Bright blue lakes, miles of mountain ranges, and acres of evergreen rainforests, get your camera ready because Washington State will leave you breathless! Before the pandemic of 2020, my boyfriend and I were so excited to take our first trip overseas to Europe. Once Coronavirus became international and traveling abroad was soon after banned, I made it my mission to book an outdoorsy adventure that was not only fulfilling, but also safe. Being that the National Parks in Washington were on my bucket list, I found that this was the perfect time to book an outdoorsy trip. We saved money by flying into Seattle from Newark Airport (NJ) and stayed in a guest suite listed on Airbnb located in Burien, WA (about 15 minutes from the airport/city) for about $60/night. We visited 3 National Parks: North Cascades, Olympic, and Mount Rainier, all of which were free of charge besides Mount Rainier (a $30 entry fee per vehicle for the day). We also spent almost 2 full days in Seattle, went whale watching, and watched the sunset over Alki Beach. Here was our itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Seattle around noon, retrieve luggage and rental car (we used Fox Rental Car and used the shuttle provided at the airport to get there). Checked into Airbnb, went food shopping for some essentials, breakfasts, and hiking/ road trip snacks. Had dinner at the Chicken Burger in Burien, and relaxed by the water to watch the sunset at Alki Beach.
Day 2: Hit the road by 6am to head to North Cascades National Park. We stopped at Diablo Lake Overlook and took some amazing photos of Diablo Lake surrounded by enormous mountains. Once we arrived, we hiked the Blue Lake Trail (about a 4 mile out-and-back trail, rated moderate). This took us around 3-4 hours which included stops to rest, take pictures, and time to enjoy our surroundings.
Day 3: A day in the city. This day was more relaxed, as we went to Seattle, walked through the famous Pike Place Market, and toured the top of the Space Needle, the city’s most well known landmark. Make sure to grab a cup of clam chowder at “Pike Place Chowder” and wash it down with some ginger beer from “Rachel’s Ginger Beer” for lunch. But save room for dinner, because “The Crab Pot” in Bellevue is a cracking good meal!
Day 4: A day among the trees we spent in Olympic National Park. Hiking the Pony Bridge trail (about 3 miles of moderate hiking), we were surrounded by mossed filled trees, rushing rivers and crisp fresh air. This hike also took between 3-4 hours, but save some energy because a few miles down the road lives the world’s largest spruce tree, and I promise, you’ll want to add that towering giant to the list!
Day 5: A day at sea! The cold waters of the Pacific Northwest are a hotspot for all types of species of whales. We took a whale watching tour with Puget Sound Express sailing out of Edmonds, Washington. This tour was about $150 per person, but was over 4 hours long and the staff and crew made sure that we got to see multiple species of whales and other wildlife. Not to mention their warm blueberry buckle and hot chocolate was a huge bonus!
Day 6: This was by far the best day of the trip: Mount Rainier National Park. We took a difficult, yet popular and heavily trafficked trail named “Paradise Trail”. This entire hike (lasting between 5-6 hours) had 360 degree views of mountain ranges and the stratovolcano, Mount Rainier, of course. While this hike had high elevation and was overall challenging, the views throughout the entire hike were absolutely breathtaking, making it my all-time favorite memory.
Day 7: Our final day. We maximized our time in Washington by booking an overnight flight, giving us one full extra day of fun. We used our time visiting the Point Defiance Zoo, which had walruses, elephants, and many other species of both land and marine life. We also visited the Rose Gardens nearby, and ended our day by shopping in the city and having another dinner at “The Crab Pot” (can you tell our favorite place?).
Overall, this trip was filled with beautiful scenery, delicious food, and active itinerary and great company, making it my favorite adventure to date. If you liked my itinerary and plan to use it as a guideline to plan your next adventure, I do advise of two things:
- This trip was a LOT of driving. Most of the parks we visited were between 2-4 hours (one-way) from where we were staying. All of the National Parks we visited are very spread out from each other. But while they do each take a couple of hours to get to, the drives come with some great views too!
- Make sure that you plan hikes that mirror your own personal physical potential. As someone who is only moderately active, I definitely found myself getting worn out at times during some of these trails. If you are looking to push yourself, make sure that you stay hydrated, and bring plenty of snacks along for the hike (but NEVER leave your garbage behind- keep our planet clean!).
Now that this breathtaking trip has been broken down for you, what are you waiting for?
Adventure Tips and Sips 