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If you're looking for a great place to visit this summer, try Washington State. No, it doesn't always rain here. In the summer we usually have lots of clear days with temperatures in the mid-70s, sometimes reaching into the 90s. We have a little bit of everything here and within reasonable driving distances. In Washington you can visit mountains, lakes, rivers, islands, the Pacific Ocean, and much more. From where I live about 25 miles SE of Seattle I can see the Olympic Mountains to the west, and the Cascades to the east. It's an easy two-hour drive to the Pacific Ocean and about the same distance to cross the mountain pass into Eastern Washington. I have lived here all my life and my husband teaches Washington State History, so we've visited most parts of the state.
Washington state is actually more like two states, since we are divided by the Cascade Mountains. The eastern side of the state is much colder and snowier in the winter, with hotter summers. The landscape is flatter and drier, with less vegetation. The western side has a more moderate climate with considerably more precipitation, and is green with vegetation.
In Eastern Washington you can visit the Palouse with its rolling hills, wheat fields, and vineyards. Washington has become a hot spot for award-winning wines. In the central area fruit orchards abound, with Washington's famous apples. Spokane is a modern city with a beautiful park beside the Spokane River, some spectacular old architecture, and lots of restaurants and other benefits of city life. There are such diverse things to do as renting a houseboat on Lake Roosevelt, visiting the Grand Coulee Dam with the evening laser light show, enjoying the Bavarian town of Leavenworth, parasailing on the Columbia River, checking out the Petrified Forest in Vantage, visiting a world-class concert venue at The Gorge at George, and so much more.
In Western Washington you can utilize our elaborate ferry system to visit the San Juan Islands, or cross the border and visit Victoria, Canada. A trip to the Pacific Ocean is always in order, with the south coast being flat and more geared to vacationers, and the north coast being wilder, craggier, and more desolate. On the Olympic Peninsula you can visit Hurricane Ridge, the Sol Duc Hot Springs, the Hoh Rainforest, and some nice little towns like Port Townsend with its Victorian architecture. The North Cascades Highway is a beautiful trip, too. The mountains look very much like the Rockies as you drive farther east, and there are places along the way where the water is the most striking shade of blue-green.
Along Puget Sound there are a myriad of cities and towns, each with different ambience and culture. Seattle, of course, has the Space Needle, the Pacific Science Center, the aquarium, Tillicum Village which hosts a Native American salmon dinner and ceremony, lots of opportunities for coffee, cuisine, and shopping, Safeco and Qwest Fields for the Mariners, Seahawks, and Sounders Football Club. Seattle also boasts of the Storm from the Women's NBA. A little south of the city is the Museum of Flight, which is truly amazing.
Even my own hometown of Puyallup has the Meeker Mansion, the Western Washington State Fair (one of the largest in the country), the Daffodil Festival, and a wonderful collection of public art which can be viewed while visiting the Farmer's Market, or the free outdoor concerts in the park during the summer.
Olympia, our state capital, is a quirky place with one-of-a-kind restaurants, and a great Farmer's Market. Our capitol building and grounds are well-kept, beautiful and full of history. Not far from Olympia near the Nisqually River is a preserve where you can walk and enjoy birds and nature.
On both sides of the Cascades you have access to lots of hiking and camping. Mt. Rainier is a spectacular mountain, with Paradise and its hiking trails, viewpoints, wildlife, and wildflowers living up to its name. Mt. St. Helens has some wonderful interpretive centers where you can view the crater, see the devastation wrought by the eruption in 1980, and see the rebirth of the area including the herds of elk.
You can tell I am proud of my state. I could offer so much more, but I hope you will visit one of the web sites or research on your own. It's a place not to be missed. I hope you will visit us.