Victoria is lovely year round. When I visited last December, I enjoyed all the holiday festivities, but I wondered what it would be like when the weather was nicer. It was a bit too soggy and grey to explore as much as I would have liked. Summer though? Wow. I returned this past weekend and I’m in love. We biked, we strolled, we browsed, and we ate. It was the perfect weekend getaway.
Category Archive: Travel
If you’re thinking about visiting Victoria this summer, now is the time! Here are some fun events and activities for the rest of summer! The flowers are in full bloom and the streets are filled with people from all around the world. My favorite way to get there is via the Victoria Clipper, boarding from Pier 69 near Olympic Sculpture Park. Park at the Bell Street Garage for $10/day and walk onto the passenger-only ship for a scenic 2 hour and 45 minute ride. You can make it a day, overnight, or weekend trip.
With a strong U.S. dollar and sunny summer weather, now is the perfect time to travel to Canada’s west coast. Vancouver is a mere 3-hour drive north and makes an awesome day or weekend trip destination. Personally, I’d recommend staying the weekend since there are so many awesome things to do, see, and eat. Like Seattle, the city is diverse and near the water, with delicious food, friendly people, and beautiful nature to explore. In addition, we are partnering with Sea to Sky Gondola to give away a pair of round trip passes to the summit.
It’s a little hard to think about October in the middle of July, but August is less than two weeks away and we wanted to share this initial information with readers early in case you want to plan some fall getaways. This year, the Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival will be Friday through Sunday, October 7-9 at the Port Angeles City Pier. “CrabFest” as the festival has come to be known, has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Events in North America by the American Bus Association, and as one of the Top 10 Coastal Events by Coastal Living magazine.
Updated 5/8/17.
Late spring is on its way and we’re well on our way to summer. Maybe I’ve said this every year and I’ll say it again—this year has really flown by! Here’s a guide to some of my favorite hikes in the North Bend / Snoqualmie region, about 40 minutes east on I-90 from Seattle.
Orcas Island, nicknamed “the gem of the San Juans”, had everything we needed for a relaxing weekend—a lovely downtown to shop and eat, a stunning shoreline, beautiful lakes, and walking, hiking, and biking trails. There are plenty of lodging options: you can camp, stay in a cabin, yurt, at a resort, or book an airbnb. Once on the island, you can take the ferry to visit the other islands for free, including San Juan Island (Friday Harbor), Lopez Island, and Shaw Island.
A glass act: Visiting our artsy neighbors to the south.
Just 35 miles south of Seattle, there’s an old railroad town where public art thrives, waterfront property reigns and the architectural landscape vacillates between gritty industrial and grand Victorian. Compared to Seattle (especially these days), the pace there feels significantly slower, the streets emptier, the buildings lower. (One welcomed difference? Empty parking spaces abound!)
Washington’s seaside resort is a premier lodging experience.
Located on the Semiahmoo Spit, the Semiahmoo Resort is located on the pristine shores of Semiahmoo Bay and Drayton Harbor two hours north of Seattle. It features two restaurants, numerous amenities and outdoor activities, and two challenging and highly acknowledged public golf courses (Semiahmoo Golf & Country Club and Loomis Golf Trail Club). The tide pools and estuaries provide a sanctuary for Pacific Northwest wildlife. They recently completed a multi-million dollar restoration last June inspired by its seaside location.
Semiahmoo Resort, Golf, and Spa is partnering with DeLille Cellars to host an unforgettable Northwest Wine Encounter weekend Friday, April 15 through Sunday, April 17. The event is set against the breathtaking backdrop of the seaside Semiahmoo Resort, the educational weekend will begin on Friday with a wine reception, giving guests a chance to taste some of the vintners’ favorite wines and get to know the stories behind the wines from the vintners themselves.
5 Reasons to Hightail it to Bend, Oregon.
If you live in the PNW, you’ve likely heard rave reviews about a little town in Central Oregon where the scenery is stunning, the people laid-back, the community strong, and the quality of life enviably high. After one quick visit, it’s pretty obvious why so many feel the magnetic pull toward Bend.
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