Cycling Events in Washington State and the PNW
A guide to some of the major cycling events in Washington State through the year. Get ready for the cycling season (January – December, that is!)
Turkey Trots in the Puget Sound Area (&Beyond)
If you’re in the Puget Sound area and looking for a turkey trot to burn off those Thanksgiving Day calories, you have plenty of choices! Here’s a list of many of them.
Where to View Salmon Spawning in Kitsap County This Autumn
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.
Outdoor Shakespeare (and other outdoor performances) Near Puget Sound
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). While many performances have been canceled for 2021, some are resuming. Here are the ones of which we are currently aware.
Visiting the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
After cancellation in 2020, the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is back for 2021. Here’s more information and when to see the tulips.
Snoqualmie Bike Ride: Remlinger and Back
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!
The Best Beginner Mountain Bike Trails Near Seattle
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!
A Damn Fine Piece of Pie: Where to Eat Great Pie in Western Washington this Pi Day (or Any Day)
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.
Fleur Couture: A Sneak Peek at 2020’s Northwest Flower and Garden Festival
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.”
Visiting the Sequim Lavender Festival: A (Tiny) bit of Provence in Washington State
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.
Best Hiking Trails in Mount Rainier National Park
Guest author Mark Bennet discusses the best hiking trails at Mount Rainier National Park from the skyline trail at Paradise to the Summerland Trail.
Sound Fall Fun: Things to Do This Autumn in Seattle and the Puget Sound Area
I haven’t updated this post for 2021, and, at this point, am not sure if I will get around to it due to life events and changes on this website. Look for future posts with holiday event, though!
About that THING…
We attended THING, Adam Zack’s (of Sasquatch! fame) new multidisciplinary music and arts festival at Fort Worden in Port Townsend. It included a varied lineup of entertainment and was worthwhile overall, with, we think a few learning experiences for next year if there is another THING coming.
The Search for Taiyaki in Seattle
I learned about the Japanese fish-shaped waffles from my daughter who loves Japanese sweets. But when our go-to Seattle taiyaki place disappeared, a search ensued to find out where to get the best taiyaki in Seattle.
Hiking Guillemot Cove Nature Reserve
Guillemot Cove Nature Preserve is one of my favorite Kitsap County day hikes, and great for kids (at least kids who will tolerate the uphill trek back from the beach). While you’re there, visit the Stump House which (legend has it) was a hideout for an outlaw in the 1800s and would have been my clubhouse as a kid if it had been in my neighborhood.
Kayaking Obstruction Island
Obstruction Island just off the southeast part of Orcas Island is a good place for beginner-intermediate kayakers to paddle without being carried away by currents. Here’s more about this satisfying island circumnavigation paddle.
Going Victorian in Port Townsend
If you want to explore times of yore (sorry about the rhyme), head to Port Townsend for their annual Victorian Festival. We did in 2018 and encountered many a thing, including frightening(ly beautiful) ball gowns, tintype photography, and ghost stories.
Blake Island Kayaking and Camping
You can only get to Blake Island in Washington State by boat (or seaplane, it turns out). It’s a fun kayaking adventure from Seattle or Kitsap County. Here’s more about kayaking and camping on Blake Island.
The Art Cars of the Seattle Fremont Fair
Every year strange creations on wheels show up at the Fremont Fair in June. Here are favorite Seattle art cars from the 2018 event.