One of the things that makes Seattle such a great city is its distinctive neighborhoods. Much like it’s feisty sister to the south (Portland), you can think of Seattle as a collection of smaller cities all stuck together. Each neighborhood has its own vibe, its own community, its own sense of purpose. All of them…
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…
Have you ever been in a situation where you were really looking forward to a new experience, but when the time came, and you were deep in the thick of it, you realized you were in WAY over your head? In an attempt to expand my travel horizons, while at the same time saving money,…
When I began to plan a summer vacation road trip through Oregon and Washington a couple of years ago, I wanted first-hand accounts (i.e. blogs) about the areas I’d be visiting. I wanted personal stories, not uninspiring factoids about what to see and do. And I wanted them all on one website. A one-stop-shop, if…
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…
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…
