2 Best Sights in Poulsbo, Washington Cascade Mountains and Valleys

One of the best museums focusing on the state's rich and still thriving indigenous culture, this small but beautiful LEED-certified structure a 10-minute drive from Poulsbo contains handsomely designed exhibits about the Suquamish Tribe, including a historical canoe, wood carvings, a re-created longhouse, and multimedia presentations. Outside, pathways lead through a small botanical garden and down the hill to an evergreen-shaded park with picnic tables. If you have extra time, stroll a couple of blocks up the hill to St. Peter's Mission Cemetery to view the gravesite of Chief Sealth, for whom Seattle is named—his headstone is bracketed by a pair of ornately carved totem poles. Each August, the community welcomes all to celebrate Chief Seattle Days—with a salmon bake, royal pageant, games, food, and music.

On the waterfront and at the edge of Liberty Bay Park, Western Washington University's small but well-designed marine center and aquarium is jam-packed with exhibits of local sea creatures. An intertidal touch tank lets kids feel sea anemones, sea urchins, and starfish, while other displays house crabs, jellyfish, and plants. Puppets, puzzles, murals, and videos help youngsters learn more about what they see.