Sometimes you only have a few days in one place, and that’s Ok. Not all trips were meant to be epic hiking adventures. Having only two full days in Washington state we made the most of every minute we had in our day. From stunning tulip fields and flower gardens, to catching a bit of snow in the mountains en-route. Washington has a little bit of everything and a whole lot of coffee.
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My sister-in-law and I landed in Washington and the first thing we wanted to see was the tulips! We didn’t spend any time in the city (sorry Seattle, we weren’t around to add to your bizarre gum wall). It was second nature for us to skip out on the city and plan our retreat into the floral valley for some peace, quiet and flowers! Our first stop: to see all the tulips in the lovely Skagit Valley. Next we headed to the German themed town of Leavenworth. Lastly, we spent one whole day in Olympic state park, all the while trying all the different espresso drive-throughs along the way.
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Day 1: Skagit Valley, Leavenworth & Pitstops along the way
Start your day bright and early!
— 3 hrs 17 min | 200 km
First, pick an Air Bnb or accommodation that is central to your destinations. We stayed in a beautiful place on the bluffs on Oak harbour in Washington state. Although a little bit further from our day 1 destinations. It ended up being the perfect centre between the valley and Olympic national park. The caretaker of the air bnb made fresh homemade scones everyday for breakfast, and I got to feed the chickens (I’ve always wanted my own chickens). And look at that sunrise, what a view!
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| LNKOO Camera Strap
Skagit Valley Tulip festival
Season Dependant : Usually Falls in April
It called for rain, but we ended up with the best weather in the valley!
A few good things to know before visiting. There are 20+ different fields for tulips in the valley. This includes the daffodil fields, both of which are seasonal and have slightly different bloom times. If you want to try to hit both, you will need to go in the earlier weeks of the season as the daffodils pass bloom first. Also, not all tulips varieties will bloom at the same time. We went on the last week of the festival and the larger majority of the tulip varieties were blooming.
If you buy your tulips field pass at the main location (this one), it will give you bypass to the other parking lots around the valley, without having to pay the lot fee at each separate destination. Unless you are set on only seeing one field, the pass is worth it. Also, most of the fields are not walking distance from one another: you’ll have to rely on your car to get around for this one.
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Hwy 2 Pitstops and Sights To See
Deception Waterfall
River Rapids
59er Milkshake Diner
Espresso Coffee Stands
En Route to Leavenworth, Washington we were met with an abundance of surprises along the road. None of which we had mapped or planned. Hwy-2 boasts all these pockets of wonder around every corner. From the retro milkshake shop, to rapids and waterfalls, and even a spontaneous mountain snowstorm that left everything looking like it had just been with powdered sugar. Top that with the evening sunlight peering through the mountains as we headed home. One word: spectacular.
Deception Waterfalls & Rapids
Espresso Coffee Stalls
The espresso drive through stalls were something new to me. No where in Canada do these really exist in the same way. These tiny booths are smack in the middle of a every parking lot and in places you just wouldn’t expect. The love for the coffee stall is so strong here, each one seems to boast it’s own theme. Found pretty much everywhere in the state, some are no larger than 8×8 feet, and with the best coffee. For example, while driving to the Hoh-Rainforest for miles, there is literally nothing, but smack in the middle of no-where, an espresso drive through.
59er Milkshake Diner
And the same goes for the milkshake retro diner. Driving through the tall pines and the magnificaent forest scenery. You see the sun setting, rays peering through the tips on the conifers as the road slowly weaves you up into the mountains. Turn the corner and BAM! Retro dinner. It clashes with the scenery in a pleasant unexpecting way. The way you feel it should be in remote themed 60’s movie about the perils of being a teenager in a small town. Definitely a spot to hit and enjoy a shake.
Leavenworth
German Town & Reindeer Farm
Over the mountain and back into the valley, the first town you will hit is the cute old logging town of Leavenworth. With is unique German theme and a reindeer farm; It’s an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon with friends or family. Pick up some cute Christmas theme goods or go for a relaxing walk by the Wenatchee river in the Waterfront / Enchantment park. Or like us, spend it eating a giant schnitzel and petting baby reindeer. If you choose to go see the Leavenworth reindeer, please book ahead as there are limited timeslots and tours daily.
Day 2: Olympic National Park and Forest
Hurricane Ridge, Hoh rain-forest, Ruby Beach
— 2 hrs 40 min | 210 km
We dedicated our second day to hitting a few of the hot spots in the area around the Olympic national park and forest. The Olympic National Park along with the forest is absolutely huge and you could easly spend weeks exploring it all between simple and extreme hikes. With our limited time we just skimmed the surface. There are a lot of beautiful sights to see, but there is also a lot of driving, so pack those granola barsand snacks! Today will be a day mixed with hiking, enjoyable walking paths and windy beaches.
Ruby Beach Sea Stacks
A rocky beach scattered with lots of drift wood, ocean stacks standing high above the shore and ponds sprinkled with sea life. A great spot for photography with that mystical permanent sea haze. If you scope around you can have a chance to find sea stars in tidal ponds along the beach.
Hoh- Rainforest
Where the pacific ocean meets the western side of the olympic national park is a rare stretch of an micro-ecosystem. The ocean air and moisture in these pockets along the coast combine and create these maginificent moss rainforests. Moss covers these massive trees head to toe and it’s spectacular. Hoh is but one of a handfull of these rainforests you can visit along the coast.
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Hurricane Ridge
A long drive uphill will take you to the panoramic viewpoint known as hurricane ridge. Easily accessible, you don’t have to hike this one to get the spectacular views. Although, long hikes to the peak are available around the mountain in varying lenghts. This viewpoint is in Olympic National Park, thus there is a day fee to enter the park at $30 US per car. This pass is valid all day for re-entry into the park. (Olympic National Forest is not the same as the Olympic National Park; there is no fee to enter the Olympic Forest).
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