Ferries are the quiet heart of this corner of Seattle. White Center, a modest, diverse neighbourhood, lies just inland, and Lincoln Park offers forest trails, beaches and views over the water.
Puget Sound is a complex inland sea carved by glaciers, with deep channels, islands and peninsulas, and its cold, nutrient-rich waters support orcas, seals, porpoises and salmon. On a clear day Mount Rainier rises huge and white to the southeast, a volcano so massive that it creates its own weather. The weather here is famously grey and drizzly from autumn to spring, but summers are often dry and sunny, with long evenings and clear skies.
The North Cascades Highway is one of the great rides of the Pacific Northwest. It leaves Interstate 5 near Burlington and heads east along the Skagit River, past the turquoise lakes of Diablo and Ross, which owe their colour to fine glacial flour, and climbs to Washington Pass, where granite spires rise above the road. The highway closes in winter because of snow and avalanche danger, usually from November until spring, so check the dates before you plan. Beyond Marblemount, services disappear for a long stretch until you descend to Mazama and Winthrop, so fill up before the climb.
Getting out of Seattle can be slow. Traffic on Interstate 5 and the city's bridges is heavy at rush hour and at weekends, and the West Seattle Bridge can be a bottleneck. Ferries can save time and offer a scenic alternative, though queues are long in summer. Riding in the rain is common, and the roads can be slippery with leaves and moss in the autumn.
Fuel, food and coffee are easy to find in West Seattle and White Center. For a pause before or after the ride, walk down to the water at Lincoln Park and watch the ferries come and go. With the islands, the mountains and the light on the Sound, it is a fine place to start or end any journey.