Hello Washington! I (25M) am in the midst of a quarter life crisis and want to plan a long weekend trip to your state to get away! I’m coming from northern VA. I’m an avid camper/hiker and would love to explore Washington. If you only had 3/4 days, where would you chose to land and explore? I’ve never been there and don’t even know where to start. Im still deciding if I will get an air bnb or if I should just live in a rental car during that time. Any and all suggestions are welcome. And hey, if you wanna meet up with a random Reddit stranger at a bar for a drink, pm me!

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anybodyiwant2be t1_ith7yhn wrote on October 23, 2022 at 5:07 PM

Closer to the water the less likely snow.

Fly into SeaTac and take A loop from Seattle Hurricane Ridge to Crescent Lake, a hike in the temperate Hoh rain forest, the rugged beaches at Kalaloch, Ruby Beach and Moclips and a flyby through Aberdeen where Kurt Cobain was from (and a cool Star Wars store there) would give you the flavor of the Olympic National park (one of 3 located within 100 miles from Seattle).

quantumspork t1_ithd69f wrote on October 23, 2022 at 5:40 PM

The Star Wars store closed a few months ago. Owner retired.

If-trees-could-talk t1_ith2bck wrote on October 23, 2022 at 4:29 PM

We just got our first dump of light snow over here in Eastern Washington at 5k of elevation. So depending on where you are going there might be snow and at the least wet rainy conditions. I guess it depends on what you like to hike in? Desert, mountains, flat, etc.

pala4833 t1_ith9r1y wrote on October 23, 2022 at 5:19 PM

Three quarters of a day isn't much time. Enjoy a coffee somewhere maybe.

Fun_Minute_7840 t1_ithcpg8 wrote on October 23, 2022 at 5:37 PM

I think he meant 3 to 4 days

pala4833 t1_ithcsxv wrote on October 23, 2022 at 5:38 PM

Ya think?

Marmotskinner t1_itne8wj wrote on October 24, 2022 at 10:36 PM

I’ve been here 5 decades and I still haven’t seen it all.

trains_and_rain t1_ithkd5u wrote on October 23, 2022 at 6:26 PM

Spend some evenings in Seattle drinking and eating dicks!

PacificDetail t1_ithne16 wrote on October 23, 2022 at 6:45 PM

You will have time for a brief exploration of Seattle plus one other region of the state. If you have never been to the Pacific Northwest before, I strongly endorse anybodyiwant2be’s suggestion of a counter-clockwise loop around the Olympic Peninsula. If possible, squeeze in visits to Cape Flattery and First Beach too. The peninsula is absolutely beautiful in the misty, rainy fall.

Novel-Art3412 t1_itidrdz wrote on October 23, 2022 at 9:31 PM

I would spend a day in Seattle and then take a little road trip to the North Cascades National Park, Mount Rainier, Olympic Peninsula, or the San Juan Islands depending on what you're looking for. Mount Rainier will be the best for mountain views and hiking, North Cascades has beautiful scenery with mountains, cute small towns, and lakes, the Olympic Peninsula is very green and lush with some cool lakes, and the San Juans are great for water views. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them.

1dad1kid t1_ith24gz wrote on October 23, 2022 at 4:27 PM

When would you be coming? That could affect the suggestions

russingtonIII OP t1_ith3u10 wrote on October 23, 2022 at 4:39 PM

No later than the first week of November hopefully!

1dad1kid t1_ith4uhu wrote on October 23, 2022 at 4:46 PM

Might be able to still do some hiking in the North Cascades area. They got a little snow recently but may still be clear in parts. Mt Baker/Snoqualmie is also nice, but in Nov they require you have chains. Camping in the car won't be too comfortable since it will be chilly and probably wet. If rain doesn't bother you, head over to the Olympic Peninsula. Lots of great hiking and sights that won't have snow. Parts of the Peninsula are in the rain shadow which means you'll be drier.

cneueidb t1_ithfmty wrote on October 23, 2022 at 5:56 PM

Be prepared for it to be expensive. I used to travel within my home state and don’t bother anymore. Especially if I want it to be nice that is. $200-600 a night at any good place, depending on the season. Plus traffic and crowds everywhere. Crime has gone up a lot too. Not saying don’t do it, just be aware!

Marmotskinner t1_ithy8t4 wrote on October 23, 2022 at 7:53 PM

TIRES. You need M+S rated tires and also chains. And know how to put them on in the middle of nowhere. Recommend doing a practice run in a garage on dry ground and bringing a tarp for when you’re laying on your belly on the side of the highway getting sprayed with slush from logging trucks.

E36E92M3 t1_iti3ii0 wrote on October 23, 2022 at 8:26 PM

> You need M+S rated tires

In my opinion any AWD with 3 peak tires is the better option for going into the mountains during winter. Black ice is more of a problem than snow cover especially on i90 where its always plowed. Never needed to chain up with 3 peak tires

[deleted] t1_itildoo wrote on October 23, 2022 at 10:22 PM

[deleted]

Marmotskinner t1_itndqb5 wrote on October 24, 2022 at 10:32 PM

You missed the boat. Anything above 2000’ is getting snow, and is below freezing past about 8pm. The rain has moved in in the lowlands. Weather-wise you’ll be shit outta luck.