Day trips in Washington state, USA

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This was published 9 years ago

Day trips in Washington state, USA

By Michael Gebicki
Majestic region: Vancouver Island is one of the best places in the world to see orcas in the wild, and the wild salmon is out of this world.

Majestic region: Vancouver Island is one of the best places in the world to see orcas in the wild, and the wild salmon is out of this world.

MY HUSBAND AND I ARE GOING TO VISIT OUR SON WHO IS STUDYING AND PLAYING SPORT IN SKAGIT VALLEY, WASHINGTON STATE, USA. WE ARE HOPING TO CATCH A FEW OF HIS GAMES AS WELL AS ENJOY SOME SIGHTSEEING. CAN YOU RECOMMEND A WEEK'S WORTH OF DAY TRIPS IN AND AROUND THE AREA SO WE CAN EXPLORE BUT WATCH HIM PLAY IN THE AFTERNOON?

M. HARVIS, MARYLAND

The problem is that Skagit Valley is located in a wilderness area in the north of the state close to the Canadian border. This is a majestic region, but most of the activities in this part of the state take more time than the five or six hours that you would likely have available if you also want to see your son's games in the afternoon.

To the east are the postcard-perfect mountains, lakes and forests of North Cascades National Park, but you need time to experience them. To the west is Anacortes, gateway to the maritime wonderland of the San Juan Islands – again, time required.

It would be a great shame to miss out on the opportunities for experiencing some really remarkable parts of the west coast that your visit presents. It might be possible to tailor your visit so that you can satisfy both objectives, but not if you confine yourselves to staying in the immediate vicinity of Skagit Valley. Along with the two areas already mentioned, Seattle, Vancouver and Vancouver Island are all worth a visit. Vancouver Island is one of the best places in the world to see orcas in the wild, and the wild salmon is out of this world.

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