Outdoors
A Wellness Pilgrimage to the Olympic Peninsula
Two hours from Seattle, a new kind of luxury is taking root—one built on stillness, old-growth forests, and the subtle art of slowing down.
There is a school of thought among the overworked and overscheduled that the most subversive thing a person can do is stop. Put down the phone, close the laptop, and go somewhere that actively resists attempts to stay plugged in. The Olympic Peninsula has always offered this, in its blunt, mossy way. For some city…
Can Alaska Kelp Help Washington Crops Beat the Heat?
A Ketchikan company is working with WSU researchers to see whether its kelp-based biostimulant can help grapes and berries withstand environmental stress.
From the floatplane, reddish-brown kelp traces the edges of the small islands between Ketchikan and Prince of Wales Island like brushstrokes on the surface of the water. Up close, on a rare 70-degree July day in Alaska, the kelp is glossy and beautiful, though the wind coming off the water makes it nearly impossible to…
How to Take a Hike in Washington
A beginner’s guide to choosing a trail, finding the right pass, packing the essentials, and leaving no trace.
Hiking is an extremely popular hobby in Washington, especially in the summer, with hundreds of trails to choose from across numerous national parks and forests. In my case, I’ve spent more than half of my summers hiking in Mount Rainier National Park and Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, and I love seeing wildflowers in bloom, catching…
Five Easy Summer Outings That Don’t Require a Big Plan
August is wonderful, but it can get a little feral when the kids are roaming free and school still feels far away. Consider this your low-effort rescue plan.
There’s a point in summer when the family starts to fray a little. Camps have come and gone, and the novelty of popsicles for lunch has worn off. Everyone wants something fun to do, but nobody needs a major production that involves sand all over the car or a ferry reservation. These five outings are…
Cascade Bicycle Studio Built a Business Around the Perfect Fit
For 20 years, the Fremont shop has offered a highly customized—and client-retaining—consumer experience.
Walking into Cascade Bicycle Studio feels more like stepping into a showroom than a bike shop. In the background are the usual inner workings of a craft-based space: mechanics cranking away, adjusting shafts and stems, tinkering with bicycle parts, and getting their hands good and greasy. On a recent visit, however, when I entered the…
Five Lesser-Known Washington State Parks for Spring and Summer
From Hood Canal beaches to Blue Mountain wildflowers, these quieter parks give warmer weekends some breathing room.
As the outdoor season gets going, many of us, myself included, tend to gravitate toward Washington’s national parks and a handful of the state’s most popular trails. There’s no arguing that they’re pretty spectacular. However, we also know that summer crowds are an issue and detract from the very reason we went in the first…
Photo Essay: Ferry Therapy
Words and photographs by Anna Starr.
Riding the ferry is my favorite Seattle pastime. At any given time on a Washington State Ferry you will find a group of tourists with too many suitcases, someone in work clothes peacefully napping, a jigsaw puzzle diligently being completed, lovers having a Titanic-esque moment on a balcony (fun fact: those balconies are called pickleforks),…
Photo Essay: The Reefnetters of Legoe Bay
A photographer’s look at the small Lummi Island fleet taking part in a long-standing fishing tradition.
While driving across the country from Detroit to San Francisco in October 2024, I stopped on Lummi Island, about 10 miles west of Bellingham, to visit my friend Peter. I had met Peter while traveling with Bread & Puppet Theater, photographing its national tour. He thought I might be interested in documenting the fishing there,…
Magical Mollusks
Oysters are one the Northwest’s favorite harvests. The hardworking farmers behind this bounty share a deep appreciation for its source and a personal connection to the processes that yield our food.
It’s hard to describe people who are undeniably connected to the land—often, it’s about a feeling they transmit. Grounded, knowledgeable about their work, and passionate in their care for nature’s resources. Oyster farmers along Hood Canal, like Matthew Macias, give off a certain vibe, as though they have some secret to life that I don’t…
Here’s Your Earth Month To-Do List
Local cleanups, trail work, and ways to get outside this April.
In the Pacific Northwest, a region deeply connected to water, forests, and ecosystems, the climate conversation has never been theoretical. It shows up as shrinking snowpack, severe flooding, and warming streams. If the planet’s future—and that of our own backyard—can feel overwhelming, this year’s Earth Day theme, “Our Power, Our Planet,” puts the action back…
Born to (Run) Ski
Pro runner and University of Washington alum Anna Gibson took up ski mountaineering only eight months ago. In February, she represented Team USA in the endurance sport’s Olympic debut.
Anna Gibson is always beaming. Not a phony only-for-the-socials kind of smile, but an open-mouthed grin of exaltation that seems to radiate from her very core. Maybe it’s the lack of oxygen above 6,000 feet near Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where Gibson trains in the Tetons. Maybe it’s because she just really, really loves running. But…
Sun Break
A spring trip to Southern California that ends under the desert sky.
The moment my family of four arrived at our Italian-inspired villa at The Resort at Pelican Hill along the coast in Newport Beach, California, it was clear: The pace of life is slower here. It was obvious from the outset that we wouldn’t have to lift a finger and that whatever we needed was within…
From Ph.D. to Paralympics
She found adaptive sports while pursuing her doctorate. Now the UW alum and world-class Para Nordic skier is racing in Italy.
Nicole Zaino should have been working on her Ph.D. qualifying exam. It was 2019, her second year as a graduate student in the University of Washington Department of Mechanical Engineering, and though Zaino was excelling academically and enjoying her coursework, something was missing. “I was feeling burnt out and a little too stressed,” she says….
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