But for all its reputation as a challenging mountain, Willamette caters to families by providing long, wide, gently sloped, tree-lined runs. With the exception of the occasional racer-head, the atmosphere at Willamette is relaxed and easy-going. Willamette has several programs catering to kids and race programs that encourage family members to ski, ride, and race together.
December 27, 1969
Life Behind Bars
Sleekly designed in a contemporary industrial style, Acme Bowling, Billiards and Events is 51,000 square feet of entertainment extravaganza.
By Joann Natalia Aquino | February 27, 2006
My husband has become an obsessive golfer, but the kids and I still love to ski and snowboard. With these irreconcilable differences, how can we have a successful winter family vacation?
Fortunately, we can head to the Comox Valley, about three hours north of Victoria on Vancouver Island. There, thanks to two starkly different climate zones in one geographic location, he can hit the green fairways of some top-notch golf courses and we can frolic in the snow -- all on the same winter's day.
By Anne Mullens | January 19, 2006
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK Balancing a 4-gallon water jug on my knee while trying to make peace with a 50-pound backpack, I was filling out the Park Service backcountry-use permit at the trailhead with a government-issue eraserless pencil stub. My 5-year-old daughter and her friend were scampering around my feet searching for smooth, round rocks, "to ward off wood nymphs." We were about to embark on a hike short in steps and long in natural brilliance, a beach trek that has become an annual family tradition.
By Kathryn True | October 7, 2004
We've paddled our kayaks to Little Kaikash Beach on Vancouver Island and are sitting on the rocks eating lunch when one of the guides shouts: "Whales!"
A group of orcas appears in the distance, then another and another, rolling, splashing, black and white, the big dorsal fin of the males knifing the waters of Johnstone Strait.
By Linda Hagen Miller | August 19, 2004
CANNON BEACH, Ore. — Cannon Beach is never going to make it into one of those sunny summer songs by someone like the Beach Boys or Jan & Dean.
No "Warmth of the Sun" on this windswept strand. No "Surf City" and "two girls for every boy." Not with everyone so bundled up it's impossible to make gender judgments.
Most of the year, the sandy spot near the northern end of the Oregon coast is a beach like many in the Northwest, with cold, fog, wind and not a little rain.
By Gary A. Warner | January 29, 2004
Habitat: A 428-acre Snohomish County park with forest and beach areas on a branch of Puget Sound known as Port Susan.
Best birding season: Winter.
February 27, 2003
Gearing Up
When winter snows fill the high country of the Northwest, there are still plenty of low-elevation, snow-free trails for dedicated hikers to enjoy. And one of the best ways to take advantage of year-round trail fun is by car camping.
Camping in the winter can be great. The crowds are gone and the wildlife is less skittish, creating a wonderfully peaceful wildland environment.
One of the most important considerations for four-season camping is the quality of your tent.
By Dan A. Nelson | December 26, 2002
Ask around Puget Sound and you'll find people whose last journey across the state to Spokane was for Expo '74. That World's Fair left a legacy of a lovely 100-acre park on the rushing Spokane River. Now comes Spokane's next big splash as a visitor attraction: a major makeover of a popular museum and reopening of a showplace hotel. And the river is still there, just to watch as you walk, or for a leisurely autumn canoe ride right on the edge of town.
By John Wolfson | October 3, 2002
Summer after summer, I try out Pacific Northwest places for family getaways, always searching for the one with the right stuff.
My wish-list includes:
- Easy to get to from Seattle.
- Somewhere for kids to swim.
- A room with a kitchenette so we don't have to eat out every meal. And decent restaurants for when we do..
- A reasonable price.
So far, one of the places I've found that offers all that — and more — is downtown Vancouver, B.C.
By Kristin Jackson | May 20, 2002
