Washington State

A year or so ago, I read about a gnome trail just southeast of Seattle in Maple Valley. I set my sights on visiting, but the weekend I decided to go, I checked again and the trail had closed down. … Continued

Sometimes when you go to a place all the time, you forget just how awesome it is. This is the case with Point Defiance Park in Tacoma for me. My family frequents the park as there are many things to … Continued

Gig Harbor is an adorable small town located just over the Narrows Bridges from Tacoma. It’s an easy drive from Seattle (an even easier drive from Tacoma!) and even though it’s no bustling metropolis, it’s got a lot of fun … Continued

Got kids? Looking for things to do in Leavenworth, Washington? Then hightail it to the Nutcracker Museum, I say! Leavenworth is heavy on Christmas shops and German food and beer. I personally enjoy all of these things, but they can … Continued

Seattle and Tacoma are both well-positioned for day trips with the Olympic National Park, the Cascades, and other cities galore all located within a couple hours by car. And while it’s not tough at all to find all kinds of … Continued

The Olympic Game Farm in Sequim, Washington, is a unique kind of place – kind of a zoo, but far more interactive as most of the 200 resident animals roam free. And rather than walking through from one enclosure to … Continued

Sequim (pronounced “Skwim” not “See-kwim”) is a small and charming town located at the northeast tip of the Olympic Peninsula and not far from the Olympic National Park. Sequim is close to Port Townsend, Port Angeles, Olympic National Park, and … Continued

Visiting Hurricane Ridge is easy. Hurricane Ridge is the one mountainous area in Olympic National Park with a parking lot, meaning you can drive up into the Olympic Mountains, rather than laboriously climbing them on a week-long backpacking trip. Hurricane Ridge … Continued

Dash Point State Park is one of the larger state parks located right near Seattle and Tacoma, and it’s a fantastic park to explore any time of year. Whether you enjoy fishing, kayaking, beach combing, hiking, biking, or want to … Continued

Bainbridge Island is small, doesn’t have a huge town within its bounds, and is in general quiet, peaceful, lovely place to visit. That being said, there aren’t a ton of places to stay on this island just across the Puget … Continued