In the summer of 2008, my mom, step-dad, brother, and I took a trip to Washington to visit our family. We experienced many different things compared to where we’re from: the Midwest.

We started our journey late in the evening on June 28, when we landed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. We couldn’t see much when we looked outside; it was around 9:00 p.m. Pacific Time, which meant 11:00 p.m. at my house. As my family entered the airport, the first thing we noticed was a small store selling “Seattle’s Best Coffee.” That’s when it struck me: I’m actually in Washington!

My two aunts and cousin met us near baggage claim, where we found our luggage and walked toward the parking ramp. We jammed our luggage into the vehicles they were driving, headed out to the freeway, and drove to their houses.

The next morning, we woke up around 8:00 and found out we were heading to Mt. Rainier. It took a little to get there because of the distance that we had to drive, but it paid off in the end. The mountain was beautiful; there were no clouds outside and the mountain seemed to “pop” out of the blue sky in the background. As we continued on the road, the elevation was getting greater and greater, until eventually we saw snow on the ground! Snow in June? Unbelievable!

The next day, we went into Seattle to experience Queen Anne Lookout and Pike Place. Queen Anne Lookout, which was our first destination, is located on Queen Anne Hill in Seattle. It is a lookout point where you can see the tall skyscrapers of Seattle, the Space Needle, and the beautiful Puget Sound. It is a wonderful photo opportunity and a must-see.

Next, we went to Pike Place. Pike Place is the home of Pike Place Market, which is a big market full of fresh foods, such as fish and lobster. We watched in awe as the men threw the fish to each other for preparing and packaging; it was quite a sight to see fish flying through the air, and the men throwing and catching in perfect synchronization. After watching for a while, we ventured out onto the actual Pike Place, which is a street with lots of businesses and shops. Pike Place is also the home to the first Starbuck’s coffee shop, which was absolutely full of people when we were there. After the coffee shop, we were ready to head back to my aunt’s house.

A few days later, after some rest and relaxation, we were back in Seattle to ride the Ducks and see the Space Needle. “Ride the Ducks of Seattle” was first on our agenda. “Ducks” are all-terrain vehicles that can go over land and into the water. We got to experience downtown Seattle and Lake Union, from the comfort of a Duck.

Following the Ducks, we went to the Space Needle, which was right across the street! The Space Needle is a tall tower that provides a scenic lookout where we saw the Puget Sound, Seattle skyline, and surrounding area from. It was a beautiful sight.

We had quite an adventure in Washington. This trip was an experience that I’ll never forget; Washington is a great place that any family can enjoy, and my family did, a lot! Washington is a wonderful state that any family would enjoy for a vacation.