Despite what you may have heard to the contrary, there is more to Washington state than lattes, rain, and Microsoft. Washington is actually such a diverse state that it could have served as a model for the song "America the Beautiful." Out in the eastern high desert country, there are beautiful spacious skies as big as Montana's (part of the Rocky Mountains even reaches into Washington). In the Cascades, there are mountains that turn majestically purple at sunset. In the Palouse country of the southeastern corner of the state, amber waves of grain stripe the steep hillsides. In the Yakima, Wenatchee, and Chelan valleys, the fruited plains produce the world's most familiar apples (and some pretty good wine, too). Out on the Pacific Coast, there are beaches white with foam, and with an inland sea across the Olympic Peninsula from the Pacific, the sun in Washington shines from sea to shining sea. From its mountains to its valleys, Washington is indeed beautiful country.

But the diversity of this state goes far beyond mere song lyrics. There's an island archipelago as beautiful as the coast of Maine (though without the harsh winters). There are beaches as long and sandy as those of North Carolina's Outer Banks (though the waters are too cold for swimming). There are granite mountains as rugged as the Sierra Nevada (though not as crowded with hikers). There are desert canyons like those of the Southwest (though not nearly as hot). There are vineyard-covered hillsides like those of the Napa Valley (though without the crowds). There's even a bayfront city with dauntingly steep streets (no cable cars, though).

With such a complex and diverse landscape to be explored, planning a trip can become a daunting task. Where should we go? Where should we stay? Where should we eat? Planning a trip to Washington involves making a lot of these sorts of decisions, and, especially if you only have a week for your entire trip, you probably want to be sure you get the most from your trip. To help you get a better a grip on the state's highlights, its not-to-be-missed attractions and activities, we've put together this list of some of the best the state has to offer. Keep in mind that most are written up in more detail elsewhere in this book, but this chapter will give you an overview and get you started.