KITSAP PENINSULA

A short drive off-island (there is a bridge at the northern end of the island) takes you to the Kitsap Peninsula with charming Nordic-themed Poulsbo just 10 minutes away. Kingston has a ferry connection to Edmonds, just north of Seattle. Further to the south of Poulsbo there is Silverdale with the Kitsap Mall shopping center.

OLYMPIC PENINSULA

You will want to explore the Olympic Peninsula and visit the Olympic National Park, with world class hiking, camping and recreational possibilities and the Olympic Music Festival at Quilcene. Historic Port Townsend is a wonderful day trip to visit its charming Victorian. A scenic ride out to the Washington coast takes you past beautiful Crescent Lake and access to Hurricane Ridge and Olympic Mountain hiking trails maintained through the state park system.

On the coast, you can hike through the mossy trails of the Hoh Rain Forest, or backpack along the beaches and over the forested headlands for a spectacular camping experience next to the Pacific Ocean in the Northwest. There are state park lodges and cabins at Klaloch and Lake Quinault as well, which are great places from which to observe winter storms.

SEATTLE

A thirty-five minute ferry ride east (free in that direction if you walk on) takes you to the delightful city of Seattle, within walking distance of the Seattle Symphony at Benaroya Hall, world class restaurants, great shopping, and the unforgettable experience of Pike Place Market. Other attractions include the Experience Music Project, several live theater companies as well as a renowned opera company and the Pacific Northwest Ballet, the Seattle Art Museum (fondly referred to as SAM), the Mariners at Safeco Field and the Seahawks at Qwest Stadium, the Sonics at the Key Arena, and the Pacific Science Center at Seattle Center, which is also the location of the famous Seattle Space Needle. The University of Washington, just a few miles northeast of Seattle downtown, is a major research university providing quality education to over 30,000 undergraduates and almost 12,000 graduate students.

CASCADE MOUNTAINS

Heading east from Seattle, over Lake Washington and toward the Cascade mountains, you can drive to several ski areas for winter recreation, and a wide variety of hiking trails to be enjoyed during the warmer weather. It is well worth taking a leisurely autumn drive through the mountains with stops in the charming small towns such as Winthrop, Leavenworth, and Rockport. In the spring, an hour and a half drive north of Seattle to the Skagit Valley will reward you with the sight of daffodil and tulip fields rivaled only by those of the Netherlands!

SAN JUAN ISLANDS

A short drive further will take you to Anacortes, where you can take a state ferry to adventure in the San Juan Islands.