Washington State

[KO]

Putting my summer trip together. I am planning on departing Tampa Fl (around July 4th) and heading out to the Northwest, specifically Washington State.

I will have our 12-year-old grandson. His parents will fly out to meet us and then do their thing in a rental vehicle and then fly back to Tampa. We will probably have around two - two and a half weeks of sightseeing.


Looking for ideas on where to go and stay. Not interested in Seattle.

When we return to Tampa, it will be thru Minnesota as we must be there for a grandson's birthday. Looking at taking 20 on the return trip.

Thanks...

[enblethen]

I agree that the state parks are over-priced and then the additional Discovery Pass charge.
I avoid state parks and use the national parks, national foreset and BLM parks.

[ksg5000]

Depends on how much time. I would focus on the unique stuff (Mt St Helens, etc). I personally found that the Olympic Nat Forest a disappointment (takes lots of time and not necessarily the requisite return). I found that when I take my guest on tours they really remembered the Volcano and the San Juan tour which I usually make into a loop which includes Victoria/BC.

[mockturtle]

ScottG is right. However, IMO, WA State Parks are vastly overpriced and I usually avoid them.

[ScottG]

What ever you dicide to do, if you want to stay in State Parks make your reservations NOW!
Even now, the better spots or even just sites with utilities will probably be booked solid.
We have to make all our reservations 9 months in advance.

Hope you enjoy our state!

Scott

[mockturtle]

As a former WA resident I would agree with the above suggestions but would also add a ferry trip through the San Juans. Grand Coulee Dam is worth a visit as is North Cascades NP.

[enblethen]

You should plan a day or more at MT St Helens.
The Olympic US 191 is not to be missed. Tatoosh Head is farthest west point in contigent US. Opposite of Florida. Several NPS campgrounds along loop.
Come to eastern Washington. Much of eastern WA is high desert. Visit Grand Coulee dam in the evening and after dark for laser show on face of dam.
US 2 over the Cascade Mtns Stevens Pass visit Leavenworth or travel over Cascades on WA SR 20 over North Cascades and visit Winthrop. Leavenworth has a Bavarian motif where Winthrop is a western motif.
Many of the state aprks are decent. Order the vacation guide from Washington State

[RoyF]

If you like to sample good wine then spend a day or two for tasting in eastern Washington, particularly the Kennewick-Pasco area. There are dozens of small wineries to choose from, and some of the cabernet sauvignons are outstanding.

[ppine]

Make sure you spend some time in the eastern Cascades. I used to get tired of the rain and always spent a lot of time over there. There are plenty of great places on Nat For land outside the Parks.

[agesilaus]

Mt Rainier NP is excellent, I think we stayed at Shady Firs CG which is right outside the park. The park is a bit odd but the Aussie owners were very nice. They had poor WIFI you had to get near the office to use it. They had a picnic table set up for that purpose.

Mt St Helen's and Mt Baker are a of couple others.

Then there is the Cascades NP. We plan to go this summer.

The Olympics are good but it is one of those parks that you cannot drive thru. You have to drive along the perimeter and there are short roads into the park. It's a long way around the perimeter so we ended up staying in two different cg. One on the east side, Glynn Aire RV park which was nice and had a fishing dock on the Hood Canal where my son caught lots of fish. Very popular with him. And the other on the west side, the Forks 101 cg. I never heard of Forks but my wife was quite happy to be there. The cg was a swamp when we were there, just an open field.

There are all sorts of excellent state parks on the east side of the state from what I've heard. You can catch a Ferry to Victoria Canada from Port Angeles.

Very few beach type parks as you know them in Tampa. The water is cold all year round.

[monkey44]

HOH Forest, a do not miss area ... stunning rain-forest.

[PHM4LR]

Olympic National Park would be top on my list (even though I've been there before)

Pat