San Juan Islands/Puget Sound

Pros: Unspoiled Beauty, great food, and Whales!
Cons: I do not live close enough to go as often as I would like

We live in the Miami and when we want to get away we like to get as far away from tropical life as possible..Not that there is anything wrong with the tropics, except for the heat, hurricanes and humidity, but it is nice to get a change of scenery! And,...

Pros: food, sights, atmosphere, people
Cons: traffic

I have lived in the Puget Sound area of Washington State since I was little, and it gets more beautiful every year. More specifically I live in Renton, which is one of the many suburbs of Seattle. All my life I have thought that the sound was ...

Pros: Spectacular scenery; peaceful surroundings; tons to do and experience
Cons: Cost can be a factor

I have lived in Washington State since 1974, yet last week was my first opportunity to visit the San Juan Islands. I had been hearing about the beauty and simple fun of going there, and specifically to Orcas Island, for the past two years from friends...

Pros: Beauty, Peace and Quiet
Cons: none

Lopez Island is a 45 minute ferry ride from Anacortes, Washington, which is about an hour north of Seattle. From Seattle, take I-5 north to Mt. Vernon and follow the signs for the San Juan Islands Ferry.

I grew up on Lopez Island, graduating...

Pros: Lots to see and do
Cons: Weather can be unpredictable

I had the opportunity to visit the beautiful Skagit Valley this spring. Yes, I went up for the Tulip Festival, but there are many other attractions in the area. It is a good thing, too, because the tulips were a little behind schedule! Not many of the...

Pros: Beautiful and plenty of things to do!
Cons: It can rain an awful lot.

The rain is what makes the Puget Sound one of the most beautiful places I have lived. Due to the amount of rain the Puget Sound receives throughout the year, it is one of the most lush places I have ever seen. My family lived in...

Pros: The beautiful scenery, variety of things to do, and the GREAT FOOD
Cons: The crowds during popular weekends and holidays

Being from California, I haven’t considered the Pacific Northwest as a vacation destination because I always saw vacationing as traveling somewhere far away and exotic. Was I pleasantly surprised when I had the opportunity to visit my boyfriend who was...

Pros: Excellent Tour
Cons: Lots of climbing: Not good for someone afraid of heights

As part of a group of educators from Northern California, I had an opportunity, in mid July, to visit the submarine training facility and naval base near Bremerton, Washington on Puget Sound. Although I was with a Navy sponsored group, several people...

Pros: Much cheaper than Seattle, very family-friendly activities, stunning views of Puget Sound & Mt. Rainier
Cons: A very "industrial" city, it can get a bit aromatic...

It's a shame that Tacoma is known mostly as the rhyme for "aroma" --- as in aroma of paper-pulp mills and meat-packing plants.

Yes, there is still a bit of that aroma left (and it sometimes mingles with the aroma from the food plant...

Pros: Economically, great picture spots, could be done in a single day
Cons: Weather usually chilly, ferry ride can be costly

If you are looking for a beautiful place to get away from the stresses and worries life, Orcas Island should be your destination. Only an hour away by ferry from the fishing city of Anacortes, this serene and peaceful island is full of nature’s wonders....

Pros: Beautiful location, fascinating photography and exhibits, quaint gift shop
Cons: Guided tours must be scheduled in advance.

The Suquamish Museum is located on the Port Madison Indian Reservation just west of Seattle. To get there you take the Winslow Ferry from downtown Seattle, travel the length of Bainbridge Island across the Agate Pass Bridge on to the peninsula. The city...

Pros: friendly, rustic, relaxing, beautiful, different
Cons: rustic, different (cons for some)

It's an early October morning. You awake to the sound
of...well...nothing. It's quiet. The sun is almost up
and, as you look out the window of your trusty VW camper,
you see the first morning light on the Puget Sound.
Rousing...

Pros: Best retreat on earth
Cons: people are discovering it. why am I writing this epinion anyway?

One on one meeting with an Orca. That is my salient memory of experiences in the San Juans. I've been to the "Juans" probably 20 times and can never wait to go back. They are most easily accessible by ferrying from Anacortes, Washington....

Pros: Kow Korner, Oak Bowl
Cons: Greedy Developers

Note: This writer spent his childhood and early adult years in Oak Harbor, Washington, graduating from Oak Harbor High School in the late 1970's. He is a frequent visitor, having family and many friends who remain there.

Oak Harbor, nestled...

Pros: Everything. Beautiful place
Cons: nothing.

Just the most beautiful of places I've been. The people, the views, everything is just so nice here. One thing people might not know is that Fidalgo Island is in the Guiness book of world records. It is listed because it is an island with an island on...