My blogs posts about the great state of Washington.
Whether you’re looking for a two-person getaway, a family-friendly day trip or a more ambitious multi-day excursion, the Pacific Northwest has plenty of options to get away from the city and enjoy nature. With so many fantastic places within driving distance from Seattle, you are sure to find something your entire road crew will love….
**This post was updated on March 4, 2024** When I book a trip, one of the first things I research is accommodation. A place I’m going to be excited about returning to when the adventures of the day are over. So where should you go to find the best places to stay in Washington State…
When you visit the Yakima Valley, just over a 2-hour drive east from Seattle, you would be remiss to pass by the charming little town of Union Gap, just south of the city of Yakima. It should be on everyone’s list of what to do in Yakima Valley, Washington State. Often times you’ll find the…
Sometimes you just don’t know what treasures await you until they literally fall into your lap. That’s the beauty of travel. There destinations that will take your breath away, yet are not in any travel guidebooks. Places you may never have heard of as being on a bucket list, and so you don’t take the…
I recently went on a hiking trip to Mount Rainier. It was just….WOW. Simply put, Mount Rainier is a hiker’s paradise. And the park is HUGE, so there’s lots to explore. Choose from dozens of amazing hiking trails featuring all manner of stunning vistas and varied terrain, with hikes suitable from beginner’s to seasoned…
Pacific Northwest vacations are the very definition of outdoor adventure. Here I go again, giving myself another impossible task. The outdoor adventures are never-ending in the PNW. And so I struggle with putting together this list of the best outdoor activities in Oregon in Washington, because amazing adventures are literally everywhere, covering every square mile….
The small town of Edmonds is ripe for exploring, thanks to its prime location along Puget Sound. Just 20 miles north of Seattle, it’s a great little community, which makes for a fantastic day or weekend trip from Seattle and a welcome respite from the bustle of the Emerald City. Edmonds is surrounded by the…
Puget Sound is an amazing place. The biodiversity alone will set your imagination alight and keep you endlessly enthralled. Most visitors to Seattle and Olympic National Park have no idea that there are tiny pockets of nature to explore and wonderful little marine-side communities between these two major tourist areas. The entire area experiences a…
One of the great things about being a travel writer is discovering and getting to know some of the amazing people you encounter as part of your job. It is these chance encounters of meeting interesting people and getting to hear their stories – where they came from and how they came to be where…
The Emerald City is a true cosmopolitan delight, but even the most steadfast of Seattleites need to get away from the big city once in a while. Luckily, Seattle is completely surrounded by a fantastic collection unique places outside for a short or long getaway. Take a breather from the stress of the hustle and…
**This article was updated February 25, 2025** Sometimes you just need to get away with your besties with day trips from Seattle. Vacations in Washington State are rich and varied, with the greenery of Western Washington, and the desert beauty of Eastern Washington. There’s a lot here to do when bonding with your gal pals….
The Columbia River Gorge is an outdoor enthusiast’s playground. But most people only traverse the Oregon side. What is lesser known is all of the wonderful things that can be discovered on the Washington side… …like fantastic treehouses. The Klickitat Treehouse hits that sweet spot in between being a kid again (sleeping in a…
Have you heard? The big trend in travel is going eco-friendly. And the Pacific Northwest is leading the charge in this area. Being such a green area of the world anyway, we Oregonians and Washitonians have made it a habit of living a sustainable, healthy life. So it’s only natural that visitors are able to…
Twenty-twenty is the year of the road trip – no one can deny that. And if you are one of my faithful readers, you will know that I looooove road trips. What better way to usher in the coming of Autumn than to explore the open road in Oregon and Washington. Here are my best…
Old habits die hard, to coin a familiar phrase. What that means is, as much as I talk about taking things slowly when you are traveling, I didn’t seem to want to listen to that inner voice this time. As with my first Olympic National Forest trip, I tried to jam pack as much as…
Chances are if you are reading this blog, you have the wanderlust bug. Go on, admit it. I have it too, so let me tell you how my need to get out and explore has made me a happier person. Going on a road trip is one of my favorite things. When things get too…
When most people think about what to see along the Columbia River, the Gorge area immediately springs to mind. Probably because it is the most scenic! But there is so much more to this magnificent stretch of river, which guided our original explorers, Lewis & Clark to this great land. Interstate Highway 84, which runs…
I couldn’t end the year without waxing philosophical about why I got into this business of blogging in the first place! Yes, it’s because I love to write and even more so, love to travel and have new experiences. But it is also because I love the Pacific Northwest as a whole and because there…
Photo courtesy of Visit Bellingham **This article was updated July 1, 2022** Looking for things to do in the Pacific Northwest? How about a scenic Pacific Northwest road trip? I struggled with this one. I really did. Simply because ALL of the Pacific Northwest is scenic and there are plenty of places to go in…
City rivalries are pretty silly if you ask me. I mean…WHY? It’s like two siblings fighting over who is best in mother’s eyes. Take Seattleites’ disdain for Tacoma, for example. Not a trip to Seattle goes by where I don’t hear at least one local resident rip on Tacoma. I think Tacoma is a fine…
