Explorer Sue • Your Guide to the Pacific Northwest - Part 7

Tulip Festival in Skagit Valley

Guides

April is Tulip time in northwestern Washington, and even though it’s too late to go now for 2019 because your friendly neighborhood blogger didn’t tell you about it until now… There’s always next year. Put it this way, it’s never too early to start planning, because Tulip Festival in Skagit Valley, Washington is a big deal. Hundreds of thousands come from all over the world to see the many tulip fields in bloom. The only other place in the world that rivals this much tulip production is the Netherlands. Fun Fact If you go to Amsterdam to shop for tulip bulbs, chances are you find some that actually came from Washington. Yep. And Skagit Valley doesn’t just have gorgeous and expansive tulip fields. They have a month-long celebration that encompasses several towns around the area. Anacortes (the gateway to the San Juan Islands) has the Spring Wine Festival, vintage…

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Fort Townsend Street Art

5 Reasons Why the Pacific Northwest Should be on Your Bucket List

British Columbia, Canada

Are you tired of seeing travel bucket lists? No? Oh good, because here’s another one. I have an entire board on Pinterest devoted to my own personal bucket list. Places like Patagonia, Mongolia, Venice before it sinks into oblivion. The list goes on. Until I came to the realization… I am living in a bucket list destination. The Pacific Northwest territories of British Columbia, Canada, Washington state and Oregon have some of the most scenic spots anywhere. And I am privileged to live here, where all of this beauty is literally in my back yard. Almost makes one not want to leave home. Ha, ha! That’s a good one. Not me, I’m too much of an explorer. I will continue to travel the world as long as I have breath in me. Having said that, there is plenty near where I live to which I have not yet wandered.…

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The Best Lil’ Cabin on Lake Washington

Guides

Tucked away in the heart of Bellevue, WA, lies a lovely cabin, mere steps from the Meydenbauer Bay, Lake Washington. About ten miles from the heart of Seattle, this is the perfect place to get away from a hectic day of sightseeing in the city. I arrived much too late for my taste, around nine pm as I made the drive from Portland. It was dark, but my host gave me detailed instructions and had no problems finding the property, about one mile from the heart of Bellevue. I parked my car and walked the fifty-some well-lit steps down to the waterfront. A Delight After a Long Drive I could not have been happier. As soon as I walked in the front door, an inviting living area, complete with full kitchen and gas fireplace welcomed me. The bed, in its own little alcove, looked even more inviting. I was home…

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Charming Small Towns Around Puget Sound

Guides

There’s just something about coastal towns in Washington State that fascinate me. Unlike small communities of the land-locked variety, a tiny city on Puget Sound exudes an air of mysterious wonder all their own. Because people tend to flock toward the water when on vacation, these best small towns near Seattle are used to a lot of visitors and reciprocate by providing great places to eat and shop. The best small towns in Washington State make for wonderful short road trips from Seattle, as well. Such as it is all along the western side of Puget Sound. In this article, I will cover Gig Harbor, Port Ludlow and Port Townsend – three utterly charming small communities that each have their own brand of seaside goodness, and are among the best small towns in Washington State. **This post contains contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I…

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Epic Guide to Bainbridge Island, WA

Guides

Updated June, 2022. Bainbridge Island is a large, gorgeous island due west of Seattle across Elliott Bay and Puget Sound, which makes is among the best day trips from Seattle. With the historic and quaint town of Winslow just off the ferry landing, this is the perfect day-trip from Seattle. And its history is quite unique. Hop on the Bainbridge Island ferry and look back at the Seattle skyline beginning to slowly shrink from view. You are truly on island time here, as the residents are laid-back and friendly. The moment you step off the ferry, the intoxicating scent of ocean air mixed in with the earthy scent of pine trees engulf you. Here you can truly relax, and get away from the hustle and bustle of Seattle. Things to Do on Bainbridge Island Spend some time simply walking the marina. Bobbing boats and resident seagulls welcome you to the…

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How to Fill Your Gut In Seattle

Food & Drink

Yes, this post is about the best food in Seattle, and I tried to make the title stand out a bit. I mean, just how many blogs have you read so far of “The Best Places to Eat in Seattle”? I’m guessing a lot. Or, “Best Places to Eat in Seattle on a Budget,” or, “Best Places to East on the Cheap in Seattle”… As a Portland resident, I’ve been to Seattle more than my fair share of times, and it’s a second city to me. So I feel like I’ve got the foodie culture here down pat. Required reading for any Seattle travel guide is where to eat! As I’ve said so many times before, when you visit an epic place like Seattle, it is imperative that you do not, under any circumstances, go to a chain restaurant. No TGIF’s, no Olive Garden, no Applebees. Seriously, just don’t. I’m…

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5 Great Pacific Northwest Travel Blog Posts (that are NOT mine!)

British Columbia, Canada

I do like to share the love. However, to quote Yoda, only one woman, I am. Wait, no he didn’t say that, but that’s how he speaks. I can only do so much. Running a Pacific Northwest travel blog is incredibly rewarding, but it’s damn hard work. And as much as I’d like to write every single post imaginable on Oregon, Washington State, and British Columbia, sadly, I cannot. And so, I rely on other awesome travel bloggers to help fill in the gaps. Pacific Northwest vacation ideas that will knock your socks off. I am continuously looking for new ideas and new topics to cover. The possibilities are so literally endless, sometimes my brain goes into a tailspin. Should I write about awesome places to stay on the beach? Why yes! Or how about that great new hike I did along Washington State’s Cascade Loop? Of course! Mysterious tunnels in…

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That Time I had Dessert with a Dead Composer

Food & Drink

It was a dark and stormy night…. No, wait. It was dark, yes, but stormy…no. Just cold. Winter in Portland tends to make you do crazy things…like have coffee in a haunted house on a Sunday night. A Coffeehouse Named after a Classical Composer Everyone knows someone who has an old, eclectic grandmother. Well, this is where she lives, and she loves her old-fashioned Christmas ornaments hung haphazardly from the ceiling. And she also loves her white string lights arranged in foreboding Roman numerals on the wall-papered dining room. We ascended the stairs to the 1902 Craftsman-style burgundy house to get our coffee and dessert on. Inside the dimly-lit foyer, I immediately felt like I was a guest in a cozy home. In the dining room to our right came the gentle tickling of the ivories. We were in for some live classical music. A hand-written sign instructed us to…

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10 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues in Oregon

Informational

We’ve all been there…it is the thick of winter. There are grey skies…all the time. Okay, not really ALL the time, but it sure as hell feels that way! Nevertheless, it seems that we get up in the morning in the dark, we go about our day, and for those of us who work inside with little to no natural lighting or windows, it can get a bit depressing. And when it’s time to go home? Guess what? It’s dark again. Too many days of that can get even the happiest of us down. Seasonal Affective Disorder, y’all. The struggle is real. You Need a Little Motivation. I Get That. So often I hear people say “There’s nothing to do in Portland in the winter.” I simply scoff and try not to express my extreme distaste at that statement. Call me a snob, but people who say that are BORING.…

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The Most Epic Road Trip to Alaska

British Columbia, Canada

For the longest time, I thought that the road north from the U.S. northern border up through Canada to Alaska was a vast wasteland. Almost unpassable. Much like outer Mongolia. However, driving to Alaska is becoming increasingly popular and easy to achieve. Get in on the untapped wilderness now kids, before the tourists overrun one of the last vestiges of the uncharted world. Alaska road trip itineraries have to be carefully planned – maybe not down to a tee, but you do have to make sure you have stuff on hand, as there will be mighty long stretches of lonely road. The Alaska Highway is by far the most popular way to reach the 50th state by car. The entire route is paved, most of it by a two-lane highway. The roads are generally in good condition, but this could change from year to year depending on how badly the…

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Courtesy of Oregon Truffle Oil

Hunting Truffles in Oregon: A Tale of Fancy Fungi

Guides

The Oregon forest looks like a strange mystical netherworld during a January rain. It was early morning and I was still not fully awake. In this semi-aware state my writer’s imagination kicked in and thoughts of a T. Rex rearing his terrifying head through the foggy mist invaded my brain. There was an eerie silence to the forest and the slightest sound became ominous to my ears. Where You Can Find Truffles During Oregon Truffle Season And so it was when I met my truffle hunting friends. I met them in the northern Willamette Valley near Dundee, and a couple of them had dogs with them. It seems that dogs can sniff out really good, ripe truffles. Oregon truffles most often grow right underneath Douglas Fir Trees, on their roots, not far under the soil. Fifteen to thirty-year-old Douglas Firs, to be exact! Why are those truffles so hooked on…

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2018 Wrap-Up: Where I’ve Been and Where I’m Going

Must Go

Don’cha just love a clean slate? Where you can reminisce on all of the last years’ events with fondness, or if not, to take the not-so-great moments and learn from them? That’s what I like to do. It gives me a curious sense of accomplishment. It’s a good way of taking stock of goals you’ve met, and those you didn’t quite get to. And if your last years was total crap…when then… Here your chance to start anew. As I look back on the previous year, I think of all of the great places I’ve been and the epic experiences I’ve had. This little blog I’ve got has been a labor of love, to be sure. But it’s my baby and I’m going to help her grow even more this year. I want to go to more places in the PNW and tell you all about it! And I’m freaking…

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Courtesy of Big Freedom Tiny Homes

Tiny House Travel and Why You Should Do It

British Columbia, Canada

Don’t you sometimes just want to simplify your life? Travel more? The vast majority of us (at least in America) are bogged down by the roof over our heads. About 72% of us spend a full 50% of our income on our homes. That’s insane!! It’s a big reason why Americans have an unprecedented amount of debt, and many are living paycheck to paycheck. (Pssst….tiny house travel!) Whoops, I’m so excited, I’m getting ahead of myself. But it doesn’t have to be this way! We have been raised in society by the notion that when you grow up, you should get a job working for someone else. This is, of course, to pay for a ton of stuff: your house, your car, your clothes, your kids, your pets…some of this is obviously important. But true to form, we tend to overspend. It’s just the way our economy has been set…

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The Case of the Mysterious UFO at Sauvie Island

Guides

On the banks of the Columbia River, tucked into the trees on a nude beach on Sauvie Island just north of Portland, sits a strange craft. It is UFO-looking, landlocked and lonely… And Covered in Grafitti For many years, not a soul seemed to know how this saucer-like shipwreck came to its final resting place on Collins Beach. This clothing-optional beach has seen plenty of bare bottoms, but the craft’s origins were not so revealing. That is until a new story came out on the UFO-like structure, and suddenly, the skeletons came out of the closet. Namely the designer and builder of the boat. His name? Richard Ensign, a resident of Hubbard, Oregon. Now Mr. Ensign was a bit of an eccentric, in that he believed that the impending social and financial collapse of society as we know it would drive people to live more simply. He was a bit…

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7 Pitfalls of Living in the Pacific Northwest

Personal Musings

Living in the Pacific Northwest is a blessing and a curse. It’s hard to pin down what you should do with your free time. I mean, good gravy on a stick, the options are endless! Do I check out that new coffee roaster that just opened up? Or how about a ski weekend? But my friend asked me to brunch on Saturday, and I won’t be able to hit the slopes in time if I do brunch….but man, I really want that gourmet eggs benedict with the quail egg and crème fraise hollandaise sauce! As a Portlander, these are the thoughts that run through my head always. My ‘living in Oregon pros and cons’ list just keeps getting longer, where the pros (so far) far outweigh the cons. But I digress… Here are seven other aspects of the PNW that make it (somewhat) challenging to live here. The Seattle Freeze…

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What Makes Portland So Weird?

Informational

What does “being weird” mean to you? It could mean different things for different people. And surely it takes on a different connotation when you are talking about an entire city as opposed to a person or group of people. The general meaning of weird means out of the ordinary, or peculiar. Just something that the status quo is not used to. I never actually have considered Portland to be weird, and yet this moniker has stuck to the city for decades. Weird things to do in Portland? Let’s break it down… Portland is liberal, it has great coffee, and a ton of hipsters on bikes. But that doesn’t make Portland weird. No, the Rose City has a culmination of other features that gave it her weird status. It’s got the smallest park in the world….right in the middle of a busy street. Established in 1976, tiny Mills End Park resides…

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Great Pacific Northwest Products I Use on My Adventures

Shopping

Are you looking for some outdoor gear for your next travel adventure? Here are some awesome outdoor travel products coming from the Pacific Northwest that will outfit the explorer in you. Without mentioning the obvious (ahem, *cough *Nike* don’t-get-me-wrong-I-like-Nike *cough*). Sorry Nike, you get an honorable mention here, but you are too big for your britches. I will always go for the little guy, each and every time. I am proud to say I have had the pleasure of using every one of the products below, and my recommendations are included with each paragraph. I invite you to find out for yourself how awesome these all are! Keen. Headquartered in Portland, my Keen sandals got me safely through hiking the Narrows in Utah. In water, no less. They are designed with the airiness of a sandal, with lots of traction and the toe protection of a shoe. They look pretty…

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Why Portland is the Best Foodie City in America

Food & Drink

I am so proud of my city. And finally, Portland has been officially recognized as the best foodie city in the U.S. Because you know something? It’s true! I live here, and I shudder like a bikini girl in Alaska when I think of all of the incredible places to eat where I haven’t yet been! To do so would require careful, military-precision-like planning, and I just don’t have that kind of time! The website Wallet Hub compared more than 180 cities across the U.S. and ranked them based on affordability not only on restaurants but on grocery prices, accessibility of high-quality restaurants and food festivals per capita. To be more specific, out of the 180 cities, Portland ranked #5 for diversity, accessibility, and quality (with New York City at #1). And came in #17 for affordability (San Antonio came in #1 for that). Read the article here. But enough…

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A Unique Pacific Northwest Experience

Guides

One of the most uniquely Pacific Northwest activities you can do is to spend an afternoon shellfishing. There are dozens of great beaches along Oregon and Washington (especially Puget Sound) where shellfishing is a regular activity for the locals. It is also the perfect family activity, as kids get a kick out of digging in the sand anyway, right? It doesn’t take a lot of skill either, making this the perfect way to spend a day if you are just visiting. There are, however, a few preparations to make and licenses to purchase before you head out to the beach for your catch of the day. There are certain beaches to hit (which are listed below). Here you can easily find oysters, clams, and even the infamous Pacific Northwest geoduck! What to Do to Prepare Firstly, check out the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife website for regulations and the…

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Which City is Better: Seattle or Portland?

Informational

Ah….the age-old Pacific Northwest question! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked that one! Okay, so without making you scroll all the way down to the end of this blog post, I’m just going to tell you what the answer is RIGHT NOW. Are you ready???? Wait for it….. It all depends! That is to say, it depends on your taste and desires when visiting a cosmopolitan city! It’s true. The long and short of it is you really cannot compare Portland to Seattle. Both are equally awesome, engaging destinations in their own right! And just because I live in Portland does NOT mean I am partial to that city. Well, I sort of am, I’m not going to lie to you. But honestly, I would just as well live in Seattle if I had the means to! So let’s examine the reasons…

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