Things to do / Travel Guide
Sometimes referred to as “America's Switzerland,” this part of the state of Washington is in the area of North America known as the Pacific Northwest. Home to high mountains and evergreen forests, northwest Washington and the Cascades are bordered by the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north and, to the west, the Pacific Ocean. The Cascade Mountains run right through the middle of the state of Washington, with Mt. St. Helens standing proudly at the southernmost point in the region. Many areas in the region are great for scenic drives, hiking and biking, where the lush, green mountainous scenery can be appreciated either from up close or from afar.
Important geographic features of the region include the rainforest-covered Olympic Peninsula, which sits in the far northwest corner of the state as well as the treeless peaks of the Cascade Range. Rising from the Cascades is Washington's highest peak, Mt. Rainier, which can be seen with relative ease from the two major cities in the region, Seattle and Tacoma. Seattle and Tacoma, along with the towns of Everett, Federal Way, and Bellevue, all sit clustered around the Puget Sound, a body of water that extends from Whidbey Island all the way down to the state capitol of Olympia. As the region's major cities are all situated near the water, visitors have many excellent opportunities to go fishing and engage themselves in water-based activities, such as kayaking and paddling, pleasure boating, scuba diving, and snorkeling.
Northwest Washington and the Cascades is also home to some quaint little villages and towns, such as Leavenworth, a charming Bavarian village that appears as though it has been transplanted straight from the Alps, Winthrop, which, from saloons to general stores, looks like a Frontier town taken straight out of the Old West, or Neah Bay, the quintessential harbor town out on the Olympic Peninsula.
Certain cities, like Seattle and Tacoma, also have quaint neighborhoods that are unique and historic. For instance, in Seattle there is the Ballard Historic District, which is famous for its Scandinavian heritage or origins. Tacoma likewise has the Stadium District, a planned city with many historic and photogenic buildings lining the main street. Walking around these areas of the bigger cities can really give visitors a sense of the region's early history as well as an appreciation for various architectural styles.
Outside of the cities is really where the inherent natural beauty of the region sparkles. There are miles and miles of Pacific Ocean coastline running along the western part of the state that are lined with beaches suitable for many water-based activities, such as kayaking and fishing, and outdoor activities like hiking and biking. The Olympic Peninsula, which is home to Olympic National Park, features an exotic temperate rainforest bursting with opportunities for hiking, biking, diving, kayaking, and paddling in or along the rivers and lakes. The San Juan Islands, just north of the Olympic Peninsula, consist of over 400 islands left over from what geologists describe as a sinking continental mass. Today those same islands are popular with folks in hot pursuit of a land- or water-based activity, but are also great places to head for a quick romantic getaway from the cities that encircle the Puget Sound.
The region's mountainous topography east of the major cities makes for great places to climb up to and take in some scenery. The landscape in this area of the Cascades includes a collection of parks and forests including some of the most beautiful landscapes in the Pacific Northwest. In particular, there are three mountains in the region that dominate the local landscape, all of which offer stunning views from their peaks. Mt. Rainier, which looms large over Seattle and Tacoma, a year-round snowcapped representative of the wonderland that is the Cascade Mountains. To the south of Mt. Rainier is Mt. St. Helens. This peak is famous the world over for blowing its top, as it were, and spewing volcanic ash over the area when erupting suddenly in 1980. North of Mt. Rainier and due east of Bellingham is Mt. Baker, also a volcano, which overlooks the Puget Sound to the southwest and Canada to the north. Mt. Baker is also home to 10 different glaciers.
The northwest Washington and the Cascades region is on Pacific Time, three hours behind Eastern Time.
For those visitors to the region who head out to the “backcountry” (i.e., the rural areas and the mountain wilderness beyond the cities, such as the Cascade Mountains) for outdoor recreational activities or camping excursions, be advised that there have been reports of bears and mountain cougars attacking people. As such, be sure to keep food in safe places so as not to attract wild creatures.
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