July 2010
Best Camping Spots in Washington
Whether you prefer authentic camping or luxury "glamping," our camping guide has you covered.
Roughing ItThe Northwest offers plenty of ways to commune with nature, but nothing quite surpasses the getting-back-to-the-land feeling of hiking, sleeping and cooking outdoors—especially when s’mores await at the end of a day spent entirely free of walls. Not-so-Roughing ItIf sleeping on the ground—even on a pad in a warm sleeping bag and tent—is more…
Top Doctors 2010: Special Hall of Fame Edition
Saluting the 381 finest physicians in the Puget Sound region.
Over the past decade, Seattle magazine has been the go-to resource for information about the best doctors in the region. For this Top Doctors issue—our 10th since 2000—we created a Top Doctors Hall of Fame to honor the four doctors (pictured L to R: Dr. Joseph S. Gruss; Dr. Linda S. Mihalov; Dr. David R. Byrd;…
Spotlight: Screaming Flea Productions’ Third Season of Hoarders
With a third season of Hoarders in the works, the Seattle-based production team offers a behind-the-
Let’s get this out of the way: The name Screaming Flea Productions (SFP) is not a reference to the conditions commonly seen on Hoarders, the popular reality show the Seattle-based company produces for A&E. Though the SFP team is all too familiar with infestations—and other unpleasant consequences of living amid piles of newspapers and herds…
Sage Advice for Camping with Children
Camping with kids presents special problems, so we asked a family-camping expert for some answers.
Should I buy my child a special ergonomic telescoping titanium trekking pole? Only if you hate nature. There is no way that pole is not going to be used to whack the crap out of trailside vegetation (and probably your ankles and your child’s little brother). Balance is a learned skill—let them learn it! Save the…
Best Camping Spots: Vamping
The Eurovan is the ground-averse camper's silver bullet.
When my husband, Daniel, and I go camping for the weekend, there are no tents involved. We do not drag Therm-a-Rests or tarps out of the garage; we do not strap carefully rolled sleeping bags onto backpacks. Instead, we pile into our VW Eurovan and head for nearby wilderness to experience a night or two…
Easy Salted Caramel S’mores
An extra decadent version of the classic campfire dessert.
When the late-evening air is infused with the smell of a crackling campfire, there’s no better nightcap than a mug of warm cocoa and a melty, chocolatey s’more. In this extra-decadent version, we’ve taken Cougar Mountain chocolate chip cookies and sandwiched between them toasted marshmallows and the ultra-rich, dark chocolate salted caramels from Jo’s Candies…
Best Camping Spots: Roughing It
The Northwest offers myriad ways to commune with nature, but nothing surpasses sleeping outdoors.
Salt Creek A Family AffairWhere: North side of the Olympic Peninsula on the Strait of Juan de FucaBest For: Base-camp adventuring, tide pooling and family-friendly camping Sea stars, swimming and s’mores, oh my! Salt Creek Recreation Area off State Route 112 on the north side of the Olympic Peninsula has a wealth of options for family…
Local Authority: Eckhard Mueller
Eckhard Mueller and his canine sidekick, April, are taking a bite out of Seattle's rising bedbug pro
Strange Bedfellows NAME: Eckhard MuellerTITLE: Pest-control technician and certified canine handler in bedbug detection. Works with April.BEDBUG MYTHS: They spread disease and are found only in seedy places.BEDBUG TRUTHS: “Bedbugs don’t eat anything but human blood. We are all targets.”APRIL’S STATS: 90%–98% accuracy, depending on cleanliness of siteAPRIL’S SHORTCOMINGS: “She burps—sometimes on the job.” In…
Day Trip: Roslyn
About 90 miles east of Seattle, Roslyn is famous as the shooting location of the 1990s television se
About 90 miles east of Seattle, Roslyn is famous as the shooting location of the 1990s television series Northern Exposure—which launched 20 years ago this month—but its real-life history is much longer. Founded in 1886, the former coal-mining town is a National Historic District, evidenced by the original, Old West storefronts along the town’s main…
Trend: Test Drive The Tesla Sport Roadster
Seattle drivers are among the early adopters of all things green, so we took electric cars for a spi
Plug ’n’ Play To anyone who has opened up a Christmas present only to be stymied by “batteries not included,” I present the 2010 Tesla Sport roadster. Through the generosity of Tesla Motors on Westlake Avenue, I opened up a Tesla on the Alaskan Way Viaduct the other day. About 6,800 lithium batteries—the kind that…
Scoop: Bluegrass Festivals
Seattle may not be known for its bustling bluegrass scene (yet!), but fans can attest that the North
Seattle may not be known for its bustling bluegrass scene (yet!), but fans can attest that the Northwest string scene is thriving—with a staggering number of locally grown bluegrass bands and festivals throughout the summer. This month, the 70-year-old musical genre is in full bloom, with a bounty of area festivals showcasing recent subgenres like…
Scoop: W.C. Afield
If nature calls while you're in the Wedgewood neighborhood, make use of Seattle's first public compo
W.C. AfieldGardeners at Wedgwood’s Picardo Farm P-Patch have new cause for relief—a composting toilet. Similar to toilets installed on U.S. Forest Service land, the Clivus Multrum M54 Trailhead single-station model arrived on the scene in April, acquired and installed with the help of a $15,000 City Neighborhood Matching Fund award. Dubbed “the Picaloo” by the…