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Guide:
Regions & Cities:
Ports of Call
Directory
Overview
Washington State, in the north-western extremity of the United
States bordered by Canada and the Pacific Ocean, offers a unique
opportunity for visitors to blend the fun of a vibrant city
vacation with an exciting wilderness experience, all within a
relatively short distance of each other.
In the scenically set young city of Seattle, hugging the shores
of the Puget Sound, high-tech attractions both educate and
entertain at the foot of the city's famous landmark, the soaring
Space Needle. It is just a step from the waterfront of this dynamic
metropolis onto a ferry, which transports you to the wild windswept
Pacific beaches, or the emerald green islands of the Sound.
Travel inland to explore national parks, three within easy reach
of Seattle, most set around the peaks of the volcanic Cascades
Mountains and sporting forests, rivers, lakes and glaciers. In
summer the green western wilderness areas draw thousands of hikers,
climbers and cyclists, while in winter the skiers head for the
slopes.
The north-eastern part of the state, across the barrier of the
Cascades Mountains, is desert-like with warm, dry air and a
landscape befitting the gateway to the Rocky Mountains. The
southeast is carpeted with wheat fields and dotted with historic
towns while the central Columbia River Plateau is a rugged area,
sculpted by glaciers and ice age flooding, characterised now by
wheat fields, lakes and orchards.
Washington is a diverse and beautiful state that can truly claim
to offer 'something for everyone'.