November 2011

Holiday Gift Guide for Northwest Travelers

I’ve been domesticating like crazy this fall, and my holiday giftees will be oh-so-happy (I hope.) Who wants some half pints of apple butter made of heirloom varieties from Marrowstone Island? Or vanilla pear jam made from Hood River Valley pears?  Yeah, I thought so! In addition to jars of homemade goodness, I try to […]

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Countryside Christmas Rocks the Chemainus Theatre Festival

When I left the Chemainus Theatre after seeing it’s new original play, Countryside Christmas, I couldn’t quell the spring in my step. It was as if I’d just spent a music and folly-filled Christmas Eve with my very own family. And I’ll bet that stirring of family holiday nostalgia is exactly what the playwrights are […]

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The Chemainus Inn

The town of Chemainus on Vancouver Island is famed for it’s beautiful murals and professional Chemainus Theatre that puts on six shows a year. It’s only about an hour north of Victoria and 20 minutes south of Nanaimo, so it’s an easy stop if you’re touring the south end of the island.  And if your […]

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Tasting with the Cows at Little Qualicum Cheeseworks

Have you tasted artisan cheese made from the milk of cows that are right there in front of you, frolicking in their fresh pasture? Well, I just have. It was at Little Qualicum Cheeseworks at Morningstar Farm on Vancouver Island, just outside the lovely seaside town of Qualicum Beach. It’s a short jaunt to the […]

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Remembrance Day in Chemainus, BC

Lest We Forget. To find the Remembrance Day ceremony in Chemainus,  BC, we just followed the sound of bagpipes. At 10:45 am, warplanes roared overhead in formation. Soldiers began to take their places. People gathered for the ceremony (most of the town’s population, from the looks of it) mingled with veterans, some laden with medals, […]

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Columbia City Bakery: a Neighborhood Sweet Spot

Where will you find Seattle’s flakiest croissant, most perfect baguette or tastiest gingersnap? Many of Seattle’s best artisan bakeries are in its far-flung neighborhoods–removed from the hustle and bustle of Seattle’s downtown core and nowhere near Pike Place Market. To find them, head to tucked-away hoods like West Seattle, Wallingford or Columbia City–neighborhoods where out-of-town travelers rarely tread. […]

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