Nine Romantic Northwest Getaways

Nine Unique and Affordable Romantic Getaways in the Pacific Northwest

Valentines Day. Three-day weekends. Anniversaries. The year is full of opportunities to woo your sweetheart with the romance of the Pacific Northwest! A romantic getaway doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Make any weekend special and romantic on one of these dreamy, affordable getaways in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia. How to Make a Cheap Getaway […]

Q: Great Northwest Getaways Under $100 a Night?

Dear TripFinder, Q: Our family is on a budget but we still need to get out of town once in awhile. Where can my family (me, wife, baby) go for a fun summer weekend for under or around $100 a night? We’d like to avoid chain hotels and dingy roadside motels, if possible. We’d prefer destinations that are within a few hours’ […]

How to Score a Great Vacation Rental

Looking for a fun alternative to a hotel, but dislike the lace and frills of a traditional bed and breakfast? There’s another lodging option you can book with the click of a mouse–the vacation rental. From rustic mountain cabins to deluxe oceanfront condos, vacation rentals often come loaded with perks and might even save you […]

Day Hikes and Cheap Sleeps in the Methow Valley

The North Cascades Highway twists and turns around granite peaks before dipping down into Washington’s glacial-carved Methow Valley. Here, open meadows are dotted with ponderosa pine trees that reach for a blue sky, and cast shadows across raging rivers. Early summer is a marvelous season to visit here for outdoor recreation, as it tends to […]

Rustic Retreats in Washington

Who says “camping” can’t be comfortable? Here are a bunch of affordable rustic retreats in Washington state, all managed by public land agencies. Some are light-filled yurts near a beach, while others are historic cabins in the woods. All are rent-able year-round. They’re even heated in colder months so you can stay toasty warm while you’re inside […]

To the Lighthouse: Be a Lighthouse Keeper for a Week

Q: What is tall, stately, and often found atop a rocky shore that gets pounded by waves?  A: A lighthouse! Lighthouses dot the Pacific Northwest coastline and shores of Puget Sound. Most were constructed as navigational aides for ships at sea in the late 1800s. For nearly a century, these lighthouses were manned by lighthouse keepers to tend […]

All Booked Up? Tips for Last Minute Travel and Deals

We’ve all been there. It’s mid-summer, and you feel like a big loser because everyone else on your block is at the Oregon Coast. Or wine tasting in the Yakima Valley. Or hiking at Mt. Rainier. And you’re… stuck at home because you didn’t plan a summer trip. What’s a procrastinating traveler to do? Here are a […]

State Park Cabins in Oregon, from Rustic to Deluxe

Oregon State Park Cabins

Picture this. After an unexpectedly chilly night spent sleeping on the hard, bumpy ground at a local state park, you skip your morning shower (too cold!) only to get rained on from the sky while eating instant oatmeal, shivering in your gortex. It’s car camping in the Northwest! And if you’ve had an overnight experience […]

Marrowstone Island’s Cottages by the Sea

A long time ago, way back in 1792, Captain George Vancouver came to the Salish Sea. He “discovered,” he mapped, and he named a lot of things. Like Puget Sound. And Hood Canal (which he actually named “Hood Channel” because, well, it is a channel, but evidently his handwriting was a bit messy and it […]