Outdoors
Read More ›
Local Website Gives Real-Time Wildfire Conditions for Washington State
As summer heats up, this website can help you monitor wildfire conditions in your neck of the woods
This article originally appeared in the July 2019 issue of Seattle magazine.
This article appears in print in the July 2019 issue. Click here to subscribe.
Wildfire season in rural areas has come to mean smoke season in the city. Developed by a number of government agencies and Native American tribes, the Washington Smoke blog features an interactive state map to keep you informed of smoke conditions in real time. Using information from live webcams set up across the state, color-coded dots (ranging from green for good conditions to maroon for hazardous) and flame symbols indicate active wildfires at that moment, along with air quality in surrounding areas. In addition to the monitoring map, the blog—which has a Spanish translation option—also includes links to local emergency resources, and information on topics such as when to use a face mask and how to protect your health from outdoor smoke.
Follow Us
Where to See Seattle’s Chum Salmon Run Up Close
Every November and December, one of the city’s most remarkable wildlife spectacles unfolds in a narrow creek tucked into the forest of Carkeek Park.
Each fall, chum salmon, fresh from Puget Sound, muscle their way up Piper’s Creek to spawn, pushing through shallow riffles, around fallen branches and over gravel bars in a final journey that can bring wild salmon within a few feet of visitors. For several weeks in November and December, the park becomes one of the…
A New Perspective on the Oregon Coast
Beyond the usual suspects like Astoria and Cannon Beach lie 300 miles of open road.
The Oregon Coast is a beguiling drive year-round, but autumn is when it feels most vital. The colors deepen, whales loiter in the shallows, and kites swoop against gray skies dappled with bursts of sunlight. At Tillamook Bay, Highway 101 veers inland through fifty miles of old-growth forest before re-emerging along the water. On this…
Inn at Langley: Where the Shore Meets the Sky
After a property-wide redesign, the Whidbey Island retreat reopens with a locally inspired take on vacationing in the Pacific Northwest.
Michelin-star chef Johnny Spero never planned to end up in the Pacific Northwest. A lifelong East Coaster born and raised in Baltimore, he began his culinary career at 16, working for a series of big-name chefs and restaurants before opening his own establishments in Washington, D.C., including Reverie, which earned him his Michelin star in…
The Northwest’s Gateway to Wine, Culture & Adventure
Escape the crowds. Slow down. Savor fall in the Lewis Clark Valley. As autumn paints the hillsides in gold, crimson, and amber, the Lewis Clark Valley becomes a picture-perfect place to slow down and savor the season. Where Washington and Idaho meet, fall brings crisp days, colorful landscapes, harvest among the vines, and plenty of…