Travel Escapades-United States



	United States-Washington (the evergreen state)

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	General:			Washington state is my home. We live in Western Washington on the Puget Sound. Western Washington has a mild climate most of the time. We do get a lot of rain and have a lot of cloudy days but some summers are very nice also. The summer of 2003 was one of the best I can ever remember. We had very little rain and beautiful sunshine almost every day. I actually got too hot most of this summer, especially when the temperatures would climb higher than 85 degrees (F). We don't get as much snow in the winter as we used to when I was a kid, but we did have a little more this year than we have for a number of years.

	NW Source			The cascade mountains help to keep our weather milder on the western part of the state and create both colder and hotter weather on the eastern side of the state. We have a number of beautiful mountain peaks in the state which offer great skiing in the winter months when we get adequate snow. We also have a lot of tall evergreens, nice lakes, rivers, and water ways. We have Pacific Ocean beaches along the coast and beautiful Puget Sound reaches north from the Canadian border to south past Olympia. We have ferries that traverse across the sound, some connecting to islands or to Canada. Although I have never seen them, Orcas do occasionally swim in the sound, I have seen seals in the sound.
	Maps
	Tourism-WA			Although we usually don't have the nice warm weather nearly as often or for as long as California, we do have a variety of outdoor activities in the state besides skiing. Many enjoy hiking, mountain climbing, boating, fishing, horseback riding, baseball, soccer, camping, tennis, golf, and many other outdoor activities. We have a lot of parks and in the summer there are a number of fairs, festivals, and a large variety of festivities. If interested check the events listing for the city where you'll be staying for more information. You can connect to WA state city information through the Tourism-WA link to the left.

	Tacoma Area			Tacoma is the third largest city in the state. Tacoma is 36 miles south of Seattle. The population is approximately 200,000. I live in the Tacoma area and the University of Washington-Tacoma is located in the downtown area of Tacoma. Downtown is comprised of several high rise buildings and sits just above the Commencement Bay, which connects to the Port of Tacoma. The Tacoma area includes many suburbs. Some of the suburbs and outlying areas have unique areas to visit also.
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				I have seen seals from time to time near Pt Defiance, this is a large park located on a point on Puget Sound. There is a great zoo here and lots of things to do and see. A ferry connects Pt. Defiance with Vashon Island. From Vashon one can drive north and connect on ferries to Bremerton or Seattle (see ferries above). For park information go to Metro Parks. You can also research more about the area through the Tourism-WA site above.
	Seattle:
				Seattle is the largest city in Washington state with a population reaching over 563,000. It is also one of the best places to visit in the state. There is a lot of things you can do and see there.




	San Juan Islands			Lopez Island

				Orcas Island

				San Juans Friday Harbor

	Olympia			Olympia

	Mt St Helens			Mt St Helens

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	Ocean Shores			Ocean Shores

	Conclusion:			This concludes my notes on traveling Washington. There are many other areas to discover. There are many other resources by state on the web, happy hunting!
	Disclaimer:
				The links provided are links I found in searching the net. Some are to travel agents or other services. I have not used most of these services, so I am not recommending any. I am only adding these links to provide additional information to my travel documentaries above.

				I suggest you do your own research before traveling and only book your travel adventures through a reputable travel company. Buyer beware: there are lots of scam artists that use the travel industry to make a quick buck, don't be a victim. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.



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	Updated 2/14/04
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