It's hard to believe, but the Summer of 2024 is winding down. And with only less than a month remaining until the start of autumn, you might be looking to squeeze in one last vacation before the cooler weather gets here.

While time is short, the good news is we live in a fabulous state for weekend getaways and extended excursions, no matter what your adventure of choice might be.

And so, I give you a quick rundown of the top five places to take a late summer vacation here in Washington.

FORKS

At the turn of the millennium, this small town on the Olympic Peninsula became a major hot spot for both domestic and international tourists alike thanks to its association with the Twilight book and film series.

But over the past few years, the roughly-3,500 residents who live there have been turning their attentions away from trying to draw vampire hunters and those looking to fall in love with a werewolf, and gotten back to the basics of helping visitors appreciate the area's natural beauty and many recreational offerings.

While Forks could certainly be considered a cute little destination all its own, the town is actually best used as landing pad for the many treasures which surround it.

So why not bunk in Forks and then head to the furthest point west in the contiguous U.S. at Cape Flattery, explore the vast forests of Olympic National Park and the Makah Indian Reservation, or make the hike to Shi Shi Beach where you're sure to see more wild eagles than you've ever seen in your entire life!

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LONG BEACH

Who doesn't love a trip to the beach? Well, fewer than the majority of us, that's for sure. And although Washington State's Long Beach isn't exactly like California's, it does offer a great time for those looking to get some sand between their toes just the same!

The Evergreen State's coastline is mostly rocky and austere, but with 28 miles of continuous sand beach, Long Beach is a pleasant exception offering opportunities for horseback riding, tidepooling, building sandcastles, and of course those long walks couples just can't get enough of.

The town itself has plenty of lodgings for various budgets and also features cute little boutiques, a fabulous bakery, and a store that's well known for having one of the biggest selections of ice cream anywhere on the West Coast.

So grab the dog and don't forget the SPF, because even late summer can bring sizzling temperatures to the Washington Coast now that climate change is a thing, and get yourself to Long Beach for a bit of fun in the sun before the snow starts flying again.

WHIDBEY ISLAND

Whether you stay in Anacortes or my personal favorite, Langley, there's plenty to fill up a weekend or more on Washington's Whidbey Island.

Although it isn't technically an island, Whidbey definitely gives you more than a little of that feeling you get when you've chosen to isolate yourself in paradise for a while to get away from it all.

You can take a ferry trip across the Salish Sea to the nearby town of Port Townsend, hit one of the many beaches on the island's west side for a whiff of some sea breezes and a few s'mores over a campfire, or recapture your Zen while surrounded by the splendors of nature at the earth sanctuary just outside Freeland.

There's also plenty of lodging choices and late summer offers arguably the best weather you'll find at any time during the year on Whidbey. Book your stay now!

WALLA WALLA

Alright, now before you start snickering too much, you should know that this lovely hamlet in Southeastern Washington that used to commonly be referenced as a tongue-in-cheek gag in the old Warner Brothers cartoons has grown up a lot over the past few decades. And it also makes a great base of operations for checking out the region's many other attractions.

Take a drive through the backroads of Walla Walla County, enjoy the majesty of Palouse Falls State Park, reel in some of the state's best fishing opportunities, or go hiking in Washington's little slice of the Blue Mountains.

The town of Walla Walla has lots of great hotels to choose from, as well as plenty of excellent restaurants and wineries. So how about it? Try something new for a change and see what's cookin' in the same spot that Lewis & Clark visited in 1806!

METALINE FALLS

If you're really looking to get away from it all, a trip to Washington's Pend Oreille County might be just what the doctor of solitude ordered.

Although there aren't too many lodging options, there's plenty of spots to camp and the area's scenic beauty is hard to match.

You can bring along your canoe and have a paddle or a dip in nearby Sullivan Lake, head to the high country for a hike, or even cross the Canadian border for an international daytrip! And the light pollution is very low, so the entire vicinity is a stargazer's paradise.

C'mon, we know you've been checking it out on the map for years and always wanted to go, so pack up your gear and get yourself to another grandiose patch of God's country in Washington State.