What’s on your local travel list this month? We dive right in with our monthly Must List for the Pacific Northwest in #July. Keep cool, y’all!

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Hit Up a Unique Farmers’ Market!

What makes an awesome farmers’ market? Fresh produce draws you there, but add in live music and made-to-order crepes and you’ve suddenly got a day trip! Try one of these offbeat Northwest markets this month.

Chelan Evening Market (4pm-7pm Thursdays at Riverwalk Park in Chelan, WA) – dine on wood-fired pizza and homemade fruit pie, then sample pours from local wineries.

Eugene Farmers’ Market (10am-5pm Saturdays at 8th and Oak downtown Eugene, OR) – shop for magic wands, nosh on delicious burritos and dance to the blues.

Qualicum Beach Farmers Market (8:30am – noon Saturdays at Veteran’s Way at Memorial Avenue in Qualicum Beach, BC) – Along with fresh produce from farms around Vancouver Island, pick up handmade pasta and sausages, seasonal jams, a few hand-sewn sock monkeys and even some fishing lures.

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“Beat the Crowds” Day Trips!

In Portland? Kayak the Willamette.

There’s plenty of room in the river, and the best way to see Bridgetown’s bridges is to paddle right under them. Rent a couple of kayaks from Portland Kayak Company on Macadam Avenue ($10 – $20 / hour or $50 – $75 for the whole day) and launch into the Willamette River right there. Your choices include paddling up the river towards downtown, around Ross Island, or across the Willamette to explore Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge.

In Seattle? Go Underground at the Market.

Pike Place Market has nine acres of shopping, yet everyone seems to congregate in the same couple of spots. Fight your way through the crowds towards Pike Place Fish, where you’ll find stairs on the right side that take you “down under” to three maze-like lower levels of unusual shops and unique restaurants.

In Victoria? Have Afternoon Tea at Point Ellice House.

What’s more fun than afternoon tea? Taking a boat to the tea house! Point Ellice House and Gardens is one of the most unique spots to visit in the city and tea service (taken on the lush green lawn) is affordable. Tea service comes with a tour of the historic property, and their accompanying tea nibbles are generous and delicious – we’re talking soup of the day, butter scone, a slice of savory quiche, crust-less egg salad sandwiches, a desert trifle, cream cheese cucumber sandwiches, a sweet cake, a cookie and fruit. $25 for tea, includes a tour of the house and gardens.  Tea serves 11am-2:30pm Thursday – Monday.

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Catch a Drive-In Movie!

What’s the ultimate summer date night on the cheap? A drive-in movie!

Don’t put it off anymore. Go this summer. It seems that with each passing year, another drive-in movie theatre closes for good (the most recent victim is the beloved Valley 6 Drive-In in Auburn, Washington, which hosted its final season in 2012.) And with movie studios planning to end the distribution of films in old-fashioned 35-millimeter format, it’s anyone’s guess how much longer new movies will be playing at drive-ins that haven’t upgraded to digital. Here are some spots to drive in to your summer movie.

Wheel-In Motor Movie – Port Townsend, WA

website  |  (360) 385-0859  |  210 Theater Road (map)

Family-run since 1953, the Wheel-In Motor Movie is Washington’s smallest drive-in (room for 150 cars) and full of old-fashioned nostalgia.  Park in its grassy field framed by lovely conifer trees. They play mostly first-run movies and lots of blockbusters.

Rodeo Drive-In – Port Orchard, WA

website  |  (360) 698-6030  |  7369 Washington 3 (map)

Also family-owned, the Rodeo is Washington’s second-largest drive-in cinema with three screens that play double features. There’s room for nearly 1000 cars. The snack bar has an extensive menu of classics, from nachos to corn dogs.

99W Drive-In – Newberg, OR

website  |  (503) 538-2738  |  3110 Portland Rd (map)

Another old-fashioned drive-in full of nostalgia, the 99W is just a solo screen open weekends with room for about 300 cars. They opened in the summer of 1953 with double features and haven’t stopped since.  Enjoy intermission when they play vintage reels.

Twilight Drive-In – Langley, BC

website  |  (604) 856-5063  |  3350 260 St. (map)

Twilight was built in 2005 by a local movie buff, Jay Daulat, who started his career in cinema as a drive-in projectionist back in 1969. It’s family-owned and the only remaining drive-in theatre in the lower mainland. Community support (nearly 5,000 fans on Facebook!) ensures it will have an audience for many years to come.

Want even more? Find more local drive-in movie theatres here.

Happy July!

photos: Eugene Farmers Market by Austin Valley, kayaking the Willamette by Greg Z, Drive-in by LarryHB,