Welcome to WASHINGTON!
Capital City: Olympia
Volcano: Eruption and Healing of Mount St Helens
by Patricia Lauber (ages 7-10)
World Classroom: Washington State
Visit the beautiful Evergreen state and get your passport book stamped at one or more of the National Parks sites! Keep scrolling for more details about each one as well as other places of interest to experience in this beautiful state of green! Have you seen any part of the Lewis and Clark trail? What about the Cascade Mountain Range or the beautiful Columbia River Gorge? The Puget Sound area is one of a kind with so much marine life to witness. You’re going to love Washington.
National Parks
Mount Rainier National Park – Ashford, WA
North Cascades National Park – Sedro-Woolley, WA
Olympic National Park – Port Angeles, WA
Additional places of interest near Olympic National Park
Port Angeles, WA
The port and city center of Port Angeles is only about 15 minutes from Olympic National Park, so it’s worth a stop at this charming port town. Be sure to get some fresh seafood and once you’ve made it this far, you may as well take a ferry boat across to Victoria Canada BC. 😉
National Historical Parks & Sites
Fort Vancouver National Historical Site – Vancouver, WA
Learn about the fur trade and other historical events of the time in this area as you explore the reconstruction of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s Fort Vancouver. You can watch a blacksmith at work, see the replicated fur trade store and many other buildings this small community would have used in the 1800’s when the fur trade was booming!
Additional places of interest near the Vancouver, WA area
Columbia River Gorge
The Columbia River Gorge is one of the most beautiful places on earth and home to over 90 waterfalls. Drive east of Vancouver and find many places to pull over for a view of the beautiful gorge from the side of the road or from a vista after hiking one of the many trails created for our enjoyment and use.
Beacon Rock State Park
While the highlight and most prominent focus of this state park is “the rock” (the core of an ancient volcano that you can hike one mile up 848 feet of switchbacks to see an amazing view), there are many things to do in this 4,000+ acre camping park. You can rock climb, hike many trails, see waterfalls, mountain bike or horseback ride as well as participate in water sports on the Columbia River. You’ll need a “Discover Pass” (park permit from the state of WA)
Berry Picking in Summer!
Blackberries grow wild all over the Columbia Gorge region. Bring a container and park to pick some fresh berries. How do you best like your blackberries? Do you prefer them fresh or made into a pie or smoothie or sprinkled on yogurt or ice cream?
We love to pick blueberries at the “You Pick” farms in the area during the month of July. Blueberries are wonderful, plump and juicy eaten fresh, and they freeze nicely for enjoying year round in all your favorite things – smoothies, blueberry muffins and pancakes, pies and cobblers, topped on yogurt, ice cream or cereal. One year we picked over 17 pounds in just over an hour and enjoyed all of them down to the last berry! YUM! What’s your favorite way to enjoy a blueberry or blackberry?
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (AK & WA) – Seattle, WA
Visit Klondike Gold Rush NPS.gov
Additional places of interest in or near Seattle, WA
The Space Needle – Seattle, WA
The most iconic landmark in Seattle is definitely the Space Needle. Come and experience it for yourself! For those in great shape ascend the 832 stairs to the top in an open air staircase during very specific event times; otherwise ride up the internal elevator and experience the glass bottom floors for a queasy sensation for a price. You can also view the space needle via boat in Elliott Bay. Be sure to visit the official site for details and plan ahead as there are closures and space is limited.
Seattle Children’s Museum – Seattle, WA
The Seattle Children’s Museum is located right under the Space Needle in the Seattle Center! It’s a great place for younger children to wander around the play spaces and explore the science and art interactive areas as well. As a young family we spent many hours here while Dad was doing Continuing Education for work in a nearby hotel convention center.
Seattle Locks Cruise – Seattle, WA
Panama Canal on your bucket list, but still a ways out? Do a mini version right in Seattle! There are several companies that charter locks cruises, so look them up and take the kids on an experience they’ll find fascinating and enjoyable.
Woodland Park (Seattle) Zoo – Seattle, WA
A beautiful zoo with a huge variety of ecosystems and animals to explore and watch. This zoo will take the whole day to fully experience and your little zoologist will love you for it!
Pike Place Market – Seattle, WA
Experience all the smells and sounds of an active fresh fish market! You may even be lucky enough to get an octopus or other sea creature tossed at you. One of the things that makes this such a sought after open air market is the personality in the sellers as they toss your order to you just before it’s wrapped.
The fishmonger to the right is poised to toss a fresh octopus to a happy customer.
The Gum Wall – Seattle, WA
Maybe one of the grosser places to visit and not much educational value to it, but the gum wall just down from Pike Place Market is a popular tourist site and many people like to get a picture taken by it. Sometimes when we go there are gobs of gum on the walls and other times it’s been cleaned off and is just starting a new accumulation. So you never quite know just how thick of a gum experience you’ll get until you go.
Underground City Tour – Seattle, WA
The Underground City Tour is one of my personal favorite experiences to have in Seattle. You’ll learn a lot of interesting history specific to this area and get to take a walk right into the past with the modern city bustling on right above you. Have you ever been walking in a big city and noticed glass looking tiles in the pavement? Chances are those are skylights for the city below. You’ll definitely want to check this out in Seattle or any other major city with an underground city tour! I seriously can’t think of few more interesting ways to learn about the history of a city than through a live underground tour.
There are stories and artifacts all along the tour as well as pictures of days gone by with fascinating information. You can even do a spooky themed tour if you have a really brave and/or older bunch in your group. There are a few different tour groups that offer a variety of attractions beneath the streets.
Manhattan Project National Historical Park – Hanford, WA
Visit Manhattan Project NPS.gov
Washington state was host to one of three secret cities across the US to work on the first atomic bomb ushering in the nuclear age. Come learn some of the story behind the controversial ending to WWII as the US raced to beat Nazi Germany to nuclear war technology. Certain to be a memorable experience for any history or science geek.
Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve – Whidbey Island, WA
This island is part of the Puget Sound area of Washington state.
San Juan Island National Historical Park – Friday Harbor, WA
The San Juan Islands are an archipelago of more than 170 islands between Washington state and Canada. This is a beautiful area with many opportunities from whale watching at Orcas Island, kayaking, hiking, etc. Getting around can be the tricky part so be sure to plan ahead and know what options are available.
Whitman Mission National Historical Site – Walla Walla, WA
National Recreation Areas
Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area – Coulee Dam, WA
Lake Chelan National Recreation Area – Sedro-Woolley, WA
Visit Lake Chelan NPS.gov
Visit Lake Chelan NP.org
There are no roads leading to this remote recreation area so you’ll need to arrive by private boat, plane, ferry, horseback or hike in. Be sure to visit the official site from one of the links above for the most up-to-date information for best planning and outcome expectations being met.
Ross Lake National Recreation Area – Sedro-Woolley, WA
Visit Ross Lake NPS.gov
Visit Ross Lake NP.org
Additional places of interest to visit in Washington!
Mount St Helens –
Do you remember when Mount St Helens erupted in 1980? Even if you’re too young to have been around for this event, you can learn all about it here! It looks very different now than it did over 40 years ago with much of the top blown off. Remember the news stories about ashes being found all the way to the eastern coast of the country? What a historical event to live through! Come see for yourself the aftermath of this volcano. Kids young and old love to watch science in action and seeing an eruption, even if it’s with vinegar and baking soda, is a sight to behold. You may want to bring out all the volcano books and science experiments before or after a visit here.
Long Beach
This has been a favorite beach to visit for many years. While the sign claims it’s the World’ Longest Beach, a simple google search may tell you otherwise. Look into it for yourself – which beach IS the world’s longest? How long IS Long Beach in Washington state? Even if it isn’t THE loooongest beach in the world, it does have a very long beach of about 28 miles so you can walk for miles on it.
There are many things to do in this area for every category of interest – walk along the beach, drive go-carts, visit an oyster farm, see the lighthouses, there is even an arcade in town to play some indoor laser tag and other games should the weather take a turn for the worse. There are a few museums as well – a world kite museum, Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum and a Lewis and Clark interpretive center.
Oysterville
Have you ever been to an oyster farm? Oysterville near Long Beach, WA has you covered! Come see how oysters are harvested and pick up some fresh or smoked ones in a variety of flavors while you’re at it.
Our family has a funny story from this farm. Several years ago while our kids were still growing up, our youngest asked for an ice cream bar while in the farm store. We told him “no.” So being the clever child he is, he thought if he opened it in the store we’d have to buy it for him. So he did. And he was right – we did have to buy it. But we bought it for his sister, and she really enjoyed eating it while he scowled at her.
Fort Columbia Historic State Park
If you’re a history buff you might be interested in this state park as it is considered to be the most intact, historic coastal defense unit in the United States. Younger kids like to explore in the bunkers even if they don’t grasp the whole magnitude of the site.
Cape Disappointment
There are lots of historical sites along the Lewis and Clark Trail in the Oregon and Washington areas. Cape Disappointment was a pivotal time for the expedition as they finally reached the Pacific Ocean. Mission Accomplished! Now we can revisit some of their journey as we have one of our own. Enjoy a visit to the lighthouse at Cape Disappointment, camp nearby if that’s your thing and soak in all the smells and nature of the Pacific coast. Did you know this area was named “Cape Disappointment” by a British trader approximately 17 years before Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery and was discovered by the western world by a Spanish explorer approximately 13 years before that?
Leavenworth
This little Bavarian town nestled in the mountains of Eastern Washington is a treasure for sure! One of our favorite parts of this town is the outdoor Leavenworth Summer Theater. Every summer they play Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music, and it really does bring the hills alive! There really isn’t a more appropriate setting for this musical than this mountain amphitheater!
The buildings in down town are all decked out in traditional Bavarian style, and you’ll definitely want some pretzels, brats, spaetzle and schnitzel for lunch and dinner! I can’t think of a better setting for a kick off to or celebration of a study of Germany! This can be a great setting for a cultural experience here in the USA.
Visit the nutcracker museum or float on a tube on the Wenatchee River. You can even catch some white water with a rafting tour down the Wenatchee or Tieton Rivers. Mountain bike or hike or hang out down town and watch some of the events and entertainment in the village year round – Maifest in May, Oktoberfest in October and the whole town turns into a winter wonderland for Christmas. Be sure to look online for what’s going on depending on the time of year you plan to visit.
The Enchantments
The Enchantments are a group of lakes nestled high in the Cascade Mountains of Leavenworth, WA. These adventures are NOT for young families! The shortest hike is approximately 7 miles with an elevation gain of at least 4,400 feet. This experience would be for a very adventurous family with adults and possibly older teens that are conditioned and prepared for a challenge that pays out in a pristine view of blue lakes among polished granite, stiff peaks and mountain goats. Make sure you do your homework and research this area well before embarking on a quest here, and if you do it will be memorable for sure!
