West
Washington state travel guide: Breathtaking national parks, the bustling city of Seattle and beyond
Washington state is known for its wide range of stunning natural landscapes, from rugged coastlines to snow-capped mountain peaks to vibrant rainforests.
Cities like Seattle and Spokane offer their own array of cultural and culinary attractions.
Whether you are interested in outdoor adventure or simply taking in the scenery, the Evergreen State has something for every type of traveler.
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Here’s a deep dive.
National Parks in Washington
Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park spans 70 miles of coastline and almost 1 million acres. This World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve offers anything you could want from a national park, like hiking, boating and the opportunity to see wild animals in their natural habitat in the temperate Hoh Rain Forest.
“It’s one of those places that really embodies what you would consider the Evergreen State,” Jennifer Coleman, publisher of the Scenic Washington road trip guidebook and the road map for Washington state, told Fox News Digital during a phone interview. “The beaches along the Pacific there are pretty wild. So, I always tell people, bring a raincoat and plan for wind. You know, it’s not like going to the beach even in Oregon, where you can really lay out in the sun.”
“I mean, OK, we do get sunny days, but it’s just not the same as a little further south,” Coleman added.
Visitors can observe ecosystems in miniature in the tide pools of Olympic National Park’s beaches. And while there might not be many sunbathers, the park is a well-known destination for stargazers. About 95% of the park is designated as wilderness and is devoid of human-caused light, making for a spectacular view of the night sky.
Diablo Lake is one element of Washington state’s North Cascades National Park that draws tens of thousands of visitors each year. Park-goers can take canoes or kayaks out on the water to experience the lake’s beauty up close. (Giulio Andreini/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
North Cascades National Park
This park is named for the many waterfalls along its hundreds of miles of trails. The clear, blue mountain waters of Lake Diablo and the park’s other lakes and rivers offer opportunities for boat tours and fishing and make North Cascades Coleman’s favorite of the state’s three national parks.
She pointed out that although the park is remote, its beauty is accessible to those not up for a hike, since a driving trip along the North Cascades Scenic Highway still affords gorgeous views of mountain peaks, verdant trees and rushing waterfalls.
And for those who want a hands-on experience, North Cascades National Park is known for its climbing opportunities.
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Naturalists can keep their eyes peeled for the gray wolves, wolverines and more than 200 species of birds that call one of Earth’s most diverse ecosystems home.
Mount Rainier National Park
“It’s sort of the iconic Washington thing, to go to Mount Rainier National Park,” Coleman said. The mountain lies along several officially designated scenic byways for the road trippers out there, and it is the highest peak in the Evergreen State, rising 14,410 above sea level.
Since the park is so highly attended, a timed entry system will be implemented during the busiest months, from May to September, beginning in 2024. Reservations open 90 days in advance.
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This is the most popular state park for mountain climbing and skiing, with more than 20 climbing routes and ski descents. With its wilderness backpacking campsites and more than 260 miles of maintained trails, including some that are paved, hikers of all stripes can find the perfect trek.
Winter sports are popular in Mount Rainier National Park, but it is also known for its hundreds of species of wildflowers that bloom spectacularly over the summer.
Seattle, Washington
Washington’s largest city is also one of its main travel destinations and serves as the origin point for many of the road trips in Scenic Washington’s guides. The city itself offers plenty to do.
Seattle is known for shellfish and coffee
The Emerald City is known for its food and drink scene: Japanese cuisine, craft beer, wine and especially coffee and seafood.
Starbucks is based in Seattle, so naturally, the Starbucks Reserve Roastery is located there, too. Think Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory but for coffee, complete with a coffee bean library. Numerous smaller cafés are spread across the city as well for those who want a more unique espresso experience.
Tea houses and bakeries are in no short supply, either, in case you need to cool it on the caffeine.
Seattle sits on Puget Sound, where shellfish are readily available. The city is known for its oysters.
Seattle’s waterfront is seen here, including the Great Wheel and the Space Needle. Seattle’s name is derived from the Native American name “Sealth,” who was a chief of the Suquamish tribe at the time the first White settlers arrived in 1851. (Mark Boster/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Iconic Seattle attractions
Visitors to Seattle can stop at one of its many museums, like the Museum of Pop Culture, or look for the Fremont Troll, a giant sculpture under the George Washington Memorial Bridge. The colorful, if a bit gross, Gum Wall near Pike Place Market is worth seeing, and the market is itself well-known for its craftspeople, restaurants and fishmongers.
But few Emerald City attractions are more iconic than the Space Needle. The Space Needle was originally built for the 1962 World’s Fair and has become perhaps the most recognizable element of the city skyline. In just 43 seconds, you can ride the elevator all the way to the observation deck, where you can see far and wide over the rest of Seattle.
Few Emerald City attractions are more iconic than the Space Needle.
Across the street from the Space Needle is Chihuly Garden and Glass, home to the works of renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly. The breathtaking installations make this TripAdvisor’s top-rated Seattle attraction.
If the Space Needle is the most iconic component of Seattle’s Skyline, the Great Wheel is No. 2. This Ferris wheel was built in 2012 and offers a different way to get a bird’s eye view of the city and the surrounding mountains.
The Amazon Spheres provide an unexpected break from the hustle and bustle of the city with their four-story jungle-like interior, containing more than 40,000 plants. Another Washington-based company, Amazon, constructed the spheres to afford employees the tranquility of the rainforest without leaving the city. The Spheres are open to the public for free during the first and third Saturday of each month.
Kerry Park offers an extraordinary vista of the city skyline, Space Needle and all. On a clear day, Mount Rainier can be seen in the background. Photographers can often be found here as the sun goes down.
More from Washington state
Washington’s national parks and Seattle might be its most famous attractions, but you could see them all without even leaving the western half of the state — and even then, you would be missing other attractions in the west.
Mount St. Helens
In the southwest of Washington, visitors can find the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, just south of Mount Rainier. “And that’s a really cool place to go visit,” Coleman said, “Because you can actually drive right up into the blast zone.” The total devastation wrought by the volcano’s 1980 eruption contrasts with the new growth that has regenerated in the area, making for a thought-provoking trip to a natural wonder that could easily be overshadowed by Mount Rainier.
The Columbia River Gorge isn’t far away: “The Gorge is really a fantastic place. It’s basically along the Columbia River, which is the river that separates us from Oregon. That whole gorge region … both the Washington and Oregon sides, is kind of like waterfall central,” said Coleman.
Whale watching
Orcas, gray whales and humpback whales can be spotted in Washington’s Puget Sound all year round, and whale-watching boat tours are available at multiple locations along the coast. Most boats won’t get too close to the whales, as some are endangered and have been killed in collisions with ships. Make sure to dress warmly and bring your binoculars.
Eastern Washington
The eastern portion of the state is totally different from what many think of as the wet environs of the Pacific Northwest. On the other side of the Cascade mountain range, it gets dry and hot. The city of Spokane provides an urban hub for excursions eastward and, though smaller than Seattle, offers arts and culture, craft beer and wine, and other trappings of an urban center.
South of Spokane lies Pullman, where Washington State University is located. Further south still is Hells Canyon, the deepest river gorge in North America. Though it lies mostly in Oregon and Idaho, a portion of it does fall in southeastern Washington. This gorge is popular for high-speed jet-boating during the hot summers.
Rolling wheat fields of Washington’s Palouse region are seen from Steptoe Butte. The Palouse region experiences short, warm, dry summers and cold, snowy, cloudy winters. The region is also home to Palouse Falls, the official state waterfall of Washington, located in Palouse Falls State Park. The falls cascade down 198 feet to the Snake River. (Bernard Friel/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The warm, sunny weather makes the region great for agriculture. “Wine country” is in the center of the southern portion of the state. The region, as you might be able to guess, is known for its more than 300 vineyards and wineries.
Road trips
There are many reasons to visit Washington state, but many visitors tend to fit within a certain profile, Coleman told Fox News Digital: “Everybody has their different thing that they’re wanting to accomplish when they visit, but overall … if they’ve chosen Washington as their destination, chances are they’re looking for outdoor recreation or, you know, scenic views, seafood or national parks.”
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That is why Scenic Washington offers pre-planned road trip itineraries. The popular Cascade Loop begins from Seattle and circles the northern half of the state. The Palouse Scenic Byway explores Washington’s east, from its central desert lands to lakes and waterfalls to the rolling wheat fields of the Palouse region, which holds the largest concentration of wheat per acre in the world.
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June 27, 1776, was a momentous day for the Bay Area, California, and the world as 240 men, women, and children arrived mostly by foot from Mexico to what is now called San Francisco to set up camp and lay the groundwork for the future.
The “traveling village” is known as the Anza Expedition.
On Saturday, the 250th anniversary of the event was commemorated on Pershing Square at the Presidio of San Francisco in a two-hour ceremony.
The celebration opened with piercing fifes and thundering drums from the Young Patriots Fife & Drum Corps from Pleasanton, as a nod to America’s quincentennial.
But it was then followed up by a Spanish hymn, sung by musicians, dressed in 18th-century Spanish Colonial attire, including the garb of soldado, vaquero, pioneers, military, and indigenous peoples. The song is known as “Alabado” and it was sung by the ancestors as they made their long journey to the Bay.
A proclamation on a scroll was then read with gusto by local actor Dane Andrew, who was portraying the Spanish trailblazer Lt. Colonel Juan Bautista de Anza.
The message was loud and clear: When it comes to history in the Bay Area, Spain swings a big sword.
“People don’t realize in California our early Spanish history. While on the East Coast was becoming a brand-new U.S.A. was a small part. Actually, Spain owned a large part of the West Coast,” remarked Andrew.
The Anza Expedition established the first reliable overland route from Mexico to what was then known as Alta California, claiming San Francisco Bay for the Spanish Crown.
In 1776, the expedition’s leaders established both the Presidio as well as Mission San Francisco de Asis, which is known today as Mission Dolores.
In the crowd, the direct descendants of those who traveled the long, arduous route, including 98-year-old Eddie Grijalva of Vallejo. He was accompanied by his wife Lydia and her son Jeff.
“What an honor to be here and to remember my ancestor,” exclaimed Grijalva.
The event was coordinated by the nonprofit Los Californianos. The nonprofit represents the direct descendants of those who were part of the Anza Expedition. Its documented purpose includes efforts “to preserve the heritage of early Hispanic Californians in Alta California, to conduct research on genealogy, and to provide an accurate and authentic interpretation of Alta California’s history”
Carol Eber represents the group and is the co-chair of the event. She told us the group is thrilled to celebrate its heritage along with the quincentennial of the United States.
“We have a celebration on the East Coast. We wanted to have the 250th celebration on the West Coast as well as recognizing history was made on both coasts,” noted Eber.
During the ceremony, the crowd recited the Pledge of Allegiance and heard from Superintendent David A. Smith, who is with the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
There were also presentations from the Daughters of the American Revolution and a group called “Our American Patriots”. The keynote speech was delivered by Professor Damian Bacich. He focused on San Francisco’s Spanish-American Legacy.
Also on hand for the festivities, the Consul General of Mexico Marco Mena. Mena told CBS News Bay Area that this was his first visit to Presidio and found it beautiful. He was pleased to be invited.
“The Anza expedition is very related to Mexico, especially to the states of Sonora and Sinaloa,” Mena explained.
As the Presidio ceremony was underway, a mass was said at Mission Dolores. The event concluded with a Roll Call, which was the reading of the names who those who walked on the route in 1776.
Descendants, including Grijalva, placed a flower in a memorial wreath as children were asked to blow bubbles for expedition members named without descendants.
Afterwards, participants went on docent-led tours of the Presidio’s Heritage Gallery and also were invited to tour the site of the Spanish Presidio Chapel.
The Denver Broncos have undergone a uniform overhaul, beginning in 2024. The Broncos rolled out the Mile High Collection ahead of the 2024 season, which included three different uniform combinations, plus the ’77 Throwbacks.
In 2024, Broncos fans were also treated to a Midnight Navy jersey/pants combination with the white ‘D’ helmet on Monday Night Football against the Cleveland Browns. On top of that, the Broncos rocked their White Out look, which included the Summit White jersey/pants combination and their standard Bronco logo on a white helmet, against the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day last season.
The Broncos are keeping things fresh, and it’s going to be fun to see the different jersey combinations the team rolls out each week this coming season. Fans are obviously partial to the designs, but where do the Broncos’ uniform combinations rank among their NFL peers?
Sports Illustrated‘s Mike Kadlick ranked all 32 NFL teams’ uniform combinations, with the Broncos checking in at No. 10.
“Known as the ‘Mile High’ collection, the Broncos’ new uniforms debuted ahead of the 2024 season, and they remain awesome. Jam-packed with nods to Denver and the surrounding area, their jerseys feature a sleeve cap with a mountain peak and subtle triangles along the sides to represent Colorado’s summit markers. Their helmets, meanwhile, don a bumper that reads “5280”—a reference to Denver’s elevation above sea level. Rounded out with an all-blue alternate kit and a classic throwback look that incorporates the team’s D helmet logo, the Broncos nailed their recent redesign,” Kadlick wrote.
Attention to Detail
It’s not No. 1, but at least the Broncos are in the top 10. As Kadlick noted, Denver’s attention to detail in the new uniform designs is second to none.
Kadlick had the Los Angeles Chargers ranked No. 1, which, I’ve got to admit, kind of surprised me. I’ve never been that impressed by the Chargers’ designs, but to each their own, I suppose.
The Chiefs ranked No. 11, with the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 14, for whatever it’s worth. Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, but Kadlick had a few questionable uniform designs ranked ahead of the Broncos, I must say.
Besides the Chargers at the top, Kadlick had the Cincinnati Bengals (No. 5), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 6), Washington Commanders (No. 8), and Miami Dolphins (No. 9) ranked above the Broncos. I’ll hear you out on the classic look of the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers (with slight modern twists), as well as the cool options the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans are rolling out nowadays, but the Chargers are meh, the Bengals and Bucs are downright ugly, and the Commanders are just plain.
No big deal, though. Posts like this make for timely offseason fodder as we await the return of football. The Broncos just finished up their offseason training program, and we’re now firmly in the NFL summer.
The cleats will hit the grass again at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit on July 28, when the veterans report for training camp. From there, the whirlwind of the 2026 season will begin in earnest.
Let’s hope the product on the field looks as good as the Broncos’ Mile High Collection uniforms. The Broncos have produced two double-digit-win seasons since the Walton-Penner ownership group rolled out the new uniform designs, so there is a precedent in place.
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PHOTOS BY OLIVER HAMLIN FOR WEST SEATTLE BLOG
Hundreds of people spent Sunday admiring and photographing the 12 gardens spotlighted on this year’s West Seattle Garden Tour. Among them was WSB contributing photojournalist Oliver Hamlin, who presents a scene from each garden (including some of the gardeners. First, at Garden A, “A Show of Northwest Natives“:
Charles Anthony, who created Garden B, “Salish Sea Sanctuary,” posed with his Japanese Maple:
Garden C, “Heron Cove,” has its namesake standing sentinel:
Below are Debra Montgomery and Lee Kelly; she bought the “Heron Cove” house 7 years ago and inherited Lee, who has been the gardener for 40 years. She said the previous homeowners sought out a buyer who wouldn’t tear down the house and would keep caring for the garden, which she and Lee both now do.
Garden D was described as “Small Spaces, Big Moments”:
Below (L-R) are the gardeners behind Garden D, Laird Applegate and Brian Pelzel:
Garden E was “From a Sprawling Lawn and One Tree to …”
Blackberries are often the bane of a gardener’s existence, but in Garden F, “Transformation,” they were beautiful:
Garden F’s (L-R) Diane Elie and Raquel Gonzalez store water in 60-gallon rainbarrels and told Oliver that it fills most of their irrigation needs:
At Garden G, “Hidden Gem,” Julie Robinson-Jasper and Maple the dog are seen through a mirror surrounded by star jasmine at Garden G, “Hidden Gem”:
Another scene from Garden G:
Garden H, “Behind the Fences,” sported an arch of bittersweet nightshade:
A clawfoot bathtub graced Garden I, “A Fresh Look for A Once-Beloved Garden“:
Garden J, “Garden of Many Rooms,” was conducive to wandering:
Garden K offered onlookers “Plants from Around the World“:
And Garden L, “Conifer Corner,” featured a 75-year-old wisteria:
(Read details of each garden here.) The West Seattle Garden Tour is organized by a nonprofit that uses the proceeds to support other nonprofits – here are this year’s grant recipients; see how to apply for one of next year’s grants by going here (July 15 is the deadline).
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