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Washington Travel

The classic postcard picture of Washington is a photographer’s dream — glistening, snow-white mountains looming over a wilderness of evergreens. But that much-reproduced image presents only one side of this state in the Pacific Northwest. Like neighboring Oregon, Washington is divided by a mighty mountain range into two quite different worlds: lush alpine landscapes to the west; semiarid plains and hills to the east.

The Cascade Range forms this great divide, running from north to south in a broad band of tall peaks, glacial lakes, and thickly wooded valleys’. No fewer than three national parks, two of them in Washington and one in Oregon, have been marked out in the most spectacular stretches of the range.

In the north, extending down from the Canadian border, is North Cascades National Park, site of some 750 of the 1,100-odd glaciers found in the lower 48 states. Grinding away for millennia, the glaciers have worked the granite mountains into sharp points. Climbers who meet the challenge of Mount Terror, Mount Triumph, and other park summits are rewarded with a stunning sight — the icebound Cascades receding into the distance like the breaking waves of an ocean, for as far as the eye can see.

Chainsaw Carvings, Washington

Like many towns in Washington, Snoqualmie started as a logging center, a heritage that's kept alive in the George Kenny School of Chainsaw Carving downtown.

Troll Haven, Washington

Locals told us to see little-known Troll Haven, an attraction outside Sequim on northwestern Washington's Olympic Peninsula. We're glad we took their advice--what a place!

Snoqualmie Falls, Washington

This thundering cascade in central Washington is taller than Niagara Falls.

Every time we see Snoqualmie Falls, we're amazed by its beauty and power. The waters plunge dramatically from a height of 268 feet, almost 100 feet taller than Niagara Falls, and the mist from the gorge below often rises all the way to the nearby observation platform.

Boehms Candy Kitchen in Issaquah, Washington

We have a suggestion if you visit our hometown of Issaquah, Washington. Take your sweet time and visit Boehms Candy Kitchen, a chocolate shop and art museum rolled into one.

Above the store is the Edelweiss Chalet, a residence that founder Julius Boehms built in 1956 to house his astonishing collection of art objects and memorabilia. Inside you'll see stained-glass windows from Germany, oil paintings, sculptures and photos from Mr. Boehm's amazing life (he climbed Mt. Rainier when he was 75 and 80!).

Cape Flattery, Washington

My wife, Marian, and I recently took a long-awaited trip in our motor home to the Northwest, where we saw amazing places like Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks.

Pendleton Woolen Mills in Washougal, Washington

Until we toured the Pendleton Woolen Mills in Washougal, Washington, we had no idea how much goes into turning sheep's wool into fabric.