As our time in Washington State draws to a close, I’ve been thinking so much about all the things that we’ve seen, done, and experienced, in the last three years of living here. We went from being excited to move to Washington, to really disliking living in Washington, to absolutely loving Washington. And I think a lot of the reason we loved it so much was because of our willingness to get out and explore. And so I wanted to share a list of different things to do in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
Things to do in the Pacific Northwest
Snoqualmie Falls
This was a recent discovery for me and the kids. And it did not disappoint. The falls from the top were INCREDIBLE and honestly hard to put into words. It was also CROWDED so I recommend going on a weekday – maybe it’s less busy. I also recommend parking at the lower falls parking area. Walk the boardwalk area and see the historic remnants of the water power plant, and then see the falls from below. I say start with this because, to me, the falls from the bottom were a little underwhelming. Maybe it was because of how crowded it was – it was hard to even get a picture in front of it – but it was disappointing.
And so we did the hike to the top of the falls and that made everything worth it. I think if we had parked at the top, we would have been blown away by the waterfall. Then we would have hiked down and been disappointed that we had hiked all the way down for that… only because that meant we’d have to hike back up again! Ha!
It was just me and the five kids and it was doable, although it is relatively steep and some areas have stairs, so I recommend not bringing strollers.
Tumwater Falls
While this might not be in the top 10 favorite things we did in the PNW, I feel it merits a spot on this list. I couldn’t figure out the exact history of these falls – I thought they were fully man-made, but then couldn’t figure that out exactly from my 5 minutes of research. Regardless of how they formed, they are beautiful in their own way and a great little getaway if you’re looking for a free and easy outing.
Forks
Forks is a must-visit for all you Twilight fans (or ex-Twilight fans). Honestly, even if you didn’t enjoy the books, Forks is a fun visit. I went with some friends for a girls-weekend and it was a wonderful time away doing something that I was only semi-embarrassed to be doing.
Of course you have to get a picture in front of the “Welcome to Forks” sign. And they’ve got Bella’s truck (the one from the movie and then one that is how it was ACTUALLY supposed to look based on the book) which is a must-see if you were ever even remotely interested in the books.
There are plenty of “Twilight sites” to see in the town and they’ve got a whole map dedicated to them. If you find yourself in the Olympic Peninsula, it’s all worth a visit.
Hoh Rain Forest
One of the major highlights of our Forks trip was visiting the Hoh Rain Forest. It’s one of the only rainforests in the Continental United States. Head on the hike and to the Hall of Moss and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into another world (or at least right into a Twilight movie). Moss covers literally everything and there are some truly bizarre-shaped trees in the area. You might even see some wildlife (Marie and Sarena – remember when we almost got trampled by the moose barreling down the hill!?)
Rialto Beach and the Hole in the Wall Hike
The biggest highlight from our Forks trip was going to Rialto Beach and doing the Hole in the Wall Hike. Rialto Beach is just north of La Push (and by “just north,” I mean that you can basically see La Push from Rialto). Because of COVID, the Quileute Reservation was closed to visitors, so we were unable to visit La Push. We compromised with heading to Rialto Beach and we were not disappointed!
Word to the wise: Get to Rialto Beach about an hour before lowest tide. It’s a two-mile hike from the parking lot to the “hole in the wall.” And the hole in the wall is only accessible during low tide. Check the tide tables – the lower the tide, the better! It was about -0.46ft when we went and that was PERFECT. We had time to explore once we got to the hole in the wall and didn’t have to worry about getting caught in the tides coming in.
The entire hike is along the beach. It’s flat, but very pebbly. We all wore either sandals or Toms, which I would not recommend. Water shoes or even rain boots probably would have been a better choice. If you’re going with kids, use a baby carrier for any little ones and have the older kids walk (strollers definitely won’t work).
And don’t forget to check out the many tide pools along the way! Star fish, anemones, crabs, etc. are all plentiful in the area! All that to say: Rialto Beach and the Hole in the Wall Hike is a MUST see.
Port Townsend
Another weekend girls trip with my friend Sarena was our trip to Port Townsend. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I WASN’T expecting to find the adorable, quaint, walkable town that we did. We had delicious food at Silverwater Café (get their Gyro… you won’t regret it), explored some cute gift shops and bought matching shirts (obviously), enjoyed the view of the Puget Sound, and settled into our hotel room by 6pm to relax sans-children.
I’m sure there’s more to do in Port Townsend than what we experienced. They’ve got an adorable 50’s themed diner/ice cream shop (which serves delicious burgers, I might add), an old-school candy shop, and so much more. Another plus to Port Townsend: clean, free, public restrooms right there in the middle of the main street. This mother-of-five greatly appreciated that amenity.
Fort Worden Historical State Park
Just down the street from Port Townsend is Fort Worden Historical State Park. If we’d had more time, we would have explored the area more than we did. We didn’t get to learn much about the history of Fort Worden, but we did get to check out the Point Wilson Lighthouse located on the property. As someone who LOVES lighthouses (and has visited an alarmingly small number of them for someone who loves them so much), I was impressed. Probably more impressed than necessary. Either way, it was a fun little pit-stop before our drive back home.
Whale Watching in the San Juan Islands/Friday Harbor/Deception Pass
Puget Sound Express does an amazing all-day whale-watching tour that takes you to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. (They’ve got a half-day tour too, but I HIGHLY recommend the full day. It was life changing). We saw a gray whale, orca whales (and watched them hunt and kill a harbor seal), puffins (which is actually amazing because there are only about 8 mated pairs in the entire Puget Sound), harbor seals, sealions, and probably other animals I’m forgetting. The highlight was DEFINITELY the orca whales and it was INCREDIBLE. I don’t think I could even describe how amazing it was.
On our way back to Port Townsend, we got to go through Deception Pass on our boat. Usually the tide is too high and too fast for a safe passage, but we happened to be passing by at the perfect time. Many people see Deception Pass from the bridge above, but I’m telling you right now, the best place to see it is from the water. Plus I have a slight fear of driving over long bridges, so thinking about doing that makes me want to puke. Ha!
Whale Watching in Everett
Of course I can’t mention whale watching without talking about the half-day tour Brandon and I went on. We booked through Island Adventures and left from Everett, Washington. The highlight of that trip was definitely the gray whales, which were the main thing we had come to see. I don’t think it ever got old seeing their tails coming out of the water. At one point, one breached really close to the boat and got it’s whole head out! It was amazing and worth the trip just for that one moment. Generally speaking I was more impressed with the Puget Sound Express than Island Adventures. But PSE left from Port Townsend which I came to LOVE, so I’m probably biased.
Lake 22
Oh Lake 22. This has got to be one of my favorite hikes of all time – minus the absolutely HORRENDOUS and TERRIFYING bathroom at the beginning of the trail. Seriously, it was awful. People coming out of the bathroom were wishing people in line (there were roughly 15 of us in line) “good luck” as they walked in. It was awful. Go to the bathroom before you get there. And even when you get there maybe just find some place in the forest and pop-a-squat. I’m only kind of kidding.
But disgusting bathroom aside, this was truly an amazing hike. This 6.8 mile hike is classified as “moderate” on AllTrails. I’d say with 4 kids (which we had at the time) it should be classified as hard. Ha! Our kids were troopers though and walked the ENTIRE way (except for M who was lazy too little and rode in the baby carrier). And even though the trail was hard (as in, sometimes we were on all fours climbing over giant boulders hard), it was so worth it when we rounded that corner to the lake. I’m not sure I have ever seen a more beautiful place (and I’ve been to the Swiss Alps, guys, so that’s saying something). It is truly breathtaking and I wish we could make it back there.
Penrose Point State Park
Hands-down one of my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE places in the PNW! We’ve gone probably 5 times since moving here and I’m going again later this week. This is truly one of the hidden gems of Washington state.
Tips for going: purchase a Discover Pass (Washington’s state parks pass) ahead of time. Trust me, you’ll get your money’s worth because you’ll want to come back again and again. Make sure you go when it’s low tide! Negatives for tide are ideal! The lower the better. If you get there an hour or two before lowest tide, you can literally watch the sandbar grow as the tide goes out.
Once you can access the sandbar, it’s time to slap on the sunscreen and head out there! Be prepared to see large crabs, giant starfish, and if you’re lucky, you might even find a Pacific Red Octopus (but don’t touch – they’re venomous). As you’re walking out along the sandbar, keep your eyes open for small sprays of water coming up from the ground. Those are the geoducks (pronounced gooey-ducks), a type of clam that is found ONLY in the Pacific Northwest.
The next time you find yourself in Washington, do yourself a favor and head out to Penrose Point State Park.
Owen Beach
The first time we ever went to Owen Beach, it was because we’d heard you can often see sealions swimming just off shore and Brandon was pretty obsessed with seeing one. Well, we didn’t see any sealions. But we did see a woman changing out of her swimming suit right there on the beach. So it was a pretty eventful trip.
We’d been in Washington a whole two weeks. And that was one of my first tastes of Washingtonians. It wasn’t the best. Thankfully the rest of the state has made up for Madam No Britches.
But Owen Beach really is worth checking out. Because almost every visit after that first one, we did spot some sealions right off the shore. And that’s not to mention the fact that the Puget Sound is just generally beautiful. The other day there were record low tides at Puget Sound, so we headed to Owen Beach and actually got to go down farther than I’d ever been able to experience. We could go under the docks and saw all kinds of wildlife – crabs, star fish, sea cucumbers, a Pacific Red Octopus, anemones, and more.
Even when there aren’t record low tides, it’s still worth a trip. AND there are some awesome hikes in the Owen Beach/Point Defiance area.
Westport State Park
The Puget Sound is beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. But the beaches are rocky, not sandy. I hadn’t realized how much I missed sandy beaches until we headed out to Westport State Park. This park is on the very West Coast of Washington and it is just as sandy and wonderful as any Southern California beach I’ve ever been to… but about forty degrees colder.
Okay that might be an exaggeration. But be aware if you’re headed to the Washington Coast, you aren’t going to find 80-degree beaches with burning hot sand much, if at all. And that’s okay. You learn to deal with it and have fun in the cold. Honestly, I’m not much of an ocean swimmer to begin with, but I LOVE just hanging out at the beach and watching the kids play.
After you’re done at the beach, check out the Westport Light Trail – this paved walking trail gives you beautiful views of the ocean, and the beautiful plant life that grows on the Washington coast. In addition, you might even catch a glimpse of the Grays Harbor Lighthouse – which is the tallest lighthouse in the state of Washington. This lighthouse used to sit only 400 feet from the high tideline, but now sits around 3000 feet back because of a “jetty system” set up by the locals that built up the ground over time.
If you visit the lighthouse, you can book reservations to climb it. All climbers must be 40″ tall and at least 5 years old.
Chihuly Bridge of Glass
And the award for the literal weirdest and most random thing we’ve done in Washington State: The Chihuly Bridge of Glass in downtown Tacoma. Generally speaking I avoid downtown anything, and that includes Tacoma. But one day, when we’d only been in Washington for a couple months, I felt like exploring, but wasn’t feeling adventurous enough to go on a hike. Plus, our kids weren’t super accustomed to hikes at that point, and I was hardly in the mood for the whining.
Enter Google search, which yielded this little gem. I’m not going to say that this is the most incredible thing we’ve ever seen. But it was something to do, so there’s something to be said for that. If you find yourself in downtown Tacoma, check it out.
Kalaloch Beach and the Tree of Life
On our way home from Forks, Marie and Sarena mentioned the Tree of Life. I had never heard of it, but we looked it up and saw that it was kind of on our way home. So we went. I don’t really know the story behind it, but I know that I’ve never seen a tree growing between two cliffs like that. Plus, the beach was one of the nicest I’ve ever been to in Washington. One of my biggest regrets is that it is unlikely I’ll make it back there before we move. So make a trip there. Do it for me.
Tulip Town
I have a thing for tulips. I always have. I think I know why. When I was in high school, I lived in Belgium and occasionally my family and I would drive up to The Netherlands. On one such occasion we wanted to go see the fields of tulips, only to find out that we had just missed their blooming.
One of the more significant bummers of my lifetime for sure.
Ever since then it has been my dream to go back and be there during the time when the tulips are in full bloom. It hasn’t happened yet, but when I heard about the Tulip Festival in Mount Vernon, I knew I wanted to check it out. It worked out perfectly that Brandon and I were only 30 minutes away in Everett for our whale watching tour when the Tulip Festival was going on.
I’m sure there were about 35 million things Brandon would have rather done than go look at a bunch of Tulips in a muddy field. But I was massively pregnant at the time and if I’d said I wanted to sit and literally watch grass grow, Brandon would have been on board.
And so we went and I lived out my tulip fantasies. But now I really hope that Brandon gets stationed somewhere in Europe so I can see the Holland Tulip fields for real.
Tolmie State Park
There are no shortage of state parks in Washington. Let’s be honest, besides Tacoma, Olympia, and Seattle, the entire Western half of Washington is basically one giant park. Tolmie State Park was one of our favorites.
And here’s my tip: go during low tide in May. Because that is when you will find so many sand dollars you won’t even know what to do. Like literally you will be unable to walk without stepping on sand dollars. You can pick them up and see the weird hairs moving on their underside (which honestly just makes me super itchy). And if you find any that aren’t black anymore (meaning they are dead), you can take them home, bleach them, and have a beautiful little souvenir from your time in Washington.
Of course, that’s only if you want to break the rules since you’re not actually supposed to take the dead sand dollars because “other animals use them.” Oops.
We totally didn’t take sand dollars without realizing that you weren’t allowed to take them. *cough*
Spooner Berry Farms
One of the more random things I took my kids to do that ended up being way more fun than I would have thought, was strawberry picking at Spooner Berry Farms in Olympia. Honestly, I was just looking for something to do and this seemed like an interesting thing that we’d never done. And so we went. And we had a FANTASTIC time. The kids worked hard and we picked over 25 pounds of strawberries!
For those wanting to make a visit to Spooner Berry Farms, they do strawberry picking in June and blueberry picking in August. They also have raspberries, marionberries, and blackberries in July, but as far as I can tell, you don’t pick them yourself.
Dash Point State Park
In an effort to find a sandy beach, but not wanting to drive all the way to the coast, I came across Dash Point State Park. The sand is really nice – and it’s probably the only Puget Sound beach I’ve found with nice sand. Dash Point ISN’T one of my favorite places to go though, and here’s why…
First of all, the walk from the CLOSEST parking lot to the water is A TREK. If it were just a couple of adults, it would be fine. But with 4 kids (which is how many kids we had at the time) it was just too darn inconvenient. PLUS the parking lot is TINY for how busy the park is. So the chances of you being able to park at the closest park are low. Which puts you parking at the upper parking lot which means you get to do a full hike before getting down to the beach. Which, if you’re planning on a hike and then long walk to the water, then it would probably be fine.
I’d say if you’re looking to just play in some water, check out Owen Beach instead.
American Lake (Russell’s Landing on Joint Base Lewis-McChord)
Summer of 2020 I think we went to American Lake at LEAST once a week. Marie, Sarena, and I would just plant our butts down on the sand and work on our tans sunburns (well, not Sarena… curse you and your half-Jamaican tanning abilities!!!) while the kids swam and played in the water.
One of the best things about American Lake in the summer? Seeing the bald eagles swoop down into the water to fish. I’ve seen it dozens of times and I don’t think it will ever get old. It’s one of the things I will truly miss about living in this area. Plus, the perfect view of Mount Rainier from American Lake isn’t horrible either.
Another thing we loved watching was the helicopters that would fly over the lake and the soldiers parachuting out of them. I don’t completely know what kind of training they were doing, but it was cool to see them in action.
While you’re at Russell’s Landing, be sure to check out the path that leads around the lake. Not only is it shady and secluded, but it’s also short and easy, making it perfect for families with young kids!
And let’s not forget kayaking on the lake. Rent a kayak or bring your own – either way, you’re sure to have a good time. I could honestly go on and on about all of the memories that we’ve made at American Lake, but I’ll stop here and move on to the next great place in Washington.
Nisqually Wildlife Refuge
There are tons of trails within the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge and honestly I couldn’t differentiate one from the other. If you’re ever in the mood for easy trails, with interesting and beautiful things to see along the way, be sure to check out the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. Chances are you’ll find a different trail than I did, but you will be glad you went!
Stonehenge Memorial
No, guys, I’m not totally losing my marbles. I know that Stonehenge is in England, not Washington. And I’ve been to the real Stonehenge (cue pretentious, snobby facial expression). But, up on a ridge right along the Columbia River Gorge sits a structure that looks just like the original Stonehenge is supposed to have looked. If you’re driving on the interstate on the Oregon side of the river, you can actually see the structure from the road.
On one of our trips down to Idaho, we decided to check it out and see exactly what it was. I figured it was just a cool project. Turns out it was so much more.
It actually stands as a memorial to the 14 soldiers from Klickitat County, Washington (where the Stonehenge Memorial is located) who died fighting for their country during WWI. It was the first WWI memorial in the United States and was dedicated in 1918. The man behind the full-scale replica believed that the original Stonehenge was used for human sacrifices (we now know this to be false) and felt that it was fitting considering the horrors of World War I.
If you’re a sucker for war memorials like I am, I highly recommend going just a little bit out of your way the next time you’re driving along the Columbia River to see this amazing structure.
Sequalitchew Trail
I think I’ve lost track of how many times we have done the Sequalitchew Trail in Dupont, Washington. This beautiful and easy 1.5 mile “nature walk” ends at the Puget Sound which, in case you can’t tell by now, is one of my favorite places. This path is well-traveled, so you’re always likely to meet others on the way. The path is stroller friendly (jogging strollers work best) and wide enough that people going both directions can pass each other easily.
As you get to the end of the path, right before you hit Puget Sound, you’ll see a large set of tunnels underneath an active railroad track. If you’re into graffiti, you’ll love admiring the artwork on the inside of the tunnels.
Once you get through the tunnel, you’ll be at Puget Sound. And if you’re there at low tide, you’ll even be able to see a ship wreck off to your left. You can walk to the ship wreck and explore during low tide, but it will add a couple miles onto your hike. If you’re looking for a simple 3-mile roundtrip walk, I’d stick with just the main trail.
Multnomah Falls
I realize this one is not in Washington and literally every other place I’ve mentioned is. But Multnomah Falls is one of my favorite places in the Pacific Northwest (I also think I’ve said that about so many of these places – I can’t help it that it’s so darn beautiful up here). We’ve hiked it a few times throughout our marriage and we got to take a day trip down there right after moving to the Pacific Northwest. It was of course exhausting with 4 kids, and I recommend ditching the strollers if you go, but it is well worth the seemingly endless switch-backs for the amazing views of the Columbia River Gorge.
St. Helens, Oregon
If you haven’t shown your kids the movie “Halloweentown,” then you probably should this Halloween. And then plan a trip to St. Helens, Oregon where the movie was filmed. Each Halloween, they put out props from the movie in front of City Hall, including the giant pumpkin, and the taxi cab. My friend, Laina, and I took our kids on a little day trip to see the sites and to say our kids were geeking out would be an understatement.
Plus, as a bonus, much of Twilight was filmed in St. Helens. So there are all kinds of Twilight sites you can go see. Because we were doing a day trip with seven kids, we made a quick stop at Bella Swan’s house, but didn’t do any of the other Twilight locations. That, and I was about 9 weeks pregnant and sicker than anything at this point, so I didn’t really feel like unloading my kids from the car more than necessary.
I’ve got to be honest, when we first moved to Washington, I wasn’t so sure I was going to like it. The people seemed rude, I hated how they drove, and the weather was too gloomy for my liking. But over the past 3 years I’ve realized that most people are nice when you’re overly nice to them, Washingtonians are fast drivers (which as a chronic speeder I appreciate), and I actually really enjoy the rain. It’s safe to say that Washington feels like home and leaving feels like ripping out a piece of my heart!
We’ve got some more PNW adventures to experience yet. And then on to a whole new set of adventures in a whole new place that will feel like home!
’til next time…
Ash