Shaped by sea, the Puget Sound and a past that runs from Native American history to ships and immigration, Seattle, Washington, boasts an arts scene as rich as its heritage. As a major metropolitan center, you’ll find here and in the general area a very good selection of fine art museums, galleries...

While Washington state might be best known for its lush forests and rugged coastline, this northwestern state is far more complex than just ocean and pine. From volcanic peaks and remote lakes to vast marshes, arid valleys and glacier-carved potholes, Washington enjoys the sort of topographical di...

Bellingham, Washington, has a reputation amongst those in the know for its outdoorsy appeal, eco-friendly ways and bustling harbor. But that is to underestimate this truly pleasant city’s cultural charms, historic, artistic and atmospheric. With a population of roughly 80,000 and set a hop skip from...

As one of the most visited national parks in America, Olympic National Park should definitely go on your “must-see” list. And thanks to select paved interior roads and a number of very easy walking trails, there’s no good excuse for giving this one a miss. Yes, thousands of acres...

Washington state was settled long after the Thirteen Original Colonies, which means that while the year 1620 might classify as old in the East, in the Pacific Northwest “old” is more 1890’s . Fewer Pilgrims and more progress, in other words. However, this is not to say the region...

In season, roughly June through September, travelers flock to the San Juan Islands, Washington, in the hopes of spotting killer whales, gray whales, minke whales and even the occasional humpback. Not only do numbers tend to be at their highest during these months, but it’s also the warmest time of ...

Though Seattle, Washington, was first formally occupied by settlers in the mid-nineteenth century, the Great Seattle Fire of 1889 did a number on the Central Business District, turning a whole swath of buildings to blackened rubble. Though it was quickly rebuilt (with fire safety in mind), most of t...

Seattle, Washington, is the largest city in the Pacific Northwest, and a thoroughly hip one at that. So it should come as no surprise to find that it is well equipped to handle the thousands of travelers that make their way to these parts annually, drawn by big festivals, sea breezes, business or pl...

Long before the day of explorers like Lewis and Clark, the region now known as Washington state was home to a rich assortment of Native American tribes. Though the story’s ending wasn’t so happy elsewhere in the nation, here not only have a long list of tribes survived but they’v...

So you find yourself in Spokane, Washington, and it’s raining. Or snowing. Or both. And you’re looking for ways to dodge the weather while simultaneously avoiding hotel-room cabin fever. What to do? Happily, there’s a pleasant selection of indoor entertainment options to consider within city limits....