We will be going out to Washington State in the middle of May and we were hoping some of the UHH members would have recommendations for things to do especially relating to photography. Right now I have a list that includes the Space Needle, Palouse Falls, Chihuly Gardens, Snoqualmie Falls and Deception Pass Bridge.
We will be there for at least a week.
Depends on the weather. A great activity is to pay for a ferry trip across the Sound giving great views of the city and of Mt. Rainier. Do not miss the Pike Market (walk to it or take a Llyft). Also worthwhile is the Chittenden Locks where boats go from salt to fresh water and back. These plus what you have listed will give you more than a weeks worth of adventures.
Zaydewise wrote:
We will be going out to Washington State in the middle of May and we were hoping some of the UHH members would have recommendations for things to do especially relating to photography. Right now I have a list that includes the Space Needle, Palouse Falls, Chihuly Gardens, Snoqualmie Falls and Deception Pass Bridge.
We will be there for at least a week.
Those are all good choices. There is also the aquarium on the waterfront not far from the Space Needle and the Ballard Locks (Hiram Chittendon Locks), also not too far away. The locks are free and can let you get very close to some very interesting (and sometimes very large) ships. Seattle Art Museum is just south of Downtown...sort of in the same part of town as the Public Market, where you will want to see Pike Place Fish and buy some fresh flowers.
As mentioned above, the ferries are also excellent, even if you don't have a specific destination. Just watch the schedules, especially for your return trip. Some generate quite a waiting line at certain times.
You will find lots of other spots once you get there.
Be aware that the weather in mid-May is not going to be very friendly. Expect cold, cloudy, and rainy. Take your bumbershoot (umbrella) and go out anyway.
The monorail will help you navigate from the Space Needle to the Art Museum, but you will still have to do a little walking.
Zaydewise wrote:
We will be going out to Washington State in the middle of May and we were hoping some of the UHH members would have recommendations for things to do especially relating to photography. Right now I have a list that includes the Space Needle, Palouse Falls, Chihuly Gardens, Snoqualmie Falls and Deception Pass Bridge.
We will be there for at least a week.
Since you are going to Palouse Falls, it is also the time of year when photographers head to Steptoe Butte to photograph the Palouse.
ICN3S
Loc: Cave Junction, OR
Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens and Blake Island.
The San Juan Islands with the ferry trip from Anacortes. Mount Constitution on Orcas Island has great views. The Pacific Ocean on the Olympic Peninsula and the Olympic Mountains. There are many very scenic areas in the Cascade range and the several passes that cross it.
DougS
Loc: Central Arkansas
Add Olympic NP, Northern Cascades NP to your list. Trip advisor is your friend, too.
nj53
Loc: Canon City, Colorado
re: palouse
this is like stepping back in time. wonderful 360 vistas atop steptoe butte, the iconic location. we stayed in colfax, wash. the rolling green hills are magical.
tons of rural scenes!
Get to the Olympic Peninsula, limitless and diverse photo ops. Ocean, mountains, rain forest, wildlife, it’s all there and more.
Two years ago (the first week of June), we went to the Palouse. Outstanding area for landscape photography. Driving up to Steptoe Butte, taking the back roads around the various farms should be a must for you. We also went to Palouse Falls as well. You won’t regret it if you go.
FrankR wrote:
Get to the Olympic Peninsula, limitless and diverse photo ops. Ocean, mountains, rain forest, wildlife, it’s all there and more.
I agree. Much to see and shoot in Washington.
Palouse Falls is a four-hour drive southeast of Seattle. Deception Pass Bridge is an hour and a half north of Seattle. Washington is a big state
Volcanoes - Both Mt Saint Helens and Mt Rainier are full-day trips from Seattle and you may not see them "out." Nearly impossible to predict as they make their own weather and conditions change rapidly.
My advice would be to not try to do so much in such a wide area. If you like cities, "do" Seattle and environs (traffic is a misery, however). If you want rugged, breathtaking mountain scenery, plan an overnight to Mount Rainier National Park
or Mount St Helens. Then explore the areas around those.
You’re gonna need more weeks.
gvarner wrote:
You’re gonna need more weeks.
The outdoor sculpture garden near Pike Place Market (locals don’t call it anything else) in Seattle has some interesting pieces. A loop drive across Stevens Pass and then north to return across Hiway 20 will give you some good Mountain View’s and some pictures of the east side which is sometimes called the dry side. Check out the wineries around Lake Chelan and be sure to drive through Leavenworth. Chuckanut Drive north to Bellingham has some nice views of Puget Sound and the Olympics.
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