Thanks for Reading. Really.

It’s snowing in Nanaimo. That’s on Vancouver Island, for those that don’t know. If you follow me on twitter, you know that my family has been in British Columbia for a week now. Like much of the Pacific Northwestern states below us, snow, ice, and arctic-blast winds have been our frequent companions for the past several days. It provided an unusual ambiance to our visit to the Sunshine Coast, to be sure!

But truly, no amount of snow could derail the beauty of B.C. Trust me, fried oysters from Vancouver Island taste just as delicious in the snow as in the sun.

Today, on American Thanksgiving, it’s business as usual here in the harbor-side city of Nanaimo, and we’ll be setting out in just a bit to stroll the city’s historic downtown and waterfront in the gently-falling snow. Today, I am thankful for the time with my family, a new city to explore, and to live on the Salish Sea, one of the most beautiful places on earth.

I am also thankful for you, my dear readers, for joining my family in our local travel adventures. I hear from many of you, I know many of you. I hear your words of appreciation that I take the time to share our stories with you. And I know that Northwest Cheapsleeps inspires many of you to travel locally, exploring the cities and towns, beaches and mountain trails of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. Local tourism matters. It helps support our local economies and strengthens our own connections to where we live.

And the truth is, I wouldn’t travel locally as much as I do without you. This blog inspires me, too. It kept me exploring, learning and writing this year, from Jacksonville, Oregon to Bellingham, Washington.

So, thank you. Really. Thanks for reading. It means a lot to me.

Happy Thanksgiving!

-Lauren