Washington! What a glorious state. I spent 13 days meandering the area and here is my full guide to The Evergreen State:
Seattle
Check out my full guide to Seattle here! Here are some favorites from this trip:
Fair Isle Brewing: An amazing brewery focused on Saisons and Farmhouse Ales. Their taproom is cute, their staff is really nice, and their beer is absolutely incredible. By far my favorite stop in Seattle. 49th Street Beast is their onsite food truck.
The Masonry: A stellar beer bar and pizza restaurant in Lower Queen Anne. They have a solid draft list and a good list of beer bottles, wines and cocktails. Their pizzas are fantastic and the menu also includes salads and small plates.
Fast Fashion: This is a great brewery with two locations in Seattle: Lower Queen Anne (connected to The Masonry) and in the SoDo neighborhood. They are known for their tasty IPAs but still have a robust tap list.
Great Notion Brewing: This fantastic Portland based brewery has two locations in Seattle, one in the Ballard neighborhood and one in the Georgetown neighborhood. They are particularly great at Sours and Stouts. In Ballard the taproom has nice indoor and outdoor seating with Burb’s Burgers inside for eats.
RidgeWood Bottle & Tap: A great beer bar and bottle shop in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood. They have a huge tap list with a great selection. The vibes are chill and there are some water views from the front patio space.
Fulcrum Café: A cute coffee shop in Belltown with a small food menu. Their coffee is great!
Chihuly Garden and Glass: A very cool glass museum with an indoor gallery, outdoor gallery, glass blowing demonstrations and onsite restaurant. Tickets are $35 which I was shook by but I would say it is worth it! Located in the Seattle Center next to the Space Needle.
The Fat Hen: A cute spot for brunch just north of the Ballard neighborhood. They have a coffee bar, full food menu and a few cocktails. Everything I had was delicious and it is a great little neighborhood spot.
The Maxwell Hotel from Stay Pineapple: A really nice hotel conveniently located right downtown in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood. They are dog-friendly and have onsite parking. The bedding and robes are absolutely luxurious, and there is also an indoor pool and complimentary bikes. They have an onsite bar/restaurant and coffee shop with tasty drinks and eats.
Biscuit Bitch: A popular and touristy spot with delicious biscuits. They have 2 locations and you can order online to avoid any potential lines.
Seattle Center: Wander this area that is home to the Space Needle, multiple event spaces and a large outdoor park.
Lake 22 Trail: This trail is 6.4 miles long with 1,450ft of elevation gain and is rated moderate. It is a rocky trail out to Lake 22 which is pretty and overall it’s not too tough. The trailhead is 1 hour north of Seattle in Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest. It takes just over 2.5 hours to complete.
Holy Mountain Brewing: Holy Mountain has two locations in town—their OG taproom and the newer Phinney Ridge taproom. Phinney Ridge is a nice, sleek space with a smaller tap list. There are a few places nearby to snag eats. The original taproom has frequent food trucks and a large open space.
The Pine Box: A craft beer dive bar with a food menu in an old chapel. The vibes are fun and their selection is solid. The Pine Box is located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, parking in this area can be tough.
TeKu Tavern: This beer bar and bottle shop has a great can and bottle selection alongside some solid taps.
Ravenna Brewing Company: An average brewery in the northeast Suburbs with frequent food trucks.
Bellevue
Bellevue is right across the water from Seattle and has a cute downtown and over 100 parks.
Bellevue Brewing Company: Located in The Spring District, a planned community, they have a great patio, a large variety of beers, cocktails, wine and a full food menu.
Get on the water: Rent a kayak or stand up paddleboard from the REI Boathouse on Meydenbauer Bay. The bay leads out to Lake Washington with pretty views. They also offer tours.
Take a Circuit to get around: Bellevue offers Bellhop for free electric transport in town.
Bellingham
Bellingham is a cute little waterfront town full of breweries. It is 1.5 hours north of Seattle and 20 minutes south of the Canadian border. Keep your eyes peeled for seals in the bay!
Otherlands Beer: My favorite spot in town! The beers here are superb and mainly Saisons and Lagers. They also have a European-style food menu and a restaurant set-up. Highly recommend!
The Great Northern Bottle Shop & Lounge: A fantastic bottle shop and beer bar from Garden Path Fermentation. They are located in the heart of downtown with a ton of bottles and a great selection. They have Garden Path Fermentation taps and guest taps with super friendly service.
Stemma Brewing: A great brewery with a cute taproom, nice patio space, and tasty beers.
Explore Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest:
Chain Lakes Loop Trail: This trail is 8.3 miles long with 1,794ft of elevation gain and is rated moderate. The views of Mt. Baker are fantastic before the beautiful Iceberg and Hayes Lakes. Bagley Lakes are here too and you can extend the trail to do the Bagley Lakes Trail if desired, but they weren’t as impressive. The last 1 mile from the Visitor’s Center back to Artist Point is extremely steep, and the trail takes about 3 hours and 45 minutes to complete. I highly recommend starting this trail early, it gets very busy. It is a very exposed trail and rocky at points.
Picture Lake Path: A quick little paved trail to a small lake with views of Mt. Shuksan. It is worth the stop!
The North Fork Brewery: A quaint little brewpub in Deming, between Mt. Baker and Bellingham. They have pizza, salads and appetizers and it is a popular spot.
Home2Suites: A nice place to stay that is 5 minutes from downtown. Updated and clean!
Structures Brewing: Structures has 2 locations in town. Their original taproom has a small tap list and a cute outdoor seating area. Their Old Town location has a burger menu and a few more taps.
Wander Brewing: This brewery has a wide variety of things on tap and very strong branding. The beers overall are average but the vibes are great. Their second location is named Roam and also has coffee.
Artivem Mead Co.: A nice meadery and wine + beer bar on the waterfront. The views are quite nice and you can do flights of the various meads.
Elizabeth Station: A craft beer bar, bottle shop and pizza restaurant with a solid selection of Pacific Northwest beers.
Little Squalicum Beach: A nice little rocky beach that is great for sunset!
Aslan Brewing Company: Aslan has two locations in town, the Brewpub and the Depot Barrel & Blending facility. At The Depot I found the beers to be average, there were not blended or barreled beers available during my visit (given the name this seemed off), there is a nice patio space, and they have a full food menu.
Woods Coffee: A local chain coffee shop with solid coffee and food, they open very early which was convenient!
San Juan Islands
Grab the ferry from Anacortes and head out to the San Juan Islands! The ferry is $15.20 roundtrip for passengers and you have to buy them at the counter, there are no advance reservations unless you are bringing a car to the islands. Parking is $13 per car at the lots onsite and there are more spots in businesses nearby for $7 per day.
The ferry takes just over 1 hour each way to get to San Juan and there are pretty views of various islands along the way. The ferry is a well-oiled machine and there are plenty of seats so there is no need to arrive super early. Be sure to catch the sunset if you’re on the ferry at the right time, it is absolutely gorgeous.
The town of Friday Harbor is cute and quaint, I walked the whole downtown in about 30 minutes. It is perfect for a day trip! There are also other islands you can visit, but San Juan is the main island and most popular.
Take a whale tour: I did the Adventure Whale Tour with San Juan Safaris and we hung out with 3 killer whales for a majority of the time, it was epic. We also saw a ton of absolutely massive sea lions. They provide spray suits for the wind and water which was very helpful on our little zodiac-style boat. There are multiple whale tour companies on the island, but I had a great time with San Juan Safaris and would definitely recommend the smaller boat experience.
Riptide Café is connected to their building and has coffee, smoothies and a small food menu.
Cease and Desist: A fantastic beer bar on the water with a solid selection of Pacific Northwest beers, great vibes, and water views.
San Juan Island Brewing Company: A cute restaurant-style brewery with full food menu. They have indoor and outdoor seating.
Overlook Park: A good viewpoint higher up overlooking the bay.
The Whale Museum: A small museum all about whales. It is $10 to enter and probably not worth that cost but when in Rome.
Cynthia’s Bistro: I have mixed thoughts on Cynthia’s—the food was good and the little side garden is nice and relaxing but the food took an insane amount of time to come out (not just mine, other people mentioned this to me later in the day too), and the mimosa was almost all juice. In conclusion go for the food if you aren’t super hungry and have a lot of time to spend.
Madrone Cellars: A winery and cidery with a lovely back patio. They have a small food menu as well, but I was not super impressed with the wine.
Avoid Cousin Vinny’s New York Pizza: They offer slices of pizza or whole pies but it’s a complete ripoff.
Anacortes
Anacortes is where the San Juan Islands ferry runs from. If you aren’t taking the ferry there is no reason to head over here.
Good Bagels Café: A cute spot for coffee, bagels and burgers. The bagels here are really fantastic.
Marina Inn: A nice hotel that is pretty modern and very clean. It’s also quite cheap!
Deception Pass State Park: I was underwhelmed by this park, so don’t go out of your way for it, but it has some nice spots. The bridge is the main attraction here which is always an odd concept to me but it is a nice bridge. North Beach is a rocky beach with views of the bridge and lots of folks come here to fish. There is a $10 entrance fee without a Discover Pass.
Rockfish Grill & Anacortes Brewery: A popular spot with a full food menu and interesting dive bar and restaurant vibes. The beer here is mediocre but it’s open later than most spots in town which was what I needed after the San Juan ferry.
North Cascades National Park
North Cascades National Park is one of the prettiest places I have ever been and I highly recommend exploring here! The North Cascades Highway runs directly through the park and is full of great views. It is pretty isolated up in this area of Washington and the nearest towns to stay in are Marblemont, Winthrop (an old western town), and Mazama.
Unfortunately wildfires prevented me from getting to have the full experience I had planned, and unfortunately this is not uncommon so be prepared for potential road and trail closures. I planned to stay at Freestone Inn & Cabins which looks great!
Diablo Lake Overlook: A stunning viewpoint—if you do one thing in this area visit this overlook.
Cascade Pass Trail: This trail is 7.7 miles long with 1,784ft of elevation gain and is rated moderate. It is a steady climb up that leads to a viewpoint. There are a ton of switchbacks to start but they aren’t too steep and you’re almost done when you complete those. The trail takes just under 3.5 hours to complete and the trailhead is off of a gravel road but it is pretty smooth. It also connects to Sahale Arm & Doubtful Lake.
Trail of the Cedars Trail: A nice easy trail with views of the Skagit River and a fun suspension bridge.
Gorge Overlook Falls Trail: A quick trail with really pretty Gorge Lake views. I would recommend just going out to the viewpoint off the paved trail instead of completing the dirt loop here, the rest is boring.
Sterling Monroe Boardwalk Trail: This is a simple trail at the Visitor’s Center that leads to a nice mountain view.
Planned hikes that were closed but look awesome: Diablo Lake, Thunder Knob, Cutthroat Lake and Cutthroat Pass, Blue Lake, and Maple Pass.
Leavenworth
Leavenworth is a touristy but cute Bavarian Village nestled in the mountains. There are a ton of beer bars and wineries here along with lots of themed shops. The parking in town is awful and I would recommend staying somewhere you can park at the hotel/Airbnb and walk.
Colchuck Lake via Stuart Lake and Colchuck Lake Trail: This trail is 10.7 miles long with 2,342ft of elevation gain and is rated hard. The views are absolutely stunning and it is a fantastic hike. Pack your bathing suit and jump in the lake if you are brave enough for the cold water! The lake is located in The Enchantments in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. The first half of the trail is pretty easy and then it gets pretty steep with some nice flat sections sprinkled in. The trailhead is 35 minutes from town, and the last 4 miles are a gravel road. The parking lot fills up quickly because there are other trails here so I would recommend starting early. It takes just under 4.5 hours to complete.
Yodelin Broth Company and Beer Garden: A superb spot. They have a wide variety of menu items and are known for their broth. The back garden space has nice views and they also have a solid beer list. I enjoyed it so much I went back a second time during my stay in Leavenworth!
Icicle Brewing Company: A great brewery with a small food menu, a nice patio and chill vibes. Their IPAs are particularly tasty.
München Haus: A touristy spot for brats, pretzels and beers, but it is actually great. They have Icicle Brewing and Hofbrauhaus beers on tap. I was taken aback by how good the veggie wurst was, and I loved the variety of condiments and toppings available.
Bushel and Bee: A beer and cider bar and bottle shop with a relaxed atmosphere. They have a good list of selections and a variety of cans and bottles.
Blewett Brewing Company: A solid brewery with a pizza menu and a wide variety of beers. They have indoor and outdoor seating with nice views.
Hampton Inn: The Hampton Inn in Leavenworth is wildly nice. It is definitely the best Hilton property I’ve ever stayed at. The rooms are huge and really well done, the lobby is gorgeous, and there is a shuttle to town so you don’t have to pay to park or you can walk about 20 minutes.
Leavenworth’s Finest Espresso: A really great spot for coffee that is a quaint drive-thru.
Lake Valhalla Trail & Mount McCausland Trail: I combined these two trails and it totaled 8.6 miles with 1,900ft of elevation gain. They share the same trail for a majority of the hike until a split where there is a very, very steep climb up the mountain and a slight decent down to the lake. It was extremely foggy when I got to the mountain and the lake even though it was a perfectly clear day for a majority of the hike, so perhaps start this one a little later in the day to ensure things are clear. The trailhead is about 45 minutes from Leavenworth and the last 3 miles are a gravel road.
Milepost Brewing: This is in nearby Cashmere with a full food menu but only a couple of their own beers on tap.
Skip the Howard Johnson: This was not a great place to stay, and was a late addition to my itinerary due to wildfires in North Cascades. It was nice to be able to walk everywhere in town but would not recommend.
Chelan
Chelan is a cute little town known for wineries and lake life. The water is super clear and pretty with nice mountains surrounding the lake.
Nefarious Cellars: I had the best glass of wine of my life here so I would highly recommend a visit! They are just a small spot but the wine was superb, the views are fantastic and it is very chill. They’ve also got a guesthouse you can rent to stay onsite.
Tsillan Cellars: A fancier winery with a nice restaurant onsite. They have a great patio space and delicious wines that are available for a tasting, glass or bottle. The staff here was incredibly friendly.
Lakeside Lodge & Suites: The views at this hotel are fantastic. It is right on the lake on top of Lakeside Park with a swimming area and volleyball court. They have two pools and are just 5 minutes from downtown. The rooms themselves are a little dated but the views and lake access make it a great stay.
Sigillo Cellars Tasting Room and Public House: A solid winery with a full food menu and a delicious cheese board. There are nice views from the rooftop, though it is on a main road.
Lake Chelan Artisan Bakery: An average spot for coffee, pastries, pre-made breakfast sandwiches and breakfast burritos. I found my sandwich and coffee underwhelming.
Don Morse Memorial Park: A waterfront park downtown with lake access.
Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National Park is stunning. There are so many great views from all over the park, it is truly amazing. There are two main areas to explore: Sunrise and Paradise. If you can only choose one, I would recommend Sunrise. It has prettier views of Mount Rainier and is quieter than Paradise. Be bear aware and do not feed the chipmunks.
Sunrise Area:
Sunrise Rim Trail Loop and Mount Fremont Lookout: This trail is 10 miles long with 2,004ft of elevation gain and is rated moderate. The trail has stunning views from the start and hits all of the main views in the Sunrise area. It is a fantastic hike that isn’t terribly difficult with a great mixture of things to see. The Mount Fremont Lookout Tower is a steep climb for the first half and then evens out and leads to completely panoramic views. The climbs up each Burroughs Mountain are steep but lead to great views—this trail has you go to the 1st and 2nd but you could also continue on to the 3rd. You get very close to Mount Rainier from the Burroughs and it is awesome. When you turn around from the Burroughs you can see the North Cascades on a clear day! The sunset rim side of the trail is very quiet and has nice views of Glacier Basin. This whole trail is very exposed so definitely bring layers. It takes about 4hrs 45 mins to complete, but that is with 50 mins of break time to enjoy a beer with the view.
Paradise Area:
Skyline Loop Trail: This trail is 7.2 miles long with 1,768ft of elevation gain and is rated hard. It was not too difficult after the first section where you climb about 100 flights of stairs in an hour. There are stunning panoramic views throughout the trail. The first section is paved and starts with Nisqually Glacier before heading onto great views of Mount Adams, Mount Hood and Mount St. Helen’s. The last section is also paved and ends with Myrtle Falls, which is a very popular area. It takes about 3 hours to complete and there is a cool little hobbit bathroom about halfway through the trail.
Reflection Lakes: A nice serene lake with Rainier views. There is also a loop trail here, or you can just walk down and enjoy the view. You can actually see Mount Rainier reflected on the water on a clear day which is amazing!
Inspiration Point: A pretty scenic turnout between Ruby Falls and Reflection Lakes with views of Mount Rainier and the surrounding valley.
Narada Falls: A quick trail to a large waterfall that is short but a little steep. I would recommend visiting the falls in the afternoon—in the morning they are shadowed and dark.
Yakima
Yakima is most known for their farms, and particularly their hop production. The area has quite a few breweries to explore, but unless it is on your route I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to explore this city.
Bale Breaker Brewing Company: This is a very cool spot growing their own hops onsite. They have hop-forward beers, as you might expect, and nice vibes. The outdoor space is nice and they frequently have food trucks.
Single Hill Brewing: This brewery is the closest to downtown Yakima itself and they have a great outdoor space. The tap list has a wide variety of styles and the beers are pretty solid. They have a food pop-up inside with a limited menu.
Wandering Hop: I had a really poor experience at Wandering Hop due to the bartender so it was tough to enjoy my beers but they were tasty. They’ve got a food menu with sandwiches and snacks that is not always available. They have a second taproom in Zillah too.
Valley Brewing Company: This is a popular spot with an underwhelming tap list. They have a Mexican restaurant in the back for eats and a nice patio space.
The Donut Bar: An average spot for donuts, bagels and espresso. The vibes were weird and the food/drink were just okay. I wished I had gone to Catalyst Coffee instead!
Olympia
Olympia is a great stop south of Seattle. I added this in to break up my drive between Mount Rainier and Olympic National Parks.
Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar: This is a superb spot for oysters, cocktails, and more. Highly recommend!
Oly Taproom: A great beer bar and bottle shop with nice views—a 3 minute walk from Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar.
Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park is an insanely diverse park—there are forests, mountains, and the coastline. There are no roads through the park so it takes quite a bit of time to get from one spot to another.
There are two main areas to stay for park exploration—Forks and Port Angeles. Forks is known for their Twilight connection and there are a few touristy things for the vampire lovers out there. Port Angeles is a cute little town and it was a delight to see free street parking all over.
I stayed at this Airbnb, a tiny home in Forks, and it was nice. It was larger than expected and only about 10 minutes to central Forks. In Port Angeles I stayed in an average basement Airbnb. If possible I would recommend staying at Lake Crescent Lodge—it’s a great central location and right on the water.
Ruby Beach: This is a great spot for sunset! It is popular but absolutely worth it. It is a rocky beach with beautiful views.
A Shot in the Dark: Solid drive-thru coffee shop with a small breakfast menu.
Hole-in-the-Wall from Rialto Beach Trail: This trail is 3.2 miles long and mostly flat along the beach. The trail leads to a giant hole in a rock that is pretty neat—to get to this last part you can either scramble along the cliffside or go up and around. Be sure to check the tides because you can’t get to Hole-in-the-Wall if the tide is up. I wore sandals because it was a beach walk but would recommend hiking boots to better navigate. It takes about 1.5 hours to complete and I highly recommend going in the early morning light for a gorgeous glow! The trailhead is about 20 minutes from Forks.
Hall of Mosses Trail: This trail is 1.2 miles long and mostly flat. This is in the Hoh Rain Forest along with the Spruce and Hoh River trails. It is pretty and, as you might expect, very mossy. This area gets very busy so the morning is best.
Hurricane Hill via Hurricane Ridge: My intent was to complete this hike but due to nearby fires there were no cars allowed and limited shuttle times so unfortunately the timing did not work out for me, but I have heard great things so I wanted to include it! Hurricane Ridge is a pretty area with a few other short hikes with nice views that I was able to do. This area is 45 minutes south of Port Angeles and you can take a shuttle from downtown to reach it. If you do plan to hike Hurricane Hill keep in mind the shuttle stop is 1.5 miles (each way) from the trailhead.
Angeles Brewing Supplies & Taproom: A solid beer bar and bottle shop with good vibes in Port Angeles.
Catch the sunset at Lake Crescent Lodge: This is a pretty area for the sunset that is not too crowded. You can explore the grounds even if you are not staying there.
Mount Storm King Trail & Marymere Falls Trail: Both of these trailheads are at Lake Crescent Lodge and easy to combine, or you can just choose one or the other. Together they are 7.1 miles long with 2,404ft of elevation gain and take about 3 hours and 15 minutes to complete. It’s 10 minutes from the intersection of the two trails so the falls are an easy addition after the mountain.
Mount Storm King is a hard trail with 2,106ft of elevation gain. I would describe it as very difficult and quite sketchy and not for folks who are inexperienced or afraid of heights. After a very, very steep climb you reach a section of ropes to pull yourself up the mountain and then cross a narrow stretch of rock to the viewpoint. The views are wildly stunning and it is worth it, if you are comfortable and capable.
Marymere falls is an easy trail with 298ft of elevation gain with a few stairs. The waterfall is nice and this is a popular trail.
Next Door Gastropub: A beer bar with a full food menu. Their tap list is decent and the food is tasty. Located in the heart of Port Angeles.
Higher Ground Espresso: A solid spot for coffee and breakfast with 2 locations in Port Ángeles.
Add on a visit to British Columbia!
Check out my full guide to Vancouver here! Though not in Washington, this is an easy addition to a Washington road trip. Here are some BC favorites from this trip:
Garibaldi Lake Trail: This trail is 13.8 miles long with 3,211ft of elevation gain and is rated hard. It is very challenging but absolutely worth it! The views are truly epic at the lake. There are two other lakes you’ll come to first but Garibaldi is majestic. The water is absolutely stunning and Sphinx Glacier is very cool. It gets quieter and easier after the switchbacks where many folks head towards the Black Tusk and takes just under 6 hours to complete. A day use pass is required in Garibaldi Provincial Park during the summer months—you can reserve this easily online ahead of time.
Backcountry Brewing: Located in Squamish, 25 minutes from the trailhead. This a cute and popular spot with great beers and food. The menu is pizza focused and everything was delicious. Squamish is 1 hour north of Vancouver.
Superflux Beer Company: The best brewery in Vancouver, by far. Their main taproom has a restaurant-style set-up with chill vibes and tasty beers. The food menu here is an interesting mix of hot dogs, salads and appetizers. Superflux Cabana is their second space with vacation vibes, a different food menu, and their same tasty beers.
Luppolo Brewing Company: A great brewery with a Lager-heavy tap list and a full food menu. They have a side patio for outdoor seating or a colorful inside space.
33 Acres Brewing Company: Their food here shines a bit more than the beer, and I am not a fan of only having 16 or 24oz pours. It is always quite loud in their taproom, but the cheese board made it worth it for me.
Strange Fellows Brewing: A solid brewery with a quaint taproom. They make tasty Sours.
