All that Fort Clatsop Park ranger Sean Johnson could do was point at a large white tarp propped up in the woods with poles and tell visitors, "Yep, that's where Fort Clatsop used to be." The tarp covered the ground where only a few charred pieces of the historic fort replica remained after it burned to the ground Oct. 3.
By Jeff Larsen | December 29, 2005
The thousands of lights are mesmerizing. Poinsettias -- a holiday plant standard worldwide -- are displayed by the hundreds in heated confines behind well-lit windows for visitor enjoyment. Carolers fill the chilled evening air with familiar holiday songs. Fresh evergreen garlands line all the walkways, dressed up with colored, twinkling lights. Lots of smiling faces brighten up the scene even more.
By Jeff Larsen | December 15, 2005
The eagles have landed at Goldstream Provincial Park on Vancouver Island, and for good reason -- their fall and winter feast has arrived.
For the rest of this month, bald eagles flock to parts of the Goldstream River -- just 12 miles north of Victoria -- to feast on the dead and dying carcasses of thousands of chum, coho and chinook salmon that return to spawn each year from mid-October until the end of December. One Canadian naturalist predicted 30,000 chum salmon would make the migration this year.
By Jeff Larsen | December 8, 2005
POULSBO -- If you're lucky enough to hit a clear day on your drive to Poulsbo, prepare to be dazzled as roadside trees give way to a stunning vista of Liberty Bay backed by snow-capped Olympics. It's like a little piece of Norway.
Early immigrants thought so, too, and turned this scenic settlement into an ethnic enclave where, for a while, the official language was Norwegian.
By Cecelia Goodnow | December 1, 2005
LANGLEY -- This south Whidbey Island town is a wonderful reminder of small-town charm. From free and easy street parking to shop owners who personally welcome you, a day in Langley can be pure pleasure.
The town has been luring me for years. The turnoff -- not far from the Clinton ferry landing -- beckoned, but there was always something more urgent farther up the island. It's embarrassing to admit that my only previous trip to Langley was for a Christmas Eve service more than 20 years ago.
By Susan Phinney | November 24, 2005
Vancouver Island is the largest island on the North American continent's West Coast. More than a half-million people live there.
By Jeff Larsen | November 10, 2005
When the rain and the short, dark days set in around here, folks automatically try to find something fun to do indoors. With that in mind, I recalled a column I wrote almost four years ago that included a gent in Sequim who, along with his wife, was fashioning an unusual bed-and-breakfast getaway from train cabooses.
I figured if the project was still on track, so to speak, it might be a fun to spend a cozy overnight indoors in Sequim. I wasn't disappointed.
By Jeff Larsen | November 3, 2005
LEAVENWORTH -- What I like most about Leavenworth is its high energy level. Every time I visit, some sort of event is either going on or about to happen in the small Bavarian-theme town just above the Wenatchee Valley east of Stevens Pass in the Cascade Mountains.
In September the town hosted its 42nd annual Autumn Leaf Festival. Earlier this month, revelers drank their way through Oktoberfest. Halloween is just around the corner. And the annual Christmas Lighting Festival in December isn't far off.
By Jeff Larsen | October 27, 2005
I've always had a special place in my heart for Bremerton, partly because of strong family ties as far back as I can remember. My uncle retired from the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (The Yard, as it was affectionately called) quite a few years ago. My cousin (his son) retired several years ago as The Yard fire chief, though his wife still works there.
By Jeff Larsen | October 20, 2005
PROSSER -- It wasn't just the fragrance of the wine crush I noticed here late last month. Love was in the air -- along with some hot-air balloons.
Richard Gary and his fiancee, Kelly Regan, told me that not even an early morning breeze could stop them from getting married in the gondola of a hot-air balloon on a chilly Friday morning over the Prosser Airport.
By Jeff Larsen | October 6, 2005
