anacortes, where ferries leave for the San Juan Islands.
Days 6 and 7: The Northern Cascades
(2½ hours by car from Whidbey Island to North Cascades National Park)
Leave the Puget Sound region, perhaps stopping in the picturesque Skagit Valley town of La Conner for lunch, and head for Washington’s stunning, skyscraping Cascades Range, passing through the old logging town of Sedro-Woolley and making your way up the dramatic North Cascades Highway (Highway 20) into North Cascades National Park. After descending from the high mountain passes, you can overnight in the wild-west theme town of Winthrop.
On Day 7, turn south and follow the upper Columbia River down into Chelan (2½ hours from North Cascades), the base area for exploring fjordlike, 55-mile-long Lake Chelan, the state’s deepest lake. Stay in Chelan, up at the north end of the lake at Stehekin (accessible only by boat), south of the lake in the town of Wenatchee, or an hour southwest of Chelan in the endearingly cute, if kitschy, Bavarian-style town of Leavenworth, with its gingerbread architecture and cozy German restaurants.
Day 8: Walla Walla
(4 hours by car from Chelan)
From the Lake Chelan area, it’s a long but pleasant 200-mile drive southeast, much of it along the mighty Columbia River, to reach what’s developed into the most impressive of the Pacific Northwest’s wine-producing areas, Walla Walla. This once-sleepy college and farming town has blossomed with stylish restaurants and shops, and you’ll find dozens of tasting rooms, both in town and in the surrounding countryside.
Day 9: Yakima Valley
(2½ hours from Walla Walla)
Your wine tour continues as you return west from Walla Walla through the Tri-Cities communities of Pasco, Kennewick, and Richland, following Interstate 82 to Yakima. Good stops for visiting wineries include Richland, Benton City, Prosser, and Zillah. Yakima itself is a good overnight stop.
Day 10: Mount Rainier National Park
(2½ hours from Yakima)
On the morning of Day 10, take U.S. 12 west from Yakima 102 miles to Ohanapecosh, the southern entrance to Mount Rainier National Park. When you arrive, take the 31-mile, two-hour drive on Sunrise Road, which reveals the “back” (northeast) side of Rainier. From there, continue south and west around the park 160 miles on Highways 410, 12, and 706 to reach the Longmire entrance. A rustic room at historic Paradise Inn or National Park Inn is your base for the night; book well in advance. On the following day, energetic hikers could tackle one of the four- to six-hour trails that lead up among the park’s many peaks. Or, if it’s your last day of traveling, try one of the shorter ranger-led walks through wildflower meadows. It’s about a two-hour drive back to Seattle.