Various guides to all things Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.
At a coffee shop in Lopez Village, the friendly barista was very patient with an elderly Australian man who was having trouble paying with his credit card. Internet service is spotty on the very best of days on Lopez Island. When it was my turn to place my order, in comes a local who was…
There is something very gratifying about having the privilege of traveling easily over the water for long distances. Even though we as a species have been traveling over water for thousands of years, being able to safely and easily (and quickly) get from one island to another is still a marvelous thing. Magical Encounter I…
The unseasonably hot temperatures in the Willamette valley beckoned us to head for cooler environs, so on to the beach we went! This wasn’t a spur of the moment event, we had planned it weeks ago (to get overnight accommodations any weekend on the Oregon coast you most surely need a reservation). Heading west on…
As we emerged from the Willamette National forest going south, we noticed a menacing dark cloud hanging in the air towards our destination, Bend. This wasn’t a storm cloud, this was a gigantic cloud of smoke. Too large for a simple bonfire, or a residential leaf burning. As we entered the city limits, the unmistakable…
For years, my only exposure to Olympia, Washington was to simply breeze through the middle of it on the I-5 up to Seattle from Portland. And for years, my only knowledge of Olympia was that, a) it is the capital of Washington State, and b) it is home to Olympia Beer. And I knew…
The first time you visit Pike Place Market can be a bit overwhelming…especially if you come at a peak time, such as on the weekend or during the summer months. The crowds can get so thick you can barely navigate past the merchant boots. Be prepared to move quite slowly, especially at the main street…
Updated May 10, 2024. In all of my travels, I have not been in (or heard of) any other city in the world that has as many diverse food carts as Portland, Oregon. These are some of the best places to eat in Portland on a budget. Food trucks in Oregon, in particular Portland, are…
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…
