I think I'd prefer to visit during "not winter" season.
Summer is the time to visit. Long evenings -- you can still read a newspaper outside at 10 PM (not that we have any newspapers here worth reading and because of traffic they're now all morning papers). Out in the woods where we live the birds get so noisy at 4:30 AM they'll wake you up.
Gorgeous views, of the Cascades and Olympics, Rainier to the south and Baker to the north.
Of course, springtime can be fun too. This is not far from my house.