2 Best Sights in Washington Cascade Mountains and Valleys, Washington

This impressive contemporary museum and cultural center with a stunning cedar longhouse, intricate wood carvings, hand-crafted canoes, and engaging interactive exhibits reveals the rich history of the several tribes—including Snohomish, Skykomish, and Snoqualmie—that have thrived in the Puget Sound region for centuries. The center adjoins a 50-acre nature preserve with stands of cedar and hemlock trees, salmon-rich streams, preserved estuarial wetlands, and nature trails. Just off Interstate 5 near the town of Marysville, the waterfront Tulalip Reservation has more than 2,500 tribal members and is also home to the 370-room Tulalip Resort Casino and an outlet shopping center, which are just a few miles north of the cultural center.

One of the best museums focusing on the state's rich and still thriving indigenous culture, this small but beautiful LEED-certified structure a 10-minute drive from Poulsbo contains handsomely designed exhibits about the Suquamish Tribe, including a historical canoe, wood carvings, a re-created longhouse, and multimedia presentations. Outside, pathways lead through a small botanical garden and down the hill to an evergreen-shaded park with picnic tables. If you have extra time, stroll a couple of blocks up the hill to St. Peter's Mission Cemetery to view the gravesite of Chief Sealth, for whom Seattle is named—his headstone is bracketed by a pair of ornately carved totem poles. Each August, the community welcomes all to celebrate Chief Seattle Days—with a salmon bake, royal pageant, games, food, and music.