Puget Sound, in Washington State, is a wonderful place we locals go to seek peace, tranquility, and to recharge. We play in the sand, explore and collect colorful stones and rocks, and sit on the driftwood, taking in the sounds and smells of the salty air. About 100 miles long running North to South from the Canadian border to Olympia, there are 2500 miles of shoreline that are constantly changing with wind, tides, and rain. It is not the ocean: it is an inland sea created from the ice age roughly 13,000 years ago.
Our geology here in Puget Sound, also called the Salish Sea, is a really fun study. We have the tectonic plate collisions that created the fantastic mountain views both East and West of the Sound. Also the last ice age carved out the Sound and made it a huge puddle. Then the ice melted and the oceans rose, creating an opening for the ocean to flow in and out. The Puget Sound puddle (if you don’t mind the term) became a tidal zone of huge proportion.
When you come to the area, be sure to check out some of our local favorite stops.
There are orca whale exhibits in Seattle at the Burke Museum and information at the Seattle Aquarium. Whidbey Island has a couple, including a small exhibit in Coupeville and the larger Langley Whale Center, a very good place to learn about resident orca and gray whales; they are a part of the Orca Network. Friday Harbor on San Juan Island is a must if you are on this island.
A marine biology and aquarium facility of Highline College, MaST Center Aquarium in Des Moines is a wonderful stop at a fun little beach community called Redondo.
There are 13 lighthouses in Puget Sound, and more in the North Salish Sea (Canada). Some are open to climb the stairs, some you view but can’t go inside. All are beautiful and many are restored and painted.
With so much shoreline, there are many state parks and public beaches. Fort Worden State Park, Deception Pass State Park, and Larrabee State Park are all North of Seattle and wonderful local favorites. Seahurst park in Burien is close to Seattle (free), and West Seattle has a tide pool beach (free) with seaweed and tiny crabs, plus a sandy beach just around the corner. In the South Sound, Des Moines has a nice flat tide pool beach (free), as do Saltwater State Park and many others. Note, there is a fee to enter Washington state parks. A Discover Pass for one day is $10, for a year is $30, and you can purchase on line or at the entry point to each park.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the Kitsap Peninsula in the middle of Puget Sound, or the shrimp, oyster, mussel, and clam farms both North and South of Seattle. Thank you Penn Cove Shellfish LLC and Taylor Shellfish Farms, plus the many other small businesses keeping us stocked with delicious Puget Sound seafood.
For more ideas or to book one of our private tours, visit our website at https://www.cherylsnwtours.com.
