Washington’s headline act is its natural environment.
This intricate jumble of deep inlets, high mountains, thick forest, and broad river valleys sprinkled with fruit trees is best enjoyed through some form of self-powered human propulsion, be it on foot, on skis, on two wheels, or with a paddle in your hand.
Playing a more than adequate supporting act are the culture-loaded cities. The region is famed for its glass art, farmers markets, brewpubs, indie music venues and viticulture. For an overarching view of the Lower 48’s most northwesterly state, balance your time between urban and rural.
Eclipsed only by Venice for its innovative glass art, Seattle brings together the magnificent works of Tacoma-born master, Dale Chihuly, in the bright confines of Chihuly Garden and Glass, a beautifully curated museum that lies in the shadow of the iconic Space Needle. One of the largest galleries in the US devoted to one artist, the exhibition rooms present a dazzling kaleidoscope of orbs, sunbursts and delicate crystal.
Detour: Next door to Chihuly and equally extravagant in design is the super-modern Museum of Pop Culture (MoPop) an obligatory musical stop in a city that blessed the world with Nirvana, Jimi Hendrix and Heart, among others.
Few have the time or tenacity to make it to the glaciated 14,411ft summit of Mt Rainier (the Lower 48’s fifth highest mountain) but substantially more people manage to travel by vehicle to the profuse flower meadows at the national park hub of Paradise. Overlooked by the mountain’s snow-capped dome, this vast natural playground anchored by the handsome Paradise Lodge built in 1916 marks the start of several paths, including the five-mile-long Skyline trail which leads hikers through endless alpine blooms to a 7100ft viewpoint called Panorama Point.
Need more hiking inspiration? Here are Washington State's best walking trails
Largely rural and crisscrossed by a web of winding lanes demarcated by tangled hedgerows, the diminutive San Juan archipelago might have been designed with cycling in mind. Its second largest landfall, San Juan Island, has an unusual history showcased in a national historical park that explores the legacy of one of North America’s most peculiar “conflicts”. The 1859 “Pig War” is the name given to a protracted military stand-off between the Americans and the British over the newly established international border where the only casualty was a local pig. You can find out more about how direct conflict was avoided, and level heads prevailed at two historically themed “camps” located at opposite ends of the island.
Detour: Afterwards, ferry your bike over to nearby Lopez Island, a 30-sq-mile slice of rural tranquility that’s home to a farmers market, vineyard
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The long-awaited third season of Netflix’s hit romance period drama Bridgerton is unveiled today (May 16), and fans of the series can now not only binge on the bodice-ripping romantic intrigues, opulent outfits, glamorous balls and lavish sets of the Regency era but also plan a trip to discover the locations around Britain where the smash-hit series was filmed.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of things to see and do in Sydney—especially if it’s your first time visiting. It’s not exactly easy to get to Australia so it only makes sense to want to squeeze in as many “must-see” spots as possible during your trip.
Brussels is one of the coolest cities in Europe—and it doesn’t even have to try. The Belgian capital is a hub for foodies and pop culture fiends alike but it also has its fair share of outdoor things to see and do, which particularly come alive in the spring time.
The sun-drenched sepia photograph shows a dapper European, handkerchief in pocket, cigarette in hand, sitting among a row of men dressed in bisht and keffiyeh. The moment was captured during Jacques Cartier's first visit to the Persian Gulf in 1911, on his way back to London from Delhi—part of a sales trip encouraged by his father, Alfred, then the head of Cartier. The decline of the Ottoman Empire and the 1905 Persian Constitutional Revolution had flooded Europe's artistic centers with new influences, forging an aesthetic then known as “the Muslim arts.” Eager to learn more, Jacques spent four months traveling throughout Asia and the Middle East, rifling through bazaars and emporiums and mixing with high society.
Padua, in northern Italy's Veneto region, is the site of one of the world’s greatest art treasures that should be on every art lover’s bucket list. The Scrovegni Chapel houses the extraordinary 14th-century fresco cycle by Giotto that covers all the walls and ceilings. Despite having such a masterpiece and being a lovely small city, filled with history, culture and culinary delights, Padua is far less touristy than other Italian other art cities like Florence, Rome or nearby Venice. It’s a real hidden gem. And, at just 25 miles from Venice and easy to reach from Marco Polo airport, Padua is an easy day trip or addition to a Venice itinerary.
If you’re addicted to coffee, partial to New World wine, enjoy skiing at weekends, and have a picture of Kurt Cobain on your wall, Washington could be your Nirvana.
There is a sense of humor around every corner when you're driving in the USA. How else to explain those wacky, way-out-in-left-field roadside attractions you’ll stumble upon? Sculptures made of cars, energy vortexes and oversized household items are just the beginning. Here are our favorite offbeat stops.
It can be hard to know where to start on a trip to the Swiss Alps, such is the region’s abundance of unmissable scenery, exhilarating activities, nerve-shredding alpine roads and high-altitude accommodation that makes you feel like you’re sleeping in a cloud.
Norway’s capital city is famous for Vigeland Sculpture Park. Rightly so, for the park featuring 212 sculptures of celebrated visionary Gustav Vigeland has long been one of the country’s leading free tourist destinations.
The 60th edition of the art extravaganza that’s the Venice Biennale runs until 24 November at the two main venues Giardini and Arsenale. as well as countless offsite locations, official and unofficial. There are 88 National participations this year, with four countries participating for the first time: Republic of Benin, Ethiopia, United Republic of Tanzania, and Democratic Republic of Timor Leste. Here are eleven of the must see country pavilions.