Washington is one of the most beautiful states in the country.
It contains several magnificent mountains, including Mt.
Rainier, Mt.
Adams, Mt.
Baker, and Mt.
St.
Helens, which erupted in 1980.
The fun city of Seattle is also in Washington, as well as Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands.
I first visited Washington state with my family back in 1972, at age 10.
We toured the Olympic National Park and went on several hikes up there.
We also visited Mt.
Rainier, one of the tallest mountains in the country.
I was awed by the mountains and the magnificent beauty of the Pacific Northwest.
From 1974 to 1978 my sister and I went to Camp Norwester, an overnight camp on Lopez Island, one of the three largest islands in the San Juans, a tiny group of islands located in the northwest corner of the states.
The islands are quite beautiful, covered with evergreens.
Several ferries shuttle between the islands as well as Anacortes, the closest city on the mainland.
Seattle, the largest city in Washington, is a very exciting town.
It has a famous fish market, where fish are caught and thrown to the customers.
Seattle also has the Space Needle, a tall modern tower which rises over 600 feet above the city.
I've been up in the Space Needle a couple times and was quite impressed by the view.
Another place I recall visiting in Washington is Spokane, the second largest city in the state.
My family took me there in 1974, when Expo '74 was in progress.
I enjoyed the World's Fair quite a bit! This is the only world's fair I have ever attended.
I recall that they had some great ethnic food as well as some interesting displays regarding the environment and energy conservation.