Northwest
Educational Service District 189
Washington’s most populated area thrives with culture, urban adventures and history. Seattle and Tacoma set the cultural agenda, but this region is also home to Mt. Rainier National Park, Puget Sound islands, hundreds of hamlets and thousands of miles of hiking trails. From the state capital to the Cascades crest, town and wilderness live side-by-side.
What Makes This Region Great?
The Northwest Region is all about access to less visited areas, though hitting Vancouver, Canada’s hippest city, is pretty great also. Mt. Baker helped put snowboarding on the national map and B’Ham’s student-hipster vibe ferments culture, food and great nightlife options.
Culture
Western Washington University has emerged as one of the top regional public institutions in the entire country. The highly educated Bellingham public takes advantage of loads of provocative lecture series, weekly concerts and plenty of other Viking events.
Canucks
Whether choosing to hang in Whistler, North America’s perennial number one outdoor resort, or sample from thousands of restaurants in ethnically diverse Vancouver, Canada visits to the province of British Columbia never disappoint.
Outdoors
There’s no better place to ride, paddle and ski in the Northwest. You can do all of the above during the annual “Ski to Sea” festival.
Mt. Baker
Mt. Baker is the go-to snowboarding mountain for even Whistler shredders, but come summer the wildflowers and hiking trails are just as rad.
North Cascades National Park
North Cascades National Park boasts more terrain but less than 10% of the visitors as Mt. Rainier. Lodging on Ross Lake remains a must-do PNW experience.
San Juan Islands
Day trips to the San Juan Islands are an afterthought for NW Washington residents. Bike or walk onto the ferry, pick your island and let the adventure begin.
Skagit Valley
The Skagit Valley turns white with the snow geese and trumpeter swans every winter, then turns into all of the colors of the rainbow as America’s primary tulip growing region.
Bellingham Bay
Bellingham Bay provides an aquatic playground for scores of kayakers, sailors, standup paddleboarders, boaters... well, you get the idea.
Old Fairhaven
Old Fairhaven is a brick-lined Bellingham district lines with independent restaurants, imaginative stores and one of the Northwest’s premier independent bookstores.
“Washington is incredibly diverse. The landscape is beautiful and the people are so welcoming. There are so many opportunities to grow and experience.”
Pedro Navejas Rodriguez
Grandview School District