Whether you want the rare opportunity to travel on a steam train and see how it works, or just like the idea of going sightseeing in this unbelievably beautiful area, the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad is both interesting and charming, and the views are fantastic. You’ll see lush green meadows, clear mountain lakes and huge canopies of trees.

The Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad offers some special seasonal trips and discounted journeys, for example their Easter Bunny Express trips in the spring and specials on holiday weekends. You can also pre arrange to celebrate a birthday, anniversary or other special occasion on the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad, and they will provide cake and balloons! For more details of their seasonal offers and special itineraries you can visit their official website at http://www.mrsr.com or you can contact them with any inquiries or to arrange something special by calling (888) STEAM11 or (360) 492-5588.

Rates for the trips aboard the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad vary according to season and the size of your group, with some good group discounts available, however the typical off season fare is $26 for adults (age 13-61), $21 for kids aged 4-12, $23 for seniors over 62 or those who qualify for a military discount, and children under 4 can travel for free. In June, July and August which are the MRSR’s peak season, prices go up by about three dollars each.

Service animals are welcome on the train, however there are some policies around other dogs which can be checked on the website. In general you can take a dog that weighs under 15lbs and is kept on a leash at all times and can be carried on your lap, though it is best to check in advance about your pets.

At the depot where you board the train, there is also a gift shop where you can get all kinds of great souvenirs and merchandise relating to the railroad itself and the mount Rainier region.

Many of the things to do in Moses Lake are outdoors, so the best time to visit is in the summer season when the weather is more likely to be suitable for enjoying the outdoor water park and the nature trails. Some of the features, like the water park, are only open in the summer, returning to operation in around May each year.

There are things to see and do all year round though, so check out what is going on in Moses Lake on their regularly updated official website at http://www.cityofml.com. This site has links to all of the specific activity centers in Lake Moses, including the ice rink, skating rink, gallery, Surf ‘n’ Slide water park, campground, ballfield and more, as well as the itineraries for their outdoor concert and screenings program. This is where you can find the most up to date information relating to your potential visit, however you can also contact their team with general inquiries on (509) 764-3701. This is also how you can pre arrange any special requests, such as if you want to hold a birthday party here or you have some special requirements for your visit.

Lake Moses is one of the most well equipped camping destinations in the North West with so much to do that no matter whether you are traveling with friends or kids of any ages you should have no trouble making sure everybody is entertained. Most of the activities have equipment hire available should you need to take advantage of it, and you can also find extensive guides to hikes offering different levels of challenge and different durations. It is certainly recommended to check out their website for details relating to the activities that interest you and your party most.

The zoo is open all year round, with winter opening times between 10-4 six days a week (they are always closed on Mondays) and summer hours 10-6. While most people visit in summer, it can be a really good place to go in the off season when it is less busy and you can get more time up close with the animals. Additionally, some of the animals are a bit more lively when the weather is cooler!

There are opportunities to feed your choice of a Royal White Tiger, a bear or a regular tiger up close and by hand, which is available for everyone except children under the age of eight. You can also buy gift certificates offering this unique experience for someone you know. The chance to get this close to these generally dangerous and mostly non native animals doesn’t come around very often, so it is certainly worth doing!

You can tour the zoo by yourself or take arranged guided tours, all of which can be booked or pre arranged (if you have any special requirements) by contacting the Cat Tales Zoological Park via email on mail@cattales.org or by calling the friendly team on (509)238-4126.

Admission rates are pretty low, with an adult ticket costing just $8 year round, and seniors and students getting the discounted rate of $6, except for on Sundays when seniors get free admission. Infants get in for free, and children under 12 are $5. Active military, fire fighters and law enforcement officers are offered free admission every day by the park as a thank you from the owners for their service to the community and country.

You can find out more about Cat Tales Zoo, including directions and plenty of pictures of the animals you can see there on their website at www.cattales.org. They also have a site dedicated to their educational operations, where they teach children and also educate people who want to be involved in big cat related zoological careers, at www.zooschool.org.

This is a remarkably well kept, friendly and convenient ski resort, yet has remained one of the best kept secrets in the North West, so you won’t have to worry about long queues for ski lifts or at any of the resort’s other facilities. No matter what time of the season you visit, Bluewood is lively enough to offer you a good time, but not too busy to cause you any inconvenience or make your visit feel impersonal.

The Blue Mountains have a fairly unique feel, as they are otherwise surrounded by a desert region. This gives them remarkably clear skies and amazing views for you to enjoy, as well as some cold, powdery snow ideal for skiing. The main draw here however is the world class tree skiing. If you have never attempted tree skiing before, the resort offers a full program of skiing lessons suited to skiers of all ability levels. Hire for ski and snowboard equipment is also available.

Prices for skiing at Bluewood are very reasonable, with typical adult full day ski passes available for $42 and half day passes (meaning you can start skiing any time after 12.30pm) for $34. Discount pricing is available for families, children, seniors, groups and actively serving members of the military. There is even a “Super Senior” tariff for active people over 70 years of age, which costs just $25 for the day. Rental for equipment is generally offered as full packages for all of the ski or snowboard gear you’ll need, and for adults this costs $32 for the full day and $26 for the half. There are also other equipment services, such as hot waxing and tuning for your own gear. For full details of all of Bluewood’s products, services, tariffs and lesson programs, check out their website at http://www.bluewood.com.

You can also make inquiries and bookings by calling Bluewood on 509-382-4725, and there is an email contact form on their website that you can use to get in touch via the web.

The American Hop Museum is housed in a building that was originally built as a creamery in the early 1900′s. The region’s hop growing community had dreamed of opening a museum to showcase their heritage on this site for some time, but it didn’t come to fruition until 1993 when Shirley and Robert Banta from Cooperstown New York began working with the local people to create the museum. Their knowledge of hop growing from a historical perspective in their hometown of Cooperstown, combined with the Yakima Valley hopgrowers’ knowledge of current good practices, allowed them to put together a museum that not only demonstrates how the hop industry currently operates but also how it spread through the country from the first settlers to ultimately arrive in the North West.

The American Hop Museum is only open in the summer months, so you need to visit between May and September. It is also closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, though the Museum can be booked for special events and tours (for example for schools or businesses) by arrangement with the team. To inquire about booking guided tours or special events, you can contact the American Hop Museum on (509)865-4677 (HOPS) or email them at director@americanhopmuseum.org.

Admission, as stated, is inexpensive due to the museum’s non profit operating model. Adults can tour the museum for $3, children and students for $2 (though under five years old, children can go free), or you can buy a family ticket for just $7. If you plan to visit the American Hop Museum regularly or simply want to be a part of the good work they are doing, then you can also buy a membership which grants you free entry as many times as you want to visit.

You access the top level of the Space Needle by elevator, and are given a brief talk about the structure’s history as you rise. Once at the top, you can enjoy full 360 degree views over Seattle and the surrounding areas, including Puget Sound and the mountains, from the enclosed viewing areas. There are also all kinds of fascinating interactive displays that tell you all about the city of Seattle and the things you can see, as well as the Space Needle’s history, from its origins as the centerpiece of the 1962 World’s Fair to its appearance in hit movies and its most famous visitors.

Depending on when you visit, the Space Needle is sometimes decorated with different colors and themes. In 2012, for the anniversary of the World’s Fair, the top of the Needle was painted back to its original “Galactic Gold” color (though the rest of the structure remained white, rather than being restored to its original somewhat gaudy green and red color scheme), then at the start of 2013 it was painted with a green tribal inspired theme chosen by the people of Seattle. It is sometimes also decorated with sport team logos and was even home to a giant slingshot as part of promotions for the Angry Birds Space game!

Because the view and the overall experience is so different after dark, if you choose to buy Seattle’s highly recommended CityPass you actually get two trips up the Space Needle (along with access to many of Seattle’s other big attractions including an Argosy boat cruise, the Seattle Aquarium, the Museum of Flight, Woodland Park Zoo and the Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum), one to be taken during the day and one in the evening.

If you want the best Space Needle experience of all, you can also visit the revolving restaurant, known as SkyCity. This is a fairly high end dining experience with a smart dress code, and you may well need to make a reservation by calling on (206) 905-2111.

You can find out more about the Space Needle, including seasonal opening times and admission prices, at http://www.citypass.com/seattle/space-needle. This is also the place to go to get hold of the CityPass if you want the full package of Seattle attractions.

The Olympic Game Farm originally existed as a place to train and film animals for Disney movies, supplying tamed creatures for TV shows and movie productions like Grizzly Adams and White Wilderness. While this style of movie making used to be very popular with Disney, after the deaths of Walt and Roy Disney, the company moved their general direction away from live animal themes and no longer needed the services of the farm. As a result, the husband and wife owners opened it to the public in its current form in 1972, with Disney’s approval to use their name.

Now, the park is open 363 days a year (closed on Christmas), and offers plenty of great opportunities to see interesting animals up close in a setting that feels much more natural and wild than a normal zoo. You can take driving tours that allow you to see tigers and the Olympic Game Farm’s famous waving bears from inside your own vehicle at any time of year, and in the summer you can also take a “Mini Tour” which lets you see the gentle, tame creatures in their petting zoo and visit their fascinating aquarium. Both the driving tour and the Mini tour last about an hour, so if you plan to get the full experience and are visiting in summer, allow at least two hours for the experience so you aren’t rushed. It is certainly possible to make a full day out out of your visit.

The Game Farm has some educational sections and resources suitable for children of all ages, and this really is an ideal day out for families of all sizes and age groups, as well as for adults visiting on their own who want to see the animals. Feeding some of the animals is allowed, however the only outside food you are allowed to bring for this is wheat bread.

The Olympic Game Farm is found on Ward Road in Sequim, and you can find out more about it and get directions at their website at www.olygamefarm.com. You can also contact the farm with any inquiries at info@olygamefarm.com.

The Victorian freak show feel is something they have really embraced at Marsh’s Free Museum, so as well as the oddities on display like a taxidermy collection that features some strange creatures (like a two headed calf) and the aforementioned skeleton and shrunken head, you’ll also find a lot of interesting antiques from the Victorian entertainment industry, like fortune telling machines and old fashioned carnival style love meter games, as well as old coin operated peep show machines and a violin that plays itself. There is even a bowl made out of real human skin!

The museum is also home to Jake the Alligator Man and his official fan club, and all kinds of relics and materials associated with the mummified “half man, half gator”. Jake is probably the most famous thing in Marsh’s, and as a result there is all kinds of merchandise and memorabilia you can buy that feature pictures of him.

Some elements of this museum may be a little bit creepy and weird for some children, though it does offer some educational opportunities in terms of their animal and sea life specimens and some of the historical antiquities. If you are visiting with very young or especially sensitive children, you may want to check it out by yourself to decide if it is going to be too scary for them first. Older kids will love the bizarre, never before seen things on display, and also, all visitors are able to take home a sea shell as a souvenir which is a nice touch.

Marsh’s Free Museum is, as the name suggests, free to visit, and you can find out more about them from their website at www.marshsfreemuseum.com. Their stock of goods for sale is not limited to merchandise relating to their displays and the Long Beach area as a whole, but also features some interesting antiques and crafts. This really is a fun place to visit which has a macabre air while still retaining a tongue in cheek sense of fun. It is definitely worth a look if you find yourself in Long Beach!

This truly is a family destination, with stuff to cater for kids of all ages as well as moms and dads. Kids can enjoy the fun activities including the basketball and volleyball courts, and the charming Bavarian miniature golf course, or hang out in the arcade and game room. Adults can play too, or relax in the pool, work out in the world class gym, or enjoy the well equipped sports bar. This is the kind of place you can spend a day doing things together as a family, or all split up and do what interests you (while knowing your kids are safe and having fun!), so it can be a really good break for a family with kids of different ages who find it hard to please everyone on days out!

There are special events going on at all times of the year at the Icicle Junction Activity Center, and some cool seasonal activities, so it is worth taking a look at their website for current information about the time you will be visiting. This can be found at http://www.iciclevillage.com and is also the place to go if you want to inquire about special arrangements, like childrens birthday parties which can be held at the activity center. The Activity Center also has its own high definition movie theater showing several features a day, and you can check the starting times for these on the web or call their Movie Line on 509-548-6684.

The Icicle Junction Activity Center is open from 3pm-8pm as standard in winter, and 10am to 10pm in summer, though there are special opening hours during holiday periods and school vacation breaks. You can check out the specifics for the time of year you want to go there on the website.

The Activity Center is found on Highway 2 in Leavenworth, and is about two and a half hours from Seattle if traveling by car. Allow extra time in the winter months especially if traveling via Steven’s Pass, which can get a bit treacherous in wintry weather.

There is so much to see that you could spend several visits here without covering everything, but the curators of the parks suggest that if you want to see as much as possible on your first visit you allow about two hours and follow their set trails, using the guide that they give you on entry (you can also download a copy in PDF form and print it out before you go by visiting their website at www.bloedelreserve.org – this can be a good idea if you prefer to know what to look out for in advance!). If you would prefer to spend less time at the park or are only interested in one specific garden, then there are other options allowing you to stick to one or two of the areas.

Some of the most interesting features, depending on what your preferences are, include the Japanese garden, the reflecting pool, the moss garden, and the former home of the Bloedels, but if you prefer natural woodland to more cultivated gardens there is plenty of this to explore as well.

If you are visiting Bainbridge Island without a car and still want to visit the Bloedel Reserve, you can get a package from Kitsap Tours (www.kitsaptours.com) which will not only pick you up from the ferry and give you an enjoyable drive through the scenic areas on the route, but also a full tour of the reserve.

Visiting the Bloedel Reserve costs $13 for adults, $9 if you qualify for a military or senior discount, $5 for young adults (age 13 through college), and is free for kids 12 and under. You can also buy membership packages that allow you to visit as often as you like for free, so if you are local and plan to come here often, or you simply want to give your support to the reserve, this can be a nice option for you.