CAMP & HIKE: Icicle Creek Canyon

CAMP & HIKE: Icicle Creek Canyon

An outdoor playground in autumn, this little valley stretches like a finger into the North Cascades from Leavenworth and is lined with trailheads and campgrounds.

CAMP & HIKE: Steamboat Rock State Park

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. Cool rocks and unusual birds. Hikes through blooming desert wildflowers. Fragrant sagebrush whipping in the wind. Sleeping under a big sky […]

Weekend Escape to Bellingham, Washington’s Indie City

City Escape: Bellingham

We city folks have it all. An instagram-worthy latte is a block away, there’s a farmers’ market in every neighborhood, and each weekend brings new museum exhibits or gallery openings. So why are so many of us urbanites keen to spend a weekend exploring the restaurants, museums, parks and galleries of another city? It’s fun […]

Stay and Play: Mount Baker Farm on Orcas Island

Stay and Play: Mt Baker Farm on Orcas Island

It’s not too late to plan a summertime visit to Orcas Island!  Dramatic coastline, mountain lakes, pastoral farmland and quaint island villages are calling your name.  And in the middle of it all is a wonderful new place to stay. Presented to our readers by Heather Wallace on behalf of Mt. Baker Farm. There are […]

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 […]

Wildlife Trip: See the Skagit Eagles

Winter Day Trip: See the Skagit Bald Eagles

Have you been up to see the eagles? One of the very first day trips I made after moving to Seattle was up to the Skagit River in January to see the eagles. I’d relocated from Wisconsin, a state where small flocks of bald eagles commonly gathered along fish-bearing rivers in winter. So off I […]

Guidebook: Autumn Escapes in the Pacific Northwest

Welcome to fall! If you ask me, this is the best season for Northwest weekend getaways for a number of reasons. That’s why I’ve written a book on it! Autumn offers unique, colorful and delicious opportunities to explore the Pacific Northwest. Get inspired to spend your fall weekends combing rocky beaches, savoring the harvest, and […]

Campfire Restrictions in the Northwest

Taking a camping trip this weekend?  Pack your gear using our handy Car Camping Checklist and you won’t forget anything, ever. UPDATE: August 20, 2016 Going camping? There are campfire restrictions in place (see details below). In fact, 2016 marks the fourth summer in a row that has seen restriction on campfires in the Northwest, though the restrictions are […]

Quick Escape: Lake Crescent

People come to glacially-carved Lake Crescent to see its crystal clear waters ringed with fragrant conifers. They stay for an enchanting hike to a waterfall and a night at the historic lakeside lodge. Thousands of years ago, massive sheets of ice carved this long, deep lake through the Olympic mountains. And deep it is–the second deepest […]