Snoqualmie, Washington: Twin Peaks TV Waterfall

For David Lynch fans, a dramatic waterfall and lodge that were in the opening credits of 1990-91 TV show Twin Peaks.

I loved the Snoqualmie Falls! It was amazingly beautiful. There are two places to park; would have been good to know. The main parking is at the top with the eye level view. You can hike down, about 15-20 minutes, about medium level difficulty. There is also a parking lot about 100 yards for the lower observation deck. (Downriver from the eye level parking) We stumbled on this adventure and it ended up being the highlight of the day! We are planning to go back when family is in town.

Snack bar at the eye level observation with ice cream and espresso!

The viewing area, which is built and maintained by a local electric company that runs an underground hydroelectric plant at the Falls, completed renovations in the summer of 2013. It's now better than ever. The mist gets cold during winter months, so bring a jacket.

The Salish (not Snoqualmie Falls) Lodge at the top is one of the nicest hotels in the area. You'll pay extra for the amenities, of course, but if you want somewhere nice to stay in the east side of Seattle, you'll be hard pressed to find a better option.

Some of the other Twin Peaks attractions are nearby -- the school is Mount Si High School, about three minutes away, and Twede's is about six minutes further down the road in North Bend. And if you get tired of that, there's one of the nicer Indian casinos nearby, with ridiculously good views of the Snoqualmie Valley.

I came here for the Twin Peaks association, but became much more awestruck by the size, power and beauty of this waterfall. This one deserves a high rating whether or not you're a Twin Peaks fan.

This was our first stop in a series of 'must sees' on a drive from Seattle, WA to Baltimore, MD. It was quite amazing. I stayed for about an hour in awe of nature, taking in the roar and getting drenched by the mist. It is not far off the highway, about 15 minutes. If you like sights that nature offers, check this out. It's free and there is no bombardment of tacky gift shops to ruin your experience.