The K Diamond K guest ranch in Republic, Wash., has opened a new lodge, where you can ride horses in beautiful, wild country. And the Konz family who runs it will treat you like family.
October 26, 2008
A close-up look at Bellingham's Chrysalis Inn & Spa and the people who run it.
August 7, 2008
Among Puget Sound boaters, the hidden pocket of saltwater called Port Ludlow has long been known as a pleasant and protected nook. Once you're here, there's golf, there are kayaks and bikes to rent, and
trails to walk or ride. Or there's that balcony for sitting. Or that
tub for luxuriating. Which can easily be activity enough.
March 13, 2008
If you love Northwest beaches and quaint beach towns, chances are many of you head for the Oregon coast for vacation. So what's the beef with the Washington coast? Well, nothing. Well, everything. Well, maybe it's time to take a fresh look.
November 8, 2007
So you're new in town.
You might have noticed that Pugetopolis isn't, well, exactly like the rest of the world.
We rarely honk our horns in anger. You'll more often get a perky wave from another driver than a one-finger salute.
We do tend to have two coffee houses at every corner. We dig clams. We wear Gore-Tex to the symphony. And we have mountains, water and forests that don't in the least resemble Indiana.
May 17, 2007
WINTHROP, Okanogan County — Sun Mountain Lodge is a bit like the restaurant atop the Space Needle. It's in a spectacular spot; how much harder does it have to try?
February 8, 2007
The budget outing: Discover Puget Sound's roots from the days when there were many firs and no freeways. Visit Suquamish, where the tribal chief for whom Seattle was named lived communally in what amounted to a mansion of the early 1800s: a beachfront longhouse reputedly more than 500 feet long.
Today, Chief Sealth is buried in a small cemetery just up the hill, with a glimpse through tall, guardian evergreens of the swirling waters of narrow Agate Passage.
August 25, 2005
The outing: A first-timer's visit to downtown Tacoma can be like an innocent's first bite of a habañero: Prepare to have your eyes opened — at the ornate architecture of historical buildings, at abundant public art, at noteworthy museums and soothing urban landscapes.
And yes, your eyes might water a bit, too, from the occasional whiff of a pulp mill, though Tacoma's fabled aroma has been mostly cleaned up in recent years.
June 23, 2005
The budget outing:
If you've only ever sped through Anacortes on your way to catch a ferry, it's time to stop and smell the tidewaters.
March 3, 2005
So what do you do in a winter when parts of Massachusetts get more snow in one storm than the total skimpy snowpack at Stevens Pass?
If you've lived around Puget Sound long enough to know how to pronounce "Sequim," you know that skiing is our winter safety valve. It's our ticket out of the seasonal mildew of Seattle at sea level. Without skiing between November and April, our attitude sours and we get all damp and unpleasant, like liquefying lettuce left too long in the fridge.
January 27, 2005
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