Are we there yet?
We’ve just begun planning our annual fall roadtrip, which we do the week of Thanksgiving. The impending wrath of another La Nina has got us feeling less than ambitious, though. Our old rear-wheel Volvo wagon is our only set of wheels. About once a month, my Mom emails me a Craigslist posting for a car that hails from the past decade or so in hope I’ll be persuaded to kick our 1980s-era 240 DL to the curb. Nope, that baby is sticking with us for a good while longer, I think. Hey, we carry tire chains! Still, we’ll be avoiding snowy passes this year.
So, where do you think we should go – the Olympic Peninsula or the Gulf Islands of BC?
Here’s what caught my eye in local travel this week:
1. If you’ve been pining for a Washington state coast getaway this fall, Kelly over at Travellious has got you covered. She checked out the newly-restored Iron Springs Resort cabins in Copalis Beach and came home with some shots of the place that’ll have you making a mad dash for their reservation line. Rates start at $159, but with fully-equipped kitchens and complementary wifi, these beachside cabins look to be worth it.
2. Sunset Magazine online lays out a spread of fall weekend trips in the Pacific Northwest from past issues, from Washington’s Bainbridge Island to Boise, Idaho.
3. Fall is my absolute favorite season for Pacific Northwest birdwatching. Pack a thermos of hot coffee, grab your spotting scope and hit up one of our National Wildlife Refuges for migrating waterfowl, slumbering owls and hungry sparrows. Check out this piece in the Oregonian on the best spots for birding in the Klamath Basin.
4. BOO! Get a head-start on Halloween this weekend with one of these scary, spooky, creepy Haunted Hikes from Washington Trails Association. Some of these are in deep, dark woods, others take you into spooky caves. One is known for its prolific Sasquatch sightings, and others harbor the ghosts of avalanche victims. Shiver me timbers!
5. For the longest time, I couldn’t figure out why I could not find the Oregonian’s new, free “Best of the Northwest” travel app on my iPhone app store. And then, my density suddenly evaporated (don’t you love it when that happens?) It’s an iPad app! And I don’t have an iPad! But perhaps you do. It looks quite cool – restaurant reviews, great travel photography, events, and other travel-type info from Ashland to Portland. Oh, and did I mention it’s free?
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Oh, that photo up there of the Naches Tavern near Mt. Rainier? It has absolutely nothing to do with anything in this post. I just happen to like it 🙂
2 Responses
Isn’t Iron Springs just wonderful? Now that they have renovated it, it looks like a completely different place!
I am surprised you didn’t include Seabrook on your list. It’s right next to Pacific Beach and has probably the most wonderful cottages we’ve ever been to on the WA coast. My 3 year old LOVES IT!
Hi John, thanks for the tip on Seabrook. I’ve just began planning our Olympic Peninsula roadtrip for late November. I will add Seabrook to the short list of places to stay at and write about.