I've never seen a whale in Washington. I hear they're everywhere in
March and April. In fact, it seems like we're so overrun with whales
around here you can throw a stick and hit one ... if you're not me.
By Barry Gibbons | April 4, 2008
It might strike you as curious that the Olympic Peninsula, noted for its natural wild settings, also is jammed with recent history. Though Spaniards explored the peninsula by sea starting in the late 1700s, this is one of the last places in the continental United States to be settled. Just 150 years ago, the entire Olympic Peninsula was wilderness. Perhaps that's why history here seems so tangible.
By Greg Johnston | April 10, 2008
In the summertime, Lake Quinault is busy with boaters, anglers, hikers, campers, honeymooners and tourists from all over the planet. Fall through spring though, this region -- where the rain totals more than 10 feet a year -- is quiet, even lonesome. It's not unusual to hike the trails and see elk, but no people.
By Greg Johnston | November 15, 2007
Short Trips
A couple of weeks ago, a small, collapsible chalkboard sign on the sidewalk in front of Abracadabra and Summer House -- two quaint gift shops on Water Street in downtown Port Townsend -- said it all, "Think Spring." Well, spring blossoms next Monday, March 20, so it's time for Northwest travelers to "Think Port Townsend."
By Jeff Larsen | March 16, 2006
I braced myself for the infamous "Catwalk," catching my breath as I peered over the edge of the exposed knife-sharp ridge.
It dropped steeply on both sides. Thousands of feet below, the Hoh River caressed and deepened the U-shaped valleys as it meandered around Mount Olympus.
A mountain goat that followed us eyed me with suspicion, likely wondering why I was blocking a path he so obviously had marked as his own.
I wondered that, too, as I picked my way across the steep ridge connecting Cat Peak with Mount Carrie.
By Phuong Cat Le | October 6, 2005
The outing: Do not say to a person who lives in Poulsbo the following:
"Well, Liberty Bay doesn't look like any fjord I've ever seen."
OK, sheer mountain slopes don't cascade into the water below, the narrow inlet doesn't necessarily pour into the Norwegian Sea. And, granted, it might be kind of hard to find an Azteca Mexican restaurant in Norway.
But why risk the instant frown you'll get when you point out these facts about modern Poulsbo?
Do say instead:
By Terry Tazioli | August 25, 2005
MATS MATS BAY, Jefferson County — Floating on the wind, the osprey seemed not to even notice as our boat approached.
By Larry Eifert | July 28, 2005
I've heard of backpackers who have a baby and still manage to seek a good time with nature. They pack a few diapers, throw baby on their back and head for the woods.
My parenting style is more worrywart than carefree. There are bugs, sun, wind, cold, heat, hunger, thirst. There are tantrums, picky eating, bedtime woes. It seemed easier to stay in a motel than a tent.
By Vanessa Ho | June 3, 2004
Short Trips
SEQUIM -- This town seems to be bursting with pride as a major revitalization construction effort hits its stride in the downtown corridor.
Historically, the small Olympic Peninsula community has been touted as one of the best places in the state to live. Owing to a natural phenomenon called the rain shadow, Sequim gets only about 15 inches of rain a year, less then a lot of areas in the much more arid eastern half of the state.
By Jeff Larsen | February 26, 2004
Short Trips
PORT ANGELES Even though it was midweek, the three volunteers at the Port Angeles visitor information center near the downtown ferry docks were busy indeed, juggling questions from inquisitive visitors and dispensing maps of the region.
One out-of-town visitor, who grew up in the Pacific Northwest, asked a volunteer for directions to Agate Beach. He shared with her how much fun it was as a youngster to hunt for agates on the Strait of Juan de Fuca beach. He was visiting Port Angeles to try to relive the experience with his children.
By Jeff Larsen | September 4, 2003
