Outside
Surfing the Strait
Winter surfing on Washington’s northern edge means fleeting waves, icy water, and pure joy.
There are people so crazy and determined to surf, they’ll go to great lengths to do it. No matter the time of year or how cold it gets, surfers can be found anywhere there’s a wave. From surfing on rivers to tidal bore waves, wave pools, and even behind wakes created by tanker ships, surfers…
Honoring Native Heritage Across Washington
From Port Townsend’s storytelling trail to Tulalip’s cultural center, these sites invite reflection and honor Indigenous history and living traditions.
Washington State is the Indigenous land of 29 federally recognized Native American tribes, including the Makah, Muckleshoot, and Lummi Nations. In Seattle, we are privileged guests living on the Native land of the Duwamish Tribe. From trails through state parks and landmarks within the city to well-known sites like Snoqualmie Falls (sacred to the Snoqualmie…
Hives Among the Headstones
Inside a north Seattle project reimagining cemeteries as sanctuaries for pollinators.
In many old stories, bees are more than just insects. They’re messengers—tiny intermediaries between the living and the dead. There was once even a custom in Europe and America known as “telling the bees:” When a family member died, or another significant life event occurred, someone would go to the hive to share the news….
Lessons from the Land
At the Organic Farm School on Whidbey Island, the ground-to-table mindset is rooted in good intentions.
For some, it’s tough to choose between a perfectly sun-ripened summer tomato and a juicy strawberry—but not for my three-year-old. Tomatoes, always tomatoes. Especially one that he has picked directly off the vine, on a working farm filled with fresh produce, chickens, and pigs. As the juice dribbles down his chin, and the sound of…
Harvest Moon Rising
Seattle’s skyline will glow under October’s supermoon.
If your backyard seemed unusually lit last night, that was the near-full moon showing off, and tonight will be even better. This is October’s Harvest Moon, the one that lands closest to the fall equinox and, this year, doubles as a supermoon. According to NASA, it can appear up to 30% brighter and 14% larger…
Paddle Camping on a One-Acre Island
Posey Island in the San Juans is Washington State Parks’ smallest marine park, where seals, tide pools, and even orcas make appearances.
Stroke after stroke, we paddled further and further away from safety. Should we be here with our two precious kids, I thought as we headed out toward open water. As we rounded the corner it became clear and I let out a sigh of relief—yes, we can do this. Over Labor Day weekend, my wife…
Kayaking the Bioluminescent Waters of San Juan Island
Sea sparkles and glowing jellyfish turn a nighttime paddle into an unforgettable adventure.
Under the cover of darkness, our small pod of explorers expanded into the waters of Griffin Bay in search of glow-in-the-dark marine life. Home to noctiluca scintillans, or “sea sparkles,” the waters of the Salish Sea around San Juan Island were named in Lonely Planet’s 2024 list of best places for bioluminescent viewing in the…
Trail to Table
Foraging for wild food across Seattle brings the whole family together.
Mud climbs up my ankle as my feet slip deeper toward the creek. I twist and pull, and out comes a light green shoot. Its roots hang like small tentacles caked in dirt. The cattail is smooth, about the size of a scallion, its trademark brown tuft has not yet formed. Later, I’ll fry up…
Summiting Mount Adams
Seattle magazine’s social media manager tackles a climb that tests both body and mind
Emma Smith, Seattle magazine’s social media manager, decided to climb Mount Adams in July, giving herself just a few weeks to prepare for an early August summit. Mount Adams is a 12,276-foot stratovolcano in the Cascade Range, the second-highest peak in Washington, with sprawling glaciers and a broad, sloping summit. After her roommate mentioned the…
Resilience by the Sea: Return to Lahaina
As West Maui rebuilds, beauty and connection remain
West Maui has always held a magnetic allure — the scent of plumeria backlit by torches under a pale moon, or the way the sea breeze fills the lungs with total relaxation. But a visit now, in the wake of the 2023 wildfires, carries added meaning. Not out of obligation, but appreciation. The ocean views…
Urban Paddle
Canoeing the Green River from Kent to Tukwila offers solitude and a sense of adventure
The giant bridge ahead and the distant roar of loud car engines were telltale signs that we were arriving at I-405 in Southcenter. Though instead of zooming toward an onramp at 70 miles per hour, we were floating lazily down a river at approximately two miles per hour. Over the Fourth of July weekend, my…
Just Do the Camp
It’s not about loving it. It’s about showing up.
At piano camp they practice for three hours a day. That’s the part my 14-year-old daughter remembers when she’s getting ready to go again this year. She puts off packing for the week-long overnight camp because she’s nervous. She tries not to be, because it’s her second year, and you’re not supposed to be nervous…
Why I’m Letting a Shuttle Drive Me to the Mountains
Trailhead Direct makes summer hiking easier, greener, and a lot less stressful
I used to think driving to the mountains was just part of the deal. Weekend hikes meant leaving early, hoping to beat the crowds, and then, more often than not, spending half the morning circling a gravel lot because I didn’t leave early enough. And that’s after dealing with narrow mountain roads and the stress…
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