We have a slight detour planned to visit Forks, the town featured in the Twilight series. Lee has
| State: | Washington |
| Towns of Interest: (FB) = Firebreak | Seattle Leavenworth |
| National Parks: | Olympic National Park North Cascades National Park - not visiting Mount Rainier National Park - not visiting |
| State Parks of Interest: | Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park Dosewallips State Park Potlatch State Park |
| Places of Interest: (N) = Night Stay | Spirit Lake Highway (South on Highway 12 to Randle along the White Pass scenic byway. Then take SR 131 which leads to Service Roads 25 and 99 where visitors can stop for brethtaking pictures of St Helen's creter from Windy ridge) Route 101 Lake Quinault (Surrounded by dark, dence rain forest, this lake is a falcier-fed lake that is four miles long. Take the short walk from the lodge to th Quinault Loop trail which leads to one of the largest known stands of Douglas firs in America) Queens River Road (Unpaved 14 mile road along the queens river connects one watery wonderland with another. Every square inch is green with moss, ferns and sorrell) Kalaloch (N) (The larest coastal beach camp ground in the Olympic area, has dramatic views of the ocean and at low tide, you can explore the tide pools) Ruby Beach (Garnet crystals give this beach a pinkish hue) La Push (15 mile detour from route 101 takes you to this old Indian Fishing village. With charcoal grey beaches and a large collection of driftwood and views of offshore whales and sea stacks) Forks (Home to Twilight Books) Lake Crescent (Created by glaciers during the Ice Age, a sparkling, deep-blue gem whose fresh water mirrors the surrounding wooded hillside. Short trail near the visitors center leads across a single-log bridge to a 90 foot high waterfall called the Marymere ) Elwha River Valley (A paved road heads south along the Elwha River. Lots of scenic turn outs and plently of opportunities for pictures.) Port Angeles (largest city in the Olympic Area and the gateway to the Olympic National Park) Olympic National Park (N) Main Visitor Center (Located on St Angeles Road - learn about the history of the park and find out about camping and hiking) Hurrican Ridge Road (Just beyond the parks enterance, a 17 mile road leads south to Hurrican Ridge. As it climbs to an elevation of 1 mile, the road slices through a dense forest. Lots of turn outs with amazing views are along this road) Hurricane Ridge (Either hike along the Meadow Natural Trail or take the Obstruction Point Road, an 8 mile stretch of unpaved road to Obstruction point) Route 101 Port Townsend (Quaint coastal town is very picturesque) Mt. Walker Viewpoint (A stepp gravel road takes you up to the summit of Mt. Walker where the view takes in more than 5 million acres) Dosewallips State Park (Here the fresh water of the Dosewallips River meets the salk water of the Hood Canal making it the idea habitat for clams and oysters. Best time to visit is low tide) Potlatch State Park (Nice place to stop for a picnic and watch people digging for clams and picking oysters) Seattle (Nx3) Pike Place Market (this is Seattle’s most iconic attraction - market place selling everything plus there are some fantastic eateries) Pioneer Square ( richly historic place known for its Renaissance Revival architecture, night life, lunch spots, and quirky boutiques) Kerry Park (For a view of the Seattle skyline that simply cannot be beat, head up the south side of Queen Anne Hill to the city’s most well-known lookout, Kerry Park. A photo from here is postcard-perfect with ferries crossing Elliott Bay, the city skyline with the Space Needle in the forefront and, if weather conditions are favorable, a fantastic view of Mt. Rainier) Smith Tower (Once the tallest building west of the Mississippi, the Smith Tower has offered Seattle’s best views to the public for over 100 years. Elevator operators whisk visitors in an old-fashioned copper and brass elevator car to the 35th floor where you’ll step into the past as you enter the historic Observatory) Seattle Waterfront (A unique area of the city located along Alaskan Way, the Seattle Waterfront is active year-round. With dozens of paths, piers and public spaces, it’s always a great place to relax and enjoy a little people-watching as you absorb the local scene. Check out the stores in Miner’s Landing for gifts and souvenirs and grab a table at one of the well-known seafood joints for a Seattle-style dinner) Washington State Ferries (travel to and from Bremerton on the Olympic Peninsula (60 minutes one way) and Bainbridge Island (35 minutes one way). Both routes offer panoramic views of the Seattle skyline and harbor and visitors often jump aboard for quick cross-sound sightseeing trips) Lake Union (beautiful lake smack-dab in the middle of the city – and there’s no better way to discover the sights and sounds of Lake Union than by getting on the water. Rent a kayak or paddleboard from Moss Bay, set sail from the Center for Wooden Boats, or hop on a quiet, clean vessel from The Electric Boat Company) Seattle Center Monorail (A Seattle icon since its futuristic debut at the 1962 World’s Fair, our Monorail carries roughly 2 million passengers between Westlake Center and Seattle Center each year. A great option for shuttling between the downtown shopping core and the many attractions at Seattle Center) Space Needle (t a height of 605 feet, the Space Needle boasts fabulous 360 degree views that include Mt. Rainier, Puget Sound, the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, the beautiful city of Seattle and beyond) The Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour (Boeing Company’s commercial jet interpretive center located at the west edge of the Paine Field airstrip, directly across from Boeing’s largest jet assembly plant. The center features an aviation gallery with interactive exhibits on commercial aviation, a theater and a roof-top observation deck to view the airport’s take-offs and landings. Exhibits include a flight simulator, cut-aways from fuselages of several Boeing airplane models and an airplane design program where guests can design an aircraft and have its airworthiness tested by computer. Tours of the nearby Boeing plant, which begin and end at the center, feature a 90-minute guided exploration of the largest building in the world by volume where Boeing’s 747, 767, 777 and 787 Dreamliner are built) Leavenworth (N) (Bavarian-themed German village) Waterfront Park (Just downhill from Commercial Street, you will find one of the best-kept Leavenworth secrets - Waterfront Park. Follow the path that trails along the cool Wenatchee River, shaded by the quiet, dense forest. You can just sit on one of the many benches ad enjoy the peaceful views) Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum (contains more than 6,000 tools invented solely for cracking nuts, dating back to the Roman times all the way to today) Icicle Brewing Co (taste some really good local brews while seeing how they're made) Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park (freshwater shoreline at the foot of Dry Falls. Dry Falls is one of the great geological wonders of North America. Carved by Ice Age floods that long ago disappeared, the former waterfall is now a stark cliff, 400 feet high and 3.5 miles wide) |
| Routes of Interest: | Spirit Lake Highway (to Mt. St. Helens) Route 101 (The Olympic Route - goes in nearly a circle around the Olympic National Park area) |
| Useful Links: | http://www.experiencewa.com/things-to-do |
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