Washington

Sure it can be rainy, but Washington State boasts beautiful and varied scenery, from rugged Pacific beaches like Copalis and Grenville Bay to the snowy, craggy peaks of the Cascade Mountains. Don’t driving the rugged coastline on the Olympic Peninsula, hiking in a temperate rain forest at Hoh Rain Forest, or whale watching in the San Juan Islands, either. The state’s culinary scene includes wine made from cabernet sauvignon and albariño varietals grown in Walla Walla and plenty of seafood, especially Dungeness crab, sea urchins, mussels, and Kumamoto and Olympia oysters.

Seattle Washington

Overview

Planning your trip

Use these articles, resources, and guides to plan and inspire your next trip to Washington.

Read Before You Go
Hotels
Architecture, history, and fitness star in these exclusive club hotels that let nonmembers check in.
The wild beauty of Washington state and Canada’s British Columbia is luring in a fresh crop of outdoor-focused accommodations—from tented camps to Japanese onsen-inspired forest cabins.
How I became a Snow Peak fan-girl in one short weekend.
Live like a local in the Emerald City with these home-away-from-home Airbnbs in neighborhoods from Capitol Hill to Ballard.
These top-level properties are the places to stay.
Resources to help plan your trip
Put away the guide book and check out some of Seattle’s best hidden gems with this list of things to do, restaurants, and more.
Seattle overflows with brilliant chefs and inspired fare from around the world, from umami-bomb Red Sea noodle soup to rhubarb-pistachio cheesecake. With influences from Europe, Hawaii, and further east, Seattle’s kitchens focus on the just-caught bounty of the Pacific, produce from nearby farms, and cuisines brought from far and wide by its diverse population.
Seattle’s hotels cater to all sorts of travelers, from budget-conscious families to couples seeking a romantic getaway. Which hotel is best for you? The Four Seasons combines luxury accommodations with a central location in downtown Seattle. The hip Ace Hotel is in the heart of Belltown’s nightlife. Or you can explore Ballard’s artsy shops and restaurants while staying at the small, cozy Ballard Inn, just steps away from one of Seattle’s weekend farmers markets.
The heart of America’s studio glass community—and home to Dale Chihuly, a pioneer of the studio glass movement—finally has a festival to celebrate it.
With its dark-as-steel Puget Sound and snowcapped mountains, Washington may not look much like wine country at first. But stay in one of the state’s quintessential wine towns and you’ll quickly discover that some of the country’s best syrahs, merlots, and chardonnays are being produced here.
Wine lovers, rejoice: the French-style bar à vins, beloved especially in Paris as a casual, personality-driven neighborhood haunt for regular wine drinking, is staking a claim in the United States.
The Great American Rail-Trail will connect 12 states from coast to coast when it’s finished.
This legislation, which is expected to pass in the House and be signed into law by the president, will protect 1.3 million acres of wilderness, expand several national parks, and establish five national monuments.
From Knoxville’s Tennessee Theatre to Pasadena’s Ambassador Auditorium, these concert venues hit just the right note.
Cultural institutions around the country are staging exhibitions that invite us to consider the timely question: What does it mean to be an American? Here are seven shows to see this year.
Just because temps get low doesn’t mean your drinking shouldn’t stay high-in-the-sky—these cooler-weather cities offer rooftop perches that are welcoming and warming, all winter long.
For the food-obsessed, these bookstores aren’t just places to buy the latest cookbook. They’re also community hubs, where you can meet with fellow food-lovers, learn a new cooking skill—or even meet your favorite chef.
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