Whenever you hear the destination Washington, I would edge my bets that the majority of thoughts would lean to the capital of USA, Washington DC. But for our latest Dream Destination we want to investigate the other, much broader location – the state of Washington, located in the north west portion of USA.
Home to the beautiful city of Seattle and an abundance of natural beauty, Washington has a lot to offer visitors including the following which I have picked out to be imperative must-sees for anyone visiting this state. As we embark on our vision to achieve all 50 US states, this is one of the remaining states we have yet to explore and we are particularly excited about this one for the following reasons along with many more.
Seattle
Image courtesy of Daniel Schwen [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsOf course the pinnacle of the state of Washington is Seattle for a myriad of reasons. The Emerald City as it is frequently referred to, primarily because it is locked among an abundance of greenery (of course the weather in Seattle is similar to the UK with the amount of rainfall which helps keep everything looking fresh and green!), has so much to offer from the infamous downtown market area to the Space Needle tower for the skyscraper and tall building enthusiasts.
Image courtesy of Michael Gäbler [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsAt the heart of Washington state is Olympic National Park which is stereotypical of the state as a whole with a variety of gorgeous yet very different ecosystems all within the confines of this national park.
One of the major difficulties for visitors is determining exactly which of these ecosystems they want to explore. Are you interested in subalpine and alpine forest where in winter you can hit the slopes to enhance your skiing skills? Or would you prefer to be more on the lowlands in close proximity to the cliffs of the Pacific shoreline? Whatever you preference, Olympic National Park is a place of iconic beauty that perfectly portrays the state of Washington.
Riverfront Park
Image courtesy of Mark Wagner (User:Carnildo) (Own work) [CC-BY-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia CommonsSeattle is not the only metropolis in Washington that has plenty to offer locals and tourists. Spokane, Washington is home to a Riverfront Park which is a gorgeous spot to head to if you are looking for a relaxing getaway.
This 100 acre park is located in downtown Spokane along the Spokane River which also allows this park to feature a beautiful set of waterfalls that are always attractive landmarks to encourage visitors to check out the park.
Scenic Byways
Image courtesy of Adam Jones, Ph.D. (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsRather than specifically highlighting one road or byway to head to in Washington, I would highly recommend renting a car and driving around the state of Washington so that you can see how gorgeous this state really is. In addition to the national park and scenic coastline, there is an abundance of other natural phenomena that make this one of the most attractive states throughout USA.
Cascade Loop for example is one of the most beautiful and spectacular drives according to the National Geographic Traveler. For more details on all of the scenic byways in Washington, check out the official Washington state website.
Mt. St. Helens
Image courtesy of Tequask (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsWashington State is home to the Cascade Mountain Range which hosts a series of dormant volcanoes. The most famous of these is undoubtedly Mt. St. Helens due to the dramatic volcanic explosion in 1980.
Today, there are a number of hiking trails along the foothills and sides of Mt. St. Helens along with a great visitor center that gives you the opportunity to learn in depth knowledge on both this volcano and volcanology in general.
Chris Boothman is the co-founder of A Brit and A Southerner. Born near Manchester, England, Chris moved to USA in 2006 where he soon after met his wife and travel partner in crime, Heather.
They have since embarked on an amazing journey of travel as they challenge others to follow in their paths of working full-time but also being able to travel frequently!
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact Chris at [email protected]
![Image courtesy of Daniel Schwen [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://abritandasoutherner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Seattle.jpg)
![Image courtesy of Michael Gäbler [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://abritandasoutherner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Olympic-National-Park.jpg)
![Image courtesy of Mark Wagner (User:Carnildo) (Own work) [CC-BY-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://abritandasoutherner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Spokane-Riverfront-Park.jpg)
![Image courtesy of Adam Jones, Ph.D. (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://abritandasoutherner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Scenic-Byway.jpg)
![Image courtesy of Tequask (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://abritandasoutherner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Mt-St-Helens.jpg)
