The month of May might be the perfect time to visit Washington state. Of course, the entire state boasts of things to do and to see. For beginners, I recommend starting in Seattle. In May, the whole city is in bloom. The weather will be temperate, and summer sun has not yet burnt off the cloudy days of spring, so you’ll still find waterfalls and slugs on local hiking trails. For much of your adventure, you can avoid driving, so fly into Seattle and get ready for adventure. Since this was our second long flight (Vermont to West Coast!) in the last two months, Tiffany and I decided to that we are going to start to get into green travel. We felt that if we are going to be traveling around quite a bit, we better do our part to be eco-friendly!!
To help get started with our family green initiative we picked accommodations near the city center of Seattle. You can get around easily be remembering one silly phrase: “Jesus Christ made Seattle under protest.” This will help you navigate the east-west streets in the central business district with ease. From south to north, there are two streets that begin with the first letter of each word in this silly saying. They are Jefferson, James, Cherry, Columbia, Marion, Madison, Spring, Seneca, University, Union, Pike and Pine. With this knowledge, you can explore the city on foot or by bike and never get lost! Huge help for Tiff ;)
Take a day trip to Cougar Mountain. You’ll probably need to rent a car for this excursion to one of the most beautiful parks in the Seattle suburbs unless you are up for a bike ride, but the trip is definitely worth it! Enjoy hiking trails, lush scenery and gorgeous waterfalls. You may even seen a little local wildlife. This adventure only takes a couple of hours and offers a simpler alternative to hiking on Mount Rainer and great for the whole family!
From your headquarters in downtown Seattle, you can walk to Volunteer Park where you’ll want to spend at least a day, maybe two. The conservatory here boasts a collection of 600 different varieties of orchids in addition to hundreds of other plants from around the world. You also won’t want to miss the exhibits at Seattle Asian Art Museum located within the Park. Super Educational!
If you’re traveling to Seattle, you’ve heard of Pike Place Market, and it is certainly worth a visit. Don’t forget to head south from there and enjoy Pioneer Square as well. The quaint area features several independent shops and eateries. You can embark on a journey across Puget Sound from here as well and do some whale watching this time of year. Great trip for couples or families of all ages! We loved our stay in wonderful Seattle!
Washington state is beautiful and green in May. What better time could there be to explore the Pacific Northwest? Enjoy!!!
-Cliff and Tiffany
