Author: Susan Stephens

Hi, I’m Susan Stephens, the travel writer and trip planner behind Explorer Sue. I live in the Seattle area, have spent more than 20 years living in Oregon, and specialize in helping travelers plan memorable trips through Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.
  • Vancouver, B.C.: A Nature Lover’s Guide

    Vancouver is a popular Pacific Northwest destination, to be sure, but why? Because it’s the largest Canadian City on the west coast? Because lots of films and TV shows are filmed here? Because it’s a cosmopolitan city rich in diversity and culture? No. Vancouver is a popular Pacific Northwest destination because of its natural beauty….

  • Unique Pacific Northwest Hotels and Pubs: McMenamins

    When you think of a chain of hotels or a chain of restaurants, your eyes tend to immediately gloss over and the first thing you think of is BORING…right? You think of sterile, cookie-cutter establishments, such as Marriott, Hilton, Best Western….or IHOP, Applebees….blah, blah BLAH.  But try to imagine a chain of hotels AND pubs/restaurants…

  • 10 Things NOT to do in Seattle, Washington

    In response to my previous article about what NOT to do in Portland, I was strongly advised to do a follow up one about Seattle. The Emerald City is so different from the Rose City, so it is unfair to raise the question about Seattle vs Portland. Yet, there are things in Seattle that you…

  • The Unbridled Beauty of Deception Pass and the Olympic Peninsula

    One of the things I really love about northwest Washington state is that there are a multitude of attractions within a very small geographic area. The best of several worlds collide in that you get to experience the culture of a large metropolitan area (Seattle), as well as mountains, rainforests, islands and ocean. All of…