Sunrise is the highest point you can drive to in Mount Rainier National Park. At 6,400 feet elevation, it is 1,000 feet higher than Paradise, where so many visitors go....
About 90 minutes north of the King-Snohomish County border is Anacortes, known as the Gateway to the San Juan Islands. As inviting as island-hopping sounds, there’s really no need...
The Seattle Aquarium opened its new Ocean Pavilion Aug. 29 to showcase ecosystems from the Coral Triangle in Southeast Asia. The 50,000-square-foot pavilion doubles the aquarium’s size and features...
When autumn rains begin, duck indoors to see the latest exhibits at a favorite museum or check out one that you’ve never visited. This area offers a wealth of...
We all admire Mount Rainier when “the mountain is out.” However, visiting its surrounding national park often only happens when we have out-of-town visitors. Don’t wait, do your own...
The Woodland Park Zoo has always provided a wonderful excursion for families -- kids and grandkids love seeing and learning about animals from around the world. Now reopened, the...
Looking to get outdoors beyond neighborhood walks, now that Snohomish County is in Phase 2 and summer is starting? Parks have opened, although parking may be limited at some....
The Seattle Asian Art Museum in Capitol Hill’s Volunteer Park reopened to the public on Feb. 8 after three years and $56 million invested in major renovation and expansion work.
Closed since February...
Every February, snow geese blanket the skies and fields near Stanwood before their annual migration north. Beginning in March, massive gray whales migrate up the West Coast and through...
Where can you peer up at an ancient mastodon skeleton? Watch paleontologists examine a 60-million-year-old, T-Rex dinosaur skull? Admire a vintage, Coast Salish whaler’s hat and enjoy frybread at...
Heronswood Garden, Suquamish Museum and Scandinavian-flavored Poulsbo make a fun springtime exploration via the Edmonds-Kingston ferry. The first two attractions are Native American-owned, so you’ll also experience cultural connections....
Autumn always invites me to Seattle’s Arboretum, a hidden gem near Lake Washington just south of the Montlake Bridge. This 230-acre park offers wonderful walks through botanical collections any...
For a long time, I’d been curious about Saint Edward State Park, the largest undeveloped area on Lake Washington. Visiting it recently, I discovered a wonderful day-use park with...
Few trails combine a forest hike with a saltwater beach – plus a panoramic view of the Olympic Mountains. Two that do are Meadowdale Beach Park and Carkeek Park....
This summer take your kids or grandkids to Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, where both the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and Fort Nisqually Living History Museum have special...
As a volunteer at the Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, I eagerly awaited the day it would move from the former 1908 Webster school building into its...
A perfect way to get into spring-mode is visiting nurseries, bursting with blooming flowers, vegetable starts and eager young shrubs. Two of my favorites are Molbak’s in Woodinville and...
My favorite wilderness escape is often right in the city. Seattle’s Discovery Park offers a great Loop Trail through lush forests and grassy meadows, bluff-top views of Puget Sound...
Looking for a different sort of excursion with unusual holiday gift potential? One that may also intrigue family and friends visiting during the holidays? Rather than do the usual...
Do a day trip to Tacoma, and you may focus on a major event at the Tacoma Dome or its immediate neighbor, the amazing LeMay: America’s Car Museum. Or...
