Lauren Braden

Northwest Bucket List for June

Summer is just around the corner now. Are you feeling it yet? For me, I feel it the first warm evening we go out for ice cream after dinner, to my son’s favorite double-scoop shop in West Seattle, Husky Deli. As I type this, wearing a wool jumper, I think we’re not there quite yet. […]

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Quick Escape: Family Jaunt to San Juan Island

Lopez, Shaw, Orcas, San Juan… for many Pacific Northwesterners, these words are synonymous with one thing: vacation! Of the four San Juan Islands reachable by ferry, San Juan Island is my favorite easy family getaway. It’s definitely the easiest island to escape to sans car. The ferry drops you off in the town of Friday […]

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Q: Great Camping on the Washington Coast?

Dear TripFinder, Q: Hi there! We’re driving down from BC for a summer camping road trip. We’re shooting for Bogachiel State Park and visiting the Hoh Rainforest on our first night, then we’re were looking for another stop or two between there and Oregon, something along the coast or not far from it. Any suggestions for […]

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CAMP & HIKE: Steamboat Rock State Park

In the heart of Washington’s Grand Coulee desert country is an outdoor lover’s paradise. And your base camp for all of it sits in the middle of an “island” surrounded by your outdoor playground. Rocks and birds. Hikes through desert wildflowers. Fragrant sagebrush whipping in the wind. Sleeping under a big sky of stars. The […]

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How To Choose Your Next Camping Tent

Why go camping? How about because it’s loads of fun? Because you create lifelong memories with people you love over a crackling campfire. Because coffee tastes better outside. Because… s’mores. Because waking up to the sound of birdsong. Because camping will  save you a bunch of money that you don’t shell out for a hotel. […]

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Tips for Saving Gas on your Next Road Trip

Just when you thought gas prices wouldn’t go any higher, they have. I filled up our Volvo wagon yesterday for the first time in weeks and the gas was $3.24 per gallon. Ouch. Several years back, my husband and I made the climate-friendly decision to cut down on our air travel and reduce our greenhouse […]

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Trip Guide: John Day Fossil Beds National Monument

This sunny Central Oregon treasure is the perfect spring escape for hikers and rockhounds. At first glance, you see a stunning landscape with multicolored badlands and eroded pinnacles. And you think, this looks like Utah, or maybe even another planet. But it’s right here in the Pacific Northwest. The John Day River cuts trenches through […]

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STAY & PLAY: Soft Beds and Desert Hikes in Washington’s Canyon Country

There’s no better way to experience the natural splendor of our Pacific Northwest landscapes than hiking, and if you make a weekend of it you can squeeze in two hikes! Not into camping? Even a soft-bed enthusiast can hike a desert canyon or enjoy a creekside stroll without ever setting foot (or head) in a tent. To […]

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Rainy Day Hikes from Seattle

Are spring showers washing away your hiking plans? Some trails are best hiked in the rain! So go ahead and strap on those (waterproof) hiking boots–below are low-lying hiking trails that are glorious when pelted with spring rain and shrouded in mist.     We happen to live in a glorious temperate rain forest. With the […]

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STAY & PLAY: Hikes in Washington’s Columbia River Gorge

Are you in search of sunshine, open vistas and fields of wildflowers? Don’t wait for summer–find these adventures now on the sunny Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge. Sunshine and springtime wildflowers draw adventurers to the east end of the Columbia River Gorge. The views open up and you can see for miles. Oak trees […]

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