Travel
Best Camping Spots: Vamping
The Eurovan is the ground-averse camper's silver bullet.
When my husband, Daniel, and I go camping for the weekend, there are no tents involved. We do not drag Therm-a-Rests or tarps out of the garage; we do not strap carefully rolled sleeping bags onto backpacks. Instead, we pile into our VW Eurovan and head for nearby wilderness to experience a night or two…
Best Camping Spots: Roughing It
The Northwest offers myriad ways to commune with nature, but nothing surpasses sleeping outdoors.
Salt Creek A Family AffairWhere: North side of the Olympic Peninsula on the Strait of Juan de FucaBest For: Base-camp adventuring, tide pooling and family-friendly camping Sea stars, swimming and s’mores, oh my! Salt Creek Recreation Area off State Route 112 on the north side of the Olympic Peninsula has a wealth of options for family…
Sage Advice for Camping with Children
Camping with kids presents special problems, so we asked a family-camping expert for some answers.
Should I buy my child a special ergonomic telescoping titanium trekking pole? Only if you hate nature. There is no way that pole is not going to be used to whack the crap out of trailside vegetation (and probably your ankles and your child’s little brother). Balance is a learned skill—let them learn it! Save the…
Best Camping Spots: Occupational Hazards
Avid hiker Kristen Russell wants to be sure you know a few things before camping in the Northwest.
WeatherNo matter the forecast, in the Northwest you must be prepared for rain. That crazy nylon sheet that came with your tent—the one covered with toggles and cords and pulleys—is called a rain fly. Use it! And don’t skip the tarp under your tent; if you do, you could wake up to see your flashlight…
Some Like It Hotter
The Tri Cities Deliver Fun in the Desert Sun
While we Seattleites have been blessed with a mild winter and sunny spring weather, some like it even hotter. Just a 3 1/2 hour drive east, the Tri-Cities region is not only the warmest part of the state–it was 85 and sunny this past Saturday, some 15 degrees warmer than Seattle–but also one of the…
Screamin’ Deals: Fly Virgin from $49 Each Way
Sir Richard Branson's deals are most definitely more attractive than that '70s shag hairstyle he spo
Sir Richard Branson’s deals are most definitely more attractive than that ’70s shag hairstyle he sports–Seattle to San Francisco from $49 each wayVirgin America started its Fares to Fly By special, to a handful of U.S. cities–check out these one-way prices from Seattle: to LAX from $69 (or $214 first class!); to JFK from $119;…
Debra Baxter Defies Physics at Howard House
Don't miss Seattle sculptural artist Debra Baxter's gorgeous, funny, intriguing show at Howard House
I first met Seattle artist Debra Baxter four or five years ago at one of the most excellent dance parties I’ve ever attended in the city. It was held in a warehouse/office/showroom/artist space in SoDo, and was thrown by genius local lighting designer (and incredibly nice guy) Bradley Sweek of Flux. It was one of those…
Best Camping Spots: Not-so-Roughing It
In case sleeping on the ground is more than you can stomach.
GLAMPINGStructurally, it might not be so different from the accommodations at that overnight camp you went to as a kid, but, nowadays, staying in a canvas-walled platform tent is referred to as “glamping” (short for glamorous camping)—at least as far as us pampered grownups are concerned. And pampered you will be if you get your…
Great Escapes 2010: Bend
In the middle of Oregon, Bend is a town of seeming contradictions. It’s a mountain town…on the edge
Category: seattlepi.com teaser headlines In the middle of Oregon, Bend is a town of seeming contradictions. It’s a mountain town…on the edge of a desert. It logs an average of 300 days a year of sun…in Oregon. Bend’s quirky polarity is one of the many reasons why the town is so lovable; it’s the…
Road Trip: Sequim
Birdwatchers, flock to the Olympic Peninsula. The coastline, estuaries and rivers of the Olympic Pen
WHERE: Sequim. WHY: For the Olympic Peninsula BirdFest, April 9–11 (olympicbirdfest.org). The coastline, estuaries and rivers of the Olympic Peninsula make excellent birding grounds, especially this month as flocks of Townsend’s warblers, short-billed dowitchers and Cassin’s vireos migrate north. FLIGHT PLAN: BirdFest offers bird-inspired art, lectures, guided walks and bird-watching boat trips—including a three-day cruise…
Road Trip: Long Beach Peninsula
Everybody into the bog! It's cranberry time.
WHERE: Long Beach Peninsula, for the 89th annual Cranberrian Fair, October 9–10. WHY: It’s harvest season for the deliciously tart bog-dwelling berries, of which Washington is the nation’s fifth-largest producer (who knew!). At the Cranberry Museum in Long Beach (cranberrymuseum.com), revelers can check out a 10-acre demonstration bog, witness the harvesting process and browse the…
Orcas Island
A new gourmet restaurants helmed by famous foodies
WHY: To dine at two new gourmet restaurants helmed by famous foodies. Lisa Nakamura, former chef at The Herbfarm, is taking a seasonal approach at Allium (shown above, 310 Main St.; 360.376.4904; alliumonorcas.com) in the Eastsound space formerly known as Christina’s (the magnificent waterfront view remains). Chef Madden Surbaugh, late of the acclaimed Steps Wine…
Road Trip: Cannon Beach
Soak in the sun at Surfs and in Cannon Beach
Cannon BeachWhere: Surfsand Resort, in Cannon Beach, Oregon. Why: For a laid-back, luxe family getaway. Kids Love: The indoor pool, sand toys, crafts, scavenger hunts and a different treat each night at turndown (such as a lei or a plastic beach ball). Adults Love: The newly remodeled suites with soaking tubs, fireplaces, decks overlooking the…
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