Places to visit in the North Cascades

July 28, 2017 3:13 PM

Looking for places to stop off on a drive through the North Cascades in Washington State that do not require hiking, or walking more than a mile or so.

I'm taking my parents on a loop drive through the Cascades early next week. I'm thinking we'll head out of Seattle on WA-2 to Leavensworth, drive south on WA-97 to Ellensburg, and then back over on I-90. (I know the classic loop is out on 20 and back on 2, but this is just a day trip and that seems pretty long for one day.)

We'll definitely stop in Leavensworth to gawk at the pretty mountains and the tourist kitsch (mom is German, she'll find it hilarious), but where else is there to stop and see a waterfall, a mountain lake, or a cute town without a hike? They've already been to Snoqualmie Falls.

Both parents have had knee replacements and my mom can't walk super-far or on unsteady terrain, so ideally these would be more like "stretch your legs with a nice walk, see something pretty" stops than day hikes. Last year we did the Grove of the Patriarchs trail in Mt Rainier NP and they liked that, but it was definitely the upper limit of my mom's hiking ability.

Bonus points for a brewery we can stop at.

posted by lunasol to Travel & Transportation around Washington (3 answers total)

Just stop at the overlooks. There are plenty along the way. In farm country, stop at the fruit stands too, get fresh cherries etc. and enjoy spitting the seeds out the window as you go You may want to head north, along North Cascades Highway, and if so Diablo Lake is a highlight among those. And if you deviate from the planned route to take the North Cascades option into the Skagit, there is always Birdsview Brewery in Birdsview, Washington. Here is more about beer options en route.
posted by bearwife at 4:16 PM on July 28, 2017 [1 favorite]

There are at least two brewery choices in Ellensburg, although I am not sure if you mean you want to tour a brewery or go to their pubs. If it is the pub you want, there is the very respected Iron Horse Brewery, and also newcomer Whipsaw. I know there are others, but those are the two you hear people talking about. You might be able to find out tour information from them. There are plenty of art galleries in downtown Ellensburg, if your parents are a certain age they might enjoy Western/Cowboy artist John Clymer's museum-- check the hours, I think they close at 4 pm this time of year, and also closed on Sundays. You are at the start of wine country, and there are plenty of wine tasting rooms. There is also a farmer's market Saturday morning downtown until 1:00 pm. Either on the way out of Ellensburg or on I-90 back there are the obligatory fruit stands you can stop at.

If you want to take an extra hour, you might push on to the Gingko Petrified Forest State Park in Vantage, or (opposite directions) a drive through Yakima Canyon. Vantage is good to look at the petrified rocks, they have a nice static display all in one small outdoor area with gorgeous overlook views of the Columbia river and a small interpretive center-- it would be a good stop for someone with limited mobility. Drive back to Ellensburg not on I-90 but on the parallel Vantage Highway and you have nice desert views of the wind farms and a better chance to see the local Elk Herd.
posted by seasparrow at 8:03 AM on July 29, 2017

Another place in the area good for limited mobility is the Wild Hose Wind and Solar center, also along the same Vantage Highway. It has nice views, natural history, renewable energy museum and films all in one compact area.
posted by seasparrow at 8:11 AM on July 29, 2017