Things to do / Travel Guide
The Cascade Loop
This 400-mile scenic loop drive skirts the eastern and southern edges of the region; i.e., the Cascade Loop encompasses large portions of Washington State. Starting at the eastern shores of the Puget Sound, the Cascade Loop circles across the Cascade Mountains and beyond to the high desert of the Columbia River Valley. It continues through small picturesque towns and national parks before looping back around across Whidbey Island back to the eastern shores of the Puget Sound. On this route, you can get a good look at the Snohomish River Valley and the Cascade Foothills as the route traverses through the scenic evergreen countryside of the Pacific Northwest, taking in beautiful mountains covered with trees as well as snowcapped peaks dotting the horizon.
To get the most out of this scenic drive, several days are required. A trip can be planned such that interesting overnight stops can be found. Alternatively, you can make a day trip out of a smaller section of the Cascade Loop. The whole loop can be covered as follows: From the Mount Vernon area, take State Road 20 heading east before turning down State Road 153 out in Okanogan County, which then turns into U.S. Highway 97a until Wenatchee. In Wenatchee, turn onto U.S. Highway 2 heading north, which will lead right into State Roads 526 and 525, bringing you through Whidbey Island and back around to the Mount Vernon area. All this may sound like a spin around the block, but it takes at least a full day in the car. Spend a week and you won't regret it.
The Whidbey Island Scenic Byway
The excellent Whidbey Island Scenic Byway offers travelers views of quaint seaside towns, past historic lighthouses, big trees, and century-old farms just an hour from Seattle, on Whidbey Island. It's a 48-mile scenic drive paired with a 20-minute ferry ride from Mukilteo to Clinton.
The Strait of Juan de Fuca Highway
The Strait of Juan de Fuca Highway, along the northern edge of the Olympic Peninsula, parallels the scenic rocky coastline of the Pacific Ocean. The highway traverses the cedar forests of Olympic National Park and takes drivers past the rocky cliffs to spots with good views across the water to Canada's Vancouver Island. This 61-mile route takes you along the shoreline of a glacial fjord that links the Puget Sound to the Pacific Ocean, past the glistening waters of Lake Crescent in the Olympic National Park and past the sandy beaches at Pillar Point. While driving along you might also see eagles swooping down into the waters or poking around the inter-tidal rocks looking for scraps of food. This drive is best combined with a visit to Olympic National Park and Port Townsend, and the route itself can be combined with the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway.
The Pacific Coast Scenic Byway
The seaside Pacific Coast Scenic Byway runs along U.S. Highway 101 and parallels the Pacific coastline, taking travelers along winding, twisting roads, through rainforests and past beaches and mountain peaks, many part of Olympic National Park The lush green forests this route cuts through are home to deer, elk, and bear and, during the winter, migratory birds. Visitors can stop along the way to explore beaches, rocky cliffs and tide pools filled with local sea and aquatic life.
The Cape Flattery Tribal Scenic Byway
The Cape Flattery Tribal Scenic Byway, is located at the most northwestern part of the continental United States. The Cape Flattery Tribal Scenic Byway runs in a loop starting at the Makah Cultural and Resource Center, located on the Cape Loop Road, and heads toward Clallam before turning south onto the Cape Flattery Road, and finally coming to an end at Shi Shi Beach. The 36-mile Cape Flattery Tribal Scenic Byway will take you by the picturesque Makah fishing village and the Pysht Tree Farm as well as through thousands of acres of forests. On occasion whales can be seen frolicking in traveling pods out in the waters, and the occasional, wet-suited surfer can be seen riding the waves of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
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