The Cascade Loop

The Cascade Loop is a thrilling ride through the heart of Washington State through some of most beautiful countryside and interesting areas encompassing magical cityscapes and spectacular landscapes, chilly alpine lakes and rushing rivers, islands and towering peaks. The byway travels through areas as diverse as they are magnificent: This 400 mile self-guided driving tour circles through the heart of Washington from the salty waters of the Puget Sound, across the verdant foothills of Cascade Mountains' western slope, the peaks of the North Cascades National Park enclosed in glaciers, and into the sun-drenched high desert expanse of the Columbia River Valley.

Part I:

State Route 20 is the northernmost route across the Cascade Mountain range in Washington and is commonly referred to as the North Cascades Highway. This scenic byway also called most scenic mountain drive in Washington offers travelers a wide array of beautiful landscapes, and is part of the Cascade Loop, the 400-mile driving tour through the Cascades. We pass Mount Vernon where the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in April brings thousands of visitors who come to see and photograph the blooms. Then we drive down to Skagit Valley towns like Sedro-Woolley. Lovely vistas of Skagit river all along the scenic byway. Jagged peaks, deep valleys, cascading waterfalls and over 300 glaciers adorn the North Cascades National Park Service Complex. Three park units in this mountainous region are managed as one and include North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake, and Lake Chelan National Recreation Areas.

The first town with services is Marblemount where you can find food and supplies. So after having our veggie burger breakfast we headed towards Newhalem. At Newhalem, the North Cascades National Park Visitor Center provides exhibits, maps, information about the park. Beyond Newhalem you enter the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Preserve, a vast 1.7-million-acres. We spend some time at the Gorge Creek Falls.

The overlooks above Ross and Diablo Lakes make excellent vantage points. The distinctive color of each lake (Ross is teal, Diablo is jade) is caused by finely ground rock dust suspended in the water and reflecting the green of the forest and the blue of the sky. Driving forward we enter the Okanogan National Forest resplendent with fall colors of the foliage.

The highway also crosses Washington Pass and Rainy Pass. Other trails, including the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, lead from roadside into the North Cascades National Park. Met two determined hardcore hikers who started the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail in April this year from Mexico and still have their last stretch of 62 miles to cover to reach Canada. They have been walking past six months and have enjoyed every bit of their achievement.

 
Washington Pass on the North Cascade Highway is magnificent! As the highway swings south, great walls of granite sweep upward. Dead ahead, the massive bulk of 7,600’ Liberty Bell Mountain seems to block any passage through the mountain fortress. Just when it seems impossible, the highway makes a great horseshoe bend and clambers up the face of Liberty Bell. The off-road viewpoint at the top of the pass provides splendid views of the mountain-ringed valley.
  
We drive across Mazama and then to Winthrop which looks like the set from a Western movie. False-fronted wooden buildings, hitching rails and board sidewalks all create the illusion of a frontier town. We in search of a place to halt for the night in one of the towns. Finding no place to stay over at Twisp and Carlton due to enormous crowds filling in all the hotels and camping sites we finally found our destination of slumber in our car by a RV park which had some restroom facility and retired in our sleeping bags for that cold night.

Next morning after the breakfast we took off to Methow River Valley. The Methow River is a popular rafting destination. The Methow and the adjacent Okanogan country is famous for its superb stream and lake trout fishing. Dozens of small lakes dot the region. The Methow Valley is Washington’s equivalent of the Old West. As you drive up the valley, you’ll pass fields of baled hay, big old weathered barns, corrals full of horses and the jagged Cascades for a backdrop. We chanced upon some lovely reflections of the Methow valley.

The Cascade Loop highway follows the Columbia River to Pateros and then we reach the Lake Chelan which is one of the top freshwater recreation areas in the Pacific Northwest. The warm, dry weather is particularly appealing and we spend little time by the lake watching people engaged with various water activities. 

The Entiat River road detours northwest here into the heart of the Wenatchee National Forest. We then drive to Wenatchee which is located at the confluence of the Wenatchee and Columbia Rivers and is crowned the "Apple Capital of the World".

The Wenatchee River brings you to the Old American City of Cashmere. Smallwood's harvest at Pehastin had halloween pumpkins all over the place and it was great so see so many at the same time at the pumpkin fest. It's vite-vity-vitie-vidi-pumpkin!!


 
The gateway to the Bavarian Village of Leavenworth is spectacular. The Tumwater Canyon highway hugs sheer canyon walls on one side, winding and twisting through the rocky gorge, as the Wenatchee River rushes past on the other side. Suddenly, you round a corner and there is Leavenworth, nestled tight up against the mountains that rise to more than 8,000’. Leavenworth is an authentic Bavarian Village.

Almost every building in town is decorated with ornate woodwork and Bavarian motifs. Leavenworth features German cuisine, its own brewery, and coffee roaster along with pastry and chocolate shops. Leavenworth is home to the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum - Nussknacker Haus carries one of the largest selections of unique German nutcrackers. I treat myself with a huge yummilicious fried ice cream and come along getting a cute nussknacker for a souvenir. We later drive in the Wenatchee National Forest and enjoy the fall foliage on the way. Excellent colors passing the hillsides of red huckleberry bushes, yellow aspens and brilliant and parti colored douglas maples. The fall in the forest was spectacular.

The highway follows the rushing Skykomish river as it ascends the west slope of the Cascades to Stevens Pass. Several small towns along the route have logging heritages with nature still at their doorsteps. Throughout this region there are plenty of hiking trails, campgrounds and fishing spots. Sultan and Gold Bar are both noted for their river rafting, hiking and fishing. The little town of Index nestles at the foot of spectacular Mount Index and is a favorite of rock climbers. Skykomish for outdoor activity in the surrounding mountains.

Part II:

Washington's islands are among the most attractive destinations in the West. Placid bays, forested shorelines, rural inland landscapes give the islands the atmosphere of private, secluded retreats. Two of the most easy to explore islands are Fidalgo and Whidbey. We drive north towards Mount Vernon and via State Route 20 towards Anacortes.

Deception Pass Bridge soars high above the water to reach Whidbey Island. Views from the bridge are spectacular, especially at tide change when the water below boils through the narrow passage at a furious rate. Deception Pass Bridge connects Whidbey Island to the tiny Pass Island, and Pass Island to Fidalgo Island. The Deception Pass State Park is outstanding for breath-taking views, old-growth forests and abundant wildlife. Views of Deception Pass, Deception island, some other small islands and Mount Baker from the Deception Pass Bridge are spectacular at sunset.

We reach historic Coupeville the heart of Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve on Whidbey Island. I ate their favorite local delicacy, Penn Cove mussels in plentiful at a fine restaurant. Enjoyed great views of Penn Cove between the shops.

 
Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve is a new kind of national park. It was created by Congress in 1978 "to preserve and protect a rural community which provides an unbroken historic record from...19th century exploration and settlement in Puget Sound to the present time." 

Enduring patterns of community life in such a setting have created a unique cultural landscape - described as a 'blend of people and place'. The vistas, woodlands, and fertile prairies of the Reserve are much the same today as they were 100 years ago when New England sea captains were drawn to Penn Cove and farmers to Ebey's Prairie. Time has touched only lightly upon Central Whidbey. Still, the landscape of the Reserve continues to grow and change, shaped as always by the community of people who live and work here. Farms are still farmed, forests are logged and historic buildings are still actively used today as homes or places of business.

Verdant Whidbey Island lies at the extreme north end of Washington's island-strewn Puget Sound, forming the eastern boundary of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. To the east rise the glacier-clad peaks of the North Cascades, to the north and south stretch miles of deep water, islands, and coves. Silhouetted against the southwestern sky, the Olympic Mountains form a dramatic backdrop for the island's rural setting. In the central portion of Whidbey Island is Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve. Its boundaries encompass broad fertile prairies, high seaside bluffs, rolling woodlands, shallow brackish lakes, and a deep protected cove.

Views from the bluff are spectacular, looking out across the Strait of Juan De Fuca to the Olympic Mountains. On the beach, massive logs lie like thistle sticks from a world of giants. The green and tan of the grass and sand stand against the aluminum blue of the sea unfurling on the shore. On the western side of the island, Fort Ebey and Fort Casey State Parks preserve military installations that once protected the entrance to Puget Sound. We spotted lots of deer in the parks as well as on Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve. We drove to Fort Casey State Park and Fort Ebey State Park which offered breathtaking marine views and visited the Admiralty Head Lighthouse.

With this we circle one of America's grandest and most spectacular scenic drives.

National Geographic Traveler describes the Cascade Loop as "one of America's grandest, most spectacular drives." Circling the heart of Washington through thick forests and open desert, this 400-mile byway includes a little bit of everything. From downhill skiing in the Cascade Mountains to county fairs in the Columbia River Valley, it's one of the best ways to get a Cliff Note version to Washington. Nine separate regions of the state make up this massive byway, each with its unique flavor and personality.