• Savour the delights of Seattle (website: www.visitseattle.org), the state's largest city, surrounded by the waters of Lake Washington and Puget Sound, with spectacular views of The Cascades and the Olympic Mountains. Browse waterfront shops and sample fresh seafood.

• Tour Pioneer Square (website: www.pioneersquare.org), a 17-square-block National Historic District showcasing Seattle's early history with shops, art galleries, restaurants and a unique underground tour.

• Shop at Pike Place Public Market (website: www.pikeplacemarket.org), situated just above the waterfront. The oldest continually operating farmers' market in the USA features abundant seafood and produce, as well as handcrafted items from the Pacific Northwest.

• Enjoy glacier-studded mountains, rainforests, lakes, streams and miles of unspoiled coastline at Olympic National Park (website: www.nps.gov/olym).

• See Mount St Helens in Gifford Pinchot National Park (website: www.fs.fed.us/gpnf), the site of the infamous volcanic eruption of 1980, which left a gigantic crater in the mountain's north flank. It is possible to take short trips by light aircraft over the summit.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.