Cultural features are woven into the fabric of Washington's country life. Cattle town Ellensburg features unusual public art: A metal bull sitting on a park bench and a gunslinger made of bolts and car parts. In the Yakima Valley, homage to a huge cash crop for this state is paid at the Hops Museum in Toppenish, also home to the Rail & Steam Museum, a favorite among classic train lovers. Epic western murals flank the streets and new ones are added during the annual Mural-in-a-Day contest, that takes place every June. A very fine collection of Native American artifacts, artwork and basketry is housed at the Cheney Cowles Museum in Spokane, also home to an unusual Japanese Cultural Center offering tea ceremonies, Ikibana, shiatsu and culinary arts.

Weird to wonderful is inside Carr's One-of-a-Kind Museum in Spokane. Visitors find treasures like a Chinese junk made from 27,000 matchsticks to JFK's Lincoln Continental, to Elvis' Lincoln Mark VI and Jackie Gleason's powder blue limo. More vintage cars may be seen at the Whoop-N-Holler Museum in Bickleton in southeast Washington, 509-896-2344.

LOCALS SUGGEST:

• Tri-Cities Nuclear culture from the Manhattan Project to today's decommissioning of reactors and environmental clean-up are all interpreted at the Columbia River Exhibition of Science & Technology. This new museum also covers the agriculture industry and Native peoples, and hosts many activities including an Indian Summer Salmon Bake and Pow Wow, 509-943-9000.
• Spokane native Bing Crosby's Oscar and Hollywood memorabilia are on display at Gonzaga University, in the heart of Spokane, with tours of his childhood home also part of the stargazing offerings.