Quick Escape: Sequim on the Olympic Peninsula

Quick Escape: Sequim on the Olympic Peninsula

Most people think the Olympic Peninsula town of Sequim (pronounced Skwim) is a retirees’ enclave with year-round sunshine set in a rural landscape dotted with fragrant fields of lavender. And indeed, it is. But Sequim has evolved into so much more.

Weekend Escape: Depoe Bay on the Oregon Coast

Weekend Escape: Depoe Bay on the Central Oregon Coast

Forget sandy beaches. This wild stretch of the Oregon coast is all about frothy waves crashing into basalt headlands, and passing grey whales. The small town of Depoe Bay sits between two Oregon Coast hotspots–Lincoln City to the north and Newport to the south, which may be why it’s often overlooked by travelers to this […]

Quick Escape: Family Jaunt to San Juan Island

Lopez, Shaw, Orcas, San Juan… for many Pacific Northwesterners, these words are synonymous with one thing: vacation! Of the four San Juan Islands reachable by ferry, San Juan Island is my favorite easy family getaway. It’s definitely the easiest island to escape to sans car. The ferry drops you off in the town of Friday […]

Wildlife Trip: See the Skagit Eagles

Winter Day Trip: See the Skagit Bald Eagles

Have you been up to see the eagles? One of the very first day trips I made after moving to Seattle was up to the Skagit River in January to see the eagles. I’d relocated from Wisconsin, a state where small flocks of bald eagles commonly gathered along fish-bearing rivers in winter. So off I […]

Quick Escape: Seaside on the Oregon Coast

If you’re looking for an old school beach resort town, look no further than Seaside, Oregon. This is the real deal, where you can munch on saltwater taffy as you stroll the beach boardwalk hand in hand, watching the sunset behind Tillamook head. Seaside’s status as the premiere  Oregon Coast beach resort was sealed over a century ago […]

Weekend Escape: Sechelt on the Sunshine Coast 

One of the most stunningly scenic coastlines in the Northwest draws travelers to the Sunshine Coast’s sheltered bays fringed with fir-scented forests. Plus, the 100-mile coastline enjoys more sunny days than anywhere else in western British Columbia. The Sunshine Coast is the stretch of British Columbia’s mainland coast to the northwest of Vancouver. Sheltered from the Pacific […]

Quick Escape: Bend, Oregon

Bend is a sophisticated, outdoorsy town tucked in the eastern Cascade foothills, surrounding by some of the finest hiking trails, ski runs and fishing streams the Northwest has to offer. With more than 250 days of sun per year, you can visit Bend year-round, but autumn is particularly nice. Hike among fall foliage through late October, […]

Quick Escape: Salt Spring Island

Between Vancouver Island and the mainland lies the Strait of Georgia, where a string of islands are strewn like emeralds. One of these gems is Salt Spring Island. Part of the beautiful and idyllic southern Gulf Islands, Salt Spring Island is placed perfectly within a sun-dappled rain shadow. British Columbia’s Gulf Islands are, geologically speaking, […]

Quick Escape: Lake Crescent

People come to glacially-carved Lake Crescent to see its crystal clear waters ringed with fragrant conifers. They stay for an enchanting hike to a waterfall and a night at the historic lakeside lodge. Thousands of years ago, massive sheets of ice carved this long, deep lake through the Olympic mountains. And deep it is–the second deepest […]

TRIP GUIDE: Walla Walla Wine Country

Ask a local wine lover which Northwest region is producing the most complex, interesting reds right now, and Walla Walla will probably top their list. And while not all great wine regions are necessarily great travel destinations, you’re in luck. Walla Walla is both. And it’s much closer than you think. We visited Walla Walla […]