Take a small ship cruise among the pristine fjords, mountain ranges and wilderness areas of Puget Sound. Fantasy Cruises will take you to the ruggedly beautiful shorelines of the U.S. San Juan Islands and Canadian Gulf Islands. Enjoy gourmet meals, hors d'oeuvers, and fine wines from your own personal chef. Cruise along peaceful bays and hidden coves among bald eagles, cormorants, common muirs, sea ducks and Pacific sea birds.
Washington State Vacation Spot #2:
San Juan Islands is a vacation idea which is perfect for sea kayaking. Anacortes Kayaking Tours will take you off the beaten path on a kayaking tour of the least developed shorelines in the northern Puget Sound region and the San Juan Islands. Their handpicked sea kayaking trip locations are the homes of Porpoise, Seals, Eagles, Orca Whales, and much more! With expert guides you will enjoy a safe and comfortable adventure without having to worry about crowded beaches, cruising yachts, and hordes of other sea kayak tour groups.
Washington State Vacation Spot Idea #3:
Eagle Creek Ranch, in Leavenworth, is a great wintertime vacation ideas. Enjoy mountain snow and sleigh bells. Glide through the forests and meadows on large group sleighs drawn by those gentle giants, the Draft Horses. Relax with hot cider as you gather around the lodge’s wood stove. They’ve also got miles of mountain and meadow trails for summertime horseback riding.
Washington State Vacation Spot Idea #4:
Go on wilderness adventure with Three Peaks Outfitters. From early spring through October, explore the wilderness for a day on horseback. Or do an overnight pack trip. From early September through December, they offer hunting fully-guided hunting trips elk and goats only. This wonderful vacation spot is located in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness of the Wenatchee National Forest.
Washington State Vacation Spot Idea #5:
How about an exciting 8-day bicycle through some of the Pacific Northwest's most dramatic terrain, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Hood . The Volcanoes of Washington bicycle tour is provided by BicycleAdventures.com. The area abounds in thick green forests, clear rivers, and colorful meadows full of wildflowers. Besides great cycling through national parks you can get in some excellent mountain hikes.
Washington State Vacation Spot Idea #6:
Serenity’s is a secluded Washington State vacation spot near Trout Lake. The air conditioned chalets are equipped with Jacuzzis and lofts. In the evenings at Serenity's, you can relax in front of your gas log fireplace to wind down after a fun day of trail walking, golfing, river-rafting, sight-seeing, fishing, berry picking, mushroom hunting, bird watching, mountain climbing, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, or whatever the season affords!
Most PR blurbs about Seattle, Washington mention the Public Market (yes, it's wonderful), the ferries (this state has more vessels than many countries), the Boeing plant tours, Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens (excellent visitor centers that describe the volcanic action in May, 1980), and the locks, where you can watch millions of dollars in working boats and pleasure craft be raised (or lowered) from lake to sea.
I also love:
the museums, including the Museum of Flight, better in my opinion than the Smithsonian's D.C. location of Air and Space; Rosalie Whyel's Museum of Doll Art housed in an award-winning building that evokes the spirit of a doll house, with collections that are both fun and of historic value; the hydroplane museum; the Museum of Glass in nearby Tacoma, and the new Sculpture Garden of the Seattle Art Museum;
the many stairways that get people up hills too steep for streets to have been built (San Francisco has no monopoly on steep hills), especially on Queen Anne Hill, which has wonderful viewpoints of city, harbor and sea;
the summertime passenger ferry from downtown to West Seattle's waterfront;
the wonderful in-city beaches such as West Seattle's Alki, Magnolia's Discovery Park and Ballard's Golden Gardens, all accessible by public transportation;
the free weekend concerts at the locks in Ballard (watch the boats, watch the salmon climb the fish ladders and then sit in the sun and listen to such wonderful groups as the all-volunteer Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band;
the dozen or more farmers' markets throughout the city, each on a different day, so you could bus it to one every morning...
Oh, listing all these, I'm sorry I can't vacation here every day!
