4 One Tank of Gas Vacations in the Western Washington

4 One Tank of Gas Vacations in the Western Part of Washington

Western Washington

Depending on where your starting point is, there's several vacation destinations within one tank of gas in Washington. The state of Washington offers many wonderful vacation places from big cities at sea level to the mountain peaks of Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens and lots in between. Washington is home to three National Parks, nine National Forests, and 100 State Parks.

Have you heard of Kelso/Longview, Washington? Kelso/Longview is in Cowlitz County, Washington. It's located on Interstate 5. Kelso is where the Cowlitz, Coweeman and Columbia Rivers all come together. Kelso is 48 miles north of Portland, Oregon and 125 miles south of Seattle, and only 80 miles east of the Pacific Ocean. Early history shows us that Americans settled in Cowlitz County before they even settled in Seattle.

Of course, nearby are casinos, hotels and the Amtrak. the Ape Cave Lava Tubes which formed about 2,000 years ago from a volcanic eruption, the Ape Caves which are located near Mount St. Helens. This cave is full of weird rock formations. The upper Ape Cave is not for people afraid of the dark nor is claustrophobic. The hiking is hard but on a hot day it's cool and refreshing so take warm clothes.

Other attractions include the Three Rivers Golf Course, the Cowlitz County Museum, and the Last Chance Tavern which gets rave reviews.

Then there's North Bend, Washington It's a cute little town located just 30 miles east of Seattle on Interstate-90. It's a quaint little city and I've been there many times for lunch and to visit the Factory Outlet Mall. It sits in a valley surrounded by Moutnt Si, Rattlesnake Ridge and the Cascade Mountains. There's plenty of hiking, bicycling, kayaking, fishing, climbing and skiing opportunities for you. The famous and popular hiking trail called the Mount Si Trail can be found there.

You'll find several bed and breakfasts in and around North Bend and you're very close to the summit of Snoqualmie which is a wonderful scenic drive. The town was made famous by David Lynch's television series Twin Peaks (also filmed in nearby Snoqualmie.)

Don't miss the art galleries and the Northwest Railway Museum or the Snoqualmie Valley Historical Museum.

Check out the link for more adventures in the Cascades in and around North Bend: http://www.gonorthwest.com/washington/cascades/North-Bend/North_Bend.htme/

Another great get-away in Washington that would be fun and takes only one tank of gas, is
Ocean Shores, Washington on the coast and in Grays Harbor County. Fun things to do there are mini golf, go-carting, and right there at the go-cart track is a wonderful ice cream parlor. There's arcades for the kids or the young at heart, boating and fishing, and a great place for biking on the beach or through town because being at sea level, you can't ask for a more level playing field. Don't forget about golfing and there's even a bowling alley.

If you're into horseback riding, you can rent a horse and gallop your way along the beach. Speaking of beach, you can become a beach comber. We've found lots of great shells and sand dollars washed up on the beach. If you get there early, you can find them first before the seagulls get to them. There's always bird watching or go to a move at the local theater.

From January to December there's many wonderful festivals for you to attend. Don't miss the Chowder Cook-off in March, the Fine Arts and Photography show in April, the numerous beach activities along with the kite festivals and challenges, the woodcarvers Sand and Sawdust festival. There's Gospel Music Quilt shows and arts and crafts. To see the full schedule please see their web site: http://www.osgov.com/

There's many nice restaurants, hotels and stores for shopping for that special souvenir and even a casino with a huge hotel and great restaurants. We especially love the Irish Pub.

If you're into camping, there's 6 RV resorts for that.

Long Beach, Washington is in close proximity to Ocean Shores. Here, too, you'll find many of the same activities that you find in Ocean Shores; beach combing, kayaking, hiking, fishing, clam digging, horseback riding and kite flying. Nearby is Leadbetter point, the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge, Cape Disappointment State Park, and the Ilwaco Marina. There's many wonderful places to stay and lots of great shopping.

There's a festival almost every month of the year. From January to December, there's more festival and activities than you can imagine. From the Razor Clam Digging festival to Fireworks at midnight over the ocean. Don't forget to check out the numerous art shows, the Tall Ship tours, fishing derbies and the World's Longest Garage Sale which spans over 28 miles. There's quilt shows, art shows and arts and crafts shows.

There's so much to do and so many activities you must make sure you check their web site to make sure you don't miss anything. www.funbeach.com/events/index.html

There's still the known places to visit like downtown Seattle, the Wharf, Science Center, Imax theater, Pike Place Market, Space Needle, Experience Music Project and the Seattle Center Park, and the Boeing tours. There's Mt. Rainier, Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens.