Washington is a beautiful state that sports an amazing coastline, green valleys, rolling hills, and mountains galore. It shares a border with a foreign country, our friendly, northern neighbor, Canada. And it has plenty of diversity: a thriving cultural and artistic element, vibrant music scenes, plenty of outdoor recreation, specialty shopping, mouth-watering cuisine, and of course, plenty of coffee shops. It’s also home to one of the most interesting and intellectual cities in the Unites States, Seattle. Many describe it as big city living with a small city’s pace and friendly neighborhood atmosphere. Here you’ll find the famous space needle, the original Starbuck’s, and the original home to grunge music, as well as many up-and-coming bands. Not far from Seattle, on the other side of picturesque Lake Washington, is Bellevue, an exciting, growing city that boasts one of the largest shopping centers in the region, Bellevue Square. Here you’ll find tantalizing restaurants and upscale shops with new additions like “The Lodge,” One Lincoln Tower, and the Bravern. Another popular spot is the Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art, which houses over a thousand dolls. And for kids, the new KidsQuest Children’s Museum, contains 10,000 square feet of play space. Other attractions include the famous Washington and Evergreen Point floating bridges. Recreational opportunities include walks on its sandy beaches or a visit to one of its over 120 state parks, hiking, camping, boating or windsurfing in Puget Sound, and snow-based sports, or simply taking in the beauty of Columbia River Gorge.

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