|
Although Seattle is one of America's most likeable and vibrant
cities, well worth a few days of anybody's time, perhaps its greatest
asset for visitors is its proximity to the glorious rural scenery
of Puget Sound . The islands here are stepping stones to the Olympic
Peninsula to the west, whose mountains are home to rare elk and
lush vegetation that merges into rainforest, and whose wilderness
beaches have remained unchanged for centuries. The Olympic National
Park , which occupies the bulk of the peninsula, is dazzling, and
a hike along one of its clearly laid-out trails can be a highlight
of any trip. Just make sure that you don't mind the wet, often stormy
weather of western Washington, which only offers predictably warm
temperatures and blue skies during the summer.
Not quite as rainy as the mountains to the northeast, the southern
coast is flatter and more accessible but not as appealing, littered
with industrial towns and glum holiday resorts. The nearest worthwhile
destination lies a few hours east, where you can marvel at the wasted
volcanic scenery of Mount St Helens .
Much drier and more desolate, the sprawling prairie-plateau that
makes up most of eastern Washington is a long, slow grind with little
of interest, though if a cross-country trek takes you through Spokane
, the Grand Coulee Dam is worth a detour. Otherwise you're only
likely to come out here if you're traveling the Cascade loop, a
memorable 400-mile round-trip through the stunning Cascade Mountains
.
Seattle is well served by both trains and buses . Amtrak (tel 1-800-USA-RAIL,
) runs its Coast Starlight train once daily south to LA, while its
Cascades line runs four times per day south to Eugene, Oregon, and
north to Vancouver in British Columbia. Amtrak's daily Empire Builder
route heads east (to Chicago), just as Greyhound (tel 1-800/229-9424)
provides bus service east across the Cascades to Spokane and beyond,
with other routes to Wenatchee (for Chelan), Ellensburg, Yakima
and Walla Walla. Areas not covered by Greyhound are usually accessible
on local buses, though this can be time-consuming and inconvenient.
Getting to and along the coast is more difficult and requires some
planning. Ferries from Seattle shuttle across to Winslow, on Bainbridge
Island , from where Kitsap Transit services link with Jefferson
Transit for access to Port Angeles, Port Townsend and Olympic National
Park. In the Seattle and Puget Sound area, ferries (mostly run by
Washington State Ferries; Washington: tel 206/464-6400 or 1-888/808-7977;
British Columbia: tel 250/381-1551, ) are a reliable and enjoyable
method of getting to such places as Whidbey Island and the San Juan
Islands. There are also long-distance services, to Canada from Seattle,
Anacortes and Port Angeles, and to Alaska from Bellingham.
See what Washington car rentals has to offer today. Choose a link
above to view today's special Washington rental car rates from different
agencies! Click here to get started with a car
rental quote now!
|
