The Longest Beach
A reader asked for a recommendation for an affordable place to stay in Long Beach, Washington. I remember my first visit to Long Beach many years ago. As a hiker and nature lover, I like my coastal visits to be wild and scenic. The Long Beach Peninsula has plenty of those characteristics, from Cape Disappointment […]
No Cabbages B&B – a Harborside Retreat for Nature Lovers
It happened. Brian and I finally had a weekend getaway. Without the baby. I should preface this with fair warning that there may be a number of posts in the coming months about great places to sleep on the Kitsap Peninsula. Because you see, that’s where grandma and grandpa live! And we could get used […]
A Studio Stay in the Rose City
Newsflash! There is more to budget lodging in PDX than the Ace Hotel Portland! Matt Gross, the frugal travel writer for the New York Times, published his ode to the rose city in May (Frugal Portland). Where to stay? The Ace Hotel. Sunset magazine’s travel blog dishes on bargain digs. Where to stay in PDX? […]
Need a Beach? Try Manzanita
The Seattle Times last week featured the charming Oregon coast town of Manzanita as a laid-back, “family-friendly” destination. Always being on the lookout for those two words that I’d frankly never even noticed before last September, I decided to look into Manzanita lodging. After all, the article unequivocally states: “Manzanita turns out to be a […]
Lake Chelan is Calling
I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus lately. My goal is to post once a week, and it’s been three since I last posted. And although I would love to say it’s because I’ve been chillaxin in some remote corner of the Pacific Northwest with no internet access in site, that would be a […]
Doe Bay on Orcas Island Fits Every Budget
What can I possibly say about Orcas Island that hasn’t already been said? This pastoral island is patchworked with swatches of farmland and small island villages. The largest of the San Juan Islands, Orcas is about 60 square miles, but you can cover the main roads by car in just a few hours. That is, […]
Wine, Hops, and a Baby in Yakima
When I had a baby last year, there were a few revelations that went through my head about how our life as a carefree traveling couple had suddenly changed. For example, those lazy days of tasting our way through wine country were probably over. Not so! Meet Jodie and James, an Australian couple living in […]
Gig Harbor’s Snug Harbor Hideaway
I dig “The Gig.” As in, Gig Harbor, Washington. It’s a quaint seaside village on the Kitsap Peninsula that hugs a tiny harbor on three sides, and faces Mount Rainier which looms as a beautiful backdrop to this picturesque town. First off, I was married there, in my parents’ backyard. And because my parents live […]
It’s Tulip Time!
April is next week! Behold, Tulipa gesneriana. Tulips are fortunate to have many fine associations, such as early Spring and Easter. You’ve likely started to see them for sale at your local farmer’s market. They earned a black mark in history, however, when they were popularized during Tulip mania in Holland in the 1630s, resulting […]
Sleep for Cheap at National Parks Lodges
Olympic National Park is looking like a pretty great destination right now. I’m wild about National Park Lodges, and my two favorites have some steeply cheap specials going on right now. Lake Quinault Lodge and Kalaloch Lodge on the Washington coast are offering rooms starting at $79 a night. I’ve never seen them so cheap […]
