GO: The Yurts at Cape Disappointment

One of the 14 yurts you can rent at Washington's Cape Disappointment State Park

The yurts at Cape Disappointment are within walking distance of the beach, where you can watch waves pound steep cliffs or stroll along the sand.

Olympic Peninsula Weekend: The Hybrid and the Kabin

I’m a bit inclined to get stuck in ruts, from the cars I like to drive (old Volvo station wagons), to the campgrounds I prefer (tent sites near wilderness) to the toppings on my pizza (pineapple and hot peppers). And that’s usually okay because really, change is over-rated. But one kind of change is not over-rated: climate change. Our record-hot Northwest […]

CAMP & HIKE: Silver Falls State Park

At Silver Falls State Park, you’re in the best of both worlds–a stone’s throw from Willamette Valley wine country, and inching up the west slope of the Oregon Cascades. And by “cascades” we mean mountains… and waterfalls. Lots of waterfalls. We are spoiled rotten. In the Pacific Northwest where huge swaths of land are protected […]

Q: Vacation Rental Cabins near Mt. Hood?

Dear TripFinder, Q: Any suggestions for vacation rental sites for large cabins around Mt. Hood?  – Adina from Seattle    Dear Adina, Many of our Northwest mountain communities have cabins that are second homes, and owners often rent these out as vacation rentals when they aren’t using them. Around ski areas, it’s not uncommon to find […]

Rustic Retreats in Washington

Who says “camping” can’t be comfortable? Here are a bunch of affordable rustic retreats in Washington state, all managed by public land agencies. Some are light-filled yurts near a beach, while others are historic cabins in the woods. All are rent-able year-round. They’re even heated in colder months so you can stay toasty warm while you’re inside […]

State Park Cabins in Oregon, from Rustic to Deluxe

Oregon State Park Cabins

Picture this. After an unexpectedly chilly night spent sleeping on the hard, bumpy ground at a local state park, you skip your morning shower (too cold!) only to get rained on from the sky while eating instant oatmeal, shivering in your gortex. It’s car camping in the Northwest! And if you’ve had an overnight experience […]

Marrowstone Island’s Cottages by the Sea

A long time ago, way back in 1792, Captain George Vancouver came to the Salish Sea. He “discovered,” he mapped, and he named a lot of things. Like Puget Sound. And Hood Canal (which he actually named “Hood Channel” because, well, it is a channel, but evidently his handwriting was a bit messy and it […]

Cozy Cabins on a Budget at Grace Haven

I have cabin fever. No, not that kind-the other kind. The kind where you’re crazy for cabins.  I’m crazy for cabins – cedar walls, steaming cups of cocoa, cozy fires, wool blankets. Love them.  First, I told you about staying at my friend’s cabin in Winthrop. But we couldn’t stop there. No, there was another. […]

At the Cabin

I grew up in the Midwest. Illinois, to be precise. In Illinois, we had cornfields and soybeans. To the north up in Wisconsin and Minnesota, though, were big trees, lakes and… cabins. On occasion, I’d know someone whose cousin’s girlfriend’s grandparents owned one of those lakefront cabins, and up we’d go to relax a little, […]