Tasting Cascadia

The Best Macarons in the Northwest

Currant Pistachio. Salted Caramel. Fleur de sel! Where do you find the most elegant and flavorful French macarons outside of Paris? In the Pacific Northwest! These colorful little gems are popping up at bakeries throughout Seattle and Portland. When I happen upon a new bakery that specializes in French pastries, I always sample their macarons. In the Northwest, […]

Sampling Beer in Sisters

Central Oregon is the kind of place where people like to enjoy themselves. You know, live a little. Or a lot. I sensed this when I was taking a stroll downtown Bend recently. Suddenly a giant peddle-powered brewpub on wheels rolled past me on the street. Its patrons were waving enthusiastically as they pedaled past. But that’s a […]

EAT: Portland’s Little Bird

Portland’s Bistro Petit Oiseau (Little Bird in french) has earned a plethora of raves, including the Oregonian’s restaurant of the year. The bistro, sister to chef Gabe Rucker’s LePigeon, prides itself on great wine and apertif cocktails, creative food and excellent service. And best of all, it is right downtown near all of Portland’s boutique hotels. Order […]

Razor Clamming Season Begins on the Washington Coast

To learn all about razor clamming, including what equipment and license you need and how to use the gear to dig for clams, check out Northwest TripFinder’s Guide to Razor Clamming. Get out your clamming tube! This year may just be a record razor clam season at some Washington state beaches. Digging days and evening low […]

Seattle’s Best Brunch

Is there a topic (besides politics) that Seattleites have stronger opinions on than where you will enjoy the best brunch in town? I think not. There’s something gravitational about a favorite neighborhood brunch spot. One’s loyalty to their weekend wake-up call is fierce! During the years I lived on Seattle’s Phinney Ridge, I couldn’t have fathomed a Saturday morning […]

Q: Where to Eat in Seaside, Oregon?

We know you have questions, so here’s the deal: You ask, we’ll answer. Sweet, huh? Whatever your Northwest travel inquiry, we will put on our concierge hats and try our best to answer you. Ask your question any time here; we will answer questions on Mondays. Dear TripFinder, We’re going to Seaside, Oregon this week and looking for […]

S’mores Variations: Mixing it up Around the Campfire

Find any family-friendly campground, and you’ve got kids running around on their scooters with toasted marshmallow bits caked on their smiling faces. This is what camping is all about: S’mores! And it couldn’t be any easier. You just take a marshmallow on a stick (find one on the ground or they make these fancy campfire […]

Pie and Coffee in Forks

It wasn’t the Twilight series that brought us to Forks in the pouring rain. (Though I must confess to you, I bought a copy of New Moon at Forks Outfitters on the south side of town while I was there. The clerk looked at me, in my Gore Tex and muddy hiking boots, with inquisitively arched eyebrows.) […]

Mashiko Serves Up Sustainable Sushi in Seattle

Sometimes, I daydream about dinner at Mashiko. Okay, I daydream about dinner at Mashiko a lot. Mashiko is Seattle’s best sushi place. Lucky for me, it’s right up the street in the heart of the West Seattle Junction. Seattle has darn good sushi. Mashiko should have some stiff competition. In some ways, it does. For cheap […]

Coombs Country Market: Everything but the Goats, Under One Roof

“You gotta make a stop at the Old Country Market in Coombs. They have goats up on the roof!” People kept telling me this, totally unsolicited. I suppose I looked the part of a lost tourist, driving in circles around central Vancouver Island in my beater Volvo with Washington plates. And of course there was that ever-present […]

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