The sea traffic into Seattle that travel on the Pacific must pass along the Strait of San Juan de Fuca, which separates the Olympic Peninsula and Canada’s Vancouver Island, and then it requires a turn south to navigate through Admiralty Inlet before reaching Puget Sound.  There are two points that define the entrance to Admiralty Inlet from the Strait, Point Wilson on the west and Admiralty Head on the east.  There were Lighthouses placed on both of these points to guide shipping safely to their destination.  Today there is the Keystone-Port Townsed ferry that connects landings located near these two points which provide a quick link between the northwestern part of the state and the Olympic Peninsula.

Sitting on 80 foot bluffs that drop into the inlet is Admiralty Head.  The first Admiralty Lighthouse (Red Bluff Lighthouse) was built during the second half of 1860 and became operational on January 21, 1861.  It was a two story wooden structure painted white with the light tower rising like a church steeple from one end of the pitched roof building.  This was light with a fourth-order Fresnel lens.  19 years later there would be a companion light established at Point Wilson across the bay.

During the Spanish-American War era the land near the lighthouse was acquired by the government to establish Fort Casey.  This was a good location allow friendly ships in but to also keep enemy ships out of the area. 

The wooden lighthouse stood at a great location for one of the fort’s gun emplacements.  A new lighthouse was constructed just north of the fort and the original lighthouse was moved away from the bluff so that its rooms could be used to house noncommissioned officers and, for a short time, a temporary medical clinic.  In 1928 the old lighthouse was torn down and the lumber used to build a house on Whidby Island.

The second lighthouse was built in a Spanish style and included a two-story dwelling linked to the base of the circular tower for the lighthouse manager to live in.  It is a three bedrooms, kitchen, dining room and living room area.  The lighthouse was activated in 1903.

In 1922 the light was extinguished in the lighthouse due to the lack of need for it any longer.  The bulk of the marine traffic was powered by steam at this time, rather than wind, so the modern vessels hugged the western side of the inlet.  The lantern room was removed and placed atop the newly reconstructed tower of the New Dungeness Lighthouse.

During WWII the lighthouse was reactivated as living quarters.  Following the war the lighthouse was empty again until the Island County Historical Society initiated a restoration effort.  A replacement lantern room was built for the tower using vertical astragals.

Today the lighthouse is a gift shop and museum for you to visit.
 

Admiralty Head Lighthouse – Coupeville, Washington is a post from: Washington Tourism

The Capitol of Washington was completed in 1928 and is both the Capitol and the Legislative Building. The main Legislative building has a dome that is 278 feet high with equally broad-shouldered edifices that surround the central structure.  

The state had been in existence as a state for 39 years and a territory for 26 years before that when the Capitol was actually built.  It took that long to finally decide that Olympia should actually be the capital city of the state.

The Legislative Building has withstood three major earthquakes since it was constructed.  The structural design and superior craftsmanship of the original building are credited with saving this building from major damage.

The Capitol was renovated in 2004 for a cost of $120 million and as part of the renovation there were 144 solar panels placed atop the fifth-floor roof.  It is the largest array of solar panels on a capitol in the United States.

The original cost of construction and furnishings for the building was $7,385,768.21.  To reconstruct it today using the same grade materials and workmanship would cost OVER $1 billion.

TYPE AND ORIGIN OF STONE 
Exterior Sandstone: Wilkeson Quarries, Pierce County, Washington
Interior Marble: Type Origin
 Senate Chamber Formosa Germany
 House Chamber Escalette France
 State Reception Room Bresche Violet Italy
 Main Corridors Gray Alaska

There are 42 steps leading up to the capitol building, specifically designed to recognize Washington as the 42nd state.

The Washington capitol building has one of five 42-star flags. These were never official flags, because Idaho became a state shortly after their release.

The lamp above the rotunda can fit a full-size Volkswagen Beetle if put in sideways, and the faces and human figures are life-size.

All lamps, and Roman firepots in the rotunda, were made by Tiffany’s.

The state seal, which is featured throughout the building, was designed by Talcots, by making two circles and putting a two-cent stamp of George Washington in the middle.

General public tours
Guided public tours of the Washington State Legislative Building are offered seven days a week hourly between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Tours are free and begin every hour on the hour and last 60 minutes. Public tours begin at the Tour Information Desk which is located on the 2nd floor of the Capitol Building, just inside the main entrance doors.

The Legislative Building is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.

The tour of the Capitol can range from 30 minutes to 3 hours and thirty minutes, depending on your time allotment and logistical needs.  Call them to set up your tour if you want one of the longer ones.  Phone: (360) 902-8880.

The Legislative Building is the crowning piece of the Washington State Capitol Campus and is home to the Washington State Legislature and the offices of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, and State Treasurer.

The Governor Mansion is the oldest standing building on the Capitol Campus, the red-brick Georgian style Executive Mansion has been home to Washington’s Governors since 1910. Fully restored and furnished with many antiques from the American Federal period, the mansion is open for public tours on most Wednesdays by reservation. Morning and afternoon tours are available, but group size is limited to 25. This tour is available for 4th grade and up.

The Washington State Capitol Campus is home to many Veterans Memorials including the Winged Victory, POW-MIA, Medal of Honor, Vietnam Veterans, WW II, and Korean War Memorials. Self-Guided memorial brochures are available at the Visitor Information Desk and at the Legislative Building Tour Information Desk.

Heritage Park is a 24-acre state-owned park adjacent to the State Capitol Campus, Capitol Lake and downtown Olympia. It is the northern extension of the historic West Capitol Campus.

Park hours:
Dawn to dusk. Security provided by the Washington State Patrol.

Parking:
Metered city parking can be found on Water Street, and free parking is available in the lot within the park, at 5th Avenue and Yashiro Street.

Location: 416 Sid Snyder Avenue SW
Olympia, WA 98504

Directions:
From I-5 Southbound: Bear right on ramp at sign reading "Exit 105A to State Capitol" and go west for 0.8 miles. Continue on 14th Avenue SE and go west for 0.4 miles to the Visitor Information Center at Capitol Way S at 14th Avenue SW
From I-5 Northbound: Bear right on ramp at sign reading "Exit 105A to State Capitol" and go northeast for 0.3 miles. Bear right on 14th Avenue SE and go west for 0.6 miles to Capitol Way S at 14th Avenue SW.

Visitor Information Center – 360-586-3460
  
 

State Capitol – Olympia, Washington is a post from: Washington Tourism

Seeing the Seven Wonders of the Olympic Peninsula is a great way to do a self guided tour of the area.  You can see Hood Canal which is called the Olympics’ Emerald Fjord. It divides the Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas and is over 600 feet deep in some places.  Here you will find a large salmon population, oysters, lams, shrimp and geoducks. 

Hood Canal stretches more than 70 miles.  You can enjoy sea kayaking from the town of Union on the Canal, go sport fishing for cutthroat, spinrays, kokanees and rainbow trout in the lakes around the area.

Hood Canal, a slender saltwater fjord, flows inland throughout the area from the Straits of Juan de Fuca along scenic Highway 101 past Hoodsport, bordering the Great Bend at Union and continuing further inland to the rugged ORV trails of the Tahuya State Forest and the gentle bird-watching trails of the Theler Wetlands in Belfair.

Hood Canal has a Shrimp Fishery where you can shrimp fish for 4 days a year under the supervision of the Washing Department of Fish and Wildlife in Marine Area 12.  This is in May so check to see if the 4 days are during the time you will be visiting. 

Take a drive up the Road to Staircase area of Olympic National Park.  The road is closed during the winter just beyond the Mount Rose subdivision since the 2006 Bear Gulch Fire because of increased rock and debris falling.  It is open during the summer.

The view from Hood Canal Bridge on State Route 104 connects Olympic Peninsula and the Kitsap Peninsula across Hood Canal is one of the best to see the area.  This bridge is 7,869 feet long which makes it the longest floating bridge in the world located in a saltwater tidal basin and the third longest floating bridge overall.

The water depth below the pontoons ranges from 80 to 340 feet (24 to 104 m). In its marine environment, the bridge is exposed to tide swings of 16.5 feet (5 m).
During inclement weather, the draw span is retracted (closing the bridge to vehicle traffic) when winds of 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) or more are sustained for 15 minutes.

Hood Canal, One of the Seven Wonders of the Olympic Peninsula – Olympic Peninsula, Washington is a post from: Washington Tourism

• Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium: Enjoyable facilities feature a zoo housing 792 animals and aquarium exhibits displaying species native to the Pacific Northwest.
• Fort Niquily A detailed reconstruction of an early 19^th century Hudson’s Bay fur trading and farming post.
• The Pagoda: The Pagoda is the focal point of a tranquilly beautiful Japanese garden, and a popular rental for weddings and parties.
• The Point Defiance Gardens: Extensive and exquisite gardens of a wide variety of flowering plants, shrubs and trees, creating a spirit lifting environment ideal for picture taking.
• Old Growth Forest Area: A five mile scenic drive through the Old Growth Forest Area takes one past exhilarating views of Puget Sound, the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges, the Tacoma Narrows and the Narrows bridges, Vashon Island and Gig Harbor. Picnic along the way and take pictures if you wish.
• The more then ten miles of picturesque forested trails that meander through the park are ideal for hiking or jogging.
• Never Never Land opened in 1964 as a family picnic area and playground, and has been, and continues to be, a favorite outdoor relaxation destination for the city’s residents.
• Go Kart and Batting Cage areas: The active youngsters in your family will certainly appreciate this section of the park.
• Camping and Logging Museum: Replica of a turn of the century logging camp. This exhibit offers a glimpse into the logging heritage of the Pacific Northwest. The Museum is maintained by the Western Forest Industries Museum.
• Anthony’s Restaurant: This octagonal shaped eatery is the place for top quality seafood, enhanced by outstanding views of Puget Sound and the mountains.
• Like fishing? Then the Park’s Boathouse Marina is the ideal spot at the park. Located on the Point Defiance Park Waterfront.

Point Defiance Park is a post from: Washington Tourism