If your idea of a perfect weekend involves digging through old trinkets, the smell of aged paper, finding that one-of-a-kind vintage jacket that fits perfectly, and hunting for lost treasures, then it’s time to head to Sedro-Woolley.

Located in Skagit Valley, Sedro-Woolley is known as the historic "Gateway to the North Cascades,” but it is so much more. It is also a low-key paradise for thrifters, vintage hounds, and antique lovers.

Summer in the Pacific Northwest means two things to me: road trips and wide-open coastal, sandy beaches. Not the pristine white beaches found in Mediterranean climates, but ones filled with craggy rock formations and rich in tide pools.

If rising costs have you rethinking any far-flung travel plans, consider vacationing a little closer to home, and a one-tank trip to Lincoln City, Oregon might be just the ticket.

The morning mist hangs low in the Hoh Rain Forest, a quintessential cover for this corner of Olympic National Park. My boots crunch on the damp gravel of the parking lot, and I make my way toward the trailhead for the Trail of Mosses. It’s a popular loop for good reason. 

It’s like stepping into a fairytale, a place where western hemlock and spruce trees reach for the sky, their branches draped in so much lichen and moss they form dripping arches. It’s a short walk, just over a mile, but it packs a magical punch every time. It is places like this that are worth preserving for generations to come.

“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.

On Whidbey Island, time slows and becomes more intentional. You feel it the moment you step off the ferry or cross the high arches of Deception Pass. The air, with its coastal blend of salty spray mixed with a fresh, earthy fragrance, carries a distinct, intoxicating scent, encouraging you to take a deeper breath.

Once on the island, you will feel worlds away, even though this is an easy jaunt from the frantic hum of the city. A short but scenic ride on the Mukilteo ferry is all that stands between you and a weekend that nourishes both the palate and the planet.

Approaching from the west, as those traveling from Portland often do, the journey along what is referred to as the Waterfall Corridor begins with a step back into history. Built more than a century ago, the Historic Columbia River Highway was planned as the first scenic roadway in the United States. This narrow ribbon of pavement was engineered specifically to showcase the Gorge’s vertical splendor, and stands today much as it did in the early 1900s.

The Evolution of Snohomish’s Grain Artisan Bakery “Start with an idea. Mix in a helping of determination, a pinch of curiosity, a few dashes of…

Looking for a refreshing reset full of excitement and flabor? Then hop over the norther border…..

Puffs of steam pour out of an evaporator, through several chrome columns and into the cold winter air as I enter the sugar barn, where Neil McLeod is hunched over a vat of boiling tree sap. This barn is where the magic happens: the team at Neil’s Bigleaf Maple Syrup collects and cooks down this year’s harvest of Washington-grown maple syrup. Yes, you heard that right.‍ ‍Read more…

Chasing the Storm

The Pacific Northwest showcases some of the earth’s wildest moments

The Amtrak Cascades route serves as a north-south connection between Vancouver, British Columbia, and Eugene, Oregon. Along its journey, the train makes 12 convenient stops throughout Washington State. From north to south, stops include Bellingham, Mount Vernon, Stanwood, Everett, Edmonds, Seattle, Tukwila, Tacoma, Olympia-Lacey, Centralia, Kelso, and Vancouver, WA. A first-time Rider’s Guide is available to help plan your trip.