http://www.jimmys-adventures.net/hiking-washington-cascades/
The Land Of Rhododendron
Washington State has an massive amount of natural beauty to be explored. From glorious seashore beaches, to stunning mountains and volcanoes, Washington is genuinely spectacular land.
Washington State has enormous stretches of sandy beaches all along the Pacific Coast, down the Strait of Juan De Fuca and all around Puget Sound to Olympia. Outdoor activities embrace hiking, kayaking, fishing, scuba diving, walking the beach, bike riding and more.
The Strait of Juan de Fuca Highway, or SR112, is 61 miles along the coast of Washington. All along this highway is gorgeous scenery. To allocate adequate time to sight see at a leisurely pace, you should allow yourself about 8 hours at least. Reaching farther out into the freezing waters of the North Pacific than any other mainland point in the 48 states, this byway follows the shore of a glacial fjord that connects Puget Sound to the Pacific Ocean. While you journey along the distant stretch of coastline with rugged cliffs and forests, watch as eagles seek for food amid rocks and gray whales feed. Natural wonders that are unusual and exciting events in other regions of the world are day-to-day occurrences here.
One of longest natural sand spits in the world, Dungeness Spit projects miles out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca and provides magnificent views of the Olympic Mountains, Canada’s Vancouver Island, the San Juan Islands and a fascinating variety of sea vessels docked on one of North America’s greatest shipping lanes. Visiting this northwest section of Washington should be enjoyed and not hurried, there is so much to see. There are charming vacation rentals all along this area to pick from and the proprietors are incredibly accommodating in helping you choose the best sites to see.
Puget Sound is based in the northwest area of Washington and is a breath taking place. Though there are variations within Puget Sound, most marine waters of the Pacific Northwest are cold (45ºF to 55°F) and very vigorous, about 1.46 cubic miles of water rushes in and out of Puget Sound with the tides. Cut sharply by glaciers, Puget Sound is deep. In the northern Sound, depths of 600 to 800 feet are average. In the southern Sound, depths of 300 feet are common. Puget Sound and the branches of the Strait of Juan de Fuca form a trough between the Cascade and the Olympic mountains. Seven species of salmon spend all or part of their existence in Puget Sound. Estuaries and shallow waters shelter and nourish young salmon on their way to the sea. Puget Sound is overflowing with bed and breakfasts with such lovely views, it will be challenging to go home.
Whidbey Island’s west side seashores face some of the strongest winds and uppermost energy wave action in Puget Sound. In the 19th century, tall ships rode the winds into Admiralty Inlet and Puget Sound. Salmon follow the oxygen rich Whidbey coast as they migrate to sea and back. Orcas, gray whales, sea lions, birds and geoducks use the beaches, marine waters and tidelands of Admiralty Inlet while cruise ships, container vessels and nuclear submarines pass above.
Northwest Washington state is genuinely a stunning wonderland of natural beauty and feast for the senses. Allow yourself at least one week to enjoy here, and look forward to coming back for different adventures on each journey.
Lake Ann Trail in The North Cascades of Washington State