70- to 90-mile whale-watching cruise travels around San Juan Islands, launching from marina about 2 miles from I-5, with free parking

Expert guides ferry guests from Goodell Creek to Copper Creek, passing alpine scenery & wildlife & relaying history, mining & ecology info

Two-hour rentals afford adventures through sheltered waters including Lake Union, Washington Park Arboretum, Portage Bay & Union Bay

Professional photographers teach students basic camera techniques as they shoot wildlife & terrain at Green Lake Park or the Woodland Zoo

Guides impart basics of climbing, rappelling & adhering to commands atop scenic Mt. Erie during full-day spring & summer courses

Two scenic courses loop through downtown Tacoma to challenge runners and walkers

Departing from Orcas Island, guides lead semiprivate or private charters for seasonal catches that range from rockfish to flounder

Veteran skippers welcome 12 tourists onto vessels and guarantee encounters with underwater giants during whale-watching tours

Sage guides lead inflatable rafts down calm river, stopping to spy on wildlife, picnic on Goat Island, and sightsee in La Conner

Ziplines & elevated-ropes courses challenge participants in sturdy harnesses, before they sip free samples during tour of Redhook Brewery