Olympia is the capital of Washington State, sitting at the southern tip of Puget Sound. It is a small city — around 55,000 people — with a college-town vibe driven by the presence of Evergreen State College and a strong independent streak in its politics, art, and food scenes.
The domed State Capitol campus is worth a walk even if you have no interest in government — the grounds look out over Capitol Lake and the Olympic Mountains beyond. Downtown centres on a compact grid of local shops, coffee roasters, and restaurants. The Olympia Farmers Market runs from April through December on the waterfront and is one of the best in the Pacific Northwest.
Olympia makes a good base for exploring the southern reaches of the Olympic Peninsula. Olympic National Park is about two hours' drive northwest. For a quick local curiosity, the Mima Mounds southwest of the city are one of the Pacific Northwest's enduring geological mysteries.