Beautiful volcanoes, the Cascade mountains, the gorgeous San Juan Islands, lush Washington state is a great travel destination

Itineraries

Eat & Drink

The Barnacle

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.

Brown Bear Baking

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.

Hogstone

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

Art of the Table

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.”

Paradise Inn Dining Room

Located in the Paradise Inn, this restaurant offers wonderful food, focused on organic and locally sustainable ingredients highlighting the Northwest’s cuisine. Enjoy great views of Mount Ranier in the background while dining in front of the great fireplace.

Alchemy Bistro and Wine Bar

Good place to eat in Port Townsend, especially great for locally caught seafood. They have a great wine list including wine flights. Reservations: OpenTable

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Dockside Bistro

Near the waterfront in downtown Olympia, this restaurant offers up Northwest fusion cuisine with European and Southeast Asian influences. The food is locally sourced, sustainable, and imaginative. It’s got a great ambience.

The Fireside

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.

Kingfish at West Sound

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

Vail Wine Shop & Tasting Room

A great place to stop if you’re driving across Whidbey Island, Vail Wine Shop & Tasting Room is located near the Coupeville Wharf. We had a great time sitting on the patio and tasting a selection of hard-to-find Washington wines. They also offer some small plates if you’re hungry and some local beers and hard […]

National Park Inn Dining Room

Highlighting Pacific Northwest cuisine, this family-friendly, casual dining room offers fantastic food in a relaxed environment. You can even take your drink and enjoy spectacular views of Mount Rainier from comfortable chairs on the front porch. Open year-round.

The Bread Peddler

This artisan bakery located in downtown Olympia is wonderful. Everything is made from scratch using local ingredients. Stop by the bakery for sweets and breads or head to the cafe for a full lunch.

Fish Tale Brew Pub

This is the oldest brewpub in Olympia, offering up local Northwest cuisine and 14 taps with Fish Tale Organic Ales, Levenworth Biers, and Spire Mountain Ciders. With many vegetarian and gluten-free dishes, it’s a great spot for everyone.

Silverwater Cafe

Located in Port Townsend, the Silverwater Cafe serves good meals using fresh, locally harvested ingredients.

Island Hoppin’ Brewery

Orcas Island’s local brewery offers a balanced selection of interesting and tasty beers, as well as a small selection of snacks. It’s a great spot to spend an afternoon; make sure you get a flight and taste all of the beers currently on tap.

Mijitas Mexican Kitchen

Mijitas offers tasty Mexican food as well as margaritas and a small but interesting list of draft beers.

Boat House Cider Works

This cidery creates delectable hard ciders, often with local ingredients. They also offer unique hard (and non-alcoholic) slushies; be sure to try one! Their deck has a beautiful view of the sound, and it’s a great place to stop and enjoy an afternoon.

Front Street Grill

The food was fine, but nothing special, and our takeout order came about 15 minutes late, almost causing us to miss our connecting ferry.

See

Pike Place Market

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.

Hurricane Ridge

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.

Sol Duc Hot Springs

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.

REI flagship store Seattle

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.

Quinault Lake

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

Chihuly Garden and Glass

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 […]

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Ballard Locks

Lake Union in the middle of Seattle is connected with the ocean but about 15 feet higher. It’s interesting to watch the always busy lock operations as boats and ships move between the bodies of water. Then walk to the south side of the complex and look at the fish ladder – where there are windows where you can see salmon making their way back upstream.

Do

Mount Storm King

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.

Underground Seattle Tour

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.

Skyline Trail Hike

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.

Stay

The Salish Seaside Escapes

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.

Hoh Valley Cabins at Elk Meadows

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

Resort at Port Ludlow

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.

Old Consulate Inn

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.

Paradise Inn

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.

Cabins on the Point

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).

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Hyatt Regency Seattle

The Hyatt is located right downtown. It’s standardly nice but a bit generic. A good deal if you have Hyatt points.

Inn at the Market

This inn offers fantastic views of Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains and is just steps from Pike Place market. It’s a nice boutique hotel in downtown Seattle with a 5th floor deck offering more views of Puget Sound.

Arctic Club Seattle

Once an early 1900’s gentleman club, this hotel oozes old world style and charm. It’s housed in a downtown building known for its carved walrus heads and was also once the location of an association for the 1897 Klondike goldrush. It’s wood paneling shouldn’t make you assume it doesn’t offer all the modern day amenities […]

Hotel Andra

This boutique hotel in downtown Seattle offers up a Scandinavian vibe. It’s within walking distance of famous downtown Seattle sites like Pike Place Market and the waterfront. I