Washington National Park Vacations

Posting pieces from our 2011 Summer edition of National Park Vacations, Washington vacations was the cover story and this area is one of the largest vacation content on our National Park website, www.vacationsnationalpark.com. The Olympic Peninsula is the key focus of our 2011 Washington vacations. The articles posted in the headline section of our Washington vacation section VacationsNationalPark.com cover Whidbey and Camano Islands of Puget Sound on the Olympic Peninsula and an article on hiking Mount Rainer National Park. Seattle was a featured article for our 2010 headlines and we are republishing that article as part of this 2011 Washington cover story.

Olympic National Park is one of the six National Parks detailed on VacationsNationalPark.com The park is the center of the Olympic Peninsula and offers so much to do. Olympic National Park is another of Washington's wonder wilderness National Parks but, this park also offers a strip that runs along the coast for 73 miles.  Offering wilderness, wildlife, mountains, as well as the ocean, the park is a nature lover's paradise.  Along the coastal line is the mouth of two rivers, the Hoh River and the Quileute River.  The mouth of the Quileute river is the town of La Push, a small town that is home to the Quileute Native American Tribe.  The park offers hiking, backpacking, camping and fishing with roads through out the park for those who wish for a leisurely ride through paradise.  U.S. Highway 101 offers access to all areas of the park that include: Elwha, Fairholme, Heart o'the Hills, Hoh Rain Forest, Hurricane Ridge, Kalaloch, Barnes Point, Mora, Port Angeles and access to Seattle via ferry.  The day walks of many from easy going to more challenging offer beautiful scenery and an abundance of wildlife.  Olympic National Park contains the largest wild herd of Roosevelt elk in the world and many other species of wildlife can be expected to be seen, which means caution should be taken when visiting. Shopping around on VacationsNationalPark.com for your Washington vacation offers many choices that include special locations for vacation rentals at Oak Bay, Gig Harbor, Crystal Chalet, Mount Rainer, Whidbey Island and more. Tour options include scuba diving, snorkeling and whale watching tours. Starting out our featured vacation on the Olympic Peninsula area, we suggest getting relaxed in the park, or at one of the ocean side resorts. So, to start the journey, we suggest the Lake Quinault Lodge, which can be booked online at VacationsNationalPark.com or we can put a complete package together through our travel agency. The Lake Quinault Lodge has over 20 reviews on Yelp and is rated 3.5 stars. The lodge has an onsite restaurant, indoor pool, sauna and is right on the shores of Lake Quinault. The lake is in the center of a rain forest, where the largest Sitka Spruce tree in the world can be found. See majestic water falls, and wildlife that include Roosevelt Elk, Black Tail Deer, Cougars, Bald Eales, Bobcats and Black Bears. The area offers miles of trails, swimming in beautiful water, boating and fishing. Four star fine dining restaurants are not expected in small towns or wilderness area but, we did find a quality restaurant we suggest, which is the Salmon House, located at 516 South Shore Rd. They are well known for their Salmon but, also have a good selection of steaks, gourmet entrées that include Chicken Marsala, Chicken Cordon Bleu and a very good wine selection. Next, our vacation package includes Whidbey and Camano Islands of Puget Sound. A detailed article can be read on our Washington headline page at VacationsNationalPark.com. The author of the article, David Petrich describes the area as, “Timelessly drifting at the headwaters of the Puget Sound in the shadow of the snow-capped Olympic Mountains lies two extraordinary islands.” The Islands are populated with seaside villages, camp grounds, pastoral farmland all in a picturesque terrain. The Islands are a photographers paradise. The popular cuisine is artisan. Also popular, find coffee shops that offer coffee roasted right on the island. The Islands are a pathway of storms rolling into the island, which commonly only leave a mist that creates some of the most beautifully known rainbows. The islands are well known for their festivals, which include the Camano’s Harvest Jubilee, DjangoFest Jass festival, Kite festival and more. To mix up the vacation a little and change gears before heading to the big city the suggested accommodations is the Tulalip Resort Casino. The resorts offers full-serve health spa and offers body treatments, facials and beauty services. Five restaurants are also available on property. Several restaurants are available which we can coordinate the reservations such as Front Street Grill, which has top reviews and a very good menu. I classify the restaurant as fine dining with a good mix of seafood, meats and a good wine selection. More details are available at VacationsNationalPark.com