Tucked inside a nondescript industrial park, surrounded by the fertile fields of the Skagit Valley, sits a remarkable bakery. Water Tank Bakery is more than just a place to grab a loaf of bread—it’s proof of the power of local, sustainable food and the unwavering spirit of its founder, Rachael Sobczak.

Think of winter sports, and a picture of someone skiing down the slopes or snowshoeing through white fluffy drifts of fresh powder comes to mind. But in Tofino, British Columbia, locals and visitors alike rejoice in another spectator sport—storm watching. From the months of October through April the raw, untamed beauty of Vancouver Island’s west coast takes center stage as this region braces itself for nature’s most dramatic performances.

The holidays bring with them opportunities for cozy get-togethers and festive activities with our favorite people, but this time of year also has its fair share of stressors, especially if you find yourself traveling. It’s all about finding ways to de-stress in all the busyness.

“Eat real food!”

It’s the perennial directive given by author Michael Pollan and nutritionists the world over. The meaning is simple yet profound: eating food provided to us by nature, grown in the ground instead of engineered in a laboratory. Whole ingredients that are entirely themselves. At the Organic Farm School (OFS) on Whidbey Island, they are growing real food as well as the future farmers our world so desperately needs. As an added bonus, they offer a public farm stand with an honor system, and farm stays in their refurbished ranch house.