Our family had visited Seattle many times, usually to see friends rather than play tourist. And every time we went, the kids would bring up the Space Needle. In short, they begged to go, and we would say, "Some other time." After all, we live only an hour and a half north of the city. We could go anytime. But after realizing all the places Leah, age 10, and Ty, 7, had never seen in our home state, my husband, Curt, and I decided that a four-day trip around western Washington, including a day and a half in Seattle, was in order.

We planned all the quintessential Seattle excursions: going to the top of the city's famous spire in Seattle Center's World's Fair site, taking a Duck tour, riding the monorail, touring Pike Place, and walking the waterfront. For the remainder of our adventure, we opted for the Washington less traveled: a mountain route east over the rugged North Cascades. Besides providing a wilderness escape after our city stay, this route would capture Washington's diverse landscape. From the bucolic evergreen valleys on the west side of the mountains to the dry ranch country on the east, and through all the little towns in between, it would give our kids a taste of what Washington has to offer and remind us of why we love it. During two and a half days, we'd pack in waterfall sightings, train-history lessons, fun hikes, and a stay in a Bavarian mountain town. Here's how our adventure unfolded.

Seattle's Space Needle. Pike Place Market in Seattle. Downtown Cle Elum.