Outside
Reuse, Recyle, Retreat!
The many new uses for discarded cargo containers now include camping structures.
Looking out the bus window on her commute into work at King County Parks’ downtown Seattle headquarters, Sujata Goel kept noticing more and more shipping containers piling up on the outskirts of the city’s sprawling port complex. Meanwhile, news stories started surfacing about how our trade deficit with China was leading to a glut of…
Bird Lovers: Head to Sequim this Spring
The Olympic BirdFest with the Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society kicks off March 30.
WHERE: Sequim, Washington. WHY: For the Olympic BirdFest with the Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society (3/30–4/1; times and prices vary. Dungeness River Audubon Society, 2151 W Hendrickson Road; 360.681.4076; olympicbirdfest.org). The annual celebration offers beginner and advanced birders the chance to search for such fine feathered friends as the yellow-rumped warbler and the elusive marbled godwit,…
Visit Long Beach, Washington
Trek south to see the Asian New Year Celebration at the World Kite Museum.
WHERE: Long Beach, Washington. WHY: For the Asian New Year Celebration at the World Kite Museum (303 Sid Snyder Drive; 360.642.4020; kitefestival.com). This year’s event centers on the vibrant culture of Bali, with colorful handmade kites and other exhibits from the Indonesian island. BYO KITE: Walk down to the blustery beach for dramatic scenery and…
Oregon Truffle Festival
Dig up your own truffles and train your dog to help!
WHERE: Eugene, Oregon, for the seventh annual Oregon Truffle Festival WHY: The fancy fungus festivities include a truffle recipe contest, cooking classes, a grand truffle dinner and a BYOD (bring your own dog) truffle-hound training seminar (limited to 18 well-behaved dogs; if you leave your pooch at home, you can sign up to “audit”). QUICK…
Make a Holiday-Themed Trip to La Conner
Where lighted boats and prominent Northwest artists abound this holiday season.
WHERE: La Conner, Washington, for Swinomish Yacht Club’s decades-old annual Lighted Boat Parade (12/10; 6:30 p.m.; free; swinomishyachtclub.org). WHY: Stunning, hand-decorated yachts and boats illuminate the Swinomish channel for a “Christmas Island”-themed waterborne parade that travels from the La Conner Marina along the waterfront to Shelter Bay. WHILE IN TOWN: Stop in to the Museum…
RedTri: Enjoy Fall Colors in Seattle Parks
While ours is a more muted display compared to New England, there’s plenty for the whole family to see here in the Northwest, including brilliant colors not only found on deciduous trees and shrubs but also grasses, meadows, berries and even still-in-bloom dahlias. You don’t have to venture far, as our local parks have lots…
Two Reasons to Go to Puyallup
Fun ideas for taking a road trip down south.
WHERE: Western Washington Fairgrounds in Puyallup, Washington. WHY: For the 31st annual Northwest Wood Carvers Association show and sale (11/12–11/13; $7, kids younger than 12 free), where carvers display some 300 original woodcarvings, many in the Northwest Native American tradition. Visitors can take part in woodcarving demos, and, of course, in buying original works of…
Climb a Mountain Without Breaking a Sweat
Take the new gondola at Crystal Mountain Ski Resort.
Ski bunnies and snowboarders, prepare to be totally stoked: This month marks the opening of Crystal Mountain Ski Resort, where the new Mt. Rainier gondola awaits. Built at a cost of $8 million and open since January, it’s the first such high-wire act at any ski resort in Washington—and by all accounts, it provides unbelievably…
Road Trip to Port Townsend
These Northwest artists and Kinetic Sculpture Races are worth the trip.
WHERE: Northwind Arts Center in Port Townsend WHY: To see the “(so) Much (too) Little” group exhibition (through 10/31; 2409 Jefferson St.; 360.379.1086; northwindarts.org), featuring the gorgeous work of three emerging (and hot-hot-hot) Northwest visual artists: Counsel Langley, Gala Bent and Sharon Arnold. SIDE TRIP: Time it right and indulge your quirky side with Washington’s…
Road Trip: British Columbia’s Bard on the Beach
Go thither to Vancouver for a memorable marathon of plays by Shakespeare and contemporary playwright
WHERE: Vancouver, British Columbia, for the 22nd annual Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival (through 9/24; 1695 Whyte Ave., in Vanier Park; bardonthebeach.org). Why: To experience As You Like It and The Merchant of Venice performed in the newly renovated main-stage tent against a stunning natural background of mountain peaks, ocean and sky. Beyond the…
Old Ballard Hotel Gets Extreme Makeover
Hotel Ballard is back with exciting modern updates and its original Old World elegance.
Ballard residents, rejoice: A new boutique hotel gives visitors an alternative to sleeping on your couch. Built in 1902 for the American Scandinavian Bank (the words “Bank Building” still appear on the façade), the two-story building at the heart of Ballard Avenue became a hotel in 1920. In more recent decades, it served as a…
Road Trip to Winthrop
Winthrop welcomes all comers—from fiddlers to insect wranglers.
WHERE: Winthrop, Washington, in the Methow Valley. WHY: For the BIG NORTH CASCADES OLDTIME FIDDLERS CONTEST (8/27. $15; kids younger than 12 are free. Spring Creek Ranch, 22 Belsby Road; 509.996.2111; winthropfiddle.org), where you’ll celebrate American folk music via hardcore fiddling competitions for all age divisions, from Pee-Wee to Senior. BRING: Your own insect or…
Road Trip: Winthrop
Celebrate American folk music via hardcore fiddling.
WHERE: Winthrop, Washington, in the Methow Valley. WHY: For the BIG NORTH CASCADES OLDTIME FIDDLERS CONTEST (8/27. $15; kids younger than 12 are free. Spring Creek Ranch, 22 Belsby Road; 509.996.2111; winthropfiddle.org), where you’ll celebrate American folk music via hardcore fiddling competitions for all age divisions, from Pee-Wee to Senior. BRING: Your own insect or…
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