twelve days . three national parks . two sisters . one state
2023 Washington Road Trip
Friday, July 7 to Tuesday, July 18, 2023
07.07.23 . Day 1 – Fly to SEA. Drive north, stay in Burlington or Bellingham.
07.08.23 . Day 2 – Explore Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest (Heather Meadows Area). Stay near Marblemount.
07.09.23 . Day 3 – North Cascades National Park. Hike Thunder Knob, Maple Pass Loop. Visit Diablo Lake and Washington Pass. Stay near Twisp.
07.10.23 . Day 4 – Drive to Leavenworth. Visit Lake Chelen, Lake Wanatchee. Stay in Leavenworth.
07.11.23 . Day 5 – Hike Colchuck Lake and/or The Enchantments. Stay in Leavenworth.
07.12.23 . Day 6 – Visit Index, Snoqualmie Falls. Enter Mount Rainier National Park. Camp at Mowich Lake if possible.
07.13.23 . Day 7 – Hike Tolmie Peak. Drive to Paradise. Stay near Alder.
07.14.23 . Day 8 – Drive to Olympic National Park via Olympia and Aberdeen. Visit Ruby Beach. Stay in Forks.
07.15.23 . Day 9 – Visit Hoh Rainforest. Hike Hall of Mosses and Spruce Trail. Drive to Cape Flattery. Stay in Port Angeles.
07.16.23 . Day 10 – More Olympic National Park. Hike Hurricane Ridge and Mount Storm King. Stay in Port Angeles.
07.17.23 . Day 11 – Last day to explore Olympic National Park. Visit Sequim Lavender Farms. Shop in Gig Harbor. Venture back to Seattle. Stay in Seattle.
07.18.23 . Day 12 – Fly home!
When and with whom
This spur-of-the-moment trip allowed me to spend time with both of my sisters. First, my not-sister-in-law, Michelle, and I did a week-long loop through the Northern Cascade Mountain Range enjoying the hiking, camping, and all things Pacific Northwest. Then I swapped sisters in Seattle doing a long-weekend loop around the Olympic Peninsula with my sister, Lisa, enjoying the coast, rainforest, and mountains.
The mountains in Washington are vast and we were able to enjoy nature without any big crowds. We went in early July when the snow was mostly off the hiking trails but before the wildfires could get rolling. We were lucky to get warm temps with no rain nor wildfire smoke and, best of all, very low levels of pesky bugs!
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