Travel Notes: North America: Washington State Travel Notes

Also known as the Evergreen State, Washington State is famed for its abundant evergreen forests.

The state capital of Washington is Olympia.

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Around Washington State, Map of Washington State, Methow Valley, Olympia, Seattle, Washington Mountains and National Parks, Washington Municipalities, Washington State Travel Guides.

Olympia Weather - Washington Weather.

Map of Washington State - with TravelNotes Hotel Guide

Zoom in on the map to travel around the state and find where to stay.

About Washington State:
Find out more about Washington State before you travel there. Order tourist brochures and look at where you'd like to stay.

Olympia

Named after the nearby Olympic Mountains, Olympia was made the capital of Washington Territory in 1853 and became the state capital when Washington entered the union in 1889.

Olympia's State Capital Museum contains collections of Native American artefacts.

Accommodation in Olympia

Hotels in Olympia, Washington State:
Find hotels in Olympia, Washington State with special online rates.

Washington Mountains and National Parks

The Cascade Mountains splits the state into rural dry-siders and cosmopolitan wet-siders.

If you're into hiking and biking, or swimming and boating, Washington has it all. It really is a state for the great outdoors.

Cascade Loop:
Those who don't even get out of their cars to get a hamburger will love this 400-mile scenic route that crosses the Cascade Range, as US 2 and Route 20; the North Cascades Highway.

Mt Baker

Breath-taking beauty beckons, in the Mt. Baker area. Weather changes can be frequent so visitors to the area are advised to prepare accordingly, by bringing both light and heavier clothing -- along with light raingear, even in summer.

The Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest offers hiking, backpacking, mountain climbing, mountain biking, white-water rafting/kayaking, fishing (lake and river), skiing (downhill and cross-country), snowboarding, snow-shoeing and snowmobiling, not to mention phenomenal photography!

Mt Baker Lodging:
Located minutes from the Glacier Mountain Village, in a lush forest and scenic mountain valley. All properties are privately owned, completely self-contained and individually unique.
10% discount to Travel Notes members, who stay a minimum of three nights.

Mount Ranier

Alexander's Country Inn:
Located in Ashford, Washington, Alexander's Country Inn bed and breakfast and restaurant is just one mile from the Nisqually Entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park.

Mount Rainier National Park:
The king of this National Park is the dormant volcano, Mount Rainier. Native Americans knew a thing a two when they called it Tahoma, or mountain of God. To most Washingtonians today, its simply referred to as 'The Mountain'.

Northwest Trek Wildlife Park:
This 615-acre park has a little bit of everything: lakes, trails, meadows and plenty of animals. Whether you are peering out of the tram at bellowing bison less than 10 feet away or standing nose-to-nose with an otter, exciting wildlife encounters happen every day at Northwest Trek; 55 miles south of Seattle, on the way to Mt. Rainier National Park. Open 9:30am daily mid-February through October, Friday-Sunday November through mid-February and selected holidays.

Mount St Helens

Mount St Helens:
On May 18, 1980 this active volcano, in the Cascade Range, blew its top off. The blast was so violent it claimed at least sixty lives and destroyed all life within 70 square miles of area. The mountain is not so high now, although it was elevated to National Volcano Monument status in 1982.

Olympic National Park:
Get out of the car and enjoy the beauty of nature on foot; there's no scenic loop in this park. What you do have is rugged Pacific coast, temperate rain forests, snow-capped mountains, and plenty of rainfall.

Around Washington State

Washington State is named after George Washington.

States neighbouring Washington are: Idaho and Oregon. Washington also borders Canada.

Access Washington State:
Washington State Government and information services. Search Government web sites.

Anacortes:
Anacortes sits in the rains-hadow of the Olympic Mountains and is blessed with more sun and less rain than other north-west regions.

Dungeness Wildlife:
The Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge is located near Sequim in Clallam County, Washington, on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The 631 acres of the refuge include Dungeness Spit, Graveyard Spit, and portions of Dungeness Bay and Harbor.

San Juan Islands:
Lime Kiln State Park is where it's at for whale watching. Ferries depart from Anacortes, and San Juan Islands is the last stop, after Lopez, Shaw, and Orcas Islands.

Sunset Marine Resort:
A beach resort on beautiful Sequim Bay. The cabins are set among the trees along a private road that meanders down to the beach.

Washington Tourism:
A warm welcome for visitors to the State of Washington.

Seattle

Seattle is built on a series of hills between Puget Sound and Lake Washington. Two floating bridges connect Seattle with the east side of the lake, and ferries connect the city with the Kitsap Peninsula, islands in Puget Sound, and Victoria, British Columbia.

The marvellous setting is crowned with the mountains of Olympic National Park to the west, and the Cascade Range, which includes Mount Rainier, to the east.

As the most important city of the Pacific north-west, Seattle has a thriving culture for all tastes.

Accommodation in Seattle

Hotels in Seattle, Washington State:
Find hotels in Seattle, Washington State with special online rates.

Sort Seattle Hotels by: Hotel Price, Hotel Rating, Hotel Name.

City of Seattle:
The City's guide is designed to give travellers and tourists the necessary information they need when visiting Seattle.

Pike Place Market:
Winter, spring, summer and fall, the Pike Place Market (often called the soul of Seattle) is open seven days a week, closing only on Thanksgiving, Christmas and NewYear's Day. The site offers a nice audio-visual Flash presentation of the market and its traders. You can almost smell the fish.

Public Art Walking Tours in Seattle:
Downloadable tour suggestions of varying length and difficulty to appreciate the arts in Seattle.

Salish Lodge & Spa:
Slip away to Salish Lodge & Spa where a romantic mountain retreat awaits you. A mere 30 miles from Seattle, this elegant escape nestled in nature features all the finest amenities of a luxury hotel.

Seattle Aquarium:
Get face-to-fin with marine life in Seattle and discover the natural wonders of the Puget Sound. Located on Pier 59.

Seattle Center:
The site chosen for the 1962 World's Fair is rich in local history. Since the early pioneer days, there have been three significant phases of redevelopment, which have transformed The Prairie into Seattle Center; home to the finest cultural and educational organizations, sports teams, festivals, community programs and entertainment facilities in Seattle.

Seattle Dining:
Find a restaurant in Seattle by type of cuisine, price or atmosphere.

Virtual Tour of Seattle:
While it's hoped that you enjoy this virtual tour of the city, remember that nothing beats seeing the real thing on a visit to Seattle.

Visit Seattle:
Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau.

VR Seattle:
Through the use of Quicktime VR, you can interactively view over a thousand locations throughout Seattle and Washington State.

Washington Park Arboretum:
A spectacular urban green space on the shores of Lake Washington, just east of downtown Seattle and south of the University of Washington.

Flying to Seattle

Bellingham International Airport: (BLI)
A full-service commercial airport located south of the U.S.-Canada border, BLI is 90 miles north of Seattle, Washington and only 39 minutes by commuter aircraft to SeaTac Airport.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport: (SEA)
Public transit bus routes serve the Airport outside Door 6, by Baggage Carousel 5.

Seattle to Vancouver

If you're in Seattle for a while it could be worth visiting Vancouver, in Canada. It's only 3-4 hours on a bus. You could also go to Victoria by ferry (2hrs 45mins) or let the train take the strain.

Amtrak Cascades:
The train actually runs from Vancouver to Eugene, Oregon (466 miles) and passes through Seattle's historic King Street Station, in Pioneer Square.

Quick Shuttle:
Provides affordable and reliable transportation from Seatac Airport, Downtown Seattle and Bellingham Airport to Vancouver Airport, Downtown Vancouver and Cruise Ship Terminals. Also door step service to most major hotels.

Victoria Clipper Ferry:
For a fast trip from Seattle to Victoria or the San Juan Islands.

Methow Valley

Methow Valley:
Find out what's happening in Washington's Methow Valley.

Washington Municipalities