Here is the Turnbull National Wildlife refuge: https://maps.northwestportal.com/outdoors/#11.23/47.425426/-117.540374 No guarantee that you will see a Moose, but we stayed at an Airbnb near Spokane that had a moose that hung out at the property (my husband saw it, but I didn't, unfortunately)

The key thing to keep in mind is that there is the possibility that you will be unable to get over the passes. Last winter, all three passes over the Cascades were closed for several days around new years - and, at one point, the route up the Columbia Gorge was closed to. My son and I had tickets out of Seattle but there was absolutely no way to get there. As for getting from Seattle to Weanatchee be aware that if you go over 90, you then have to take Blewett Pass as well (unless you do a detour through Gorge.) Keep an eye on the weather and be prepared to change plans.

What is your parents state of residency. If they kept their Washington residency (something they may well have done as we do not have income tax) then there is a good chance you qualify. If they have a different state residency that may be harder.

I did a series of maps about the basalt flows a few years back for Nick Zetner, a geology professor at CWU. Here is a link to one of the maps that shows the full extent (I have maps showing the active flow in each year - but the brown shows the full area). https://www.dropbox.com/s/cipb9c7odsn5zv0/10_5madike.jpg?dl=0

You can park and camp on most national forest, WDNR and fish and wildlife lands. This map has the filters set to highlight all the campgrounds with camping cabins or Yurts. Click on any point to get on links to the reservation page. https://mapswa.com/campwa/#8.00/47.119941/-122.014616?filters=true&recreation=CC I probably would not go all the way up around the Olympic peninsula which is a long haul. But after Seattle, you could take the ferry from Edmonds to Bremerton and then drive along hood Canal and across to the ocean. If you want a taste of the rainforest head up to Lake Quinault. And then maybe take 101 back along the Washington Coast. (The Washington beach is cold but really beautiful.)

When are you going? It makes a difference because of the passes that are closed. If it is in the summer, and you go over 20, I would stop in Winthrop or Twisp. Pearrygin Lake State Park is near Twisp. Leavenworth and Chelan area also great stops. I also really like Bridgeport State Park on the Columbia near Brewster WA. You can filter to find parks with the camping facilities you need and see places to stop at https://maps.northwestportal.com/outdoors

A lot of chambers and visitor's bureaus have databases of possible locations in their area, and work with directors to try to find locations. I know the Kittitas County chamber does this.

Yes. The passes will be your problem. Definitely do Snoqualmie and not Stevens pass. Ellensburg (East of Snoqualmie Pass) to Spokane is rarely a problem. Late November is you should be ok but keep an eye on the weather as the passes can close or require chains (last January we had a multi-day closure of all three passes and the roads up the Columbia Gorge - leaving no way to get over the mountains.)

That is weird. I read the sub rules and saw nothing about URLs and my post, which I sent before I saw yours, had links to our maps centered on the places I suggested.

What is the rule about urls? I just looked through the rules list and didn't see anything.

The Hyak Tunnel just past Snoqualmie Pass (if you do it before winter - when that becomes a nordic area). You can walk across the Columbia river on a newly renovated railroad trestle that is part of the Palouse to Cascades Trail. Before you cross the Columbia, you can also check out the Gingko Petrified Forest interpretive center - it some great exhibits about the Great Missoula Floods and petroglyphs that were moved up the the dam flooded the river bank. After you cross the Columbia at Vantage, stop off at the overlook (if it is open) you can climb up to a sculputral exhibition of running horses and get a great view of the river. In Spokane check out the River Front Park. Cool towns along the route include Roslyn (where Northern Exposure was filmed) and Ellensburg. Here is a link to a map centered on the Hyak Trailhead. https://maps.northwestportal.com/outdoors/#14.11/47.393442/-121.388042 This view has the railroad bridge, visitor center and the overlooks (one in each direction) https://maps.northwestportal.com/outdoors/#10.87/46.910251/-119.971950 And here is the map centered on the park in Spokane: https://maps.northwestportal.com/outdoors/#14.92/47.660817/-117.420713

It really depends on the type of experience you are looking for. By December, there will be snow in the mountains, while the coast and lowlands on the west side of the cascades will be mostly dry. If you are looking for outdoor recreation, what activities do you like. Or are you more interested in food/culture tourism? Where are you going to start, how much driving do you want to do, and are you comfortable with winter driving?

Many of the state park campgrounds are open year round, as are the smaller national forest campgrounds. I just updated our camping map to show the campgrounds that closed in October. This is not perfect (sometimes it is hard to get information about seasonal closures) but most campgrounds have a link to the page: https://maps.northwestportal.com/camp/#8.00/47.408841/-120.273283 I agree that you want to stick to the lowlands and by late fall also probably want to stick to the western side of the state as Eastern Washington is significantly colder and snowier in the winter.