Photo Erik Ringsmuth
NORTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON, USA (see pull out map) From Route 97, take US 2 from Wenatchee toward Leavenworth where Bavarian charm and northwest hospitality combine. Cool breezes come down from the mountains of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest as you head in the direction of Everett, home of Boeing’s assembly plant, the largest building in the world by volume. You can smell the ocean as you wind your way toward Whidbey Island and Deception Pass State Park, 4,134 acres (1,673 hectares) of marine park, saltwater and freshwater shorelines with mysterious coves, old growth forests and even sand dunes! US 20 leads you to Mount Vernon, in Skagit County. Visit in April for the world-famous Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. You’ll pass through some of the most spectacular and diverse scenery in northwestern Washington and the North Cascades Mountains. This is
gawk-worthy country as you gaze out at jagged mountain ranges on both sides of the border, pass turquoise glacier-fed lakes and admire wildflower-studded meadows. This route takes you over scenic Rainy Pass (closed in winter) through North Cascades National Park where you can connect with the Pacific Northwest Trail. Note: Portions of US 20 are closed during the winter months. At Mazama, cross-country ski in the Methow Valley, connect with the Pacific Crest Trail or hike up to Goat Peak to the Forest Service Lookout Tower. Up the road is Winthrop, an old west town with wood boardwalks, western hospitality and the oldest legal saloon in Washington state. You can exit the loop at Pateros, home of the famous Apple Pie Jamboree in July, or at Okanogan, just south of Omak. Should you decide to join the road
trip farther north, you’ll love the view outside your window. The green pastures and orchards of the valley floor contrast with the soaring cliffs and rugged glacial features for Instagram-worthy photo ops. Take 97A along the Columbia River through Entiat to Lake Chelan, which is the largest lake in Washington and the third deepest in the country. Explore vineyards and orchards and sip wine in the state’s fastest growing wine region. In the winter, it’s known for Nordic skiing. In the summer, skydiving is popular. Just past Chelan is Pateros, where you can drive northeast on Hwy 153 to Route 20 and connect to the Cascade road trip. You can also continue another 40 minutes north on Route 97 to Okanogan where you’ll connect directly to Route 20 and travel west on the upper portion of the Cascade road trip and back down to Wenatchee.
View from Sourdough Mountain of Diablo Lake, North Cascades National Park outside Mazama, WA
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