It's not a fun park unless you're a kid. Then it's a blast with a playground that has those weird…read morecircular htings that swing you around with your weight and other fancy playground items. But this park is more about the sunset. I was in town as a day trip and the weather was so nice that I wanted to check out the sunset. We sat there people watching on the bench as the sun started sinking over the water. People walked out down the pier and it made for really nice pictures. Once the sun went down, people left because there was a chill in the air, but until that moment, the sunset was magical. Definitely glad we hung around for twilight.

Washington Park is beautiful. The scenic loop is a great drive (go slow 10 mph there are…read morepedestrians on the paved road too). There are spots for cars to park on the loop to enjoy the view (and a disability parking spot). Take advantage of the easy and beautiful access to epic views of Burrows Island and the pass at this park before getting on the ferry to the San Juan islands or staying in Anacortes.

When I'm in the mood for some gorgeous views over Anacortes, Cap Sante Park is one of my go-to…read morespots. Perched high on a point across the harbor from downtown, it's the perfect spot to take it all in. And with its northerly views, you can not only watch the boats arrive at the marina far below, but peer across the mountains for breathtaking sunny day views of Mount Baker, too. It also has a "lover's lane" vibe, so I'll give it an extra star for romance potential. There are a view benches, as well as rocky outperches, to sit and ponder all the beauty. Fall potential is high, so I wouldn't let little ones wander around on their own here. Parking can be a hassle on sunny days.

Went during a sunset and it was spectacular. Even saw a rainbow. There were parking spots when we…read moregot there though it was also a lot of people concerning it was already past 9PM. Wonderful views of the marina and the islands! And beautiful Mountain views.

It was yet another glorious sunny weekend in the PNW, so we grabbed our buckets and headed to…read moreWhidbey Island for some beachcombing - discovering this beautiful beach along the way. It's a small, but mighty, little strip of land that's bordered on three sides by private property, so while it might not be a great place to hang out with 1000 of your closest friends, you can't beat the vibe here for a small romantic picnic or playtime with the kid. The beach is pretty typical PNW: driftwood, rocks, mud, and lots of stinky seaweed to give the place atmosphere. We were there at low tide, so it definitely had wading potential (if you're into cold, Puget Sound water). The thing I liked most, besides the stunning views out to the Olympics, was that there were only two other people on the beach. This would also be a great place for some sea kayaking on a calm day. There is a port-a-potty in the small parking lot, but other than that there are few amenities here, so bring along your own water, shade, and seating. But if you're looking to cross yet another gorgeous PNW beach off your list, this one is definitely worth a visit.

A gorgeous washington gem :)…read more It's easy to spend a day exploring here - beaches? Foresty hikes? An amazing bridge? You got it. An adventurer's paradise! About an hour and half from Seattle so it's doable as a day trip!

Mother nature mixed with the military…read more Beautiful state park (don't forget your Discover Pass) on the north end of Whidbey Island. Great beaches for long walks and family outings. The far south end is particularly great for finding sea glass. Be sure to bring ear plugs with you when you are at the south border of the beach. This is where you will meet up with one of the runways of the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, home of the EA-18G Growler electronic attack squadrons. The noise pollution has been part of many lawsuits for years. The Navy has rejected a proposal to move its Growler electronic attack squadrons to a base in Southern California., so the noise issue isn't going away any time soon. If you have ear plugs, it's actually quite a sight to see the growlers take off.

This was my first camping trip to Bay View in years, and my very first in the winter months. We're…read moreworking hard on our goal to camp at least once a month in 2023, so this not-too-far spot seemed like a great spot to check out on a blustery January weekend. We were lucky to snag a partial hookup (power/water) site in the first loop (sites 1-9), which features views of the bay. The campground host was kind enough to help guide us as we backed in our new trailer, which is a LOT bigger than our old one! Soon enough we were snug in our site and all hooked up. The loop eventually filled up for the weekend and was very quiet. While our site didn't have a sewer hookup, there's a dump station at the park which is free for overnight campers. There's not a lot to do at this park, it's pretty small. But the beach is gorgeous, with nighttime views across the bay to the eerily gorgeous refineries to the west. We didn't do much exploring, except for a day trip to nearby Edison for some beers and lunch.

Pretty nice place it's kind of secluded. It's very quiet and clean…read more Every one of the people there are extremely nice , The park, Rangers are excellent, very helpful and friendly , The prices are very reasonable , And the scenery is excellent .

peaceful, clean and super helpful and kind front desk!! will definitely visit again!read more

This park is beautiful, clean, quiet and well maintained. The bathrooms and laundry areas are top…read morenotch. Walking paths along the water and seals visiting made our stay memorable. I did remove a star due to the bizarre interaction with staff members. The nosy lady at the front desk was rude and told us "I'm watching you" because we waited an hour to check in. Also we backed into our spot so we could wake up to a view of the water but within seconds the big bad security guy came and corrected us. Apparently that's not allowed, which is really weird. After that we were public enemy number 1 bc the front desk was very accusatory and flat out weird towards us. Side note: the road in is a one way so whenever you leave the park you're forced to drive into town and turn around. Not a big deal but noteworthy

I could walk here from my home. Lovely community and a must…read moreto visit if you're in the area.

I highly recommend this. Not just for kids but adults too. They have a very interactive museum, a…read morehands-On room and an aquarium. Everything is so interesting. Well laid out and highly interactive so this is a super engaging space for all ages.

Some great views with good hiking trails…read more Can get windy so you might want to bring a coat

Mount Erie Park had well maintained trails when I visited on Thursday 15 June 2023. The sun was…read moreout, though not in full force, and the trees provided some shade and protection from the sun. Rays still made it through the canopy to the trails. When I arrived around 10:10 a.m., I found one parking spot so snatched it up. Just up from the parking lot was an informational pavilion with maps of the trail system. Even with taking a picture I did not quite make it to the top. The trails I traversed were marked by a trail number as opposed to a destination and/or distance marking approach. I did not find this entirely discouraging, however I had come for a drive to a viewpoint I had heard about and missed that entirely. I turned around after about 20 minutes of hiking and went back to my car. The portion of the hike I took up the mountain got my heart pounding. One of the highlights of my visit was a caterpillar I found dancing on a mushroom on a log along the side of one of the trails.

We just did a two day, one night fully catered trip with Sam and we cannot say enough good things…read moreabout the experience! We had a private group of 6, all pretty new to kayaking, but we had a blast and learned a ton while enjoying the beauty of the San Juan Islands. Sam was a great guide making sure everyone felt comfortable, was having fun, all while being chill and fun to talk to. He fed us so well and took great care of the group throughout our adventure! I didn't expect to eat as well as we did. We camped on a beautiful bluff overlooking the water on Cypress Island. It's also worth noting the company was great to work with and were incredibly responsive. If you're looking for a great PNW adventure, look no further!

Addie was our guide and we had a fun 1.5 kayak tour of Bowman bay and surrounding area. As our…read morefirst time in sea kayaks we were excited to head out. Addie gave us tons of educational info that was cool and interesting. Although we didn't sea orcas breaching over our kayaks like we'd dreamed of, we did see plant life, fish, crab, seals on rocks, and "Ellie Mae" the female elephant seal on shore. 1.5 tour was the perfect amount of time for our day. We even got to taste bull keep leaves- tasty but also very salty lol! Thanks for a great tour Addie!!

On Guemes Island in the Pacific Northwest just a few short nautical miles from Canada's coast lies…read morethe "Indian Village". A blast from the past type of place! Where time stands still because of it's remoteness! This is a small community of beach homes and cabins right on Puget Sound located on the West side of this beautiful little island. It's positioned looking at Cypress Island and ready to entertain you with really beautiful sunsets. This cool little isle lies in midst of the San Juan Islands where you'll see Bald Eagles, deer, coyote, seals, porpoises, orcas, salmon and when clear, the bluest skies anywhere! Like fishing? This place will put a smile on your face and some awesome fare on your table! Bird watcher? Bring your camera and binoculars all sorts of fowl coolness here! Long walks along the Sound in the fresh cool air here are exhilarating!!! Star gazer? Milky Way is not just a candy bar, it's visible! Want smore fun! Nothing like beach bonfires shooting stars, marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers! A show and dessert! Nice! Residents and visitors here also love collecting these rocks called agates! What are they? They're semi-precious gem stones that come in all shapes, sizes, colors, clarity, and brightness! Google image them, cool stuff! Logistics- The only way on and off Guemes Island is a small ferry that carries about 20 cars. This island is about 70 miles Northwest of Seattle. The weather from May through October is optimum! Really late sunsets May-July. A great place to unplug and weeelax!!! As locations go, I have a few destinations that I call happy places and this is certainly near the top of my list!!! I could go on and on.... :-)))