Travel

Paint Check
Alaska Airlines debuts a bold Aurora Borealis-inspired livery as it expands internationally.
At the beginning of the year, Alaska Airlines unveiled its new global livery: a bold design inspired by the Aurora Borealis. Painted in a palette of deep blues and shimmering emerald greens, the sleek look is a nod to Alaska Airlines’ continued addition of international destinations, which will expand to London, Rome, and Reykjavik by…

Elevated Gaming, Now With a Luxury Stay
Debuting a new era in Pacific Northwest gaming, the opening of the now Snoqualmie Casino & Hotel, transforms a premier gaming destination into a full-scale getaway–pairing top-tier play with the convenience and comfort of an upscale luxurious overnight stay just 30 minutes from downtown Seattle. Snoqualmie Casino & Hotel offers one of the most expansive…

No Longer a Last Resort
The new wave of luxury-forward Mexico all-inclusives delivers cultural immersion and culinary delights.
Thanks to years of party-goers jetting south in the winter, the mention of a Mexico all-inclusive resort tends to conjure a specific image: wristband-wearing revelers in a crowded pool, dancing the Macarena to booming music, and the relentless buzz of the frozen margarita blender. Luring guests with all-you-can-drink packages and stocked buffets, these hotels left…

Queen of the Hill
A 1918 landmark reworked with design cues drawn from early industry.
Seattle’s historic MarQueen Hotel has unveiled an extensive renovation that blends contemporary comforts with vintage glamour. Originally built in 1918 as the Seattle Engineering School, the brick building at the bottom of Queen Anne Avenue provided housing for students developing the Ford Model T. The refreshed design, by Cusack + Co. Interiors, features historic wood…

Sun Break
A spring trip to Southern California that ends under the desert sky.
The moment my family of four arrived at our Italian-inspired villa at The Resort at Pelican Hill along the coast in Newport Beach, California, it was clear: The pace of life is slower here. It was obvious from the outset that we wouldn’t have to lift a finger and that whatever we needed was within…

When it Comes to Ski Resorts, Sometimes Smaller is Better
Finding great snow—and an old-school sense of community—on a trip to Eastern Idaho.
Last month, at the end of a particularly cold midweek afternoon—with visibility declining and snowfall increasing—I hopped off the Triple 88 chairlift, one of two main lifts at the Pomerelle Mountain Resort in Albion, Idaho, and immediately headed to the left, where a series of long blue runs leads back down the mountain through an…

The Quiet Alchemy of Whidbey Island
Where to stay, eat, shop, and explore on Washington’s largest island.
Whidbey Island feels like a secret you’re allowed to keep. Celebratory and comforting at once, an instant restorative—salt air and cedar working their quiet alchemy—while still carrying the promise of surprise around every bend. In a state renowned for its islands, it is the largest: 51 miles of farmland, forest, and tide-washed shoreline suspended between…

Grange Estate Brings Modern Luxury to Dundee Hills
Foley Wines created a hidden-gem hospitality experience in Oregon’s popular vineyard region.
I have a confession. Although I have long loved Pinot Noir, it wasn’t until January of this year that I visited Oregon’s Dundee Hills, a 12,500-acre American Viticultural Area about 30 miles southwest of Portland. I’ve spent time in the Tri-Cities, Walla Walla, the Columbia Gorge, and even Portland proper, but for some reason had…

Like Nowhere Else
Muckleshoot Casino Resort. The biggest and best in the northwest.
Photos courtesy of Muckleshoot Casino Resort. Located south of Seattle, Muckleshoot Casino Resort offers a truly unforgettable escape—one with indulgence, relaxation, and exhilaration, all right at your fingertips. Whether you’re planning a thrilling night out, a spontaneous staycation or a memorable weekend away, this is the experience you’ve been looking for. Our luxurious hotel has…

The Secret Language of Tu Tu’ Tun River Lodge
A riverside retreat near Gold Beach where glass cabins and wood-fired dining set the pace.
There’s a place where Highway 101 gives way to a winding forest road outside Gold Beach, Oregon. Misty salt air shifts to a forest of Douglas fir and ponderosa pine while the ocean softens into the steady breathing of the Rogue River. It’s here, on land once stewarded by Native American tribes, that you’ll find…

Built Into the Trees
A new design-forward alpine retreat near Mount Rainier blends craft, comfort, and slow-living rituals into a year-round stay that’s hard to leave.
It was dark when we arrived. Our family of four—my husband and our tween and teen daughters—left Seattle for a weekend getaway later than planned, the kind of Friday departure that feels optimistic when you pack the car and less so once you hit the slow crawl of traffic out of the city. We cruised…

Getaways & Gifts: Valentine’s Day & Lunar New Year
Seattle staycation ideas for gals, pals, and romance.
Valentine’s Day 2026 promises to be a long, merry weekend. Celebrate with loved ones, then tack on Lunar New Year, Mardi Gras, and President’s Day as well. Sounds like a staycation to us—one that accommodates gals, pals, couples, and anyone motivated by indulgent dining and late checkout. Here’s the roundup, with site-specific gift ideas. Alexis…

The Wanderer’s Guide to Portland’s Pearl District
Expect the unexpected in this consistently rewarding urban art oasis.
The first sound we hear at ILY2 gallery is not reverent silence, but astonished, contagious laughter. As we enter the room, a giggling couple bends down to grab a fish from a basket and load it into a giant cannon. The (rubber) salmon rockets through the gallery, thuds loudly against the opposite wall, and drops…
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