Recently I had the opportunity to travel to Washington State for my birthday. This just so happened to be my first time in that state and it was a wonderful experience. When I first arrived, I was captivated by the beauty. I especially noticed how green everything was. There were so many trees and they were everywhere.
The first night we stayed at the Hyatt hotel in Bellevue which is located directly across Lake Washington, from Seattle. That night we went to downtown Seattle to walk around Pikes Place, which is a giant fish market. We got to see the other tourist attractions like the Space Needle, Pioneer Square and the football & baseball arenas.
Bubblegum wall near Pike Place Market
Another great opportunity came while we were staying in Olympia. I was able to see the capital of Washington. It was the first time I had seen a capital of a state. There was much history in the town and I learned a lot. One of the things that I truly admire about the state of Washington was their emphasis on conserving power and protecting the environment. It seemed no matter where you were there was always something to remind you about keeping everything clean and green.
State capitol at Olympia, Washington
The following day we had an early morning start. Michael and I headed out to Olympic National Park. Our time in the park made me see things in a whole new perspective. I learned to really appreciate the beauty of the wilderness. One of the most spectacular things I did was to go swimming in Crescent Lake, the water is so clear. We also had the opportunity to walk a few of the trails. There are many Indian reservations located in Washington. One of them in particular was the Quinault Indian reservation. Quinault was very beautiful. Nearby at Quinault Lake, we had the opportunity to see the World’s largest Sitka spruce tree. It was 191 ft. in height, 59 feet in circumference and it was said to be over 1000 years old. It was amazing!
Largest Spruce tree near Quinault Lake, Washington
On our final day there we left Olympia and headed back to Seattle to spend our final moments in the city. My time in Washington, though short, was very life changing and it helps me to really appreciate the beauty and wonder of life. I can say that I was very blessed to have had such a wonderful opportunity to be able to visit Washington. If you ever have the opportunity to travel, take the chance and take it because that journey just might change the way you see life, forever.