Miles of Snow
Northwest ski resorts offer variety of services, adventures

Everything depends on when the snow begins to fall, where it falls and how much falls.

But one thing is certain. When the snow does fall, skiers will find it.

Backwoods adventure
Trail system offers nearby recreation opportunities

N.S. NOKKENTVED, THE OLYMPIAN
ASHFORD -- Quiet dominates the landscape -- from the snowy stillness among the trees, to stunning views from ridges and hilltops above the clouds that sometimes fill the valleys.

Related link: Mount Tahoma Trails Association

Nearby accommodations
Phone numbers

Laid back with a view
Snoqualmie Valley is a great place to take it easy

BRIAN CLARK, FOR THE OLYMPIAN
Each year, more than a million people make the trek to Snoqualmie Falls to drink in the beauty of the thundering cascade and get soaked in its mists.

High tea, high scenery
Victoria blends culture with sightseeing for all ages

MYKE FOLGER, FOR THE OLYMPIAN
A lot of Washingtonians might have visited Victoria, British Columbia, at one time or another. But getting to the heart of this city might be tougher than hopping a double-decker bus.

Getting around Victoria
Popular spots: Phone numbers, addresses and Web sites.

DW KANA SHEPHARD, FOR THE OLYMPIAN

Where do Washingtonians go to get away from it all to relax, refresh and rejuvenate?

For busy suburbanites, relaxation means not multitasking for a moment, so the place must be close by, a short jaunt by car, plane or train. It has to be a place where they can put up their feet, go "aaahhh," and forget the worries of the world for a day or two.

That place is a spa.

Some spas across the Northwest
Where to stay: Phone numbers and Web sites.

Solitude by the lake
You can't drive to Stehekin, and that's part of the beauty

DAVE WORTMAN, FOR THE OLYMPIAN
On a crisp morning under a brilliant sun, Rick Rahn navigates our baby blue school bus-turned-hiker-shuttle over the narrow road winding deep into the Stehekin Valley.

With windows rattling and suspension bucking around every turn, we rumble past rushing streams, hillsides splashed with fall color, and rustic cabins nestled into the forest.

Stehekin information
When, how and where. Includes phone numbers and Web sites.

From rain to snow
On the Olympic Peninsula, you decide which season it is

JOHN DELEVA, FOR THE OLYMPIAN

On the Olympic Peninsula, you can accept or reject this change of seasons and equipment.

Related links:
Forks Chamber of Commerce
Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce
Sequim Chamber of Commerce
Olympic National Park

A little bit of Germany
Leavenworth lights itself up for the Christmas holidays

MYKE FOLGER, FOR THE OLYMPIAN

Winter in Leavenworth
Getting there from Olympia. Where to stay: Phone numbers, addresses and Web sites.

Explore without travel
Discover what's available right in your own back yard

ALEC CLAYTON, FOR THE OLYMPIAN
"Everything I love, except, perhaps, the National Gallery, can be found in the geographical area known as South Puget Sound," said Connie Simpson of Shelton. "Family, friends, water, mountains, trees, meadows, wildlife and lots of babbling brooks, including the one in my back yard."

Rainy-day excursions
Try these ideas for indoor fun less than an hour away

BILL COMPTON, FOR THE OLYMPIAN
Will it rain in the Puget Sound region once we're deep into fall? You can count on drizzle and more, but that doesn't mean you and your family have to count yourself out of some great weekend activities within an hour of South Sound.

Weekend excursions
Phone numbers, addresses and Web sites.

TOURISM AND RECREATION RESOURCES
Phone numbers and Web sites.

FESTIVALS ACROSS THE NORTHWEST
Phone numbers.