Travel & Outdoors

Where to See Seattle’s Chum Salmon Run Up Close

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

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

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
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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…

Meet West Seattle’s “Freelance Beaver Detective”

Meet West Seattle’s “Freelance Beaver Detective”

A group of urban beavers helped Pamela Adams through a tough time. Now she’s returning the favor.

Pamela Adams was living in Port Townsend when her marriage fell apart. Little did she know at the time that she would soon find love again while doggedly pursuing the Five Families—not the ones of Mafia lore, but a four-legged sort living along the Longfellow Creek Watershed. Prior to moving to Washington, Adams resided in…

A Wellness Pilgrimage to the Olympic Peninsula

A Wellness Pilgrimage to the Olympic Peninsula

Two hours from Seattle, a new kind of luxury is taking root—one built on stillness, old-growth forests, and the subtle art of slowing down.

There is a school of thought among the overworked and overscheduled that the most subversive thing a person can do is stop. Put down the phone, close the laptop, and go somewhere that actively resists attempts to stay plugged in. The Olympic Peninsula has always offered this, in its blunt, mossy way. For some city…

Seabrook Is a Little Coastal Utopia

Seabrook Is a Little Coastal Utopia

This walkable beach town gives families room to roam, relax, and leave the car parked.

There’s nothing quite like finding an edible mushroom in the forest with a five-year-old. The excitement and pride my son displayed when we found chicken of the woods were contagious, and after battering and frying the mushrooms, our wonderful day got even better. The dark, wet forests in which our mushrooms grew are part of…

Five Easy Summer Outings That Don’t Require a Big Plan

Five Easy Summer Outings That Don’t Require a Big Plan

August is wonderful, but it can get a little feral when the kids are roaming free and school still feels far away. Consider this your low-effort rescue plan.

There’s a point in summer when the family starts to fray a little. Camps have come and gone, and the novelty of popsicles for lunch has worn off. Everyone wants something fun to do, but nobody needs a major production that involves sand all over the car or a ferry reservation. These five outings are…

Victoria, B.C.: A European-Inspired Getaway in Seattle’s Backyard

Victoria, B.C.: A European-Inspired Getaway in Seattle’s Backyard

With gas prices soaring and flights canceled, a little Old World charm is just a boat ride away.

Skip the airport chaos and discover Victoria, B.C., a European-inspired getaway right in Seattle’s backyard. Explore castles, historic pubs, and high tea.

Every Day Is the Weekend in Carlsbad, California

Every Day Is the Weekend in Carlsbad, California

Seven miles of shoreline and a come-as-you-are pace make this coastal city north of San Diego an easy escape.

It was the first night, first dinner, and our server arrived with the calm authority of a man who loves his job. He set down the ceviche and surveyed the room, with locals at every table and the ocean just blocks away, and said it like he was reporting the weather: “Every day is the…

Whitefish Has Range

Whitefish Has Range

James Beard-caliber dining, a thriving literary journal, and a bike ride along Glacier’s famous Going-to-the-Sun Road make this old Western Montana railroad town feel bigger than expected.

The first thing we notice at Herb & Omni is the room itself. Dark-beamed ceilings. Gilded mirrors clustered salon-style across the walls. Pendant lights that belong in a Milanese townhouse. The space feels warm, ornate, and transportive. Even the cocktail menu suggests expectations are about to be rearranged. Then the food arrives. A potato chip…

Summer Getaway: The Quiet Side of Jamaica

Summer Getaway: The Quiet Side of Jamaica

Perched above the sands of the island’s South Coast, Bluefields Bay is an idyllic destination that feels refreshingly off the beaten path.

Escape to Bluefields Bay Villas on Jamaica’s quiet South Coast. Discover an off-the-beaten-path luxury resort with private pools and personal chefs.

A Lighthouse Stay on Bellingham Bay

A Lighthouse Stay on Bellingham Bay

Hotel Bellwether’s refreshed waterfront stay, dapper lobby dog, and scenic route north turn the short drive from Seattle into a real getaway.

The first sign that Bellingham was going to feel farther away than it is came in Edison, over a rich, flaky pastry. Earlier this spring, I was invited to stay at Hotel Bellwether, and my friend and I headed north from Seattle, a roughly 90-mile drive that usually takes about an hour and a half…

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