Pacific Northwest Archives ⋆ PNW & Beyond

A bald eagle cries out at Big Beef Creek in Seabeck, WA.

Bald Eagles at Big Beef Creek: “It’s that Seabeck time again.” 4 (1)

Every year in late May and early June, a number of bald eagles come to Big Beef Creek in Seabeck with the morning low tide.

Camping On Orcas Island (and Other Things to Do While You’re There) 0 (0)

Orcas Island is the largest of the San Juan Islands — and a great place to camp. Here’s a brief post about camping spots on the island and a few other things to do while you’re there as well!

Finding Wintering Trumpter Swans in Northwest Washington State 0 (0)

Every winter trumpeter swans from Alaska and northern British Columbia migrate to the Pacific Northwest. Here’s a bit more informaiton on these, the heaviest of flying bird, and where to find them in western Washington State.

14 Unique Things to do in Seattle That Every Seattleite Should Know About 0 (0)

Author Ana de Guzman from Redfin asked some Seattleites (including me) about some of their favorite interesting and offbeat things to do in Seattle. Here are some suggestions they offered.

Animals, Brinnon, Dosewallips North Tidal Area Trail, Dosewallips State Park, Elk, Jefferson County, Nature, Washington State, Wildlife

Viewing Elk at Dosewallips State Park 0 (0)

Dosewallips State Park by the Dosewallips River is a great place to view wildlife. In particular, there’s a large herd of elk in the area.

Searching for Tufted Puffins in the Salish Sea 5 (1)

Taking a cruise near Smith and Protection Islands is something to put on your calendar for the Summer months. Who knows, you just might see an actual tufted puffin!

Set in Seattle: Seattle-centric books to quench your lust for the Emerald City 0 (0)

We just updated this one…a bit. Here are some great (or possibly great, we haven’t read all of them but we eventually want to) books set in the Emerald City.

Kitsap Salmon Tours Kitsap Salmon Viewing Day

Where to View Salmon Spawning in Kitsap County This Autumn 5 (1)

Every year the salmon return from the ocean to their home streams to spawn. WSU offers a day of salmon viewing and education in the fall. Here’s where and when to view spawning salmon in Kitsap County this Autumn.

Railrioad Bridge Olympic Discovery Trail Sequim to Port Angeles

Riding the Olympic Discovery Trail Sequim to Port Angeles (River and Prairie Section) 0 (0)

The Olympic Discovery Trail is a trail running through the Olympic Peninsula from Port Townsend to the Pacific Ocean. This is the first of several posts exploring different sections of the trail, mostly from a cycling perspective.

Seattle Shakespeare in the Park Productions Featured Image

Outdoor Shakespeare (and other outdoor performances) Near Puget Sound 5 (1)

We love Shakespeare in the Park and other outdoor theater performances! Pack a picnic and a blanket and sit in the sun (or in some cases under the stars). Here’s a brief guide to some PNW (mostly Seattle area) Shakespeare in the Park productions.

Visiting the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival 5 (1)

After cancellation in 2020, the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is back for 2021. Here’s more information and when to see the tulips.

Foulweather Bluff 0 (0)

Foulweather Bluff is a protected nature refuge in Hansville, WA. It offers a short family-friendly hike to the beach and great birdwatching!

Tips on Securing a Fishing Guide in the PNW 0 (0)

Guest author Marc Johnston shares four tips for finding a fishing guide in the Pacific Northwest.

Photo of Snoqualmie Falls and Salish Lodge by jcwinkler onFlicker.

Snoqualmie Bike Ride: Remlinger and Back 0 (0)

I cycled this route years ago, and intended to write about it at that time.

A few things may have changed since then, but it remains a good cycling route with a good stop at Remlinger Farms at the mid-point (when they reopen),

This route is also my first go-round with adding route sharing capacity. If you have a route you’d like to share with readers, you can do it!

Matterhorn at Seattle Center Fun Forest Circa 1970

Seattle as it Will Never Be: Remembering Pompeii on Eliott Bay…and the Fun Forest 0 (0)

This “Seattle Vintage” post is husband’s recollection of a funny short film from the 1970s which followed archaeologists excavating the remains of the ancient city of Seattle after an eruption of Mount Rainier.

This is mixed in with my own memories of the now-long-gone Seattle Center Fun Forest.

The Best Beginner Mountain Bike Trails Near Seattle 5 (1)

Seattle is home to some great mountain biking and some of the best beginner mountain bike trails in the Pacific Northwest. This is a sponsored post from evo — a Seattle based retailer that specializes in outdoor equipment…mountainbikes and more!

Choosing a Wetsuit in the Pacific Northwest

Feeling Drawn to the Water? A PNW Wetsuit Guide 4.3 (15)

The Pacific Northwest is a great place for water sports, but it can be cold. Here are some great tips for choosing a wetsuit for the Pacific Northwest from evo — a Seattle based outdoor gear retailer.

Blue Hawaiian Pie at A La Mode Pies Phinney

A Damn Fine Piece of Pie: Where to Eat Great Pie in Western Washington this Pi Day (or Any Day) 5 (1)

This post was written before the COVID-19 outbreak, but I decided to let it run for Pi day as scheduled. In Seattle, we’re eating our Pie on Pi Day at home in Seattle — but when things pick back up these are some great places to go. Put them on your calendar for PIE day, which is January 23.

Whether it’s Pi Day (in March) or Pie Day (in January) you’re likely to see a lot of posts about pie. But any day is a good day for Pie.

So we’re weighing in on our favorite go-to pie spots in Seattle and western Washington State.

Fleurs de Villes at the Northwest Flower and Garden Festival 2020

Fleur Couture: A Sneak Peek at 2020’s Northwest Flower and Garden Festival 0 (0)

I had the chance to go to a media preview of this year’s Northwest Flower and Garden Festival. The gardens, as always were fabulous, there looks to be a promising lineup of speakers, but the real stars of the show were the “Fleurs de Villes.”

Sequim Lavender Festival Bike Kitty Bs Lavender Farm

Visiting the Sequim Lavender Festival: A (Tiny) bit of Provence in Washington State 5 (1)

Sometimes referred to as “America’s Provence,” Sequim sits in the Olympic rain shadow, so it sees more days of sun that some other parts of western Washington State — and grows a LOT of lavender!

Here’s more about Sequim’s Lavender Festival that takes place each July, tips for visiting, information about a few of the farms, and a link to an interative map of area lavender farms you might want to visit.

Greystone Castle Castle Rental Near Seattle

Rent a 22,000 sq ft luxury Castle in the PNW for less than $100/person! 0 (0)

This is a sponsored post from Greystone Castle. This place looks like a fabulous luxury vacation rental near Seattle that I would definitely consider for my next local getaway!

Best Hiking Trails in Mount Rainier National Park 0 (0)

Guest author Mark Bennet discusses the best hiking trails at Mount Rainier National Park from the skyline trail at Paradise to the Summerland Trail.

Seattle Best Bookstores Map Best Seattle Bookstores Elliott Bay Book Company Interior

Best Bookstores in Seattle 5 (1)

Seattle is a literate city — Seattle tops many lists for things such as “most well-read population,” and “most literate city.” And in 2017 Seattle earned the UNESCO “City of Literature” designation. Yes, Seattle is home to Amazon — but Seattle is also home to some wonderful independent bookstoresl. Here are our favorite (independent) Seattle bookstores that we’ve visited — both new and used.

How the Grunge Stole Christmas Almost Live

Seattle Christmas Past: How the Grunge Stole Christmas 0 (0)

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This is just a short, but fond Seattle Christmas Memory: watching Almost Live and their little Christmas skit of How the Grunge Stole Christmas. Seattle, Dr. Seuss Style.

Do you remember How the Grunge Stole Christmas on Almost Live?

I wondered if my dad even knew what RCKNDY was. The small TV in my parents’ kitchen was ever-present and ever-on…and frequently on Almost Live when it aired. The TV show had gone from talk-show format with a few comedy bits to a full sketch-comedy show that, usually hilariously, poked fun at Seattle neighborhoods and suburbs from Ballard drivers to the “Lynnwood Look.” It was where Bill Nye’s science guy got his start, but did you know he was also “SpeedWalker” before that?

Suddenly, a holiday jingle came on the tube (those days it was the regular tube that didn’t care about “You,”) and John Keister’s voice launched in with “all the rockers in the RKNDY bar liked Christmas a lot but the grunge…” and everyone paused to watch.

And, suddenly, a Christmas miracle happened.

When it got to the part where the members of the Seattle heavy metal community launched into the “fahoo fores dahoo dores,” from the 1966 Grinch TV special, my father bust out laughing. Approaching 70, I’m not sure he knew much about Grunge, or about RCKNDY, but he did know the Grinch and, perhaps, for just a moment, he agreed with the Grunge’s realization that “maybe Christmas was more. Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from the liquor store.”

Why Didn’t I Hear of the Seattle Walk Report Before This? 0 (0)

The Seattle Walk Report is a charming Instagram account. — and now book — especially if you’re a local. How did I miss it until now?

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Marker Address or GPS Location
Marker Description
Marker Link
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Accessibility
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Main Attractions
Type of Lodging
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Family Friendly?
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Reservation Required?
Birds

	Adding...

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Marker Address or GPS Location
Marker Description
Marker Link
Image
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Main Attractions
Type of Lodging
Trail Difficulty
Family Friendly?
Distance
Reservation Required?
Birds

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