Pining for the Shire? Here are a few places to visit to quell your hobbity cravings in Washington State without visiting Middle Earth (or at least New Zealand).

Are you a believer? It's OK if you're not. Ghost tours are fun, especially in October when the days are growing shorter and the leaves are falling. And good ones are also a bit of an (entertaining) history lesson. Here are three Haunted Tours in and (relatively) near Seattle to take this Autumn: Seattle, Port Gamble, and Port Townsend

If celebrity burials are your thing, the number of Seattle's famous dead denizens does come close to rivaling many larger, and older, cities. But we do have a few here, and they're worth visiting if you like cemeteries. Here's more about where to find the graves of Bruce and Brandon Lee, Jimi Hendrix, and Chief Sealth (Seattle), along with a listing of a few others with a more local claim to fame.

This beautiful mosaic labyrinth sits on a wooded park overlooking the water on Bainbridge Island, WA.

You can only get to Blake Island in Washington State by boat (or seaplane, it turns out). It's a fun kayaking adventure from Seattle or Kitsap County. Here's more about kayaking and camping on Blake Island.