Since there’s not much to do in downtown Clearwater, Florida, Clearwater Beach is the place to go. It has changed dramatically with huge luxury hotels popping up, but the white sand beach is still as beautiful as ever. Clearwater Beach has been a favorite destination for my family for several years, especially to visit my cousins who live there.
The Ballard Locks are a fun place to visit while in Seattle. Officially known as the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, they opened in 1917 and are completely free to all vessels. It’s one of the busiest lock systems in the entire country, allowing passage between Puget Sound and Lake Union and Lake Washington via Salmon Bay and the Fremont Cut.
Snoqualmie Falls, a 270 foot waterfall, is one of the most popular attractions in Washington. It’s located only a half hour drive from Seattle and can be combined with a wine tasting trip to nearby Woodinville.
The Trail of the Shadows at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington gives visitors a good look into the history of the park. Located in the Longmire area, it’s a ¾ mile loop trail that starts across the street from the National Park Inn. It travels through the old James Longmire homestead, settled in 1883, 16 years before the park was established.
The road from Nisqually to Paradise, in the southwest corner of Mount Rainier National Park, has a few places to stop and hike, or just enjoy the natural scenery.
The Paradise area of Mount Rainier National Park in Washington was named by James Longmire’s daughter, who upon seeing it exclaimed “Oh, what a paradise!”. It’s a fitting name, as there aren’t many places in the country as beautiful.
16 years before Mount Rainier National Park was established in 1889, James Longmire built a 13 mile long trail from Ashford to a hot springs he discovered in what is now know as the Longmire Historic District. By 1890, he had built cabins and a small hotel, attracting up to 500 guests each summer by the turn of the century. His family also built a trail to the Paradise area, six miles away.
On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens blew its top and destroyed 230 square miles of forest. The eruption left at least 57 dead and created a mudslide that reached 50 miles. Two years later, President Ronald Reagan established Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument in order for the environment affected by the eruption to regenerate naturally.
The Hoh Rain Forest is one of the most magical areas of Olympic National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Washington. One of the largest temperate rain forests in the United States, it receives between 140 and 170 inches of rain annually.
If you’re looking for a bit of adventure, Shi Shi Beach can give it to you. This remote Pacific coast beach can be accessed via a two mile trail starting at the Makah Reservation and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Olympic National Park.