Here I sit on the veranda at Glacier Park Lodge, watching the ever restless clouds dance along the spires and humps of Glacier National Park, the whole scene lit by the warm rays of the late afternoon “golden hour.” I can relate to those fast-moving clouds; in fact I feel like one of them as…

Oregon and the Willamette Valley AVA have established their oeuvre with Pinot Noir, but their repertoire is growing. A newfound love affair with Oregon Chardonnay has received notice in The New York Times, and several dedicated winemaker evangelists, such as Rollin Soles of Argyle Winery, are touting the joys of Oregon sparkling wine. Southern Oregon,…

It’s the oldest and largest wine-growing region in the state—producing more than a third of the state’s wine—but Yakima Valley isn’t always at the top of the wine-getaway list. That’s because this area, so long on wine excellence, can be a little short on luxe accommodations and upscale eateries; it’s a farm town, after all….

It’s hard to find a prettier wine town than Walla Walla, the capital of the Walla Walla Valley AVA. With its restored turn-of-the-century brick buildings, well-stocked wine tasting rooms and upscale restaurants, the city of 30,000 makes an ideal base for exploring the region’s wine country, which includes some of our state’s best-known red wine…

Tucked away in a cranny between the Columbia and Willamette valleys, the Columbia Gorge American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a little wine-tasting paradise that looks more like Germany’s Mosel wine region than it does anyplace in the Northwest. The area is still better known as a destination for windsurfers and Lewis and Clark Trail buffs,…

Getting There: From I-405 north, take exit 23 to U.S. 2 east and follow it to Stevens Pass Highway and Icicle Road. Where: Leavenworth, Washington. Why: For the Icicle Creek Theatre Festival’s New Play Festival (8/19. $12–$20. Canyon Wren Recital Hall, 7409 Icicle Road; 509.548.6347; icicle.org), at which playwrights debut new works. This time, the fest…

For a lovely late-summer outing with the kids, make the 45-minute drive north to the brand-new Hibulb Cultural Center and Natural History Preserve, a lovingly assembled museum of local Native American cultures, history and lore in Marysville. Kids can sit in a cedar longhouse, listen to stories told by Tulalip storytellers, gawk at story poles,…