Outdoors
Road Trip to Elbe, Washington
WHERE: Elbe, Washington, 15 miles west of the Paradise entrance to Mount Rainier National Park. WHY: To take a ride on the historic Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad ($24–$29; 54124 Mountain Hwy. E; 888.783.2611; mrsr.com), the longest continuously operating steam train railroad in the Pacific Northwest. WHAT: Riders travel in open-air, enclosed cars (pulled by a…
Exploring Orcas Island
From farm to feast, getting away to Orcas Island
Life on the island is all about cross-pollination. On Orcas Island in the San Juans, especially, farmers and chefs, ranchers and brewers are friends, partners and cohorts in the category of “living the dream.” More and more a foodie destination, Orcas Island is doing a few things very well. There’s not a lot of cultural…
Updated! Epic Summer Meals Worth Traveling For
!–paging_filter–pSummer’s a time for soaking it all in, eating every single thing at its absolute peak freshness, staying out late to watch the sun set after nine, the air still warm, cold drink in hand. To help you max out your summer supper plans, I’ve rounded up four special dinners that caught my eye. They’re…
Road Tripping to Stevenson, Washington
Head to the banks of the Colubmia River for the annual Columbia Gorge Bluegrass Festival
WHERE: Stevenson, Washington, on the banks of the Columbia River WHY: For the annual Columbia Gorge Bluegrass Festival (7/25–7/28. $55–$150 weekend pass. 710 Rock Creek Drive; 509.427.3980; columbiagorgebluegrass.net), showcasing the best in bluegrass, including beloved bands The SteelDrivers (from Nashville) and Town Mountain (from Asheville, NC), plus workshops, family-friendly jams, and craft and food vendors….
There Will be Beer: A Cruise That’s Worth Booking
Cruises of all kinds scare me: Caribbean cruises, Mediterranean cruises, European cruises, Tom and Suri Cruise. I did a quick search on Carnival Cruise Lines’ website and found you can take a “Cruise to Nowhere” for a mere $329. To nowhere. Sorry, but that sounds just plain terrifying. So when I heard about this eight-day,…
Road Trip! Wenatchee’s Pybus Public Market Grand Opening
WHERE: Wenatchee, Washington. WHY: For the grand opening of Pybus Public Market (Open daily starting 5/11. 7 N Worthen St.). WHAT: The former E.T. Pybus steel fabrication plant, located on a 25,000-square-foot waterfront lot next to the Columbia River, has been transformed into a lively locus of Northwest commerce and culture. Meander through the huge,…
Cascade Escapes: Small-town Getaways
Climb up to these nearby mountain towns for a getaway with a Western flair.
Bow Edison { Population: 133 }Be hungry. That’s the first rule of any visit to darling Bow Edison, a pair of tiny twin towns about a half-hour north of La Conner and a quick detour off farmland-scenic Chuckanut Drive. Bow is actually marked just by the turnoff to Edison; you’ll see the Rhododendron Cafe and the…
Road Trip to Whidbey Island’s Welcome the Whales Day Festival
Join the annual celebration to welcome the whales back to the Bering Sea.
WHERE: Langley, Whidbey Island. WHY: The annual Welcome the Whales Day festival (4/21. Free. Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, 301 Anthes Ave.; 360.678.3451; orcanetwork.org), which celebrates the return of eastern North Pacific gray whales to Saratoga Passage during their 10,000-mile migration from Mexico to the Bering Sea. BRING YOUR OCTOPUS CAP: Join the critter parade (starts…
See Art in Bellingham
The Lightcatcher in Bellingham showcases the work of Jim Olson
WHERE: The Lightcatcher at the Whatcom Museum in Bellingham, for the exhibit Jim Olson: Art in Architecture (3/10–6/9; 250 Flora St.; 360.778.8930; whatcommuseum.org). WHY: It’s the first comprehensive exhibit of work by famed Seattle architect Jim Olson, half of Olson Kundig Architects. Fifty years’ worth of sketches, plans, models and photographs of Olson designs—including the…
Five Mini-Escapes Perfect for When Seattle is Too Gloomy
Rain got you down? Try these five springy activities
1. Blush among the orchids and other tropical flora in the Volunteer Park Conservatory Palm House—kept at a hair-curling 72 degrees with 60 percent humidity. Prices vary. Capitol Hill, 1400 E Galer St.; 206.684.4743; volunteerparkconservatory.org 2. Bake away all traces of winter on sand heated to 140 degrees in the Sand Room at the Olympus…
Explore Snow Country on Fat Bikes
Experience nature’s wintry glory threaded with the childhood joy of biking in the snow.
While we wait (and wait) for spring to arrive, Seattleites head east for blue vistas and shimmering snowfields; plunging into all that mood-lifting whiteness on sleds, snowshoes, skis and, now, on so-called fat bicycles. While bikes with wide, snow-gripping tires have been plying frozen stretches of Alaska for years, this is the first time any…
Locavore Love on Lummi Island
Take a culinary island adventure with help from the Willows Inn
WHY: For the Fish, Forage and Farm package at The Willows Inn on Lummi Island. On this culinary island adventure, you’ll harvest food and forage for wild produce, before joining sous-chef Ben Spiegel to prepare the bounty (Tue.–Wed., year-round. $1,000/person or $1,500/double occupancy, includes two nights in the seaside guesthouse and meals. 2579 West Shore…
The Artist’s Guide to Seattle
A new guide to exploring Seattle paints the city through the eyes of its artists.
Who knew that esteemed local choreographer Donald Byrd—famed for his serious, often political pieces—is a big fan of Seattle’s Ride the Ducks tour? Or that Seattle Symphony conductor Ludovic Morlot has season tickets to the Sounders? These are a couple of the many surprising insights about our city’s prominent artists revealed in The Artists’ Guide…
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