July 2016
Chatting with a PCT ‘Trail Angel’
These volunteers are heaven-sent
Andrea and Jerry Dinsmore planned to run a tiny truck stop when they retired from their jobs as a truck driver and mechanic, respectively. Instead, they became volunteers, running a “human stop” as trail angels—people who help thru-hikers (those who hike long-distance trails from end to end) with small acts of kindness—welcoming more than 500…
Seattle’s Thunderpussy Heats Up Capitol Hill’s Annual Block Party
High-octane band knows how to rock like a girl
Among the many acts at this year’s Capitol Hill Block Party (CHBP) is the neighborhood’s very own Thunderpussy, the scorching hot, high-octane female rock band, which performs at Neumos on July 24. Band members Molly Sides, Whitney Petty, Leah Julius and Lena Simon take on all the masculine tropes of hard rock, recharging them with…
6 Top Biking Trails in the PNW
These trails pave the way for cycling amongst walkers and runners—but not cars
With Haley Durslag, Cassie Gruber and Jake Laycock 1. The Sammamish River TrailThis is the country cousin of Seattle’s Burke-Gilman Trail. It starts in Bothell where the Burke-Gilman ends and continues for 11 miles to Redmond’s Marymoor Park. It is dead flat for almost its entire length. And while it’s almost as popular as the…
The 14 Best Places to Hike in the PNW
The days are long, the sun is shining— it’s time to get outside
With Haley Durslag, Cassie Gruber and Jake Laycock The days are long, the sun is shining—it’s time to get outside. Our guide to 14 of the region’s best hikes and six bike rides that will help you celebrate the season by enjoying iconic trails and urban adventures. Half-Day HikesYou can take these hikes in the…
The Origins of Pike Place Market’s Famous Pig
How did a pig become the symbol of a market best known for fish?
When you think of Pike Place Market, its fishmongers may come to mind—with their entertaining fish tossing, they tend to attract a lot of attention. A few feet away, however, is something a little less flashy and a little more sentimental: Rachel the Piggy Bank. Although plenty of Seattleites and tourists take a moment to…
With a Pizza Oven, This Backyard Became a Social Gathering Space
A Wallingford family takes its pizza tradition outside
Longtime angel investor Chris DeVore has helped dozens of software companies in early seed stages. But when it came to planting a garden at his Wallingford home, the tech executive finally had had it with a project that was bearing more burden than fruit. “The amount of time needed to keep up a garden amidst…
Painting the new Pike Place Market
A chance to make your artistic mark in the market's makeover
Our beloved, bustling Pike Place Market is undergoing a major makeover, and July offers a chance for locals to contribute to its new look, scheduled to be revealed in 2017. From July 20 to July 24, Seattleites are invited to make their own marks on a collection of vibrantly colored panels. When the panels are…
Mediterranean-Inspired Mosaic Infuses Home with Enchanting Pop of Color
A Mercer Island mosaic shows that home is where the art is
When Norman Cohn purchased his Mercer Island home in 2009, he had sold his business in Las Vegas and was looking for an area that he and his two, school-age sons could enjoy as they got older. Cohn was drawn to the lifestyle and environment of the Eastside, but there was just one problem: his…
A Vacation Home in Lynden is Filled with Memories
The lush grounds of a northern Washington retreat remind us that to everything there is a season
Rows of raspberry canes, their curling tendrils climbing up posts—the result of countless seasons of planting and picking—line the quarter-mile drive up to Estergreen, the 19th-century cabin owned by Vancouver, British Columbia, architect Robert Lemon. The bittersweet berry is a fitting symbol for Lemon’s current state of mind. This summer, he’s embarking on a poignant…
Experimentations in Shape: Joan Wortis’ Handmade Textiles
Creative work by Vashon Island artist Joan Wortis includes pleated and dyed textiles
Joan Wortis’ home studio just off Wax Orchard Road on Vashon Island, is the ideal spot for indulging the artist’s creative side. “The island is a great place to work,” Wortis says. “Quiet, peaceful, no telephones in the studio…I can focus.” Such focus is critical to the creation of Wortis’ pleated and dyed textile works,…
Where Seattle Creatives Find Inspiration
Six of Seattle's influential artists and innovators tell us where they go to seek inspiration
Seattle’s community of artists and innovators inspire us through the projects they design, the art they create and the food they cook. We asked six of the city’s influential creators to answer this question: “Where do you go to seek the inspiration to do what you do?” The answers might surprise you… George Suyama“When Kirk…
Sansei Serves up Hawaiian Fare with Mellow Island Vibes
New downtown sushi bar offers Japanese-inspired Pacific Rim fare with fresh local seafood
If you’re a foodie who travels to Hawaii, you’ve likely dined at one of D.K. Kodama’s Sansei seafood restaurants on Maui, Oahu or the Big Island. The chef-restaurateur is a native of Oahu, but actually started his career in the early 1980s at Arnies in Mukilteo. After four years, he relocated to Aspen, Colorado, where…