A fun, historic place to walk by. Beautiful architecture. There was not much information posted…read moreabout the history, but still enjoyable.

This is also called OSPI: Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Directly…read moreacross the street from Sylvester Park. If you still can't find this place because the GPS told you I that you arrived in the middle of the street near the farmer's market, look for Hotel Olympian Barber and Styling Shop and then you will see it. Ring the doorbell on the castle and they will let you in. Friendly folks.

Very photogenic. Beautiful 1890s historic Queen Anne Victorian. Great architecture. Worth taking…read morea look at and snapping some pictures.

Part of the exhibit…read more The Castle Rock Exhibit Hall, dedicated on the 10th anniversary of the eruption of Mt. St.Helens, is one of North Cowlitz County's featured attractions for visitors. Operated by the nonprofit Castle Rock Exhibit Hall Society, the facility has three galleries of exhibits, displays and photographs portraying the area's history and culture. Those exhibits include Cowlitz Indian artifacts, logging carvings, sawmilling, logging displays, a Smithsonian Institution exhibit depicting the Mt. St. Helens blast zone, pre-eruption and post eruption pictures of the mountain and Spirit Lake, and other exhibits. The Exhibit Hall also includes a demonstration area that hosts annual quilt shows, holiday wreathmaking and other events, and a small store featuring books by several local residents among its merchandise. In the front of the building is a Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center that provides tourists brochures, maps and information about Mt. St. Helens and other Washington and Oregon tourist attractions. A historic city jail built in 1907 is located on city property behind the Exhibit Hall. Murals featuring Mt. St. Helens and Spirit Lake, a logging train and a Sternwheeler water vessel grace exterior walls of three buildings near the Exhibit Hall. Visitors may tour the historic city jail, which has been unused since the mid 1940's.

Just a few miles east of Longmire is this beautiful waterfall in Mount Rainier National Park…read more Christine Falls is a 60-foot waterfall that plunges underneath a historic arched bridge. There is a small pullout on either side of the bridge. I missed the pullout the first time I drove to Christine Falls. So keep an eye out for it because it comes up quick as you turn the corner. There is also no sidewalk to walk on when walking to the short path to the falls. Be careful of passing cars. You get a nice view of the falls once you get to the overlook. Christine Falls is named for Christine Van Trump. She is the daughter of Philemon Beecher Van Trump. He and his partner are credited with the first ascent of Mount Rainier in 1870.

Sorry to add a photo that's practically a carbon copy of 50 others on this Yelp pg, but what can we…read moredo? It's a beautiful waterfall. With the bridge perched above the waterfall like an upper eyelid, the view is a scaled-down version of Multnomah Falls, OR. Don't get me wrong, both are exquisite sights for sure. Parking was easy (~15 spots). The hike was short but slippery at times due to the moist weather. A good rest stop on the way to the legendary Mt Rainier (14k ft elevation). No amenities like restrooms or drinking water.

What a cool thing to have right in the middle of the town! There's a nice parking lot a few feet…read moreaway from the well, so it's easy for people to fill up multiple jugs of water and load them up into their vehicles. The water comes out from a pipe and empties into a metal grate so there's no pooled water to worry about. It wasn't busy when I went, and so I just took a sip from the stream of water coming out. It was cold, refreshing, and slightly metallic tasting. Not too bad. There are advisories to not boil the water as it was tested and noted to have high levels of manganese, which boiling would concentrate and potentially cause health issues if consumed in large amounts.

Truly life-saving water! It's worth every effort on your part to stop by and get some That's it…read moreplain and simple. The Yelp won't let me post unless I say more. There is no more to say. The water is excellent. Do you need more? Come and get some, it's still there and it's still free.

We regularly visit Veterans' memorials to pay homage. I stood and cried at The Washington State…read moreVietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Olympia, Washington. For over and over and over I kept hearing young GIs voices. They were softly saying: when you go home, tell them of us and that for your tomorrow, we gave our today. Here is hallowed ground. Hallowed ground that is NOT to be played at or upon. At the Washington State Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, I saw names representing gallant, patriotic and young Washingtonians of every race, gender, creed, color, and background who died or went missing in Viet Nam or Served during Viet Nam. The Washington State Vietnam Veterans, Memorial Wall is some recognition for Patriotic sacrifice in or during Viet Nam. The Washington State Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall is a fitting tribute to Washington's people of Valor in Viet Nam who wrote that blank check of "up to and including my life" when each joined the U.S. Armed Forces, and who then Gave Their All in during Viet Nam when that check was cashed in full by America. The Call to Duty, Honor and Country was answered by these Washingtonians because "it may be laid down as a primary position, and the basis of our system, that every Citizen who enjoys the protection of a Free Government, owes not only a proportion of his property, but even of his personal services to the defense of it", as so eloquently written by General then First American President George Washington. All Veterans memorials commemorate that the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one's country. The Washington State Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall emotionally, poignantly and deeply reminds us of what General Douglas MacArthur said, that the GI above all others prays for Peace, for it is the GI who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war. The next one to suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war is every GI's family, loved ones and friends. Every taxpayer also bears the cost of war. The Washington State Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall is another compelling reason to remind us just how important it is to understand, believe, support, and practice that the more we sweat in Peace, the less we bleed in war. This Wall is engraved with the names of the more than 1,000 men and women from Washington State who never returned home, and are listed in chronological order from 1963 to 1975, the order in which those GIs gave their lives. A small cross has been engraved next to the names of those who remain Missing in Action (MIA). https://leg.wa.gov/Memorials/Pages/Vietnam.aspx#:~:text=Memorials%20Vietnam%20Veterans'%20Memorial&text=The%20beautiful%20and%20symbolic%20Vietnam,near%20the%20Winged%20Victory%20Monument P.S. In spite of several complaints to Yelp, for years now I am unable to open up any Yelp messages to me nor post a review about Yelp :-(

I love memorials. I love History. I love that we keep records of all things History. Good or Bad…read more That's how we learn from what we did. Copy the good things we did and fix our mistakes and don't ever repeat them. This memorial is Awesome. I love that the names of those that fought for our freedom will always be here and we will never forget them. It's important that we never forget them. Every person on that wall is important, no matter what they did, they gave their lives. The ultimate sacrifice. Thank you to all of them for your sacrifice and service.

How can you not like a bridge with a name like "Skookumchuck"!…read more Traveling frequently between Seattle and Portland, I cross this 4 lane bridge frequently. It is unassuming and you've crossed it before you even knew you were approaching a bridge. This bridge is the "unofficial" half-way point between Portland and Seattle. They have recently added access roads to improve access to nearby businesses for the locals.

Cool spot to visit! Love the views and gloomy Washington weather to set the vibes. Definitely a…read moregood spot to stop by at when you're visiting Olympia!

We had a wonderful tour on a Saturday morning. The building is so grand. Our guide was lovely &…read morevery knowledgeable. Pro tip for visiting on the weekend: park RIGHT in front of the building.

The gates and restrooms are open only from Memorial Day to Labor Day, but don't let that stop you…read morefrom enjoying this park at any time of year. There is ample free parking across the road. A 0.7 mile paved footpath circles the pond and is a favorite of the locals. Four floating piers welcome the fisher. Non-motorized boats are allowed in the pond, but I have seen only one there in all the years I have visited. A few ducks, geese, and coots live here year round, and many more visit in winter. For info about the fish stocked in the pond see http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/washington/749/

This park offers multiple uses. there is a trail that circles around the lake there is multiple…read moreplaces to sit picnic benches all around the lake and access is excellent to the lake. there is a Picnic shelter ADA accessible with bathrooms. There is a swimming area , and a play area too. Great place for family outings.