United States / Washington 

It might be worth the trip to Orcas Island just taste the delicious food crafted by pastry chef Lee Horswill and bread baker David Ellertsen at Brown Bear Baking. Make sure you get breakfast here at least once during your stay on the island.

This charming bar serves some of the best cocktails we’ve ever had. They do classic vintage cocktails, as well as drinks with a twist and some featuring local ingredients.

Art of the Table serves up a multi-course tasting menu with the emphasis being “celebrate food and those who dedicate their lives to raising, growing, foraging and catching our produce in the Pacific Northwest.”

Farm to table fire-grilled eating in Eastsound, Washington. Hogstone serves up awesome pizza and so much more. Almost everything comes from their nearby farm. The menu changes weekly and believe us, you’ll want to come back. It’s a really great spot, though reservations are definitely recommended

Located in the beautiful Resort at Port Ludlow, The Fireside serves up delicious northwest cuisine, often with local ingredients. They also offer tasty cocktails, a good wine list, and local beers and ciders.

This charming inn perched above Orcas Island’s West Sound offers a fantastic menu of northwest cuisine featuring local and farm-to-table ingredients.

This ridge offers beautiful views of the Straight of Juan de Fuca, Mt Olympus and the North Cascades. Several hikes from short to long leave from the visitor center.

The Sol Duc Hot Springs actually are both hot springs and lodging/camping in Olympic National Park. They are located among a beautiful forest and river. Soak in a magical setting.

Chihuly is a Washington artist who blows amazing sculptures out of glass. The art is truly mind boggling. You won’t even believe some of the amazing colorful glass creations are made out of glass. You owe it to yourself to see this. If you can, look on the museum’s website for the glass blowing demo […]

This is a great public market that’s been operating since 1906. Be sure and visit the fish booth and wait for someone to order – flying fish is the norm. There are also restaurants and craft stores as well as fresh produce along the entire market.

This beautiful lake is located in Oregon’s rain forest. There is a lovely loop drive around in southwestern Olympic National Park.

REI is one of the largest (and best) retailers of outdoor equipment anywhere. The old store spanned across several buildings. The new one is a slick center for all things outdoors – complete with a three story indoor climbing wall, dirt mountain bike test track and even a booth where you can test out the rain gear in a simulated rainstorm.

This hike in Olympic National Park is one of our favorites in the state of Washington. It’s a tough slog, but much of the uphill is shaded, and you’ll be rewarded with incredible views of Crescent Lake,the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Canada in the distance. There’s a boulder at the summit that’s highly Instagrammable and frequently used for photos.

After the great Seattle fire of 1889, Seattle rebuilt itself on top of the old town. The old town is still there and this 75 minute humorous tour explores it. Well worth your time spent, it’s a great and lesser known way to explore Seattle.

This 5.5 mile hike is one of the most quintessential hiking trails in the whole of Washington State. It circumnavigates the Paradise area of Mount Rainier National Park and offers amazing scenery.

Seaside cottages on Orcas Island (one of the San Juan Islands). This was a really great place with cabins offering a large decks, killer sunsets, and private hot tub.

This beautiful hotel is located on the Port Ludlow Marina. It’s comfy and cozy (most rooms have working fireplaces and beautiful bathrooms), though the interior is a little dated.

This was actually designates as one of the “Great Lodges of the West” and if you can manage a reservation, you should absolutely stay here. Book far in advance. It’s located right on Mount Ranier, has a great restaurant, and tons of hiking right outside. Of note, there is no internet.

These charming cabins are an excellent option for your stay on Orcas Island. Situated on a beautiful point overlooking the island’s West Sound, these cabins are quiet and peaceful. They include kitchens and outdoor grills (bring your own charcoal), as well as a hot tub and access to a private beach (with kayaks and stand-up paddle boards included).

Cabins located in Forks Washington near the famous Hot Valley Rainforest trail. They are extremely nice cabins, large and well equipped.

This is a B&B from 1898 is in an amazing Victorian mansion and is a National Historic Landmark. It has beautiful rooms and sits on a bluff over Puget Sound. It’s a lovely place to stay in charming Port Townsend.