Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
•
Fort Worden State Park
(Port
Townsend): With a beach, old
gun batteries, a science center that
has tide pool touch tanks, and
miles of hiking trails, this park is a
one-stop entertainment center for
kids. See p. 221.
•
Point Defiance Park
(Tacoma):
This gigantic city park at the north
end of Tacoma packs in more fun
stuff for kids than a family could
ever hope to do in a day. There's a
zoo, a replica of a historic trading
fort, and an old-time logging
camp. See p. 204.
•
Long Beach:
With minigolf,
horseback riding, miles of wide
beaches, and perfect winds for kite
flying, this beach community on
the southern Washington coast is
the state's best family beach. See
“The Long Beach Peninsula” in
chapter 8.
12 The Best Small Towns
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La Conner:
Surrounded by tulip
fields and filled with art galleries
and interesting shops, this former
fishing and farming town gets
jammed on weekends, but if you
stop by on a weekday or in the off
season, you can easily be seduced
by its vintage charm. See “La
Conner & the Skagit Valley” in
chapter 5.
•
Langley:
Located near the south
end of Whidbey Island, this for-
mer fishing village is now some-
thing of an upscale arts
community. There are art gal-
leries, antiques and fashion shops,
and several good restaurants. All
this right on the shore of Saratoga
Passage. Some buildings even rise
straight out of the water. See
“Whidbey Island” in chapter 5.
•
Port Townsend:
Late in the 19th
century, this town on the Olympic
Peninsula was poised to become
the region's most important city,
but when the railroad passed it by,
it slipped into obscurity. Today
Port Townsend is obscure no
more. With block after block of
Victorian homes and a waterfront
setting, it has become a favorite
weekend destination for Seattle-
ites. See “Port Townsend: A
Restored Victorian Seaport” in
chapter 7.
•
Leavenworth:
Lederhosen?
Dirndls? Polka parties? Sounds like
someplace to steer clear of, but
actually, the Bavarian theme town
of Leavenworth works. Maybe
there are too many cuckoo clocks
and nutcrackers for sale, but those
mountains on the edge of town are
the genuine article. See “The
Wenatchee Valley and Bavarian
Leavenworth” in chapter 9.
•
Winthrop:
If you saw an 1890s
photo of Winthrop and then vis-
ited this remote community in
north central Washington, you
might think the town had been
caught in a time warp. It just
doesn't look much different than
it did back then. See “Winthrop &
the Methow Valley” in chapter 9.
