Seattle, Washington is the metropolitan hub and the most popular destination in the Northwest. Downtown Seattle is home to award-winning restaurants, old-fashioned hotels, farmers markets and some of the quirkier attractions of Washington state, such as the chewing gum wall or the Fremont Troll. It also is home to the state's largest college, the University of Washington. The city boasts stunning views of the Puget Sound to the west and the Olympic Peninsula beyond. To the east, the Cascade Mountains cut the skyline.

To the North, the San Juan Islands dot the Puget Sound providing one of the state's most romantic vacation spots and the country's most beautiful ferry ride. Back on the mainland, quaint farming areas in the Skagit Valley prove fertile grounds for growing corn, and Mount Vernon's famous tulips. Further north, the city of Bellingham has small, trendy shops, a young, thriving nightlife and plenty of recreation opportunities around the city and beyond at Mount Baker.

To the south of Seattle, the near-perfect dome of Mount Rainier stands prominently in the skyline, shadowing Washington state's second-largest city, Tacoma. The city of Tacoma grew up around the Northern Pacific Railroad, and since it's industrial beginnings has worked towards becoming a cultural center. it is the site of the Washington State History Museum, the Museum of Glass and soon will be home to America's Car Museum.