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EDITOR Kevin Max MANAGING EDITOR Sheila G. Miller CREATIVE Allison Bye WEB MANAGER Aaron Opsahl OFFICE MANAGER Cindy Miskowiec DIRECTOR OF SALES Jenny Kamprath SALES ASSISTANT Elijah Aikens
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From the Editor We apologize to our subscribers for skipping the most recent issues of 1859 Oregon’s Magazine and 1889 Washington’s Magazine, but hope you can imagine the challenges we faced through March and April. In their place, we offer up this digital issue filled with PNW Trip Planners—all within driving distance—until we continue with our print editions, which we expect with the July/August issue for 1859 and August/September issue for 1889. Throughout this down time, we’ve been working hard to transform our business to be more useful for our PNW audiences. We asked ourselves, how can we be a better partner in connecting you, experiences and our local makers in a more meaningful way? In the coming months, we will share more of these benefits with you. We’d like to encourage our readers to begin making plans for this summer, but caution everyone to follow the most prudent state and local guidance before visiting. In all cases, contact the local tourism agency for the most up-todate information about travel restrictions. Being healthy and keeping others healthy by taking proper precautions is paramount. As we begin to emerge from sheltering in place and look for safe places to recreate, we have culled our top spots throughout the Pacific Northwest. We recognize that airline travel will take longer to recover and that our regional drive market is going to be the top mode for staying safe. Throw the Br’er Rabbit in the briar patch! Our drive market includes high deserts, high alpine, temperate rain forests, rivers, mountains and the Pacific Ocean. It embodies the Cascades, the Columbia River Gorge, Crater Lake, Olympic National Park, the Oregon Coast, the San Juan Islands and wine regions from Walla Walla to Ashland. The Trip Planner Collection is a selection of our top road trip destinations in the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Canada, Northern California, Idaho and Montana) as told through our popular Trip Planners. We have updated them with the latest available information. You’ll find great storytelling that connects you to place, photography that puts you in place and the corresponding Eat Stay Play guides that help you navigate that place. Thank you for your continued support! We cherish our readers! — Kevin Max, Editor, Statehood Media
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Contents Oregon
Washington
THE OREGON COAST
EASTERN WASHINGTON
06 Oregon lighthouses
68 Walla Walla
12 Southern Oregon Coast
72 Spokane
16 Northern Oregon Coast
74 Tri-Cities
18 Gearhart to Garibaldi
76 The Palouse
CENTRAL OREGON
CENTRAL WASHINGTON
21 Bend
78 Yakima Valley
25 Central Oregon resort spas
82 Leavenworth
29 Redmond
87 Ellensburg
EASTERN OREGON
90 Mount Rainier National Park
32 Columbia Gorge
ISLANDS + SURROUNDS
34 Union County
94 Port Townsend
37 The Dalles
97 Olympic National Park
42 Hood River
100 Camano Island
44 Joseph
SEATTLE AREA + I-5 CORRIDOR
SOUTHERN OREGON
102 Ballard neighborhood
46 Crater Lake National Park
108 Olympia
50 Southern Oregon Wine
113 Bellevue, Woodinville + Kirkland
WILLAMETTE VALLEY 54 McMinnville to Newberg 58 Newberg + Chehalem 64 NE Portland
Idaho
134 Coeur d’Alene 136 Ketchum + Sun Valley 138 McCall
Montana 142 Missoula
144 Bozeman 146 Billings
California
150 Yosemite National Park 152 Sonoma 154 The Redwoods
Canada
158 BC ski vacation 162 Vancouver 164 Fraser Valley wine
116 Bellingham 120 Whidbey Island 124 Skagit Valley
SOUTHERN WASHINGTON 128 Long Beach Peninsula 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 3
Oregon THE OREGON COAST 06 Oregon lighthouses 12 Southern Oregon Coast 16 Northern Oregon Coast 18 Gearhart to Garibaldi
CENTRAL OREGON 21 Bend 25 Central Oregon resort spas 29 Redmond
EASTERN OREGON 32 Columbia Gorge 34 Union County 37 The Dalles 42 Hood River 44 Joseph
SOUTHERN OREGON 46 Crater Lake National Park 50 Southern Oregon Wine
WILLAMETTE VALLEY 54 McMinnville to Newberg 58 Newberg + Chehalem 64 NE Portland 4 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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Megan Morse
Sparks Lake, near Bend.
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The Ultimate Guide to Oregon Lighthouses written by Kimberly Bowker
THE OCEAN HEAVES against the cliffs as the wind shifts, the sky darkens and the fog rolls in. Weather can change quickly on the Oregon Coast, where the vast Pacific Ocean meets the unmovable earth, and where lighthouses dot the edge of time and eternity. Most Oregon lighthouses were built in the midto-late nineteenth century, as trade necessitated a place of safety and guidance for ships in all weather. Many Oregon lighthouses are open to the public, some still operational, for visitors to catch a glimpse of steady solace. To visit the lighthouses that each harbor distinct characteristics, begin a trip on either the north or south end of the state, and drive along U.S. Highway 101 through coastal towns. Some lighthouses are built on ocean rocks, some on the edge of jetties, and others on forested hilltops, yet they all share the same purpose—to offer an unwavering source of light.
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Day BOUTIQUES • BREWS From the south, drive to the far reaches of the westernmost lighthouse in Oregon— Cape Blanco. Stop in the gift shop to pick up a lighthouse-themed souvenir and purchase a tour ticket. Friendly and knowledgeable volunteers greet guests at different stages to share some of the history of the oldest operating lighthouse in Oregon, built in 1870, which aided shipping for the lumber and gold mining industries. About 200,000 bricks surround visitors walking into the workroom and up the chasm of more than sixty spiral steps. The walls and floors are hollow, as in many lighthouses, which reduces weight and helps with ventilation. At the top, stand next to the lens weighing 1 ton and watch the world reflected upside down as the glass rotates within the expansive horizon. Lights from the towers can extend 21 miles in every direction, making a trip up the coast perfect to stop at the lighthouses positioned about 30 to 60 miles apart. Drive through Port Orford along the coast to the next stop: Coquille River Lighthouse. Located on a jetty, the 40-foot-tall octagonal lighthouse feels the spray of
Christian Heeb, courtesy of TravelOregon.com
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At 93 feet, Yaquina Head Lighthouse is the tallest light on the Oregon Coast.
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the ocean as waves hit the rocks just feet below. The lighthouse, built in 1896, helped to navigate the historically dangerous entrance to the Coquille River. The area was named after the native Coquille tribe, with Hudson Bay Company trappers here in the 1800s and the first settlers arriving in 1853. Each coastal town has its own personality, so be sure to stroll through the relaxed rhythm of old Bandon among the shingled cottages of boutique stores, cafés and art galleries. Dine on fresh seafood with a view of the lighthouse at Tony’s Crab Shack or Edgewaters Restaurant. On the way out of Bandon, drop by Forget-Me-Knots for quilt patterns of each unique lighthouse along the Oregon Coast, or to pick up some lighthouse fabric for that next quilt. Navigating up Highway 101, take a detour to view Cape Arago Lighthouse. Standing on an islet off Gregory Point, the structure is not accessible to the public, but if you drive a quarter-mile south of Sunset Bay Campground entrance and pull off the highway, you can walk the short path to a bench overlooking a grand view of the lighthouse. Stationed on a flat piece of land, it was first lit in 1934, after two lighthouses in that location buckled under time and weather. Highway 101 swings through the fishing boats waiting in harbor and past the discarded piles of white oysters in Charleston. Tall vintage buildings across from the water in nearby Coos Bay reveal some history of this old coastal town, as the road winds to the next landmark. 8 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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Bandon Chamber of Commerce
Bandon Chamber of Commerce
FROM LEFT Cape Blanco, built in 1870, is the oldest operating lighthouse in Oregon. The Coquille River Lighthouse helped sailors navigate the treacherous entrance to the Coquille River. Grab a drink with a view at Edgewaters in Bandon, or satisfy a seafood craving at Tony’s Crab Shack.
Bandon Chamber of Commerce
Lois Miller, courtesy of TravelOregon.com
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Umpqua River Lighthouse is stationed high above the ocean and is still operated by the U.S. Coast Guard. The museum, housed in the former Coast Guard station quarters, recollects history of lighthouses and the life-saving agency. In 1939, the U.S. Lighthouse Service combined with the Coast Guard, resulting in lighthouse jurisdiction falling to the Guard. Take a thirty-minute tour of the lighthouse, and have the rare chance to see a light from the inside. Guests can pop their heads into the middle of the rotating light and catch a new glimpse of the world as rainbows reflect onto the floor. If time permits, stop at the storybook Heceta Head Lighthouse, just south of Yachats, or make time for it the following morning. An uphill winding path hugs the cliff as it cuts through a coastal forest to the top. Built in 1894, it is now the brightest lighthouse in Oregon, illuminating a 1,000-watt bulb through one of three English-crafted lens in the United States (with most lighthouse lenses being first-order Fresnel shipped from Paris). Experience an intimate lighthouse getaway, and stay the night at Heceta Lighthouse B&B. Located near the lighthouse, the idyllic accommodations are housed in the old assistant light keeper’s house finished in 1894. Or continue to Yachats and relax with local beer and food at Yachats Brewing, the neighborhood watering hole filled with sustainable delicacies. Enjoy a night at the Overleaf Lodge & Spa, or reserve an ocean-side campsite at Tillicum Campground. Let the waves lull you to sleep and be comforted as the lights remain turning.
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WHEN YOU GO
1
Be sure to check for the most up-to-date hours and availability, especially in winter months. Hours are dependent on weather and staffing, with some areas requiring parking fees. 1. TILLAMOOK ROCK LIGHTHOUSE: Not accessible to the public, but glimpse a view on the Tillamook Head trail between Ecola State Park and Seaside, or from Indian Beach parking lot at Ecola.
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2. CAPE MEARES LIGHTHOUSE: Open May through September, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. for tours. 503.842.2244 or 503.842.3182 3. YAQUINA HEAD LIGHTHOUSE: Open year-round 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Be sure to get to the Interpretive Center early to sign up for a tour later that day (tours 12-3 p.m. mid-September through mid-June; tours 11 a.m.-4 p.m. during the summer). In the summer, reserve a tour online for a small cost. No tours offered Tuesdays and Thursdays in winter.
3 4
541.574.3100, yaquinalights.org 4. YAQUINA BAY LIGHTHOUSE: Open March through September, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., October through February, 12-4 p.m. for self-guided tours. 541.265.5679 5. HECETA HEAD LIGHTHOUSE: Open March through October, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., November through February 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tours are free.
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541.547.3416 6. UMPQUA RIVER LIGHTHOUSE: Open year-round. Museum and gift shop open 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and tours 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tours are $8 for adults, $4 for 6-17, under 5 free. 6
541.271.4631 7. CAPE ARAGO LIGHTHOUSE: Not accessible to the public, but great views available ¼-mile south of the Sunset Bay Campground entrance. 7
8. COQUILLE RIVER LIGHTHOUSE: Open for self-guided tours mid-May through September, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 541.347.2209 9. CAPE BLANCO: Open for tours April through October, Monday-Wednesday, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Last tour tickets sold at 3:15 p.m. $2 for adults, free for 15 and under.
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541.332.2207 or 541.332.0521 ALSO: Tour the Lightship Columbia at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria. The Lightship, a floating lighthouse, was operational between 1951 and 1979 marking the mouth of the Columbia River. Museum hours are 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m., with admission fees applicable. 503.325.2323
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ABOVE Grab a bite on the beach at Pacific City’s Pelican Brewing Co. AT RIGHT Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, or “Terrible Tilly,” is built on a basalt rock more than a mile from land.
Day OREGON LIGHTHOUSES
CLAM CHOWDER • TERRIBLE TILLY EAT Tony’s Crab Shack www.tonyscrabshack.com Edgewaters Restaurant www.edgewaters.net Yachats Brewing www.yachatsbrewing.com Mo’s www.moschowder.com Pelican Brewing Co. www.pelicanbrewing.com Tillamook Cheese Factory www.tillamook.com
STAY Headlands Coastal Lodge & Spa www.headlandslodge.com Heceta Lighthouse B&B www.hecetalighthouse.com Overleaf Lodge & Spa www.overleaflodge.com Many of the lighthouses are located on state parks that offer camping options, so be sure to check it overnight availability at oregonstateparks.org.
PLAY Forget-Me-Knots Quilt Shop www.forget-me-knots.net Hikes along the Oregon Coast www.oregonstateparks.org Sea Lion Caves www.sealioncaves.com
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Breathe the fresh ocean air in the morning on the way to Newport, where two lighthouses are open to visitors year-round. Yaquina Bay Lighthouse is the oldest building in Newport, constructed in 1871, and operated as a lighthouse until 1874. Today it serves as a museum, where visitors explore what life was like more than a century ago. Tread with care, though, as stories of the haunted lighthouse have circulated since the late 1890s. Tours of Yaquina Head Lighthouse take visitors back in time, as interpretive guides in period costume walk guests over the original marble floors and up the 114 steps to the lens. The tallest light on the Oregon Coast, at 93 feet, was lit in 1873. Many keepers kept the lighthouse wicks going with lard oil or kerosene until electricity came on the scene in the 1930s. Sign up for the tour at Yaquina Head Interpretive Center and Interpretive Store, and carve out some time to view the natural and historical exhibits in the building. See the lighthouse keepers’ logs that meticulously documented weather and activity, learn the workings of the intricate lens, or watch an informational film. For lunch, drop by Mo’s for famous clam chowder at its Lincoln City location, or stop for a beer and a bite at Pelican Brewing Co. in Pacific City. Cape Meares Lighthouse is near Tillamook, home of the Tillamook Cheese Factory that provides free cheese samples and a casual café menu that offers everything cheese. To get to Cape Meares Lighthouse, take a path for about a quarter-mile through moss-laden 2020
trees to the charming 38-foot-tall lighthouse. Unlike other lighthouses, visitors approach eyelevel to the lens for a new perspective, then drop down to the base. Continue the journey to the final and unforgettable stop, Tillamook Rock Lighthouse. Nicknamed “Terrible Tilly,” the lighthouse was built on a basalt rock more than a mile from land, surrounded by crashing sea and exposed to the precarious weather. Its dangers were real—a mason drowned in the ocean on the way to the island to conduct survey work—and the expensive construction took more than 500 days to complete. The lighthouse is one of the most exposed lighthouses in the United States, and housed four lighthouse keepers at one time with provisions lasting six months. The lighthouse was operational between 1881 and 1957, and can now be viewed safely from land. It is also a columbarium, acting as a resting place for ashes of loved ones in the midst of the sea. The history of these exquisite and graceful Oregon lighthouses, each different and vital to maritime survival, remains an integral part of coastal communities. Cameron La Follette, author of articles about lighthouses for Oregon Historical Society’s Oregon Encyclopedia, reminds us the importance of preserving lighthouses. They served as beacons in a place of great danger, and need help to stay alive. “They are highly valuable to the communities,” La Follette said. “As part of history and beauty— and they are extremely symbolic to everyone.”
Christian Heeb, courtesy of TravelOregon.com
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Shore Acres State Park has excellent views of the rocky coastline.
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Locked In for Adventure Cruising “Oregon’s Adventure Coast” written by Sheila G. Miller
GROWING UP IN the Portland area, the Northern Oregon Coast was easier to access than other coastal areas. That was where I learned that sweatshirts were beach gear and “laying out” was something for other coastal states. But in all my years as an Oregonian, I had hardly set foot on the Southern Oregon Coast except to drive through on my way elsewhere. That changed this fall, when I spent a few days in Coos Bay, North Bend and Charleston. This area of the coast, like other parts of Oregon, was greatly impacted by the timber industry. In 1947, just three years after Coos Bay gave up Marshfield as its name, The Oregonian called the city the “Lumber Capital of the World.” As Oregonians know, that came to an abrupt end in the 1980s, and the area has been searching for its next big thing ever since. Based on my experience this fall, that next thing could very well be tourism. The area has an abundance of outdoor opportunities and vistas that simply can’t be seen in other parts of the state.
Day DUNES • SEAFOOD • BEER Newcomers to the Southern Oregon Coast must visit the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. It’s one of the largest areas of temperate coastal sand dunes in the world, and the sheer breadth of it must be seen to be believed. According to the Oregon Historical Society, studies have determined the youngest dunes, formed in the past 7,000 years, are those nearest the ocean. The higher dunes formed more than 20,000 years ago. I’ve never driven an ATV or dune buggy and didn’t have much faith in my skills. I also didn’t think I’d do a very good job of navigating the dunes. So I enlisted the help of Spinreel Dune Buggy & ATV Rentals and took a tour as a passenger. There’s really no other way to put it—it was so fun. We zoomed up and down dunes and along tiny trails through beach grass. As we bombed along, we paused to look at animal tracks, including deer, cougar and raccoon.
The European beach grass in the dunes is a non-native plant that is damaging the dunes, so volunteer groups regularly gather to yank it out. Once I finished my dune buggy tour, I figured I better check out the dunes on foot. At John Dellenback Dunes Trail, I felt a bit like I was in a moonscape. You can also try the Bluebill Trail at Horsfall Beach for a different view. Exhausted, it was time for a rest. I checked in at Bay Point Landing, a luxury property of RV sites and tiny cabins in Coos Bay. My cabin had wifi and cable television and a view of the water. It was a quiet, comfortable respite from my many outdoor adventures, and the cabin felt much bigger than it appeared at first blush. For dinner, I went to 7 Devils Brewing Company. This hotspot is a bright star in a still redeveloping downtown—it was packed and live music was playing. With local art hanging on the walls, a large window to view the beermaking process, and a cozy taproom, this Bendite felt right at home. 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 13
Photos: Visit Coos Bay
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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Cruise the Oregon Dunes National Scenic Area. South Coast Tours offers kayaking and other trips. 7 Devils Brewing Company is a locals’ hangout.
While the public house has a small menu, it’s a good one—I had a tuna melt, and the fish was clearly fresh and local, likely right out of the bay. I grabbed a sampler tray of beers and particularly enjoyed the Chinook Redd. The pub offers to-go beer, and throughout my weekend I found 7 Devils on tap nearly everywhere I went.
Day KAYAKS • STATE PARKS • WATERFALLS My second day on the Southern Coast was filled with even more outdoor adventure. I started the morning with a coffee and pastry from Bayside Coffee in Charleston. This tiny spot is on the way to all the places I would be going that day, and it locally sources most of its products and only buys fair trade coffee beans. Each day, the coffee shop puts up a sign noting from where the coffee has been sourced. My belly full, I took a quick walk along Bastendorff Beach. I was too late to see any morning surfers, but I did have the beach nearly to myself and a great view up and down the coast. A bit farther down the coastline at Sunset Bay, I met up with Dave Lacey, the owner of South Coast Tours. Lacey’s tour company leads kayak, fishing, standup paddleboarding and other tours (including some that are van-based, if you’d prefer a little less of the outdoors). On this windy Saturday morning, 14 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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it would have been a bit much to go too far in the bay on our kayaks, but we did the best we could. Other days, Lacey said, the water is glassy and it’s easy to take a kayak right up to the rocky outcroppings. Today was not that day. Nevertheless, the short kayak got me excited for the rest of my day visiting state parks. Just up the road is Shore Acres State Park, which is perched on a huge cliff overlooking the ocean. The property was once owned by a timber baron, and extensive gardens still sit on the land here. During the holidays the gardens are lit up with hundreds of thousands of lights. But the park doesn’t need those lights to shine. If you’ve planned ahead with binoculars, make sure to stop at Simpson Reef Overlook. From the overlook you can spy seals and sea lions lounging about on the rocks of Shell Island just offshore. Then it was off to Cape Arago State Park, which is literally the end of the road. It has some lovely trails, including one that connects you to a beach filled with driftwood and tidepools. After hiking, I’d worked up an appetite, so it was back to Charleston for lunch before my next hike. I went to High Tide for clam chowder, though the restaurant had a wide variety of seafood options, as well as more standard fare, and it also had a nice view of the bay. Ready to face the rest of the day, I headed farther afield for more adventure. The Golden & Silver Falls State Park is 26 winding and, toward the end, unpaved miles from Coos Bay. It takes nearly an hour to get there, but the serenity is well
SOUTHERN OREGON COAST
Susan Tissot
Visit Coos Bay
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EAT Tokyo Bistro www.tokyocoosbay.com 7 Devils Brewery www.7devilsbrewery.com Sharkbite’s www.sharkbites.cafe High Tide www.hightidecafeoregon.com Wildflour Cafe www.wildflour-catering.com
STAY The Mill Casino Hotel & RV Park www.themillcasino.com Bay Point Landing www.baypointlanding.com Itty Bitty Inn www.ittybittyinn.com Best Western Holiday Hotel www.bestwestern.com Edgewater Inn www.edgewaterinns.com/ edgewater-inn-coos-bay Coos Bay Manor www.coosbaymanor.com/en-us
PLAY Spinreel Dune Buggy & ATV Rentals www.ridetheoregondunes.com CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Golden and Silver Falls State Park feels a world away from the nearby coast. The Coos History Museum has a variety of historic and photographic exhibits. Find fresh seafood at Sharkbite’s.
worth the drive. Tucked away up different short trails are two waterfalls (you guessed it, Golden Falls and Silver Falls). The day I visited, the trees towering over the paths were shedding leaves and only a few other visitors were around. The crashing waves I’d watched earlier that day felt a world away. On a local’s advice, I tried sushi at Tokyo Bistro for dinner. The fish was fresh and the rolls were prepared quickly. I sat at the sushi bar and watched the sushi chefs prepare my dinner. It was just the thing after a long day outdoors. Finally, I finished my evening with a trip to The Mill Casino in North Bend. The casino, run by the Coquille Indian Tribe, is very clearly the place to be on a weekend night. The casino was packed, as was the sports bar inside. It feels more high end than the average Oregon casino, with thoughtful finishes.
Day
Golden & Silver Falls State Park Shore Acres State Park Cape Arago State Park www.oregonstateparks.org South Coast Tours www.southcoasttours.net
HISTORY • SHOPPING • FISH TACOS The Southern Oregon Coast is made for outdoors time. But if the weather is too rainy and blustery, or you’re just craving some culture, the Coos History Museum punches above its weight class. It has a pretty extensive collection of historic items and photographs of the region. Coos Bay’s downtown is beginning to perk up, and I found several antique and décor shops worth stopping by. Then it was time for a quick fish taco before I hit the road. I found them at SharkBite’s Seafood Cafe, right along the main drag. While polishing them off, I made a mental list of all the places, sights and adventures I still had yet to tick off on Oregon’s Adventure Coast, and made plans for my next trip here. 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 15
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Coasting Along Oregon’s Northern Coast has history, hearty fare and a whole lot of charm written by Sheila G. Miller
The Astoria-Megler Bridge is the longest continuous truss bridge in North America.
THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT Oregon Coast air that forces relaxation. Whenever I go to the beach, I take in the air with gulps—I cannot get enough. And then I take a nap. But there’s a lot more to the coast than napping—if it’s adventure you seek, or shopping, or just a stroll along the water, this is the spot. My advice—start at the top and work your way down. Astoria sits in the mouth of the Columbia River, and is filled with history and the type of food and drink that usually shows up in a much larger city. Just down the road is Fort Stevens State Park, which served as a working military fort from the Civil War to World War II and today is a 4,300-acre park that provides the visitor with the run of 16 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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the abandoned fort. Walk down to the beach to check out the wreck of the Peter Iredale, the hull of a ship that ran aground in 1906. In Astoria, you can continue your history tour at the Astoria Column, a hand-painted spiral frieze that was dedicated in 1926. The scenes along the column depict, among other things, Capt. Robert Gray discovering the Columbia River and the end of the Lewis and Clark expedition. You can climb to the top of the column for a spectacular view of the area. The city also has a couple museums worth a look—the Columbia River Maritime Museum has great exhibits and the Flavel House Museum is a true step back in time. When you get hungry, Astoria has plenty of restaurants punching
My advice—start at the top and work your way down. Astoria sits in the mouth of the Columbia River, and is filled with history and the type of food and drink that usually shows up in a much larger city.
NORTHERN OREGON COAST
Don Frank Photography
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EAT Drina Daisy, Astoria www.drinadaisy.com Bowpicker, Astoria www.bowpicker.com Bridgewater Bistro, Astoria www.bridgewaterbistro.com Baked Alaska, Astoria www.bakedak.com Pig’n’Pancake, multiple locations www.pignpancake.com Ecola Seafoods Restaurant & Market, Cannon Beach www.ecolaseafoods.com
STAY Tolovana Inn, Cannon Beach www.tolovanainn.com Inn at Cannon Beach, Cannon Beach www.innatcannonbeach.com
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Cannon Beach is home to iconic Haystack Rock. The Astoria Column depicts historic events in a spiral frieze. The Wreck of the Peter Iredale is a must-see at Fort Stevens State Park.
above their weight—Drina Daisy is a Bosnian restaurant with Mediterranean and Eastern European-style comfort food. Bowpicker is your spot for fresh-caught fish and chips (but be ready to wait in line and bring cash). And if you’re feeling fancy, Bridgewater Bistro in the Cannery Pier Hotel & Spa is a perfect destination, and a nice spot to lay your head, as well. From Astoria, stop in nearby Warrenton for a zipline tour of the forest with High Life Adventures, then head south on Highway 101 to Seaside. This is a hub for much of the Northern Coast, and while it’s rarely elegant, it has all the amenities of a good vacation. There’s the Seaside Aquarium where you can feed seals, several blocks of arcade and amusement rides like bumper cars, and a carousel in the mall on Broadway Street, the main drag. Seaside is also the jumping-off point for an aggressive 6-mile one-way hike along Tillamook Head, which ends in Ecola State Park near Cannon Beach. The hike is along a promontory used by William Clark and members of the expedition, after Clark split from Lewis in 1806.
Stephanie Inn, Cannon Beach www.stephanieinn.com Cannery Pier Hotel & Spa, Astoria www.cannerypierhotel.com
If you end up in Ecola State Park either on a hike or by car, check out the 9 miles of coastline and the park’s network of trails. Then head south to Cannon Beach, one of the area’s most well-known destinations and home to the iconic Haystack Rock. This quaint town has a sand castle contest every June that’s entering its 55th year, but there are reasons to be here year round. The town is home to Cannon Beach Distillery and several breweries, if you’re hankering for a drink. Or, head over to Cannon Beach Hardware and Public House, also known as the Screw & Brew, and pick up some paint and a pint. Take it easy by picking up some fresh seafood at the Ecola Seafoods Restaurant & Market—for here and to go. When it’s time for more exploring, head south on 101 to a few more beautiful state parks, including Oswald West State Park. Named for the governor who established the beach highway law that protected our state’s beaches as public land, the park features Short Sands Beach, a favorite for surfers and just a half-mile walk through old-growth forest to the stunning sands.
PLAY Oswald West State Park www.oregonstateparks.org Cannon Beach Distillery www.cannonbeachdistillery.com Columbia River Maritime Museum www.crmm.org Astoria Column www.astoriacolumn.org McMenamins Gearhart Hotel www.mcmenamins.com/ gearhart-hotel
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The Captivating Coast The northern coast of Oregon is more than just Haystack Rock written by Sheila G. Miller
PICKING YOUR FAVORITE part of the Oregon coastline is like picking your favorite flavor of ice cream. It’s all pretty great, and some of it depends on what you grew up with. This spring, I decided it was time to mix it up a bit. As a native Portlander, I spent my youth near the northern border of the state. But there are wonders as you leave your comfort zone. I set out to find them on the Northern Oregon Coast. From Gearhart to Garibaldi, we spent some time exploring the northern Oregon coastline. It’s a lovely drive filled with hidden gems. Along the northern coast, Highway 101 winds through lush, green state parks and then cuts inland to Nehalem Bay, passing boat marinas and small antiques shops and running parallel to a railroad track along which an old steamer runs.
Cannon Beach offers captivating views of Haystack Rock, and so much more.
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Seaside Visitors Bureau
Start in Gearhart. This is a charming little hamlet just minutes outside of Seaside, and it’s where much of the moneyed Portland crowd goes on the weekends. The shingled, white-trimmed homes all seem to match, and the center of town features a few restaurants, art galleries and antique shops. The beach here is particularly quiet and gorgeous. If you’re a golfer, there are several golf courses nearby, some private—Gearhart Golf Links is a great option at $85 for a round in the high season, and is the oldest golf course west of the Mississippi. In 2012, McMenamins opened Gearhart Hotel adjacent to the golf course, and it’s a perfect addition to the area. The Sand Trap Pub is an easy spot to grab dinner after a day at the coast or on the course. When you tire of Gearhart’s quiet, head for Seaside, which is anything but low-key. This city is big on low-brow fun, and is the hub for much of the northern coast with all the amenities for a great vacation. Must-sees include the Seaside Aquarium, where you can feed fish to seals, as well as the several blocks of arcade and amusement rides and a carousel in the mall on Broadway Street, the main drag. But Seaside is growing up. While it’s been attraction-heavy for decades, Seaside is adding good restaurants, interesting bars and some new, hip shops. For a good breakfast or lunch, try Firehouse Grill. Its industrial style is cool, and its menu is filled with homestyle food and breakfast drinks. Or head to Bell Buoy, where you can never go wrong. This seafood store always has the freshest crab and other delicacies that make visiting the coast so special. Head out from Seaside on the one-way hike along Tillamook Head. It’s a challenging 6 miles that ends in Ecola State Park near Cannon Beach. The hike is along a promontory used by William Clark and members of the expedition, after Clark split from Lewis in 1806. Ecola State Park is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg in terms of state parks along the northern Oregon coast. Ecola, which is sometimes closed to visitors because of landslides, features 9 miles of coastline and a large network of trails, but head just south, to Cannon Beach, that iconic beach town with Haystack Rock standing sentinel in the surf. After all the outdoor exploring, Cannon Beach is the perfect spot to end your first day. Grab a drink at the new Pelican Brewing pub or Public Coast Brewing. Or, head over to Cannon Beach Hardware and Public House, also known as the Screw & Brew, and pick up some paint and a pint. If you’re looking for fine dining, Check out The Bistro, the local standby for excellent food, or Newmans at 988, which has all kinds of fresh seafood on the menu every day. If you’re interested in the seafood without a side of atmosphere and fine dining, swing by Ecola Seafoods Restaurant & Market. Finally, Cannon Beach truly has some of the best hotel options on the coast. The Stephanie Inn, with views of the ocean and Haystack Rock, has been charming guests since 1993. It is steps from the sand and a perfect coastal retreat. Or try the Tolovana Inn, which has big rooms and a great view of the ocean.
Don Frank
SAND TRAP • SEALS • SEAFOOD
FROM TOP In Seaside, the main drag has arcade games and rides, as well as a carousel. The Seaside Aquarium is a mustsee. Ecola State Park has hiking trails and 9 miles of coastline.
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NORTH HIGHWAY 101, OREGON
trip planner
EAT Bell Buoy, Seaside www.bellbuoyofseaside.com Firehouse Grill, Seaside www.firehousegrill.org Pelican Brewing, Cannon Beach www.pelicanbrewing.com Public Coast Brewing, Cannon Beach www.publiccoastbrewing.com
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Mo’s, Cannon Beach www.moschowder.com
SURF • ANTIQUES • RAILROADS
The Bistro, Cannon Beach www.thebistrocannonbeach.com Big Wave Cafe, Manzanita www.oregonsbigwavecafe.com
STAY McMenamins Gearhart Hotel www.mcmenamins.com Tolovana Inn www.tolovanainn.com Stephanie Inn www.stephanieinn.com Old Wheeler Hotel www.oldwheelerhotel.com Coast Cabins, Manzanita www.coastcabins.com
PLAY Oregon Coast Railriders www.ocrailriders.com Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad www.oregoncoastscenic.org Antiquing in Wheeler www.visittheoregoncoast.com/ cities/wheeler Visiting the state parks www.oregonstateparks.org The Winery at Manzanita www.thewineryatmanzanita.com Kayak in Nehalem www.tbnep.org/water-trails.php
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After a hearty breakfast at the greatest tradition on the northern coast, Pig ’n’ Pancake, head south on 101 for more beautiful state parks. First up, Hug Point State Recreation Site, which offers a cove beach and a seasonal waterfall, as well as caves and tide pools. Before there was a highway along the coast, stagecoaches traveled this area of the beach, and you can still see wheel ruts in the rock here along the original road. But be aware— when the tide comes in you could get stuck, so check tides before you explore this area. Continue your tour of Oregon’s wonders at Oswald West State Park, which is named for the governor who established the beach highway law that protected our state’s beaches as public land. It features Short Sand Beach, a favorite for surfers and just a half-mile walk through old-growth forest to the stunning sands. If you’re a surfer, you can rent the gear at Cleanline Surf in Seaside and join the party, or hike up Neahkahnie Mountain or Cape Falcon. There are more than a dozen miles of hiking trails through rainforest here. Lunch in Manzanita, a perfect example of the laidback Oregon coastal town. Here you can grab lunch at Wanda’s Cafe & Bakery, then sit on the patio at The Winery at Manzanita and indulge in a glass of wine and s’mores by the firepit. Or try the Big Wave Cafe for fresh seafood such as crab cakes and razor clams. You could explore Manzanita for the rest of the day, but if it’s time to move on, don’t miss Nehalem Bay State Park. Wind through a forested area to reach this secluded destination, with its paved bike paths and a great beach area. Head inland to Nehalem and Wheeler, both of which have adorable “main street” 2020
FROM LEFT Neahkahnie Mountain is a perfect hiking spot. Rockaway Beach’s Twin Rocks are a photo-ready formation.
locations along Highway 101 that feature boutiques and antique shops. Wheeler has two neat antique shops—Wheeler Station and Wheeler Treasures—filled with strange and glorious finds. You could call it a day and stay the night at the Old Wheeler Hotel, the historic center of town with rehabbed rooms that face the beautiful bay. If you keep going, you’ll be rewarded with more adventures. The Oregon Coast Railriders offers a two-hour pedal along the Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad tracks (the other option starts in Bay City, just north of Tillamook). Travel past the Nehalem River, through trees and across a steel bridge. You can also kayak on the water in the Nehalem Watershed, thanks to the Tillamook Estuary Partnership, which operates water trails throughout Tillamook County. Or head down to Garibaldi and Rockaway Beach. The Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad runs trains all summer between the two cities. The trains run along tracks once owned by the Southern Pacific and Port of Tillamook Bay railroads. Both Garibaldi and Rockaway Beach are charming towns to check out once you’re off the train. In Rockaway Beach, head down to the beach to see Twin Rocks, an interesting formation in the water. In Garibaldi, check out the port, where working fishermen make a living. The port also has restaurants with tons of fresh seafood and a public boat launch for those who want to charter a boat and head out crabbing or fishing. Finish off your day with a trip to the Garibaldi Maritime Museum to get a bit more context for the beautiful, and dangerous, seascapes you’ve been admiring.
trip planner
Shoulder Season
Turns out, Bend is a year-round kind of town
The Old Mill is Bend’s premier shopping destination.
written by Kevin Max
BEND IN FALL, once a vacuum between summer mountain biking and ski season, is now one built around culture, the absence of crowds and top-to-bottom blue skies in the waning fire season. When kids go back to school and the floating battalion of protein in Crocs and flip-flops ops their way back south, Bend comes alive in a more subtle way. Fall traditionally brings the BendFilm festival, Oktoberfest, uncrowded trails, relatively open tables and the final bounty from area farms. As we witness the ravages of global warming, with hotter summers leading to more and bigger wildfires, summer is the nexus of hot, smoky and grey. As temperatures cool and wildfires recede, hiking and biking trails in Bend transform from temptation to reality. Much like Christmas, BendFilm Festival comes but once a year— setting cultural gifts under the learning tree for all of the boys and
girls who have tired of formulaic box office hits. It’s a time to travel without leaving your theater seat, a time to walk a mile in the shoes of others through the ambitious billing of documentary films, and a time to meet upcoming actors and filmmakers during BendFilm parties. Spanning a long weekend in October and many venues, the annual festival brings in great films and turns out the best in Bendites.
Day OUTDOORS • BENDFILM FEST Sparks Lake, in the shadow of Mount Bachelor, is an emerald-green body of water that many flock to in the summer. In September, however, the crowd recedes and its true beauty emerges. Now is the best time to grab your standup paddleboard (or rent one in town) and stroke your way across its pristine surface. Be sure to bring a camera in a waterproof bag. You’ll definitely want to save this scene and this memory. Pick up some sandwiches or sushi at Newport Avenue Market and bring a picnic lunch. When you stop on the banks of Sparks in September, you’ll notice that mosquitoes, too, are gone for the year. 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 21
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Zach Violett
Megan Morse
Megan Morse
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Sparks Lake has views and solitude. Rainshadow Organics offers farm-to-table dinners. Wild Rose isn’t your average Thai spot. Gravel riding is a very Bend pursuit.
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For those who prefer terra firma, or if you have a mixed group of interests, try the nearby Green Lakes Trail just up the road. This hike is a consistent climb of 1,100 over 4.2 miles up to a mountain lake. This is another beautiful place for a picnic lunch or merely to dip your feet in the cold water. You can either double back from there or go the full loop by taking the Soda Creek Trail. Either way, the average round trip without a lunch stop will take four to six hours. Back in downtown Bend, the BendFilm Festival is abuzz in theaters, restaurants and bars. The film fest brings in some of the best up-and-coming filmmakers, who mingle with festival-goers and are incredibly accessible at BendFilm parties throughout the weekend. This is a good chance to step out of the mind-numbing blockbuster formula and get back to a mindset of active film watching. Downtown Bend offers an ever-increasing palate of restaurants and cuisines. After a film, stay downtown and duck over to Wild Rose, a cozy northern Thai restaurant on Oregon Avenue that serves up beautifully spiced dishes like manna. Zydeco Kitchen + Cocktails offers a refined Southern and Cajun menu that updates American classics in the process. If you have an ambitious travel planner in your party, get a reservation for a longtable dinner at Rainshadow Organics, a 40-minute drive into neighboring Sisters. is experience on a stunning organic farm will last well beyond your weekend.
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Megan Morse
LOCAL BITES • GRAVEL RIDING • CRATER LAKE SPIRITS Sparrow Bakery in Northwest Crossing is one of the best ways to start any day. Handmade pastries with good local coffees fuel the buzzing bakery. When you ponder Bend in the high desert, Ponderosa pines dominate the landscape of that reverie. Shevlin Park, on the northwest side of Bend, however, is situated around the babbling beauty of Tumalo Creek. Aspens and Western Larches mark the changing of the season with vibrant yellows in an otherwise evergreen forest. There is the 2.5-mile Tumalo Creek Trail that meanders along the western bank of the creek and the scenic 6-mile loop if you’re feeling up to it. From the parking lot, it’s easy to right-size your hike—whether you’re with small kids or determined thru-hikers. By now, you know about gravel riding and the miles of trails in and around Bend. You may have even ponied up for your own gravel bike. No matter—there are some stunning vistas up toward Tumalo or out toward Sisters that only gravel bikers will witness. Check in with one of the local bike shops—Sunnyside Sports, Pine Mountain Sports or Crow’s Feet Commons. If you have small kids, for whom the world is a wonder a day, definitely take them to the High Desert Museum south of Bend. There, they can be themselves in the company of wild beasts, such as raptors, lynx, otters and eagles. Grab a bite at Primal Cuts on Galveston Avenue, where you’ll find choice cuts of locally raised meats in tasty variations from charcuterie boards to tortas with 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 23
EAT
Megan Morse
BEND, OREGON
trip planner
Newport Avenue Market www.newportavenue market.com Wild Rose www.wildrosethai.com Zydeco Kitchen + Cocktails www.zydecokitchen.com Rainshadow Organics www.rainshadow organics.com Joolz www.joolzbend.com Sparrow Bakery www.thesparrow bakery.net
STAY Oxford Hotel www.oxfordhotel bend.com Best Western Premier Peppertree Inn at Bend www.bestwesternpremier bend.com Springhill Suites www.marriott.com
PLAY BendFilm www.bendfilm.org Oktoberfest www.bendoktoberfest. com Crow’s Feet Commons www.crowsfeet commons.com Crater Lake Spirits www.craterlakespirits.com High Desert Museum www.highdesert museum.org
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Crater Lake Spirits tasting room offers mini cocktails.
housemade carnitas. Or go al fresco on the back deck of the small neighborhood tavern, Brother Jon’s across the street. A little farther east on Galveston is Sunriver Brewing, a nice atmosphere with good beer and food. Options abound on Galveston. If you’re in town during BendFilm, the theaters are still hopping with film shorts and features. If you time your visit for September, you could stumble into Bend’s Oktoberfest, a booming festival that shuts streets down to cars and opens them to music stages, the Bend Beer Choir, wiener dog races, food carts and, of course, local craft brews. If Oktoberfest isn’t happening, try the Crater Lake Spirits tasting room on Bond Street. This smallbatch distiller has won awards for its gins and vodkas made in its distillery in Tumalo, just outside Bend. Or pop over to the Old Mill for Walla Walla-made wine at Va Piano Vineyards tasting room. 2020
While you’re in the Old Mill District, remember the things you don’t have at home and stop for rare spices from around the world and, of course, REI for your next camping or skiing odyssey. Joolz, with its Mediterranean-infused menu, is a good place to end the night. Chef Ramsey Hamdan brings his Beirut childhood to plates in Bend. Share small plates of hummus, baba ghanouj, kibbe and lamb kebabs. Try the Beirut cocktail, a whiskey and lemon concoction that sets everything right. Try like hell to save room for Bonta gelato, just a stroll down the street. Flavors from India and Zanzibar permeate the shop and are incorporated into some of the dozen-plus flavors. If you’ve targeted the BendFilm weekend, be sure to finish strong with a Sunday show that transports you to another world before reentering your own— remembering the words of Robin Williams from Dead Poets Society, “Carpe Diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.”
trip planner
Spa-ing in Style Central Oregon’s destination resorts have luxurious spa specials to spare written by Sheila G. Miller
I’LL ADMIT IT. I have caviar tastes and something close to a Cheez Whiz budget. I enjoy the finer things in life, and I have no business ever tasting them in the first place. There are certain work assignments that are not, shall we say, hardship posts. This trip planner on how to spa in Central Oregon is one of the delightful perks of working at a magazine. When my editor asked me to check out Central Oregon’s destination resorts and focus on their spa offerings, I felt sure 2020 was really going to be my year. So I did the hard thing—I went to Black Butte Ranch, Pronghorn and Brasada Ranch. I tried the food, I toured the properties, I checked out the amenities, and most of all, I got spa treatments. I had some parameters. I wanted to try out a spa’s specialty—the treatment it called its signature. It was a hard job, but someone had to do it. This was for you.
Pronghorn Resort has thoughtful amenities all over the property.
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Day BRASADA RANCH Brasada Ranch is the fever dream of everyone who loves a good destination resort. It appears like a mirage after driving through the dense juniper and volcanic rock—did I make a wrong turn? What on earth is a top-quality resort doing out in Powell Butte? The placement of this resort is no mistake—its mountain views are absolutely stunning. And though it can serve as a jumping-off point to a variety of all-season adventure, there’s really no reason to leave Brasada the entire time you’re on site. When you arrive at the property, you’ll drive under a wooden trestle that I (wrongly) assumed was built to up the resort’s rustic feel. Little did I know, this resort is on an old sheep and cattle ranch, and the trestle was once an invaluable part of irrigating the property. Today, you’ll see golf carts passing across it. If you’re visiting for a romantic weekend, stay in a suite at the Ranch House. The rooms are adults-only, right in the 26 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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action, and have private amenities such as a hot tub and private patios. For larger groups or a bit more privacy, one of the Sage Canyon cabins or a room in one of the cabins will be a better fit. In addition to having a variety of lodging options on the 1,800-acre property, the Ranch is also a residential resort. The Ranch House will also be your center for dining while at Brasada. With a huge stone fireplace warming the space, it’s a gathering space with stick-to-your-ribs breakfasts, classic ranch-style dinners and a very Central Oregon happy hour. Or swing through the General Store in the complex, which sells both staples such as eggs and milk, and high-end locally made artisan treats and souvenirs. There is also a coffee shop on site. Now to the main event: the fun. There is a long eighteenhole golf course on the property that winds deep into the ranch, and within the large acreage are a variety of hiking and horseback trails. Many feature a little surprise at the terminus—a set of chairs placed just so to admire the view, for example. Visitors can ask a resort concierge to arrange any number of activities—from horseback rides, bike or e-bike
trip planner
Day BLACK BUTTE RANCH
CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Brasada’s location is rustic and gorgeous. Black Butte has a new Lakeside Pool with great views. Brasada’s spa is relaxing and inspiring.
rentals to outdoor excursions away from the ranch. There are also several pools on the property with an athletic facility at the center—families will love the resort pool complete with slides, and couples will want to check out the adultsonly pool. And the reason I visited—Spa Brasada. Guests can choose from a range of spa treatments, from the tried-and-true massages and facials to the signature. Once you’ve donned the robe, you can sit in a comfortable room with lavender cookies and drink options, or visit the steam room. I went for the High Desert Salt Stone Therapy, which combines massage with Himalayan hot stones rubbed along sore muscles. It was exceedingly relaxing—and different from the usual spa experience. My esthetician asked specific questions about what I was looking for, and was able to customize my massage as a result. I’d have liked to stay forever—sit in the steam room, go for a quick swim, maybe ride an e-bike up into the hills and get a good look at the Three Sisters. But it was time to head to my next destination—destination resort, that is.
Sometimes, the oldies are the goodies. Black Butte Ranch has been around since the 1970s, and it’s known to Oregonians for its family-friendly vibe, its horseback rides and its general feeling of ease—this is a place for a great vacation. The Ranch has old-school cool that may get overlooked these days. But don’t sleep on Black Butte, because it has recently added a variety of amenities that make it more cutting edge than you remember. For starters, the new $11.5 million Lakeside facility has brightened up the resort. The complex includes a big pool and hot tub big enough for a crowd, plus a restaurant and a rec center. The views of the mountains from the 15,000-square foot facility are incredible. If you’re traveling with kids, you’ll want to check out the Lakeside Activity Center’s games and playground. You can get there, and everywhere else at Black Butte, on the many paved trails that run throughout the resort, which are great for a bike ride. Two championship golf courses are contained on the property, and in winter, Black Butte is a perfect jumping-off point for skiing at nearby Hoodoo Ski Area, which always feels a bit like stepping back in time. Meals at the ranch center on the Lakeside Bistro and the Lodge restaurant, both of which have Northwest flair. A variety of fine steaks are the order of the day at the Lodge Restaurant, while the Lakeside Bistro is more down to earth, with pizzas and burgers. Then there’s the spa. Tucked away deep in an older part of the resort, the Spa at Black Butte Ranch is housed in the Glaze Meadow Recreation Center, which also has indoor and outdoor pools and a hot tub. The spa itself is surprising—it feels a bit like you’re headed to the gym because unlike more recently built resorts, there isn’t a sumptuous waiting area or woodpaneled lockers. You receive your (lovely) robe and sandals, then head into a locker room to change and return to the small spa space. But what it may lack in initial presentation, it makes up for in the quality of the spa treatments—and really, that’s the best part. I’d happily sit in a dentist’s office if it meant getting a wonderful massage. Black Butte’s spa is filled with talented practitioners. The woman who booked me suggested I get the Ranch Signature Package, which includes an hour of massage, a forty-five-minute Thai foot massage (or pedicure) and a sixty-minute “back to nature” facial. If it sounds decadent, please know that it is. The facial was soothing and left my skin perfectly hydrated and ready for winter, while the massage had just the right level of pressure. And really, if you have the opportunity to get forty-five minutes of attention on your sore feet, I highly recommend it. 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 27
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FROM LEFT Pronghorn offers a variety of treatments, including green seaweed masks. Pronghorn’s new Huntington Lodge focuses on the landscape surrounding it.
Day CENTRAL OREGON RESORT SPAS
PRONGHORN RESORT EAT Lakeside Bistro www.blackbutteranch.com Cascada www.pronghornresort.com Ranch House www.brasada.com
STAY Huntington Lodge www.pronghornresort.com The Ranch House at Brasada www.brasada.com Black Butte Ranch vacation rentals www.blackbutteranch.com
PLAY Spa day www.blackbutteranch.com Swimming www.brasada.com Golfing www.pronghornresort.com
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All good things come to an end, and so it was with not a small amount of sadness that I started my journey to Pronghorn Resort for my final spa experience. But that sadness disappeared quickly as I rolled up to the resort. Pronghorn feels the most remote, and perhaps the most luxurious, of the three I visited. It’s a straight shot out of Bend, but once off the highway, you travel almost 5 miles into juniper and scrub before arriving at a gate. Pass through, then find yourself in what seems like a series of enormous Italian villas. Pronghorn’s motto is Living Well, Perfected— and it’s accurate. In 2019, Pronghorn opened Huntington Lodge, which has 104 rooms, as well as a big lobby and an outdoor pool. The lodge looks out over the eighteenth hole of a Tom Fazio-designed golf course, and has great views of the Cascades. If you have a larger group, you can also secure a vacation rental in the form of a condo or house. In addition to the two golf courses (one designed by Jack Nicklaus, the other by Tom Fazio) and the excellent dining options (if you’re a bold person, you’ll get the “Mercy of the Chef” six-course tasting menu at Cascada and love every minute of it), there is a surprising amount to do out here in the sagebrush. 2020
Ever heard of a “phat scooter”? It’s what it sounds like—a scooter but with fat tires, topping out around 20 mph. These are a fun way to get around the resort, or you can use an e-bike or a cruiser. The resort also has lawn games and other treats hiding around each corner. The spa is tucked in to a quiet space in the clubhouse, and it is true heaven. I was treated to a Signature Body Glow, which started with the resort’s signature scent—a sort of reminder of the juniper and sage that cover the landscape. It was one of those treatments that can easily be weird, but at Pronghorn it felt completely comfortable—first, a layer of warm oil rubbed in all over the body, then a warm mint body polish. After a quick rinse off in the locker room’s showers, I returned for a full-body application of the resort’s signature after bath—essentially a thick lotion that left my skin looking remarkable. It was a great defense against the cold weather, and it felt like a true indulgence. As an add-on, the esthetician rubbed coconut oil into my scalp and hair, leaving it silky. Did I really have to go back to real life? I had truly become accustomed to this lifestyle. But the good news—I can go back whenever I want, even if it’s just for a weekend at a time.
trip planner Smith Rock is a short drive and a must-see state park.
Redmond, Reborn
Caleb Thomas
Central Oregon’s oft-overlooked city is getting cool before our eyes written by Sheila G. Miller
NOT SO LONG AGO, downtown Redmond was crowded— but not in a good way. Thousands of vehicles traveling north and south on U.S. Highway 97 drove right through the middle of downtown on Fifth and Sixth streets. Semi trucks coughed plumes of diesel and horns honked all day—downtown Redmond a decade ago was not a place you lingered. But ten years can mean a lot of change, and Redmond has made great strides. Today, this is a city center that has been reborn. There are vestiges of the old city—stately buildings still hold pride of place in the downtown core, and the Historic New Redmond Hotel has finally completed renovations and is now the ultra-chic SCP Hotel Redmond. Around the corner is a city-operated ice rink, Centennial Park with its green
space at the center of downtown, and Evergreen Elementary reborn as a dignified city hall. You could come looking for the Redmond that was famous for having a polar bear at the gas station (the glass case is now empty), but why not explore the new version? Look closer—you’ll see the boom all around you as new businesses open, small shops thrive and downtown gets crowded again, this time with people.
Day BEER • WAFFLES • MOVIES One of the great benefits of Redmond is that the airport is here, which means you can get off a plane and have a locally crafted beer in your hand within fifteen (maybe ten) minutes. Bend may get the attention when it comes to beer, but Redmond has a burgeoning scene of its own. Cascade Lakes Brewing, which started in 1994 and is among the oldest breweries in Central Oregon, got its start in Redmond and still has a brewpub and its production facility here. Since then, Silver Moon Brewing has moved its production facility to Redmond, and other breweries have popped up all over. Start at Wild Ride Brewing on Fifth Street, which opened in 2014 and immediately became a vital part of the community. The tap room has a relaxed vibe, with garage doors that open up to a huge patio area. Instead of serving its own 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 29
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Man cannot live on beer alone—we know, we’ve tried. Redmond has recently seen a bunch of Bend restaurants open outposts in town—The Hideaway, Baldy’s Barbeque, Croutons, Hola!, and the Bend Burger Co., though it’s called the Redmond Burger Co. here. They’re all good options, but this city has its own culinary stars. Try Oishi, a sushi restaurant on Sixth Street with an extensive menu and a cult following. Or check out another downtown favorite, Diego’s Spirited Kitchen, which offers international food and killer margaritas. Diego’s is owned by the same people behind Madaline’s, on South Highway 97 (another great option). Or you can combine dinner and a movie at the Odem Theater Pub. This longtime theater building sat empty before the new owners spruced it up, added beer taps and a full dinner menu and started showing first-run movies. Book a movie online, grab a burger and a beer and make a night of it. Dan Mooney
in-house food, several food carts have made their home in the parking area nearby. Grab a Shredtown Bowl, then pair it with a Nut Crusher Peanut Butter Porter and prepare the rest of your day. Swing a few blocks over to The Vault Taphouse, on Sixth Street. The taphouse serves primarily beers from Kobold Brewing, a recent addition to Redmond’s beer scene. Taster trays are $10 and you’ll get a wide variety of great flavors. From there, move two doors down to Proust Coffee for a perk up. This little coffee shop is small and spare, with a shelf of books to borrow on the wall and a very powerful weapon—liege waffles, crunchy on the outside with caramelized sugar throughout. Once you’ve recharged with a latte and a waffle, try another brewery—Initiative Brewing has opened a space that formerly housed a bank, and Porter Brewing with its cask-conditioned English ales and Dry Fields Cider are in the same complex on the edge of town.
Day SMITH ROCK • SHOPPING • MARTINIS Start your day with the short trip to Terrebonne and take in one of Oregon’s most beautiful places—Smith Rock State Park. It’s a fifteen-minute drive but well worth it to take in the spires, sheer cliffs and deep river canyons that look otherworldly. This is a must-visit if you’re a rock climber, but there are plenty of outdoor opportunities out here, including hiking and biking trails. Wear proper footwear, bring water and ascend the 5.5-mile Summit Trail for epic views and a true feeling of accomplishment. If you’d rather keep it close to town, meander through Redmond’s Dry Canyon. This park runs through the middle of the city, with a 3.7-mile trail, a disc golf course, Hope Playground— an accessible, inclusive playground that has structures for all ages and abilities—and the Maple Avenue Bridge, which has climbing routes on its arches. Whatever outdoor adventure you pursue, it’s bound to jumpstart your appetite. Head back to Redmond and hit up Bogey’s for a burger and waffle fries or the Sno-Cap for a milkshake—this place is old school, and it’s still nearly always full. If you’re feeling the need to keep the health trend 30 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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going, try a juice or smoothie from Just Cut Organic Juice Bar, which also has a gym inside. Now it’s time to shop. Traverse Fifth and Sixth streets, the main section of downtown. Here you’ll find a variety of boutiques, like Willow Wild and Welcome Home, which has a whimsical selection of home and design products. And no stop in downtown Redmond is complete without a trip to Herringbone Books, an independent bookstore with a solid selection for everyone in the family. The bookstore focuses quite a bit on local favorites and hosts lots of events. Head off the main drags and over to Fourth and Evergreen to check out Beyond the Ranch Antiques, a 6,500-square-foot space chock full of antiques. Areas throughout the store are organized into themes, and there’s an outdoor “yard art” section. This is particularly a must-see if you’re at all into Western-style décor. Finish your day at Red Martini Kitchen & Cocktails. The dinner menu is sophisticated and adventurous, and the martinis are the perfect end to a perfect weekend in your new favorite Central Oregon city.
REDMOND, OREGON
trip planner
EAT Bogey’s Burgers www.bogeysburgers.com Red Martini Kitchen & Cocktails www.redmartiniandwinebar.com Just Cut Organic Juice Bar www.justcutjuicebar.com Proust Coffee www.proustcoffee.com Oishi www.facebook.com/oishi.redmond Diego’s Spirited Kitchen www.diegosspiritedkitchen.com
STAY Eagle Crest www.eagle-crest.com Panacea at the Canyon www.panacearesort.com SCP Hotel Redmond www.scphotel.com/Redmond
PLAY Beyond the Ranch Antiques www.beyond-the-ranch.com
Caleb Thomas
Herringbone Books www.herringbonebooks. indielite.org Wild Ride Brewing www.wildridebrew.com The Vault Taphouse www.koboldbrewing.com Odem Theater Pub www.odemtheaterpub.com Smith Rock State Park www.oregonstateparks.org Dry Canyon www.visitredmondoregon.com/ Dry-Canyon
Caleb Thomas
Caleb Thomas
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Wild Ride Brewing is Redmond’s backyard bonfire for locals. Oishi’s sushi brings visitors from all over Central Oregon. Beyond the Ranch has antiques of all kinds. Grab a beer and a film at the new Odem Theater Pub.
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northwest trip plannerdestination
Absolutely Gorge-ous
Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge wows with wine written by Kevin Max
WHEN IT’S TOO COLD for even the hardiest windsurfer or kiteboarder, the Columbia Gorge has a second act—and one far more accessible to most. Take a wool sweater, a raincoat, a small backpack for hikes, and a sense of adventure. The rest will take care of itself. In the southwest corner of the Columbia Valley wine growing region, or AVA, lies the intersection of wind, watersports and myriad wine styles that straddle the Columbia River. The Columbia Valley AVA is a predominantly Washington territory, dipping into Hood River and The Dalles and continuing north to the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and east to Walla Walla. Draw lines straight around the globe from here and you’ll go right through the famed French wine-growing regions of Burgundy and Bordeaux. This, Washington’s largest AVA, lays claim to 17,000 planted acres and dozens of wineries. This corner of the region produces some very good wines and great experiences in a small-batch and backroad format. We can walk into any old store and buy a bottle with no other reference than its price and pleasing taste. In many of the wineries in the Columbia Valley, you will learn the story behind the wine, the winemaker and get to the elusive “why” of each wine. This is the gold we wine adventurers seek. Morning crept in with a jacket of fog over the Columbia. A fall chill felt good as I stepped into Doppio Coffee on Hood River’s new waterfront. Summer culls windsurfers, kiteboarders and kayakers to the river. Now, all around me were signs of Hood River’s massive craft brewing industry—Pfriem, Full Sail and newcomer Ferment Brewing. Bearded brewers be gone, this trip was about wine and food. I drove up the Hood River Valley. The surrounding pear and apple and cherry orchards were all reminders of the Ice Age Missoula Flood, which produced such fertile and productive soil in Washington and Oregon. In this zone is Hood Crest Winery, 32 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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so discreet that I almost missed it. Where the vineyard now has a proper sign forged in a shop where letters are symmetrical, it once had a hand-painted sign that said only “winery,” with such a charm that is found on other signs such as “elk jerky” or “beware of dog.” The owners and winemakers, Tess and Patrik Barr, laughed as they recalled how many visitors they received only because of the curiosity that that sign provoked. The Barrs have life figured. He is handy to the point that he built a beautiful tasting room. She has the creative juices of a winemaker. They are both musicians. Together, they make wine and play music. In the corner of the indoor/outdoor tasting room and restaurant is a small stage where, on Saturdays, the blues waft over the tasting room along with the aroma of pizzas from a wood- red pizza oven. The Hood Crest sangiovese and grenache are my favorites and perhaps their best. Go on a Saturday and treat yourself to outstanding blues in the vines. The Pines 1852 has a tasting room in Hood River and its vineyard in The Dalles. Tasting rooms are great but only show a finished product in a filtered light. I wanted to see the origins of this wine and walk among its vines. I wanted to see another side of The Dalles that I hadn’t seen before. In prior visits, I had stayed close to the main attractions—the Sunshine Mill Winery, even grabbing its Copa Di Vino sealed glasses to go for camping. Some of the best stories come from getting out and wandering. So it was in the 1980s when one orchardist was walking 4 miles southwest of The Dalles and stumbled upon acres of abandoned zinfandel vines that dated back more than 100 years. Lonnie Wright, a young man from Indiana who had returned from an irrigation job in Libya, heard about this and presented himself unannounced to help revive these vines. This began Wright’s future as an orchardist and wine grower. He took me to the vineyard where these vines were discovered and where it all began for what would later become The Pines
Blaine + Bethany Photography
Vineyards, like these near Mosier, are the magic of the Columbia Valley AVA.
FROM LEFT Lonnie Wright inspects his vines at The Pines 1852. Hood Crest Winery serves woodfired pizzas.
1852. This corner of the Columbia Valley AVA also provides merlot, syrah and zinfandel grapes for some of Oregon’s biggest names in the Willamette Valley. Wright’s farm includes an Airbnb cottage among old and handsome barns. As Wright and I swirled and sipped some of the wines from The Pines 1852 portfolio, I was happy to be in the middle of the experience and not at the polished end of the process. Back in Hood River, I checked in to the Hood River Hotel, a historic downtown icon. It’s a place where floors creak and people quietly read books in the lobby—an oasis in time. Before dinner, I popped into Ruddy Duck to look for something in the mountain-town fashion boutique for my wife. Nothing makes the return home easier than a well-chosen gift from Ruddy Duck. On Oak Street in downtown is Celilo, a restaurant and bar with local cuisine and the warmth created by the blond wood of an updated lodge. I came not just for the food but for the extensive wine list. French-schooled The grapes from Memaloose span the Oregon and Washington border with blocks from Lyle, Washington and Mosier, Oregon. Vines respect climate more than state borders. I respect the elegant cabernet franc that comes from Memaloose. On his 13-acre Mosier vineyard, Brian McCormick grows cabernet franc, chenin blanc, dolcetto, gamay and primitivo varietals— showcasing an abundance of styles that can be successfully grown at this latitude.chef Ben Stenn turns local bounty into stunning Northwest cuisine. I had pappardelle with delicata squash and a cab-franc from Memaloose Winery, one of the vineyards I wouldn’t get the chance to visit.
The next morning, in the pre-dawn darkness, I headed out on a run east over Hood River and circling up Highway 35 to an offshoot. It took me to a brief overlay with railroad tracks that ended in steps that surmount a giant flume—I had inadvertently found the Hood River Pemstock Flume Pipeline Trail and one of the coolest running experiences. I ran the narrow corridor atop the flume and along the Hood River until its end, then turned around and ran it back. Before leaving the Columbia Valley AVA, I popped over the mighty Columbia River to Lyle, Washington, to meet Kelly Johnson, the owner and winemaker of Tetrahedron Winery, at her tasting room on State Street in the tiny downtown. Johnson studied biology at Washington State University before moving to Napa Valley to learn winemaking over the next thirteen years. It was the growth of the wine industry and her experience that allowed her to return to Lyle and begin making wine with science and art. The consummate winemaker and scientist, Johnson sources grapes from around the region and turns them into sauvignon blanc, white grenache, malbec, cabernet sauvignon androsés from merlot and cabernet sauvignon and malbec. A family friend of hers hand-paints bottles that make for great wine gifts and, later, colorful candlesticks. As I rolled down the Columbia River and out of the southwest corner of the Columbia Valley AVA with a car full of great wine and experiences, I realized I had only skimmed the surface of this region that was transformed into such a fertile basket by ancient glaciofluvial deposits from the Missoula floods.
COLUMBIA VALLEY, OREGON
trip planner
EAT Celilo Restaurant and Bar www.celilorestaurant.com Pine Street Bakery www.pinestreetbakery.com Bette’s Place Restaurant www.bettesplace.com Bridgeside—Columbia River Inn www.bestwestern.com
STAY Hood River Hotel www.hoodriverhotel.com Best Western Plus Columbia River Inn www.bestwestern.com Best Western Plus Hood River Inn www.hoodriverinn.com Westcliff Lodge www.westclifflodge.com
PLAY Wine tasting in the Columbia Valley AVA www.washingtonwine.org Hood Crest Winery www.hoodcrestwinery.com The Pines 1852 tasting room www.thepinesvineyard.com Tetrahedron Winery www.tetrahedronwines.com Hiyu www.hiyuwinefarm.com Brewery hopping in Hood River www.fullsailbrewing.com www.pfriembeer.com www.fermentbrewing.com Mountain biking in Post Canyon Trail running along the Hood River
2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 33
trip planner
Eric Valentine
Country Living
Union County is a mix of rugged beauty, farmland hospitality and a few surprises
Mount Emily Recreation Area combines stunning views with outdoor activities.
written by Catie Joyce-Bulay
OF OREGON’S thirty-six counties, Union may not be the sexiest—you won’t find any sweeping beaches, hipsters or thirdwave coffee, and the only haystacks are made of actual hay. What you will find is a nature lover’s playground spanning a diverse landscape, from high desert shrub steppe to rugged mountains, where three national forests converge over three mountain ranges, lush farmlands sprawl across valley floors and genuine local hospitality echoes the pioneering spirit of the Oregon Trail. 34 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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Day MOUNTAINS • BREWS • BOUTIQUE HOTEL Oregonians are probably most familiar with I-84 along the Columbia River Gorge, but it’s no less scenic once it parts ways with the river. The stretch crossing into Union County is one of my favorite drives and a perfect example of how incredibly beautiful overlooked Eastern Oregon can be. With no traffic to slow you down, the highway climbs the
Blue Mountains around winding curves with sweeping vistas of the valley below, and eventually meets up with the Grande Ronde River before careening into La Grande. The town of 13,000 is so nicely tucked into the surrounding foothills and mountains, one can’t help but fantasize about what it would be like to wake up to that view every morning, which you’ll
Oregon State Parks
trip planner
CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT The Landing Hotel in La Grande has been lovingly restored. The Elgin Opera House is a beautiful spot for a show. The Grande Tour Scenic Bikeway is 134 miles of dazzling views.
be able to do at The Landing Hotel. This five-room boutique hotel, opened in 2017, rescued a 1900-built house from dilapidation, transforming it into a chic inn and restaurant. Whitewashed shiplap walls and old-fashioned tile floors are restored with comforting updates like luxurious walk-in showers and soaps handcrafted at a local mint farm. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, La Grande’s tree-lined downtown begs a stroll. Give yourself the opportunity to slow to the rhythms of small-town life, popping into its used book stores and thrift shops and sampling the gelato at Community Merchants while browsing crafts and curio. Any gear nerd will recognize Blue Mountain Outfitters as a treasure. It’s also where you’ll purchase a Northwest Forest Pass. La Grande is the perfect base camp for any outdoor adventure. The go-to place for locals is Mount Emily Recreation Area. A mere ten minutes from town transports you from flower-dappled cow pastures to the intimacy of tree-lined slopes with miles of trails for hiking, biking, skiing, horseback riding and ATVing. After a day of calorie burning, refuel at Side A Brewing. You’ll not only find beers on point with brewing trends but one of the best meals in town. The locally sourced dressed-up pub fare pays a surprising attention to detail, like the spicy peanut sauce on the peanut-butter bacon burger and the fresh herb and cherry pepper-laced dirty fries. The industrial-style pub is housed, along with the Eastern Oregon Regional Fire Museum, in an old fire station. Afterward, even if you miss the annual Eastern Oregon Film Festival in October, catch a movie in the old-fashioned Liberty Theatre or at La Grande Drive In, one of only four remaining in Oregon. Or explore the nearby tiny town of Elgin for a show at the historic Elgin Opera House.
Day BIRDING • HOT SPRINGS • PHOSPHATES After The Landing’s pesto breakfast panini, you’ll be ready to hit the road. Whether in a car or on two wheels, you’ll notice signs for the Grande Tour Scenic Bikeway, a 134-mile popular figure-eight bike loop. The Grand Ronde shows off more than any other valley I’ve driven through, with far-stretching flat roads that disappear into the horizon hugged on either side by snow-capped mountains—the Blues, Wallowas or Elkhorns seemingly within arm’s reach wherever you go. Before getting too far out of town, make a detour to Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area, another locals’ favorite. Even if you’re like me and don’t consider yourself a birder, you’ll be rewarded with so many sightings you may just become one. Be sure to cut the engine and listen to the symphony of bird calls that make this peaceful 6,000-acre wetland come alive. Route 203 will soon bring you into Union. You know you’re in rural Oregon when the Main Street hardware store also sells liquor and espresso. History buffs will enjoy an afternoon at the Union County History Museum, housed in four downtown buildings including the former roller rink. Then lunch at Union Drug Co. and Soda Fountain, where you can grab a sandwich paired with a malt or phosphate. Others will prefer a scenic drive out of town through the sage brush for a creekside picnic under the ponderosas at Catherine Creek State Park. Even if the Historic Union Hotel wasn’t the only one in town, it would still be my top choice. Owners Charlie and Ruth Rush are the picture of hospitality. My stay with a little one in tow felt as comfortable as a trip to see the grandparents, only with better service. 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 35
EAT Side A Brewing www.sideabeer.com The Landing Hotel www.lagrandelandinghotel.com/ dining-at-the-landing Union Drug Co. & Soda Fountain www.bit.ly/2ynrebB North Powder Café www.bit.ly/2LSpH69 Historic Union Hotel www.thehistoricunionhotel.com Steakhouse at Cove www.steakhouseatcove.com
STAY The Landing Hotel www.lagrandelandinghotel.com Ed Spaulding
Historic Union Hotel www.thehistoricunionhotel.com
PLAY Wallowa-Whitman National Forest www.fs.usda.gov/wallowa-whitman
FROM LEFT Elgin’s Eagle Cap Excursion Train is one of many rural adventures. Frisch Farm’s Pick’N Patch near Cove is on the Union-Cove Farm Loop.
Umatilla National Forest www.fs.usda.gov/umatilla Malheur Natonal Forest www.fs.usda.gov/malheur
Chat with Charlie and you’ll soon learn everything you want to know about the town and hotel, and understand how the mish-mash of the 1921 hotel’s eclectic antique décor somehow all works together, a reflection of his past and personality. Find a home-cooked-feel dinner and breakfast in the elegant dining room. Even if the restaurant isn’t open, Charlie, who is also the chef, won’t let you go hungry.
Eagle Cap Wilderness www.fs.usda.gov Mount Emily Recreation Area www.meetmera.org Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area www.myodfw.com/ladd-marshwildlife-area-visitors-guide Blue Mountain Outfitters www.bluemtnoutfitters.com Eastern Oregon Fire Museum www.bit.ly/335c74s Art Center East www.artcentereast.org
Day
Nightingale Gallery www.eou.edu/art/nightingale-gallery
COFFEE WITH LOCALS • FARMS
Union County Museum www.ucmuseumoregon.com Catherine Creek State Park www.bit.ly/317ztF2
For a light breakfast, good coffee and mingle with the locals, the Old West-themed RattleTale Coffee & Such is the place. In no time I was invited to sit down with a group of regulars, but I could have easily whiled away the morning reading its collection of old National Geographic magazines. The Union-Cove Farm Loop will bring you back to La Grande the long way, via Cove. Heading out of Union is Platz Family Farm, which was officially closed the day I drove by, but I was invited to stop
Elgin Opera House www.elginoperahouse.com Eagle Cap Excursion Train www.eaglecaptrainrides.com
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Janet Dodson/Eastern Oregon Visitors Association
UNION COUNTY, OREGON
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2020
in anyway by the farmer I met at the coffee shop. Becky and Joe Platz, with the help of their three young children, specialize in berries grown alongside other fruits and vegetables. The produce at self-serve Nella Mae’s Farm stand is a local staple. Stock up on gourmet garlic at Folly Farms, a U-pick micro-farm just down the road, where several varieties of garlic, among other heirlooms, grow. Farther up the ridge, the view and the product get sweeter at Cove Honey, just past the alpacas. Before heading out of town, lunch at Steakhouse at Cove. Don’t let the simple country décor fool you—this comfort food packs surprisingly sophisticated flavors paired with house-infused cocktails. By now you’ll be planning a return trip to fit in everything you missed. Worthy of the list are a dip in Cove’s warm spring-fed pool, a ride on Elgin’s Eagle Cap Excursion Train, backpacking Eagle Cap Wilderness, skiing at Anthony Lakes, the state’s highest base-elevation ski resort, and the giant desserts at North Powder Café. If you’ve left Union County with a full belly and sore muscles, you’ve done it right.
trip planner
The Dalles has been an important river city for thousands of years.
Doing It Big in The Dalles
This Columbia Gorge city has really upped its cool factor written by Tracy Ellen Beard
NESTLED AT THE EASTERN END of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, The Dalles sits in a region rich in history, affords breathtaking scenery and is the perfect place for epic outdoor adventures. Located along a profitable waterway for more than 10,000 years, and one of the oldest inhabited areas in the Western Hemisphere, The Dalles has always been a desirable destination. The Lewis and Clark Expedition Corps of Discovery camped at Rock Fort Camp (now The Dalles) October 25-28, 1805, putting this spot on the map for future explorers. The population grew from the early 1840s, when pioneers began crossing the Oregon Trail, through 1868, the end of the Gold Rush in Wasco County. Thousands of people settled in The Dalles, but when gold fever died down in 1870, the population dropped to fewer than 3,500 in the county.
Today, agricultural businesses, wineries, breweries and restaurants drive the local economy, and the area continues to be a mecca for outdoor adventures. Cyclists and mountain bikers flock the area, hikers and rock climbers pepper the hillsides, and the Columbia River boasts every water sport imaginable. If your journey begins south of The Dalles, consider adding a night to your trip at the Balch Hotel in Dufur. Upon opening in 1908, the hotel offered hot water, steam heat and electric lights to travelers arriving on the Great Southern Railroad and by stagecoach on the Oregon Trail. Now, the hotel offers exceptional hospitality, cozy indoor and outdoor spaces, on-site spa treatments, delicious light fare and a dinner special. Enjoy the views of Mount Hood while sipping beer and wine, available for tasting. 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 37
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Visit one of the oldest history museums in Oregon, the Fort Dalles Museum. The museum resides in the former officer’s quarters of one of the only remaining buildings from the 1856 Fort Dalles military compound. Day ART • HISTORY • POTSTICKERS Begin your trip to The Dalles at Kainos Coffee. Try the avocado toast topped with a poached egg, alongside a cappuccino. Two childhood friends started the business after roasting coffee over their fireplace with a homemade roaster. The Dalles Dam Visitor Center focuses on the area’s history and explains the reason for the dam’s construction and its unfortunate effects on Celilo Falls. One exhibit educates guests on the pros and cons of the dam, one of the ten largest hydropower dams in the United States. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the dam, completing it in 1957, and continues to operate it today. The dam’s construction resulted in the destruction of the horseshoe-shaped Celilo Falls, along with two nearby ancient Indian villages. Tribes that fished and traded there for thousands of years took a heavy blow to their livelihood. The dam provides the Pacific Northwest with a reliable water source for hydropower, navigation, recreation, fish passage, irrigation and flood mitigation. Stop for lunch at Montira’s Thai Cuisine and order the appetizer sampler platter. Each bite is tasty, from the crispy spring rolls to the mouthwatering potstickers. Swing by SweetHeart Bake Shop and pick up a treat. Owners Amiee and Jason Blevins make cakes, pies and cookies including interesting flavors of macarons such as caramel popcorn and mint Oreo. Visit one of the oldest history museums in Oregon, the Fort Dalles Museum. The museum resides in the former officer’s quarters of one of the only remaining buildings from the 1856 Fort Dalles military compound. It is filled with pioneer and military artifacts, and the outbuildings store a collection of antique wagons. Meander around downtown and admire the murals. Artists recreate scenes from historic daily life—of early Native 38 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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LEFT A Monte Cristo from Petite Provence. AT RIGHT, FROM TOP Fort Dalles Museum has pioneer artifacts and antique wagons. Visit the National Neon Sign Museum to learn about the signs’ evolution. The Dalles Dam Visitor Center explains its role in Oregon. Murals abound in the downtown.
Americans fishing and trading, settlers farming, and pioneers scouting out new territory. There are a few new murals with vibrantly colored scenes of wildlife. City planners focus on giving historic buildings new purpose and life through other forms of commerce. The old icehouse and mint now function as popular pubs. In 1876, the Baldwin brothers, James and John, opened the Baldwin Saloon. Over the years it served as a steamboat navigation office and a coffin storage site. Today, the restaurant serves drinks and delicious food prepared from scratch. The Celilo Inn overlooks the Dalles Dam and the scenic Columbia River Gorge. The Inn recently received a complete renovation. Many of the spacious rooms offer magnificent views of the river. Pick up a Columbia Gorge Passport that provides holders free tastings at several local wineries.
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Day NEON • WINE • R&R Petite Provence in the Gorge has incredible breakfasts, brunches and lunches. The cream cheese crêpes with fresh berries and almondine flambé with whipped cream are excellent choices. Be sure to take a French pastry with you for the road. In August 2018, David Benko opened the National Neon Sign Museum, where visitors discover the evolution of the electric sign. Benko describes the simplicity of the original signs, from only one color and one word through the progression of the signs that include the addition of more words per sign and various colors. The museum has one of the largest collections of neon 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 39
The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center explains the natural history of the region.
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storefront signs in the world and an enormous array of related artifacts. Fortify yourself with the chicken sandwich at the Last Stop Saloon and then imbibe at local wineries. Tierra de Lobos Winery rests on the riverbank where Adolfo Mollinedo and his business partner opened more than a year ago. The two grow their grapes, harvest and bottle everything themselves. The winery features several Spanish wine varietals, including a magnificent sweet red wine named Tinto Dulce, which Mollinedo said makes a great sangria. The Sunshine Mill serves a variety of wines and is home to the Quenett and Copa Di Vino wineries. The Sunshine Biscuit Company, maker of the CheezIt, once owned the building. James and Molly Martin now own the Sunshine Mill. James was a two-time guest on “Shark Tank” where he turned down funding both times for the Copa Di Vino single-serve wine by the glass. Through his personal marketing efforts, he has created success without the use of outside funds. Book a stay at R & R Guesthouse, a private turnof-the-century home owned by Julie and Kevin Ryan. This stunning home features beautiful antiques with modern amenities. The backyard has a pool, a huge jetted tub with a massage bed and gorgeous gardens. Breakfasts are delicious and locally sourced. Grab dinner at Clock Tower Ales, which serves casual fare and more than thirty beers, or at Rivertap Pub, which creates something new each season. Rivertap offers spectacular cocktails and music in the evening.
THE DALLES, OREGON
trip planner
EAT Kainos Coffee www.kainoscoffee.com Montira’s Thai Cuisine www.facebook.com Sweetheart Bake Shop www.sweetheartbakeshop.com The Baldwin Saloon www.baldwinsaloon.com Petite Provence in the Gorge www.provencepdx.com Last Stop Saloon www.laststopsaloon.com Rivertap Pub www.rivertap.com
STAY The Balch Hotel www.balchhotel.com Celilo Inn www.celiloinn.com/hotels-the-dalles R & R Guest House www.randrguesthouse.net
PLAY Fort Dalles Museum www.fortdallesmuseum.org National Neon Sign Museum www.nationalneonsignmuseum.org OutCatching www.outcatching.com Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum www.gorgediscovery.org
Day OUTDOOR DISCOVERIES Walk along the ADA-accessible paved 10-mile Riverfront Trail, bike the country roads, mountain bike one of the local hills or try your hand at fishing—a year-round activity with either bass, salmon or sturgeon always in season. Fish from the banks or venture out on a guided trip with Darrell Axtell at OutCatching. Axtell offers numerous trip options. Challenge yourself on one of his catch-and-release monster sturgeon trips. It is exhilarating to reel in one of these prehistoric beasts, ranging from 7 to 12 feet long. If fishing isn’t your thing, tour the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, with its interactive display showcasing the natural and cultural history of the area from the Ice Age through the Lewis and Clark expedition. Don’t leave without seeing the outside exhibit featuring the local wildlife. 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 41
northwest trip plannerdestination
Hood River combines views with tons of outdoor activities.
Charm Offensive
Hood River pairs small-town feel with lots to do written by Sheila G. Miller IF YOU COULD build the perfect town from scratch, it might just be Hood River. On the Columbia River in the heart of the Gorge, Hood River has nearly everything you could want—stunning views of Mount Hood (and several other mountains on the Cascade Range), a waterfront and hillsides bursting with outdoor activity offerings, a charming downtown and lively food and drink scene. Yes, it’s windy. But nobody’s perfect—and at least here, as the wind whips your hair wildly around your head, you can watch windsurfers and kiteboarders glide along the river. 42 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
For a town of its size—fewer than 8,000 people call Hood River home—there are buckets of options for recreation and entertainment. First note: remember that sometimes things are famous because they’re awesome. Such is the case of the Fruit Loop, which runs through Hood River County and highlights nearly thirty farmstands, wineries, antique shops and other stops. The loop really gets going as the fruit ripens in July, August and September, and you can pick up plump cherries, perfect pears, apples and a bonanza of other fruits. Add a few jams, a bunch or two of lavender
2020
Hood River has just about everything you could want—stunning views of Mount Hood (and several other mountains on the Cascade Range), a waterfront and hillsides bursting with outdoor activity offerings, a charming downtown and lively food and drink scene.
and a bottle of pinot and you’re doing it right. Don’t miss the cookies at Packer’s Orchard & Bakery, or the restaurant options in Parkdale. With your snacks packed, you’ll be ready for some outdoor activity. There are dozens of hiking and biking trails throughout the Columbia Gorge—waterfalls and views are easy to come by here. An interesting option is the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail. Once upon a time, this was U.S. Highway 30, where drivers carefully picked their way along the cliffs above the Columbia River Gorge. Today, three disconnected sections of the highway are open to hikers and bicyclists. Check out the Mosier Twin Tunnels section. Start just a few minutes east of Hood River in the tiny town of Mosier at the Mark O. Hatfield East Trailhead and meander up for about 1½ miles to the Twin Tunnels, used in the early years of the highway. You can also use Sol Rides for an electric bike tour to this area or several others in the region. Keep going the full 4½ miles to Hood River, or turn back and stop at Mosier Company for a snack and a beer. Speaking of beer, Hood River has long been known for it—longtime star Full Sail Brewery has been a steadfast member of the community since 1987, and it’s still a wonderful place to visit, grab a beer and do a free tour. But today, there are more options. Double Mountain Brewery has a delightful, low-key taproom downtown, where you’ll be able to try any number of beers and if
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Celilo Restaurant is downtown fine dining. The Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail allows bikers and hikers to take to the old highway. Hood River Hotel is historic and classy.
you’re smart, get the Truffle Shuffle pizza. Or head down to the city’s recently developed riverfront, where you can try beers at the new Ferment Brewing Co., or knock back a couple at pFriem Family Brewers. While you’re at the waterfront, you may want to try your hand at a water sport. Hood River WaterPlay can rent you a kayak, a standup paddleboard or a jet ski, among other equipment. It can also set you up with windsurfing lessons on its private stretch of beach—you’ll look like a local in no time. A must-stay is the Hood River Hotel. This National Register of Historic Places property is vintage done right. The old building has been lovingly restored and the lobby and common areas, with their black-and-whitechecked carpeting and mounted animal heads, feel very much like you’re in an ultrahip Portland establishment. Bonus—the restaurant adjacent to the lobby, Broder Øst, has the Scandinavian brunch of your dreams. Finally, don’t sleep on the restaurant options in Hood River. Sure, you’re full from all the Fruit Loop samples, but Celilo Restaurant is worth it. A small menu of local ingredients, Celilo does everything well, from the risotto to the salmon. It’s all fresh, and the restaurant is a pretty downtown setting. In the morning, try Pine Street Bakery, tucked into the Heights neighborhood. This spot serves lattes and breakfast sandwiches, and perhaps you’d like a fruit hand pie to go for the drive home?
HOOD RIVER, OREGON
Aubrie LeGault
trip planner
EAT Celilo Restaurant www.celilorestaurant.com Double Mountain Brewery www.doublemountainbrewery. com Solstice Wood Fire Pizza www.solsticewoodfirecafe.com Pine Street Bakery www.pinestreetbakery.com Broder Øst www.brodereast.com
STAY Hood River Hotel www.hoodriverhotel.com Best Western Plus Hood River www.bestwestern.com Columbia Gorge Hotel & Spa www.columbiagorgehotel.com
PLAY Fruit Loop www.hoodriverfruitloop.com Mt. Hood Railroad www.mthoodrr.com Hood River WaterPlay rentals and lessons www.hoodriverwaterplay.com Full Sail Brewing www.fullsailbrewing.com
2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 43
northwest trip plannerdestination CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT The wilderness is nearby in Joseph. Downtown Joseph is a charmer. Get your sweet fix at Arrowhead Chocolates. The Blythe Cricket Bakery & Bistro is a comfort food spot. Try Terminal Gravity Brewing for perfect beers.
Mountains Majesty
Losing time in wilderness and traditions in an Eastern Oregon mountain town written by Kevin Max
IT’S NOT EASY to get to. It’s a long way from anywhere. But then you round a bend and it comes for you, and it grabs you, and you don’t want to leave. Ever. Tucked away in the northeast corner of Oregon and at the edge of Eagle Cap Wilderness, Joseph is the tiny mountain town that shows as well as it photographs. This is a place filmmakers like Ron Howard crave for its simple beauty, where cattle can be their best, mooing about in high alpine grasses and where photographers need only step outside for inspiration. It’s Mountain Mayberry but cast in bronze. Joseph was named after Chief Joseph, the famed Nez Perce leader who, in 1877, fought the US Army with heart during his tribe’s eviction from the area to a reservation in Idaho. The population of Joseph is now close to 1,100. The town is a mix of farmers and ranchers, restaurateurs and brewers and artists. Indeed, bronze foundries in Joseph bring sculptors to live and work in the area, casting sculptures throughout the town. 44 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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The big community events are the Chief Joseph Days, which centers on a rodeo (July), and the Bronze Blues & Brews festival, which brings music, sculptures and craft beer to the fore (August). I’ve been to Joseph a few times over the past decade, but never in spring. My goal was to hit new trails, see new views in the Wallowas, eat healthy farm-to-table, discover new beers from Terminal Gravity and see what’s new in bronze sculpture. Normally I couldn’t stand still enough to hike trails and have to take off running, but on this trip I wanted to slow the world down a bit more and enjoy every step. Bonny Lakes Trail is just shy of 8 miles out and back, and gains 1,300 feet over the 3.9mile first leg. At the top, you’ll be rewarded with two alpine lakes. At this time of year, no one can hear when you scream in delight. No trip out here is complete without a stop at Terminal Gravity Brewery, 6 miles away in Enterprise, a comely little cottage
JOSEPH, OREGON
Duncan Galvin
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EAT Arrowhead Chocolates www.arrowhead chocolates.com Blythe Cricket Bakery & Bistro www.theblythecricket.com The Gold Room at The Jennings Hotel www.goldroompizza.com The Range Rider www.rangerideroregon.com Terminal Gravity Brewing www.terminalgravity brewing.com
Talia Jean Galvin
Talia Jean Galvin
STAY The Jennings Hotel www.jenningshotel.com
PLAY Iwetemlaykin State Heritage Site www.oregonstateparks.org
with heavenly hopped craft beer. I quenched with the Fuggetaboutit Hazy IPA, then finished with a sweet tooth and the local collaboration Arrowhead Chocolate IPA. Back in Joseph, I craved something different. The Blythe Cricket Bakery & Bistro, known for its homemade soups, frittatas and “jack up” corn cakes smothered with salsa, sour cream and cheese, spoke to me. One of each, please—I did put in three hours on the trail, after all! On my next day’s hike, I headed to High Ridge Trail, hoping for more gasping views in the Eagle Cap Wilderness. High Ridge Trail is a good early-season hike at relatively low elevation, despite its name. Wildflowers, open green meadows and towering Ponderosas were my companions until I reached a winning vista at 3.8 miles. In town, I sought out a new bronze sculpture on Main Street created by Native artist Doug Hyde. His piece is a full-size Nez Perce woman, her hair perfectly braided, her arms held in front
Joseph Ivan Long
Duncan Galvin
Eagle Cap Wilderness hiking www.fs.usda.gov Josephy Center for Arts and Culture www.josephy.org
of her as if she had two swaddled infants unexpectedly pulled from them, her face stoic and expressionless. The piece, funded by the Oregon Community Foundation, is called “etweyé·wise,” meaning “I return from a hard journey.” I headed back to the country-chic, boutique The Jennings Hotel and its restaurant, The Gold Room, a Neapolitan pizza place that was started by two Ava Gene’s restaurant refugees from Portland who were looking for a small town. Still bent on stopping the world from spinning, I ordered an old fashioned and let the bourbon wash over my tongue, the bitters taking the edge off the bourbon. The pizza came later from the wood-fired oven, and it transported me to southern Italy, where pizza is made daily and simply. In the morning, I had one last task, one last old world indulgence—a silky Early Grey custom blended tea and a box of handmade chocolates from Arrowhead Chocolates. Chocolate doesn’t slow time, it just makes it sweeter. 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 45
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Into the Deep of Crater Lake Visiting Oregon’s only national park written by Juliet Grable
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Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States.
THE FACILITIES AT CRATER LAKE are buried under fathoms of snow for much of the year, and even in July surprised tourists arrive in shorts and T-shirts only to shiver against the wind. But, as Brian Ettling, who served as a seasonal park ranger at Crater Lake for nearly twenty-five years, said, “Extreme weather creates extreme beauty.” Crater Lake was born of violence. After a massive eruption 7,700 years ago, Mount Mazama collapsed, forming a caldera which gradually filled with rain and snow. Evidence suggests that lurking underneath, Mazama’s volcanic heart is active, giving the visitor something extra to contemplate when peering over the rim. Cerulean, sapphire, azure—descriptors don’t do it justice. You just have to see it. Whether highlighted by snow fields, shrouded in fog, or magnified by a robin’s egg sky, the lake is enthralling. Though practically in my backyard, every time I visit, I end up standing at the rim, snapping photos like any first-timer. With a natural focal point, iconic lodge and varied menu of activities, Crater Lake National Park makes for an exciting day trip, but it really takes a few days to do it right. All roads lead to the rim—but that doesn’t mean they’re always open. Especially if you’re coming from the north, be sure to check the website for road conditions and closures.
Day
Whitney Whitehouse
LAKE-OGLING • PARKITECTURE I recommend taking Highway 62 and entering from the south, where the road is flanked with cinnamon-barked Ponderosa pines. Stop at the Steel Visitor Center for your first taste of rustic lodge architecture—look for the “snow tunnel”— and to watch the short but instructive film on the lake’s origins. Then proceed to Rim Village, where you’ll see license plates representing just about every state and Canadian province and hear myriad languages. Here you can catch your first glimpse of the legendary blue water and stretch your legs on the Discovery Point Trail. Easy enough for families with young children, the 1.3mile trail parallels Rim Drive, offering several tantalizing views of the lake with virtually no elevation gain.
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FROM TOP Crater Lake Lodge was built in 1915 and was largely rebuilt to avoid being razed. Visitors can take a boat ride to Wizard Island.
Want more? Continue on to the fire lookout at Watchman Peak, which, at 8,013 feet, is one of the highest points in the park. After the steep climb, enjoy the payoff: an unparalleled view of Wizard Island in its bowl of blue. You’re in for a treat, because you planned ahead—way ahead—and booked a room in the Crater Lake Lodge. Originally completed in 1915, this classic example of “Parkitecture” was almost lost. The building was failing under the heavy snow loads each winter, and it took a huge public outcry—and great expense—to prevent its razing. Though much of the lodge was rebuilt entirely, the design remains true to and even improves upon the original vision, with larger guest rooms and updated amenities. Step into a different century and enter the splendid dining room, with its unpeeled tree trunk columns, exposed wood ceilings, large windows and muscular stonework. Or, if the weather cooperates, sit on the veranda and sip chardonnay while contemplating the view. e experience is made even lovelier with Northwest fare such as sweet corn fritters, field green salad with Oregonzola cheese, and balsamic-glazed lamb chops.
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Photos: Xanterra Travel Collection
CALDERA TOUR • CAMPING If day one was all about the views, today is about getting up close and personal with an open-air boat tour of the lake. Pack a picnic and take East Rim Drive to the Cleetwood Cove Trail, which provides the only legal shore access in the park. If you’re brave, launch yourself off a short cliff once you reach the shore. Brace yourself: the water averages 55 degrees, even in August. If you opt for the full tour package, you’ll have three hours to explore Wizard Island’s cinder cone, which formed after Mount Mazama’s main eruption. Once you’ve had enough hiking, settle in with a fishing pole. You don’t need a license to drop a lure (no live bait allowed)—you’ll be doing the native bull trout a favor if you snag a rainbow trout or Kokanee salmon, which were first stocked in the late 1800s. Catch the afternoon boat to the dock and climb back up to the rim. Though only a mile, even the fittest will likely feel the 700-foot elevation gain. Camp at Mazama Village near the south entrance so you can catch an evening ranger program. Aside from pocketing some good bits of trivia about the lake, such as its depth (1,943 feet), average annual snowfall (43 feet), and how many gallons of water go into making all that blue (5 trillion), you’ll likely learn something surprising from talks such as Ettling’s interesting—and believe it or not, funny—program on how climate change is impacting the park’s flora and fauna. (If you sign up for one of the ranger-led hikes, you may find yourself doing something surprising, such as belly-flopping down a snowy slope.)
CRATER LAKE, OREGON
Photos: Xanterra Travel Collection
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EAT Crater Lake Lodge www.craterlake lodges.com Annie Creek Restaurant www.craterlake lodges.com Diamond Lake Resort www.diamondlake.net Beckie’s Cafe www.unioncreek oregon.com
STAY Crater Lake Lodge www.craterlake lodges.com Cabins at Crater Lake www.craterlake lodges.com Diamond Lake Resort www.diamondlake.net Union Creek Resort www.unioncreek oregon.com Natural Bridge Campground www.fs.usda.gov Prospect Hotel Bed & Breakfast www.prospecthotel.com
PLAY CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Wizard Island sits in the impossibly blue water. The Boundary Springs Trail will lead you to the source of the Rogue River. Mazama Village campground offers rugged camping.
Volcano Boat Tours www.craterlake lodges.com Ranger programs and guided hikes Steel Visitor Center Hikes
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Crater Lake Zipline www.craterlake zipline.com
RIM DRIVE • BOUNDARY SPRINGS • PIE To leave the park, take West Rim Drive to the north junction. By now you will have experienced all 33 miles of this “theater in the round.” Take a tip from Ettling and stop at random points to explore, or simply to marvel at the wind-sculpted whitebark pines set against the jewel of the lake. Not that you’re done exploring. If you’re headed south, stop at the Crater Lake Zipline for some aerial fun. Or, head west on Highway 230 for 5 miles until you find the Boundary Springs trailhead. is trail will technically take you back into the park, but more importantly, it will take you to where the Rogue River springs forth from the earth.
Sufficiently inspired, continue west on 230 just past where it merges with OR-62. Stop at Union Creek Resort, where you can replenish at Beckie’s Café. Be sure to save room for a slice of one of the famous pies. If you’re not quite ready to return to civilization yet, you can stay at the resort, or pitch your tent in one of the roomy riverside campsites at Natural Bridge Forest Service campground. Here the Rogue River does another magic act, disappearing into a lava tube, only to emerge 250 feet downriver. Dream of snow and water, and vow to return to Crater Lake in winter. 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 49
trip planner Ashland and its surrounds are Oregon’s less-celebrated—but equally delightful—wine country.
Ashland Wine Tasting Shakespeare and chardonnay, a fine pairing in Southern Oregon
THERE IS NO better place in America to combine bold wines and the boisterous Bard than in Ashland. So far south in Oregon, Ashland feels as much northern California as it does Southern Oregon. Climate doesn’t strictly respect state borders, but the climate for wine growing in Southern Oregon does have its boundaries. There are warmer Spanish tempranillos and cooler pinots, with syrahs and chardonnays in between. The stages of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival bud and bloom with wit, sarcasm, churl and charm. Spring and summer in the Southern Oregon tasting rooms and vineyards bring a full-bodied intensity with a note of drama and an air of openness. 50 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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Mark Mularz
written by Kevin Max
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Day
Day CLEANSE • TRAILS • THEATER Ashland’s Lithia Park is a peaceful unity of water and park and meanders with Ashland Creek down from afar to Angus Bowmer Theater on the edge of the park. This is a tranquil spot to take your morning coffee and pastry. Serenity itself comes here to sit in the mornings and listen to the babbling creek, the coo and caw of birds, the deep voice of a cellist’s song and the singsong of kids chasing bubbles.
FROM TOP Weisinger Family Winery has a perfect tasting setting. Ashland Hills Hotel’s swank factor will impress.
Ken Royce
For visitors who have never been to Ashland, the first thing you’ll notice is the beautiful hills and rolling terrain surrounding it to the west, south and east. It’s on the faces of these hills that hundreds of acres of wine grapes form the taste profiles for Oregon’s most up-and-coming AVAs (American Viticultural Areas). The direction of the hillside—the aspect—helps determine how much sun each block of grapes gets. Ashland’s climate, its warm days and cool nights, is an ideal cycle for creating small clusters, concentrated flavors and the requisite sugars of great wines. It’s best to learn about wine in the vineyards, where you can often talk directly to the owners, the growers and the winemakers and where it’s small enough that they are often the same person. Southern Oregon has five main wine-growing areas— Applegate & Jacksonville, Elkton, Illinois, Rogue and Umpqua. For those who want a different, more concentrated, way to discover regional wines, plan your trip for the Oregon Wine Experience event, traditionally held in August. There, you can sip your choice of hundreds of wines and across many varietals. On this day, choose just two vineyards to visit and get a more personal experience. Just south of Ashland is the Weisinger Family Winery and its very good cabernet sauvignons, syrahs and the estate tempranillo. On hot summer days, try a flight of the chilled whites: gewürztraminer, pinot blanc and viognier. Or buzz out to Irvine & Roberts, a few miles east of town on Emigrant Creek Road, for stunning views and well-made wines around outdoor gas firepits. My favorite wine from Irvine & Roberts is a pinot meunier with a blackberry finish. Head back into town for dinner with Spanish on the mind and Ostras! Tapas on your agenda. Share paella or tapas and enjoy a bottle of Southern Oregon tempranillo. If you’re lodging at Ashland Springs Hotel, plan on having at least one meal at the adjacent Larks Home Kitchen. No detail is overlooked in this farm-to-table-to-perfection restaurant. The menu changes with the seasons and the whims of chef Franco Console.
Mark Mularz
VINES • WINE • TAPAS
You can add steps and exercise by walking or running through the park and a mile up to the top of the trail to its terminus at the water treatment plant. If you plan your day correctly, give yourself time to head 30 miles northeast to Grizzly Peak Trail for a 5-mile lollipop hike with views of surrounding peaks and even the Crater Lake rim. In the Ashland area, there are countless trails for running, hiking and biking, or simply for forest bathing. One of my favorites is Toothpick Trail in Siskiyou Mountain Park, south of town and off of Tolman Creek Road. If your lodging is Ashland Hills Hotel, you can find this nearby. Besides wine, one of the state’s biggest cultural attractions is the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF). The national stage for Shakespeare and contemporary theater dates back to 1935, when a determined Angus Bowmer, himself an incipient stage actor, became the lead campaigner for what would become a world-renowned 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 51
ASHLAND, OREGON
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EAT Amuse www.amuserestaurant.com Larks Home Kitchen www.larksrestaurant.com Ostras! Tapas www.ostrasashland.com Morning Glory Cafe www.facebook.com/ morninggloryrestaurant
STAY Ashland Hills Hotel www.ashlandhillshotel.com Ashland Springs Hotel www.ashlandspringshotel.com Ashland Creek Inn www.ashlandcreekinn.com
PLAY DANCIN www.dancin.com Pallet Wine’s Urban Cork www.theurbancork.com Fences Wine www.fenceswinery.com Irvine & Roberts www.irvineandroberts vineyards.com RoxyAnn www.roxyann.com Weisinger Wineries www.weisingers.com Oregon Shakespeare Festival www.osfashland.org Siskiyou Trail running and hiking www.ashland.or.us Grizzly Peak Trail www.ashlandtrails.com
ABOVE Pallet Wine Company in Medford crushes many of the region’s grapes and has a great tasting room. AT RIGHT DANCIN Vineyards is an old-world Italian winery.
cultural icon. Skipping a play while in Ashland is akin to visiting London without seeing the crown jewels. OSF’s season stretches from the end of February to the end of October and brings to stage Shakespeare classics and reinterpretations and modern plays by new playwrights. Over its long life, OSF has brought to Ashland such notables as Bing Crosby, Duke Ellington and Brian Cranston. Make this trip a bit more global with dinner reservations at Amuse before your show. A short walking distance to the theater, Amuse serves French-inspired cuisine such as Parisienne gnocchi and truffle-roasted game hen with a curated list of regional wines. Keep the night going, and Shakespearian, after your show by popping into Oberon on Main Street for conversation, a cocktail and a late bite.
Day BREAKFAST • BATH AND TEA GARDEN
Amuse’s Parisienne Gnocchi is the perfect pre-show meal.
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Morning Glory Cafe in Ashland feels like the birthplace of breakfast. Inside is bustling with breakfast fiends and waitstaff, coffee and 2020
bright colors. Large plates of lemon ricottastuffed French toast, Alaskan red crab omelets and chorizo scrambles draw looks of anticipation, jealousy and sweet-versussavory regrets. If you want to leave Ashland in a good place, book body work, Japanese soaking tubs and a personal pot of tea at Chozu Bath & Tea Garden. After a busy weekend of wine tasting and theater going, Chozu will leave your mind and body in a good place. Heading north out of town, there are two more compulsory stops to complete this vinified retreat. Roll north and west, taking the scenic South Stage Road. DANCIN Vineyards is an old-world Italian winery with a woodfired pizza oven, a small piazza for sipping and conversation and truly amazing wines from its estate grown grapes. DANCIN’s wine labels are further testimony to the beauty and delicacy of its wine. Then take a quick detour into Medford proper. Many of the region’s grapes are crushed at Pallet Wine Company in Medford. Pallet Wine Company’s tasting room, Urban Cork, is a great way to bring the best wines of the region together for you in an unassuming urban and industrial setting.
Andrea Johnson
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Andrea Johnson
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Local Flavors
Finding a new (to me) wine country written by Sheila G. Miller
I GREW UP IN OREGON, but I didn’t learn to love good wine here. That happened in Sonoma, California, where one of my dear college friends grew up and continues to live. She spoke of her hometown in reverent tones that evoked visions of a “chicken-in-every-pot” and a very expensive bottle of wine with every meal. I had to see it. I first traveled there shortly after I turned 21, and we visited a lot more dive bars than wineries. Over the years I returned again and again, learning the lingo and figuring out the difference between wine in a box and the beautiful bottles being poured at some of the finest wineries in the world. But while I visited Sonoma and Napa dozens of times, I never made it to the wineries of the Willamette Valley, minutes from my parents’ home, to try our local flavors. That changed last fall, when I picked my mom up in Portland and headed for Oregon’s wine country.
Sokol Blosser, one of Oregon’s oldest wineries, is tucked in the hills of Dundee.
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The Allison Inn & Spa
John Valls
The Eyrie Vineyards
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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT R. Stuart & Co. offers wine flights from area wineries. The Eyrie Vineyards is one of the oldest in the state. The Allison Inn & Spa offers indulgent rooms.
Day WINE • MUSEUM • CHEESE PLATES Our first stop was in Dundee, for a quick sparkling tasting at Argyle and lunch at the Dundee Bistro. Argyle’s sparkling wines are, to my mind, the best Oregon has to offer, and the tasting room’s modern look is open and airy, much different than most wineries in the area. At Dundee Bistro, my mother ordered a pizza, and I indulged in a mid-afternoon burger (it’s always good to have a solid base of meat, cheese and bread when planning to wine taste the day away). We were traveling with an Airstream trailer in tow, so we stayed at the Olde Stone Village RV Park. It was more than comfortable, but I admit I coveted the fluffy beds of The Allison Inn & Spa as we drove nearby. On the plus side, the RV park is next door to the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum and has a footpath that leads from the park to the museum. It’s a perfect spot when you simply
can’t drink any more wine (I’ve never reached that point, but I’m sure it happens). After setting up the Airstream, we headed to The Eyrie Vineyards’ tasting room. Tucked away on a little side street in McMinnville, the tasting room is unassuming and minimalist, adorned by the most important ingredient—wine. Eyrie is one of the original Oregon wineries, started in 1965, so our expectations were great. Eyrie wines were so well balanced that we each bought a bottles to take home for the holidays. With a bit of time until our dinner reservation, we swung over to the R. Stuart & Co. wine bar on Third Street in the heart of downtown. We had a cheese plate and a flight of lovely Oregon pinot noirs. We were excited to see that R. Stuart & Co serves wines from a variety of vineyards. We closed our eyes and tasted the differences between wineries and winemakers. 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 55
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Day TASTINGS • TOURS • CRÈME BRÛLÉE We started the next morning early with a 10:30 a.m. stop at Sokol Blosser in the hills above Highway 99. This winery is another of the old guard, with the family first planting vines in 1971. The family’s stewardship of its vineyards over the past forty-seven years shows in its impeccable wines. In the beautiful new tasting room wrapped in a modern façade of blonde wood, we looked out floor-to-ceiling windows as fog lifted off the hills. In this slice of the Willamette Valley, the most prominent names in Oregon winemaking abound—Stoller, Erath, Dobbes, Ann Amie and Domaine Drouhin. One of the incredible things about wine tasting, particularly in Oregon, is how you can drive a few minutes and find a stunning variety of wines and wineries. Domaine Drouhin has a simple French country appearance that complements its French roots in Beaune, the heart of the Burgundy-producing region 130 miles southeast of Paris. Domaine Drouhin’s large deck with expansive views of its vineyard opened the space and, with its delicate pinot noirs, transported us to the famous cellars of Burgundy. After another delightful flight of wines, we uprooted for Domaine Serene, a beautiful Spanish Mission-style tasting room reminiscent of Napa Valley wineries. Mom and I shared a charcuterie plate and a flight of wine while people-watching those who were dressed to be seen. After many tastings, we retired for a few hours to the Airstream to recharge before our dinner at The Barberry. McMinnville and the surrounding towns have so many excellent restaurants, including The Painted Lady, a romantic Victorian house with a menu of gourmet Northwest cuisine; the downtown soup, salad and sandwich eatery The Sage; WildWood Cafe, a breakfast mecca; the French cuisine cottage Bistro Maison and The Barberry, a global menu with Northwest ingredients. With wind and rain whipping outside, mom and I sat near a huge fireplace and delighted in our hearty entrees of steak and potatoes and a perfectly cooked pork chop over sautéed greens. The marathon of the day’s wine flights behind me, I convinced myself I’d earned a crème brûlée.
Day PINOT NOIR • PLANNING FUTURE TRIPS Sunday morning, it was time to put my Airstream skills to the test once again in preparing to get back on the road. We decided we had one tasting left in us. Since we’d have the 25 feet of Flying Cloud behind us, we decided to research flat and large parking areas on our way home, and discovered Dobbes Family Estate just off Highway 99 in Dundee. I parked on the street with space to spare, and we headed in. The Dobbes pourer dove deeply into the background of our pinot noir, the cherry and cranberry aromas with the earthiness of the soil enriched by the last ice age Missoula Floods that washed down the Columbia and into the Willamette Valley. We bought more bottles, with hopes of saving them for the holidays. While driving home, my dreams of another Sonoma trip were supplanted by the dozens of wineries I still needed to detour from Highway 99 to check out. 56 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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OREGON WINE COUNTRY
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Domaine Serene’s mission-style grounds. Domaine Drouhin’s deck offers a stunning view. The Painted Lady’s local food is presented with panache.
EAT The Barberry www.thebarberry.com Red Hills Market www.redhillsmarket.com Dundee Bistro www.dundeebistro.com Babica Hen Cafe www.babicahencafe.com The Joel Palmer House Restaurant www.joelpalmerhouse.com The Painted Lady www.thepaintedlady restaurant.com WildWood www.wildwood.cafe Bistro Maison www.bistromaison.com
STAY The Allison Inn & Spa www.theallison.com The Vintages Trailer Resort www.the-vintages.com Black Walnut Inn www.blackwalnut-inn.com Youngberg Hill Inn www.youngberghill.com
PLAY R. Stuart & Co. www.rstuartandco.com Argyle Winery www.argylewinery.com Sokol Blosser www.sokolblosser.com Eyrie Vineyards www.eyrievineyards.com Domaine Drouhin www.domainedrouhin.com Domaine Serene www.domaineserene.com Dobbes Family Winery www.dobbesfamilyestate.com Evergreen Aviation Museum www.evergreenmuseum.org
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Winning Wine Country Newberg and Chehalem hold their own in this part of the wine world written by Sheila G. Miller
SEEMS LIKE THESE DAYS, the world has discovered Oregon’s Willamette Valley and its wine, but the epicenter always seems to be McMinnville. There are so many other little outposts around the region. We decided to focus our tour in Newberg and Chehalem and see what the rest of the world might be missing.
Day COFFEE • DOWNTOWN • WINE TASTING Most tasting rooms open at 11 a.m., so that’s when it’s apparently OK to start drinking wine. Get acquainted with the town of Newberg by enjoying wine right in the downtown core—you can get to the views tomorrow. Start in an industrial district a few minutes from downtown Newberg, and since it’s early, you can grab a coffee from Caravan Coffee’s roastery. The shop is a longtime favorite in Newberg, ethically sourcing its beans and making a great cup of coffee. You can tour the roastery and try out coffees in the tasting room.
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Newberg has maintained its rural feel.
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Get acquainted with the town of Newberg by enjoying wine right in the downtown core—you can get to the views tomorrow. Then hop across the street to Owen Roe’s tasting room. This winery has two locations—here in Newberg and in the Yakima Valley, and sources its grapes from both regions. The result is some very special Oregon pinot noir, as well as deep, rich Washington reds. You’ll taste wines from both these terroirs in the tiny, unassuming tasting room. For lunch, it’s time to head downtown and try Ruddick/Wood. This dark-wood, hip spot could easily fit in as part of a swanky neighborhood in Portland or another big city. There’s a tavern in the rear of the establishment, and up front are small tables that look out through wide windows onto First Street. Lunch offers a small menu of sandwiches and a few other options, and a decent wine list if you want to continue tasting through the meal. Dinner and brunch options are good here, too. Take a stroll through downtown after lunch. The Newberg downtown is small but rich in its offerings. I like to judge towns by their independent bookstores, and Newberg has the charming, if small, Chapters Books and Coffee. The store has a curated selection of used and new books, and a lovely coffee area. The day I visited, there were at least a dozen college-age students drinking coffee and studying. Velour would fit right in dropped intact on Hawthorne Boulevard in Portland, with its mix of thrift-store chic and hipster options—I’m talking prairie dresses, worn leather boots and band T-shirts galore. It gives Newberg a level of cool I didn’t know it had. Next, swing through Nikki Jane’s Boutique, a sweet boutique with accessibly priced accessories and fashion. Uflora, just off the main drag on College Street, has an impressive array of houseplants in its storefront, and Lineage has neat homegoods options you won’t see elsewhere. All in all, the town’s stores are much more interesting and vibrant than most small communities, and it was a fun afternoon browsing. Once you’ve gotten your shopping done, have a few more tastes of local wine. Et Fille Wines has an adorable tasting room on First Street. The space is modern with clean lines and bright white walls, and that allows the wine to shine. Et Fille started in 2003 as a father-daughter project. After Howard Mezeico died in 2017, his daughter, Jessica Mezeico, kept the winery going. The whites are as bright as the tasting room. Next, stop in at Chehalem Winery’s tasting room. This spot has a fun industrial feel, and the winery makes an interesting 60 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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LEFT Colene Clemens wins “best view award.” AT RIGHT, FROM TOP Caravan Coffee is a longtime local favorite. Ruddick/Wood’s fare has style. The Allison Inn & Spa is the height of class. Owen Roe’s tasting room is understated.
variety of wines. It makes tasting interesting, because often in the Willamette Valley you can start to feel bogged down by so many delicious pinot noirs. There are several other options for wine tasting in the downtown core. Bravuro Cellars features big, bold reds with distinct flavors. Artisanal Wine Cellars offers flights of its wines and changes them up each month. Plus, this spot is open until 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Finish up with a plate of homemade pasta at Rosmarino Osteria Italiana. This downtown delight flies under the radar, but the authentic Northern Italian food will leave you with a smile. Dario and Sheena Pisoni make food from grandma’s recipe book. Be sure to make a reservation, and know that different days mean different menus (including a five-course wine pairing dinner on Saturday nights—$95 per person). When it’s time to call it a night, there really isn’t a better spot to land than The Allison Inn & Spa. Every room has a fireplace, the resort features expansive gardens just right for strolling, and the spa has treatments such as the “mimosa,” a massage using champagne oil.
Day BACKROADS • LLAMAS • DRIVE-IN Today is a day for the backroads of Newberg and Chehalem, checking out far-flung wineries. After breakfast at The Allison’s farm-to-table restaurant, JORY, strike out for that lucky 11 a.m. hour to start the wine tasting. The winner for best views may just go to Colene Clemens Vineyards. Depending which way you get there, it involves several miles on a gravel road, but it’s worth it. A large patio offers killer views of the rolling hills below, with a perfectly worn barn to fit in the background of your selfies. Tasters will try four pinot noirs, all named for family members, as well as a rosé of pinot noir that tasting room employees call “summer in a bottle.” After you’ve Instagrammed the perfection of this spot, head down to ROCO Winery. What this tasting room lacks in views it makes up for in delicious wine and a modern aesthetic filled with glass art. ROCO, started by Rollin and Corby Soles, is a newer member of the rich heritage
The Allison Inn & Spa
Andrea Johnson
Ruddick/Wood
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NEWBERG AND CHEHALEM, OREGON
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EAT Ruddick/Wood www.ruddickwood.com The Painted Lady www.thepaintedlady restaurant.com Rosmarino Osteria Italiana www.osteriarosmarino.com
STAY The Allison Inn & Spa www.theallison.com
PLAY Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery www.wolvesandpeople.com Newberg Downtown www.newbergdowntown.org Caravan Coffee www.caravancoffee.com 99W Drive In www.99W.com
of Willamette Valley wine. Rollin Soles co-founded Argyle, one of the OG wineries in the area, and his expertise in wine shows in each bottle. In a choose-your-own-adventure sort of way, you can go any number of directions from ROCO, and no matter what you’ll find great wine. There’s Adelsheim Vineyard, with a huge tasting room and tremendous views. Penner-Ash Wine Cellars has a terrific outdoor area and is dog-friendly, while REX HILL offers fun tours of the property. Rain Dance Vineyards has a couple of friendly llamas to entertain you while you taste. Whatever path you choose, treat yourself to a fine-dining dinner experience at The Painted Lady. This restaurant, set in a Victorian home, changes menu by the season, and the food is presented beautifully. The tasting menu features fresh ingredients in unusual combinations—think seared diver scallop with spring vegetables and a grapefruit hollandaise. Add a wine pairing to the tasting menu if you like. Finally, Newberg has a special treat for movie lovers—a working drive-in. The 99W Drive-In is open Friday through Sunday nights, shows classics such as The Goonies as well as new releases, and sound is delivered through a FM radio channel. The perfect end to a perfect day.
Day HISTORY • EDUCATION • BEER If you’re all wined out, there are other options in Newberg. The childhood home of Herbert Hoover sits in the middle of Newberg, now the Hoover-Minthorn House Museum. The house was built in 1881 and is the oldest standing home in what was the original township of Newberg. Hoover, who was taken in by his aunt and uncle after his parents died, lived in the home for three years before moving to Salem and eventually on to be in the first class of students at Stanford University. The museum features much of the original furnishings of the home, including the furniture in a young Herbert Hoover’s room. The museum, a nice slice of history, is open Wednesday through Sunday from March to November, only on weekends in December and February and closed in January. Do yourself a favor, too, by exploring the grounds of George Fox University. The 108-acre campus was founded as a Quaker school called Friends Pacific Academy in 1885. It’s a pretty campus with a rose garden, amphitheater and a picturesque bridge over a small canyon. Finally, this is Oregon so there is also beer to taste, and Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery is the perfect place to stop on your way out of town. When I pulled up to Wolves & People, I did a quick check of my phone to make sure I’d made all the correct turns. There wasn’t much in the way of signage, and I wasn’t quite sure how best to enter. I walked to the side, where the farmhouse door had been thrown open, leading right into the room holding the beer tanks. Inside this unassuming setup was a small bar with a bowl of pretzel sticks sitting on one end. I’d had a lot of wine that day, so I opted for a small pour of a New England IPA called Honeycone. It was wonderful, and I wished I’d saved room for more beer tastings. I left with a promise to return.
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Carly Diaz
When you tire of wine, hit up Wolves & People, a farmhouse brewery with delicious beer.
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FROM LEFT Hollywood Theatre is a nonprofit with a variety of worthwhile shows. Visit the Moda Center to visit the beloved Blazers.
Gastro-Global Getaway NE Portland proves its place in the city’s culinary culture
NORTHEAST PORTLAND ISN’T a destination like Seattle, Vancouver, BC, or Paris. You need not plan farther ahead than your next meal—you won’t need advance tickets for museums nor an app to brush up on your highschool French. NE Portland is a local’s foray into neighborhoods and the talented people behind its small restaurants of international cuisine. For many reasons, the NE Portlands of the world—out of the limelight and tucked into neighborhoods—make for the best culinary getaways. This is the theme of this Northwest Destination. Hotel Eastlund is a great place from which to launch your culinary journey. A property with clean, modern lines, a world-class bakery and gourmet rooftop restaurant and bar, Eastlund, in the southwest corner of NE Portland, is at the hub of these adventures. NE Portland is bound by Sandy Boulevard on the south, the Columbia River to the north, Williams Avenue to the west and the airport to the east. In all, this piece of the city is the largest of Portland’s quadrants. Because this mission demands active consumption, it should also require active transportation. In Portland, walking and city bikes are the way to go. For this adventure, channel your inner retiree and plan your meals early. If you don’t already hear the voices of your parents or grandparents through your early-morning dinner planning, then find the menu online and announce in advance what you’re going to order. Better, call the restaurant and ask if it serves your favorite chardonnay by the glass and if it has bathrooms. I’d be remiss in not acknowledging the Moda Center—home of the Portland Trail Blazers—in the southwest corner of this district, also walking distance from Hotel Eastlund. Begin your trip with a two-egg scramble (with smoked trout, braised fennel and marbled potatoes) at Bröder 64 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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Studio Jelly
written by Kevin Max
NORTHEAST PORTLAND, OREGON
Portland Trail Blazers
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EAT Akasaru Ramen www.akasaruramen.com Altabira City Tavern www.altabira.com Bröder Nord www.broderpdx.com Expatriate www.expatriatepdx.com Güero www.guerotortas.com Mae www.maepdx.com MeKha Noodles www.mekharestaurants.com/ mekha-noodles Podnah’s Pit Barbecue www.podnahspit.com
STAY Hotel Eastlund www.hoteleastlund.com
PLAY TRANSPORTATION Nord, a Swedish restaurant with a Southern Kitchen on NE 42nd. Let Scandinavian flair for breakfasts. Mae’s Mason-Dixon mixologists HOME BASE: Lunch at one of NE Portland’s top whip up a fine Downeast Daisy cockHotel Eastlund spots. Wander into the Alberta Distail with tequila, clarified strawberry DISTANCE TO: trict and along its eclectic collection milk, charred satsuma and lime. Bröder Nord 1.2 miles of boutiques, thrift shops, restauIf you like to separate business 26-minute walk rants and art galleries. For lunch or and pleasure, save your cocktail for 14-minute bike a snack, pop into Akasaru Ramen on a stop on the way back. A mile west Akasaru Ramen Alberta for soy sauce broth infused of Mae’s, Expatriate on NE 30th 2.4 miles 49-minute walk with applewood bacon or a Plato Tefeels like a culture monger’s curated 15-minute bike jano of smoked brisket at Podnah’s speakeasy. It serves luxurious cockMae Pit Barbecue on Killingsworth. tails and a menu that includes yellow 3.8 miles Regroup at Hotel Eastlund before 1 hour, 15-minute walk curried Burmese coconut noodles, 23-minute bike dinner. Pop up to the rooftop Altamong other creative Asian dishes. abira City Tavern to look back across An old-school turntable plays from Hollywood Theatre 2.3 miles the river at the cityscape over a craft a collection of vintage records. In 43-minute walk cocktail or wine. If the weather cothe middle of this global meander14-minute bike operates, take your drink outside on ing through cuisine, countries and the deck and kick up your feet. culture, Duke Ellington on the turntable just For dinner, try a more exotic locale that gets feels right. you beyond the pale and a healthy walk from No one should finish this trip, however, the hotel. For artistic Vietnamese cuisine, try without taking in an independent movie, crispy quail at MeKha Noodles on Sandy Bou- a 70mm projection or foreign flick at Hollevard, or go for authentic Jaliscan cuisine at lywood Theatre on NE Sandy Boulevard. A Güero on NE 28th Avenue. Portland icon, Hollywood Theatre is on the For something not yet on the hipster regis- Historic Register and is a nonprofit that has ter, dive into Appalachian lavender grits and live performances, silent movies, pizza and a southern Appalachian cuisine at Mae Secret nice Italian Sangiovese.
Alberta Arts District www.portlandneighborhood. com/alberta-street Hollywood Theatre www.hollywoodtheatre.org Moda Center www.rosequarter.com
Altabira City Tavern’s food is as good as its rooftop view. (photo: John Valls)
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Washington EASTERN WASHINGTON 68 Walla Walla 72 Spokane 74 Tri-Cities 76 The Palouse
CENTRAL WASHINGTON 78 Yakima Valley 82 Leavenworth 87 Ellensburg 90 Mount Rainier National Park
ISLANDS + SURROUNDS 94 Port Townsend 97 Olympic National Park 100 Camano Island
SEATTLE AREA + I-5 CORRIDOR 102 Ballard neighborhood 108 Olympia 113 Bellevue, Woodinville + Kirkland 116 Bellingham 120 Whidbey Island 124 Skagit Valley
SOUTHERN WASHINGTON 128 Long Beach Peninsula 66 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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Deby Dixon
Reflection Lakes and Mount Rainier.
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Small Town Roots, Bigtime Wine Walla Walla is about a lot more than just wine written by Catie Joyce-Bulay
L’Ecole No. 41 is based in an old schoolhouse.
I FIRST FELL in love with the Pacific Northwest while living in Eugene, Oregon. Even after I returned to my home state back east, the PNW kept calling to me and I eventually convinced my husband we needed to move back. He landed a job in Walla Walla, a town we knew nothing more about than as a Bugs Bunny cartoon reference. I soon found Washington’s Inland Empire to be a completely different planet from the Pacific Northwest I thought I knew. Far from being a disappointment, exploring all the Walla Walla Valley has to offer has been a grand adventure. Lush forests are replaced by rolling hills and high desert, a vibrant green in the spring, and changing colors every month after. 68 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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As for the town, it doesn’t get much more charming. Yes, Walla Walla is best known for its wine, favoring bold Bordeaux styles, but it still holds strong roots in its farming community and pioneer heritage. It is home to three colleges which bring an abundance of arts and culture to the town of about 35,000. The wineries have helped cultivate a foodie scene that’s hard to beat.
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Woodward Canyon Winery is in the Westside District.
Day WINE • OLD WEST CHARM • MODERN ART Driving into town from the west, catch the wind just right and you may be inspired to belt out a line from “America the Beautiful” when you see those amber waves of grain undulating across the plains like a golden ocean. Although Walla Walla’s tiny airport has daily flights to and from Seattle, driving gives you the perfect excuse to begin wine tasting before you even get to town. As the not-so-distant Blue Mountains come into view, so do the cluster of wineries that make up the Westside District. Woodward Canyon Winery is one of the first on Highway 12, and one of the oldest wineries and vineyards in the valley. Its tasting room, a restored 1870s farmhouse, was the old home of the teachers of Lowden School, next door, which today is also a winery. The 1915 restored school is home to L’Ecole No. 41 Winery, where you can still ring the old school bell before stepping inside for a tasting. Enjoy a glass of their crisp, grapefruity Chenin Blanc (one of my favorites) while sunning on the patio. The first thing you’ll see as you spot the town is its tallest building and hallmark of downtown, the Marcus Whitman Hotel and Conference Center. A stay in this historic hotel sets you up perfectly for a stroll through the Downtown District’s many wineries (you can’t throw a stone without hitting two), chic boutiques and restaurants. Spend the afternoon touring Walla Walla’s art paired with wine. Start at Foundry Vineyards, where rotating exhibits bring
in world-renowned artists. The sculpture garden contains permanent pieces made at the Walla Walla Foundry. DAMA Wines’ new downtown tasting room showcases regional artists and each of the wine bottle labels of this woman-owned winery features a female artist. The wines at both are worth tasting even without the art. By now, you’ll begin to notice how approachable the wineries are, how readily pourers will give newbies the lowdown on what’s in the glass and how it got there, along with restaurant recommendations. It’s not uncommon to find the winemaker herself in the tasting rooms. Walk a few blocks more onto Whitman College’s campus and tour the sculptures. Tucked among giant trees, a Japanese garden and a footbridge-covered winding stream are totem poles and sculptures, many cast at the Foundry, including “Carnival,” a colorful Venus de Milo by celebrated Pop artist and Walla Walla resident Jim Dine. Don’t miss the Dale Chihuly glass sculptures in the Reid Campus Center and Cordiner Hall, then head to the Sheehan Gallery, home to the college’s indoor art collection. Dinner is a walk away through Main Street’s preserved brick buildings that readily recall its early days as a stopover on the Oregon Trail. I never miss an opportunity to have another bowl of TMACS’ dreamy Bolognese when friends and family come to town. For fine French fare, Brasserie Four is a delight, and the new Soi 71’s Thai menu is spot on. 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 69
Sarah Koenigsberg
Melissa McFadden
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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Cugini Italian Import Foods has the charcuterie makings ready for you. DAMA Wines has a new downtown tasting room. Brasserie Four serves up French food, like this bouillabaisse. Foundry Vineyards features a raft of art.
Day HISTORY • HIKING • PANORAMIC VIEWS PICNIC If you’re staying at the Marcus Whitman, you don’t have to go far for a great breakfast. The complimentary breakfast buffet has everything you need to provide a solid base for your busy day of hiking and wine tasting. History buffs will want to make a morning trip to Fort Walla Walla Museum, where you can roam through an authentic pioneer village and see a life-sized replica of a thirty-threemule team pulling a Harris combine used to plow the steep slopes. Those looking for an abridged history lesson can visit the second floor of the Marcus Whitman Hotel, and see an artist rendition of the Whitman Mission and the region’s history. Get a jump on picnic-gathering supplies with a visit to neighboring College Place, which, like everything else, is only a ten-minute traffic-free drive away. Cugini Italian Import Foods has all the essentials for charcuterie, from housemade soppressata and salami to a variety of imported olives and cheeses. It will be worth the extra five-minute drive to visit Frog Hollow Farm’s farm stand beside its century-old farmhouse for fresh heirloom vegetables (find its tomatoes in many downtown and Seattle restaurants). Epic picnic views abound across town on Pikes Peak Road or Scenic Loop Road. Visit an eastside winery on the way, 70 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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like Walla Walla Vintners, to pick up a bottle to go, before winding up the hillside for breathtaking views of the valley’s farmlands below. For a hike in the Blues, take Mill Creek Road to Tiger Canyon, winding up the dramatic canyon striped with ponderosa pines on its north-facing slopes and wild flowers to the south. The road eventually turns to dirt, with Umatilla National Forest and hiking trails on the right and Mill Creek Watershed on the left. Head to Deduct Trailhead to hike in the forest along the North Fork of the Walla Walla or farther to Table Rock for rim views. After a hike, the southside wineries are the perfect place to relax, home to the newly designated Rocks District AVA. Northstar Winery has one of my favorite glass-in-hand views of the vineyards, foothills and mountains. Back in town, swing by the Vineyard Lounge for its happy hour. I recommend the local wine of the month paired with chorizo-stuffed mushrooms and fried calamari with housemade dipping sauces. Then stroll across the street to the WhitehouseCrawford, whose farm-to-table ingredients are impeccably and elegantly prepared. If you still have energy, check out the Gesa Power House Theatre or The Little Theatre of Walla Walla for live performances.
WALLA WALLA, WASHINGTON
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EAT TMACS www.tmacsww.com Brasserie Four www.brasseriefour.com Soi 71: A Thai Noodle House www.soi71noodlehouse.com Whitehouse-Crawford www.whitehousecrawford.com Colville Street Patisserie www.colvillestreetpatisserie.com Maple Counter Cafe www.maplecountercafe.com Graze www.grazeevents.com
STAY Marcus Whitman Hotel & Conference Center www.marcuswhitmanhotel.com
Walla Walla Community College has a College Cellars.
Abeja www.abeja.net/inn
Day
Green Gables Inn www.greengablesinn.com
BIRDING BENNINGTON LAKE • BREWS • AIRPORT DISTRICT
Maxwell House Bed & Breakfast www.themaxwellhouse.com
For a lighter breakfast, I love starting my morning off at Colville Street Patisserie. Get there when it opens at 9 a.m., while the bright morning light filters in and the warm freshly baked pastries are being brought out. It’s never too early to sample the gelato, inspired by local ingredients like sweet pea or honey lavender. For heartier fare, try the pancakes or the Eggs Casey, topped with creamy mushroom sauce, at Maple Counter Café across the street. Then head to Bennington Lake, a popular recreation area for locals. Walk, run or bike the trails around this reservoir for great views and opportunities to spot a variety of ducks, geese and other birds. Get there on a Tuesday morning and meet up with the Blue Mountain Audubon Society’s weekly bird walk. Afterward, stop in at nearby Walla Walla Community College’s College Cellars, where students of the renowned enology and viticulture program produce an array of award-winning wines. Attendants of the student-run tasting room are eager to share what they’re learning, and you’ll get a taste of some lesser-known varieties and maybe a tour of the production facility. Head back into downtown for more lunch options. Graze’s veggie torta is one of my favorite sandwiches
and the pizza of the day never disappoints at Olive Marketplace and Café. Around day three of showing visitors the sights, wine fatigue starts to set in. Luckily, Walla Walla has some great craft breweries and distilleries to switch it up. I head to the Airport District, where tasting and tap rooms for all three craft beverages are housed in the World War II Army base. Get caffeinated at Walla Walla Roastery or relax with a black ale on the lawn of Burwood Brewing Company. You can sample Walla Walla wines in the form of brandy by the fireside in DW Distilling’s tasting room. It’s worth making the appointment to visit Walla Walla Distilling Company in the old guard station, where you can sip a lavender-forward gin in the funky tasting room made from recycled materials. Make Quirk Brewing and Agapas Mexican Cravings food truck your final stop. Check out the eclectic tap list, then ask for an ale made with local Mainstem Malt. After the friendly pourer tells you its local grainto-glass story, you’ve probably identified a pattern of camaraderie and community pride that runs through the veins of everyone here. I’m not allowed to call myself a local yet, but when I am, I’ll be proud to call Walla Walla home.
PLAY Woodward Canyon Winery www.woodwardcanyon.com L’Ecole No. 41 Winery www.lecole.com Foundry Vineyards www.foundryvineyards.com DAMA Wines www.damawines.com College Cellars www.collegecellars.com Sheehan Gallery www.whitman.edu/sheehan/ Sheehan_Exhibitions.html Hiking the Blue Mountains www.bmlt.org/new-page-2 Birding at Bennington Lake www.blumtn.org Gesa Power House Theatre www.phtww.com The Little Theatre of Walla Walla www.ltww.org Burwood Brewing Company www.burwoodbrewing.com Quirk Brewing www.quirkbrewing.com DW Distilling www.dwdistilling.net Walla Walla Distilling Company www.wallawalladistillingcompany.com
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Spokane Rising
Spokane is the right jumping-off point for outdoor adventure and sophisticated city life written by Cara Strickland
IF YOU’RE LOOKING for an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise, you’ll find it in Spokane. Five ski resorts, seventy-six lakes and five national parks are within driving distance, a river runs through the city, and the Centennial Trail offers 37 miles for hiking and biking with a mountain backdrop. If you’re feeling a little less extreme, you can stroll through one of Spokane’s many parks, including the crown jewel, Manito Park, which boasts 90 acres of gardens, a conservatory and a duck pond, plus two playgrounds for your little ones. Bring a picnic and enjoy the rose garden or get some zen in the Japanese garden. Just a couple blocks away, you’ll find Rockwood Bakery, a staple of Spokane’s historic South Hill neighborhood, known for its freshly made, decadent baked goods and quiche.
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Riverfront Park has been renovated since it hosted the World’s Fair in 1974, but remains just as beautiful.
Aaron Theisen
Just down the hill, you’ll want to check out a newly renovated Riverfront Park. While there are still touches from when Spokane hosted the World’s Fair in 1974 (don’t forget to try out the big red wagon that doubles as a slide, as well as the vintage carousel) you’ll also find the new ice ribbon, the first on the West Coast. Those aren’t the only renovations you’ll encounter in the downtown area. The Historic Davenport Hotel has been restored to the glory days and is a luxurious lodging option, while the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox is back to its Art Deco splendor—it’s now home to the Spokane Symphony. The First Interstate Center for the Arts plays host to a range of traveling Broadway shows. If your kids are along, you’ll want to check out Mobius, a science center and children’s museum which recently moved to a larger home. In the summer, catch a minor league baseball game with the Spokane Indians and in the winter, check out Spokane’s hockey team, the Chiefs. The food and drink scene has been undergoing changes as well. Hometown boy and Top Chef contestant Chad White has brought Mexican flavors with his ceviche bar Zona Blanca. Just across the river, you’ll find Ruins, known for its ever-switching menu and delicious lunchtime sandwiches. For
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON
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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Swing by Riverside State Park to see Spokane in its glory. A chocolate croissant from Chaps is a perfect way to start the day. Steel Barrel taproom has a variety of local breweries on tap.
EAT Rockwood Bakery www.bit.ly/2FO30x1 Zona Blanca www.limefishsalt.com Ruins www.facebook.com/ruins.spokane Chaps www.chapsgirl.com The Flying Goat www.theflyinggoat.com Clover www.cloverspokane.com Wild Sage www.wildsagebistro.com Mizuna www.mizuna.com Fleur De Sel www.fleur-de-sel.weebly.com
STAY
breakfast, head off the beaten path to Chaps, known for long lines on the weekends and baked blueberry French toast. You can’t beat The Flying Goat for pizza, plus it’s on the way to Riverside State Park, another of Spokane’s natural gems. If you’re looking for a special occasion meal, try out Clover, near Gonzaga University, Wild Sage (known for its attention to special diets) and Mizuna (which has dedicated menus for vegetarians as well as carnivores). If you’re willing to drive a little farther, slide over the border to Post Falls, Idaho, for a James Beard-nominated taste of France at Fleur De Sel. There’s no shortage of beer, wine and spirits in the area. For a glass with a view, visit Arbor Crest Wine Cellars in the Spokane Valley. The winery sits on a hill and features a historic estate. Bring your own picnic and spend a day, or swing by one of the summer concerts. Take a tour (and a taste) of Dry Fly Distillery’s new facility, whether you’re into gin, whiskey or vodka. Taste test small batches from local brewers at Steel Barrel Taproom. Whether your idea of a getaway involves adventure, relaxation, or eating and drinking your way through a city, there’s something for you in Spokane. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
The Davenport Hotels www.davenporthotelcollection.com Northern Quest Resort and Casino www.northernquest.com The Montvale Hotel www.montvalespokane.com
PLAY The Centennial Trail www.spokanecentennialtrail.org Manito Park www.manitopark.org Riverfront Park www.my.spokanecity.org/ riverfrontpark The Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox www.foxtheaterspokane.org The First Interstate Center for the Arts www.inbpac.com Mobius www.mobiusspokane.org Arbor Crest Wine Cellars www.arborcrest.com Riverside State Park www.parks.state.wa.us/ 573/Riverside Dry Fly Distillery www.dryflydistilling.com Steel Barrel Taproom www.thesteelbarrel.com Spokane Indians www.milb.com/spokane Spokane Chiefs www.spokanechiefs.com
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Touring the Tri-Cities
Learn your atomic history and so much more in Eastern Washington’s biggest surprise written by Kevin Max
The Tri-Cities are close to the Red Mountain AVA, which means plenty of great wine.
THIS TRIP MARKED the first time I had spent meaningful time in Tri-Cities (Kennewick, Pasco and Richland). I came for the history and the story of the Hanford Site B Reactor and found an engaging culture all around Hanford. If you’re as fascinated with the history of WWII as I am, the Manhattan Project National Historic Park at Hanford nuclear site is on your agenda. Schedule your tour in advance, as the free four-hour experience begins with a short film at the visitor center on the edge of the park before boarding a bus to the site 40 stark miles northwest. The experience still feels a little cloak and dagger more than seventy years after its mission began. One of three pieces of the once-secret Manhattan Project— the other sites are Oak Ridge, Tennessee and Los Alamos, New Mexico—the Hanford site was built in 1943 as the primary location where scientists would enrich uranium to weapongrade plutonium for bombs that would end WWII and Hitler’s reign. The B Reactor at Hanford was the first large-scale nuclear 74 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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reactor built. The United States government was concerned that the Nazis were quickly working toward the same bomb technology, but to advance the Aryan race. In 1942, physicist Enrico Fermi, at the University of Chicago and working under the Manhattan Project, created the first nuclear reactor on a small scale under the stands of the university’s football field. Students attending the university’s football games, blissfully ignorant of what was directly below them, were unwitting subjects of an uncertain experiment. The Hanford site became a national park in 2014, when President Obama signed the authorizing bill into law, and since then it offers tours on select days, April through November. The history and the photo opportunities are both fantastic. Stay on the atomic theme at the new REACH Museum in Richland, where one of its standing exhibits is Hanford, The Manhattan Project and the Cold War. Here you’ll encounter cultural icons of that era—in news clippings, letters, posters
Lisa Monteagudo/MM3 Designs
Atomic Heritage Foundation
TRI-CITIES, WASHINGTON
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and photographs. This beautiful space overlooks the Columbia River and pays homage to the Columbia Basin. My home base in the Tri-Cities is The Lodge at Columbia Point, a winsome property on the edge of the Columbia River. Firepits, a pool, hot tubs and a spa and Drumheller’s Food & Drink put The Lodge squarely in the category of luxury escape. Badger Mountain within the Badger Mountain Centennial Preserve is only a short drive west from The Lodge and is the perfect start to any day in Tri-Cities. From its Westgate Trailhead, hike or climb to the top of the 1,571-foot peak. The Skyline or Langdon trails are beautiful out-andback trail runs or hikes for views of the surrounding undulations. For lunch, kick it up a notch at Atomic Ale Brewpub in Richland. With an atomicthemed naming system, you’ll encounter such beers as Atomic Amber, Plutonium Porter and Oppenheimer Oatmeal Stout.
EAT Drumheller’s Restaurant www.lodgeatcolumbiapoint.com Upchurch Winery www.upchurchvineyard.com Hedges Winery www.hedgesfamilyestate.com Atomic Ale Brewpub www.atomicalebrewpub.com
STAY The Lodge at Columbia Point www.lodgeatcolumbiapoint.com
PLAY Hanford Site B Reactor https://manhattanprojectbreactor. hanford.gov
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP The Hanford nuclear plant is one of the pieces of the Manhattan Project National Historic Park. Wine tasting in the Red Mountain AVA is a must. Ride horses through wine country with Red Mountain Trails.
REACH Museum www.visitthereach.org Water2Wine Cruise www.water2winecruises.com Hiking at Badger Mountain www.friendsofbadger.org Sacagawea Heritage Trail www.visittri-cities.com/heritage/ sacagawea-heritage-trail
Thin crust pizza from the wood-fired oven is the way to go. One aspect of the Tri-Cities not immediately apparent is its proximity to compelling wine regions, too. Red Mountain AVA is 15 miles west of Richland and home to such wines as Col Solare, Upchurch, Kiona and Hedges. You can easily sip for days here and never taste anything but perfection. This small, warmclimate AVA comprises a little more than 4,000 acres from which the state’s best cabernet sauvignons, merlots and syrahs are made. If you want to get the most from the terroir, hop on a horse and amble through wine country with Red Mountain Trails. Alternatively, take a romantic twist and hire horses during summer months for a Summit Dinner in a secluded knoll. By trip’s end, I learned more about the Manhattan Project, America’s atomic history and Tri-Cities’ best aspects—its trails, world-class wine and local beer. 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 75
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Chasing Waterfalls Visiting one of Washington’s zen wonders—Palouse Falls written by Kevin Max
AFTER YEARS OF HEARING about the natural wonder of Palouse Falls, I finally put it on my schedule. Neither my regular driving nor typical flight routes would ever get me close enough to this remote southeastern Washington site to make it feasible. Starbuck, Washington, where Palouse Falls flows, is at least an hour-and-a-half drive north from Walla Walla, southwest from Spokane and northeast of the Tri-Cities. But, damnit, this was named Washington’s state waterfall in March 2014, and I was determined to see why. Kids from Washtucna Elementary School, 17 miles away, helped write the bill that would designate this as a state gem. I wanted to see what they saw. As a rule, I never overplan. Nothing unexpected ever comes to those who overwrite possibility with assurance. I packed a oneman, one-dog tent, a good camera and few provisions for an overnight stay at the state park. I had it in mind that this would be more about the natural beauty and less about its bounty. 76 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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Palouse Falls is a natural wonder in the Eastern Washington town of Starbuck.
The park is a small 105 acres and has ten primitive campsites at $12 (cash) each and on a first-come, first-served basis. Cell service is a faint wisp, if at all. The nearest restaurant is a thirtyminute drive. It was the remoteness of Palouse Falls that kept me from going for so long, yet it is the remoteness of Palouse Falls that eventually drew me in. Palouse Falls State Park is 2 miles in from the nearest paved road. As soon as I turned off the pavement, I encountered two large electronic signs. They rose up from the sagebrushed ground and into the blue-grey sky. The first one read: Danger 4 Recent Deaths. From what, I wondered. The second sign served as a partial answer: Recreate Safely. You can hear the falls from the parking lot but not yet see them across the sloping embankment. Palouse Falls is one of the few remaining waterfalls along the Ice Age flood path from Lake Missoula. It is the coincidence of drama, power and beauty. At the cliff ’s edge, basalt walls drop 200 feet to a bowl and, across
FROM TOP A natural nativity scene above Palouse Falls. The Black Cypress in Pullman specializes in Mediterranean cuisine.
PALOUSE FALLS STATE PARK, WASHINGTON
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EAT Campfire food at Palouse Falls State Park The Black Cypress, Pullman www.theblackcypress.com Rico’s Public House, Pullman www.ricospub1909.com Foundry Kitchen & Cocktails www.facebook.com/foundrypullman
STAY Camp at Palouse Falls State Park www.parks.state.wa.us/559/ Palouse-Falls Coast Hilltop Inn www.coasthotels.com Courtyard by Marriott Pullman www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ puwcy-courtyard-pullman
PLAY Hike and photograph Palouse Falls State Park www.parks.state.wa.us/559/ Palouse-Falls Check out Pullman www.pullmanchamber.com
Steven Devine
Drive the Palouse Scenic Byway www.palousescenicbyway.com
the bowl the Palouse Falls pour powerfully into the mint tea of the Palouse River. At the top of the falls stand handsome basalt columns that could easily be mistaken for a nativity scene or array of chess pieces. This is a moment in life. If Liam Neeson were providing the voiceover for this moment, he might have said in his graveled voice: “The first thing you must know is … you will be taken … by its beauty.” For the next two days, I explored the canyon below. On the north side of the park is a trail that winds around and down into the canyon. While the main attraction of Palouse Falls is a narrow-gauge blast of water, the falls around the north side of the canyon are a wide and distributed spill whose pools you can walk up to, dip your feet, or, if you’re so inclined, strip and dip, cold as it is. Over these days, I explored, took many photos and, during the harshly lit middays, lit out for the closest towns for food and drink.
Any visit to Palouse Falls should include a side trip to the Palouse region’s largest city—Pullman. Pullman, home to Washington State University, is a ninety-minute drive, but well worth it. The small college town is surrounded by fertile lands that yield lentils, wheat, barley and peas, a fitting landscape for Washington’s largest agriculture university. There are many choices for those coming out of isolation. I walked downtown Pullman considering the dining options. Foundry Kitchen & Cocktails has a great back patio, chowder and burgers; The Black Cypress for Mediterranean cuisine, the venerable Rico’s Public House for soups, salads, burgers and live music, and a handful of Asian and Mexican restaurants. I ended up building my decision around a margarita-first mantra and ducked into Rancho Viejo for absolution. Hours later, I would make it back to Palouse Falls in time to watch the sun climb the falls as it fell over the western bank and gave way to a thousand stars blinking remote signals lightyears away and into my one-man tent. 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 77
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Yakima Valley
The land of hops is also Washington’s first AVA written by Viki Eierdam
WITH NAMES LIKE Grandview, Zillah and Moxie, the first American Viticultural Area in Washington might be better known as the place where the vast majority of hops are grown in the U.S., or the top apple-producing county in the nation. Given its fertile soil, it should come as no surprise that the Yakima Valley is also a winemaker’s paradise and a wine lover’s playground. The charm of the valley is a direct result of the tight-knit communities that dot this high-desert expanse. Three hundred sunny days a year translates to about eighty wineries spread across 17,000 acres of vines in the Yakima Valley AVA and that doesn’t even touch the bounty of fruits and vegetables available at seasonal produce stands. Irrigation is mandatory to transform sagebrush into lush expanses of green space and provide a balanced water supply for rootstock to precisely suffer—bringing forth dense clusters of premium juice known the world over. 78 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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Cherry Wood Bed Breakfast and Barn offers horseback winery tours.
Frank Harlan
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FROM LEFT Wilridge Winery sits on an 80-acre site with 35 acres of vines. Gilbert Cellars’ Hackett Ranch features an outdoor music series at its amphitheater.
Day WINE • ANTIOXIDANTS • SMUDGE POTS The Hotel Maison is a well-appointed boutique property originally built in 1911 by the Yakima Freemasons. It has undergone an extensive renovation while retaining the opulence of the sixth-floor Lodge Hall. Wine tastings in the lobby are scheduled regularly and its downtown location makes a handful of breweries, wine tasting rooms and restaurants walkable. In fact, in less than ten minutes a hungry traveler can arrive at Yakima Sports Center. From the outside, it might look like a typical sports bar, but seared ahi and a locally sourced wine list is not typical pub grub. You want a plate of nachos and a burger? You can get that here, but you’ll also find pear flatbread, a grilled portobello sandwich, coconut curry and fish tacos. When it’s time to visit vines, Naches Heights Vineyard and Wilridge Winery are two stops in one since the on-site tasting room pours the lineup for both. Naches Heights Vineyard is the result of a midlife crisis, according to owner and winemaker Phil Cline. In 2000, looking for an escape from the apple business, he dove deep into wine. Cline’s quest for a reboot is the wine industry’s gain. Sharing a tasting room with Naches Heights Vineyard, the winemaker of Wilridge Winery, Paul Beveridge, is the proud owner of the 80-acre site planted to more than 35 acres of vines. He sells to about two dozen winemakers, but keeps back plenty of grapes to craft an impressive lineup, including a couple of my favorite combinations—semillon-sauvignon blanc
and roussanne-viognier—and single varietals—viognier and semillon. It’s not viniferous, but Mill Lane Winery is introducing something that could prove even better than resveratrol—the Aronia berry. Touted as the healthiest known berry on the market today, the Aronia berry can make wine and is even higher in flavonoids and antioxidants than blueberries. At this Yakima tasting room, sample from an extensive portfolio of wines such as rhubarb, peach cobbler and blackberry truffle. Yakima Valley has some incredible valley views and the 300-acre Gilbert Cellars’ Hackett Ranch is a magical place to drink them in. Lavender in bloom, an outdoor summer music series and The Cave barrel room all come together at this multigeneration homestead. While tasting there, we were told to look for their smudge pots at The Cowiche Canyon Kitchen + Ice House, reincarnated as urban chic lamps. As promised, dinner awaits at Cowiche Canyon Kitchen, and you’d think there is no other restaurant in town. The place is typically packed, and for good reason. The open kitchen engages diners as everything from in-season grilled asparagus to seared halibut to chicken and dumplings are prepared before your eyes. Craft cocktails, Yakima wines and local beers dominate the adult beverage menu, and recycled materials can be found throughout the sleek and cozy “polished American tavern” (including those smudge pots). 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 79
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Day FURNITURE • SPARKLING WINE • PIZZA Hotel Maison sets up a satisfying breakfast bar, but for those who enjoy a morning stroll, Essencia Artisan Bakery is nearby, and its morning offerings are ooh la la. Since our travels took us closer to the Zillah-Wapato area on our second day, we decided to say goodbye to Hotel Maison and hello to Vintage Valley Inn, a cozy and inviting Best Western Plus property. In addition to breakfast included in each night’s stay, an evening soup and bread snack is offered. Bonus: there are petfriendly rooms. Looking for a lunch spot that’s a little different? The Chophouse at the Old Warehouse serves up palate-pleasing Creole chicken burgers, reubens, prime rib dip, crab cakes and country fried steak in the midst of a furniture auction house. New owners have turned the adjacent former Perham Fruit Company building into an intimate concert venue called Perham Hall and use their Nashville connections to bring CMA award-winning singer-songwriters to the stage on weekends. It’s like a mullet reboot—funky restaurant and auction house in the front, party in the back. Getting back out to the “land,” we met brothers Matt Rawn and Pat Rawn, the
faces behind Two Mountain Winery. Fourth-generation farmers, they were actively moving the land in a different direction with their uncle, Ron Schmidt, when his sudden passing put them at the forefront of their family’s legacy. Visitors to this apple-packing facility turned tasting room will notice the elegance, depth and complexity springing forth from their efforts. A few power wine tastings behind me, I was happy to slow it down a bit at Treveri Cellars, the first sparkling wine house in Washington. Treveri’s affordable bubbles and ample small bites menu are nirvana for sparkling wine fans. During the summer months, this family-owned winery has the best view in the valley from their meticulously landscaped patio. So you’re in hop country and haven’t knocked back a cold one yet? Time to head to HopTown Wood Fired Pizza. Pizzas like HopDaddy, Angry Za and Porky Pine Prosciutto feature Italian sausage crumbles, hot sauce and pine nuts. Locally owned by Carrie Wright and Lori Roy, HopTown’s pizzas are topped with the freshest ingredients from the garden basket around them, and every 9-inch pie is dusted with Yakima Valley hops.
Day TAMALES • WINE BUCKET LIST Just because it’s time to head back doesn’t mean it can’t be a casual exit. Two not-tobe-missed stops have to be Los Hernandez Tamales and the Walter Clore Wine & Culinary Center. Located in a nondescript white cement block building in Union Gap, Los Hernandez Tamales has a cult following. Visiting Seattleites drive home with coolers of pork and chicken tamales and, during
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asparagus season, the asparagus and pepper jack tamales will make a believer out of any carnivore. Walter Clore was the father of Washington wine, and the center that bears his name is a Northwest bucket-list wine stop. Featured tastings, a chef-driven small bites menu and a passionate staff overdeliver at this stunning setting along the Columbia River.
YAKIMA VALLEY, WASHINGTON
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EAT Cowiche Canyon Kitchen + Ice House www.cowichecanyon.com The Chophouse at the Old Warehouse www.theoldwarehouse zillah.com Los Hernandez Tamales www.loshernandez tamales.com HopTown Wood Fired Pizza www.hoptownpizza.com Yakima Sports Center www.sportscenteryakima.com Essencia Artisan Bakery www.facebook.com/ essenciaArtisanBakery Bon Vino’s Bistro and Bakery www.bonvinosbistro.com Wine O’Clock Wine Bar and Bistro www.bunnellfamilycellar.com Horse Heaven Saloon www.horseheavensaloon prosser.com
STAY The Hotel Maison www.thehotelmaison.com Vintage Valley Inn www.vintagevalleyinn.com Cherry Wood Bed Breakfast and Barn www.cherrywoodbbandb.com
PLAY Naches Heights Vineyard www.nhvines.com Wilridge Winery www.wilridgewinery.com Mill Lane Winery www.milllanewinery yakima.com Gilbert Cellars’ Hackett Ranch www.gilbertcellars.com/ Hackett-ranch
Rachel Elizabeth Photography
Two Mountain Winery www.twomountainwinery.com
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT HopTown cooks 9-inch pizzas topped with local hops. Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center offers a stunning spot to learn about wine. Los Hernandez Tamales has a cult following for good reason.
Treveri Cellars www.trevericellars.com Owen Roe Winery www.owenroe.com Cherry Wood Cowboy Limo or Horseback Winery Tours www.cherrywoodbbandb.com Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center www.theclorecenter.org
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Icicle TV
Leavenworth is the Washington version of Bavaria.
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Welcome to Leavenworth Washington’s quirky Bavarian mountain town written by Corinne Whiting
CRAVING A EUROPEAN FIX (with a twist) in the Pacific Northwest? Leave your passport at home and journey to Leavenworth, where a version of Bavaria bustles with quirky charm in a stunning mountain setting. From Seattle, travel two and a half hours east over the pass to this popular destination—one whose draws extend far beyond bratwursts and beer. Outdoor enthusiasts flock to this region for the endless recreation options that range from fishing and rafting on the Wenatchee River that flows through town, to mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing and other adrenaline-fueled pastimes. Lori Vandenbrink, director of sales and marketing at Sleeping Lady Resort, has lived here with her family for fourteen years. “I love most everything about Leavenworth, but if I had to narrow it to a couple of things it would be the community, being surrounded by mountains and the access to recreation,” she said. She marvels at the lengths residents will go to attain their desired lifestyle here— working multiple jobs, sometimes below their ability level, or commuting to Seattle a couple days a week, solely to call this beautiful place home. Let it be known—this carefully planned tourist destination, tucked at the base of Washington’s north central Cascade Mountains, has not always boasted Bavarian-alpine architecture or annual Maifest and Oktoberfest celebrations. Initially, native Yakama, Chinook and Wenatchi tribes lived here, enjoying the beauty and bounty of the land as they hunted for deer and elk and fished for salmon in Icicle Creek. In 1890, however, Icicle Flats was born as settlers descended upon the area in search of promised gold, timber and furs. Near the turn of the century, the arrival of a rail line led to booming business for the logging and sawmill industries. When the railroad rerouted and left the region, though, Leavenworth nearly became a ghost town, teetering on the brink of extinction. To lure visitors back in the early 1960s, town leaders gave the town a Bavarian facelift.
“I know it’s probably hard to believe, but after you live here for a while, the Bavarian architecture fades into the backdrop of the surrounding mountains and it looks like it’s always been there,” Vandenbrink said. “Many locals enjoy and partake in the theme, painting their home or business with murals, dressing in Trachten for work or festivals and participating in traditional customs such as Edelweiss Tanzgruppe, the local Bavarian folk dance group.”
Day SLEEPING LADY • ART WALK • CHIHULY Crank up the radio and climb into the mountains. If you’re driving over Stevens Pass, shortly after you crest the summit, be on the lookout for a display of color on the north side of Highway 2 between Lichtenburg and Smithbrook. Once arriving in Leavenworth, enjoy dinner at Watershed Café, where the menu features Hama Hama oysters, or Mana, a cozy yellow house in which diners enjoy a “three-hour, eight-course journey through the senses.” Afterward, savor a good night of sleep at Sleeping Lady (or up the Icicle, if a Thermarest is more your style). Located at the base of the Icicle canyon and on the peaceful banks of Icicle Creek, Sleeping 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 83
Dzhan Wiley
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ABOVE The Bavarian theme pervades at Icicle Brewing. AT RIGHT Hiking opportunities abound near Icicle Creek.
Lady’s dreamy mountain resort features Kingfisher Restaurant & Wine Bar, a renowned performance center and a self-guided art walk, showing off the magnificent permanent installation by legendary glass artist Dale Chihuly. Long known for its sustainable and ecologically minded practices, this Certified B corporation resort also offers enticing amenities like an on-site spa and heated pool. “Its mission, which incorporates nature, art, recreation and healthful dining, is so special,” Vandenbrink said. Harriet Bullitt, a multitalented entrepreneur and longtime supporter of the arts and environmental conservation in the Pacific Northwest, started the Sleeping Lady. “I want people to leave here and feel as though they can change their corner of the world,” she once said.
Day FAT BIKES • BREWS • BRATS Those staying at Sleeping Lady start the morning with a vibrant, seasonal breakfast spread included in their package. Otherwise, mosey into town for espresso with a view at Argonaut—try the Namaste Latte with turmeric and honey accompanied by the tiny café’s granola bars or seasonal toasts. Afterward, locals suggest hiking up Icicle Ridge or out Red Bridge, the two main town trails, or hitting the Stuart or Colchuck trails. Other options include arranging a river 84 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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adventure with Osprey Rafting or taking a fat bike onto the Leavenworth Winter Sports Club trails. After getting out into nature, relish an après beverage and snack at Blewett Brewing, Boudreaux Cellars, 37 Cellars, Blue Spirits Distilling or Icicle Brewing Company. At Icicle, a friendly twentyfive-barrel brewhouse, waitstaff serve giant pretzels dipped in Beecher’s cheese and colorful salads topped with manchego, Applegate turkey and Chukar cherries. The venue draws loyal fans thanks to a bustling scene, live music sessions and seasonally rotated beers made with Icicle Creek water, which flows into the Wenatchee River less than a mile from the venue. Get a sampler to try an array of brews ranging from lagers to porters and IPAs. If you still have steam for an afternoon adventure, consider mountain biking up at Ski Hill, riding the new Up Trail and then down either Freund or Rosy Boa. On scorching days, cool off with a dip in the Wenatchee River. “The best thing about Leavenworth is the incredible mountain setting and endless recreational opportunities at its doorstep,” Vandenbrink said. For a casual dinner, order a brat at festive München Haus, or change things up entirely with a Mexican feast at SOUTH, where grilled street corn, sweet potato enchiladas, steak tacos and “mangorita” cocktails prove a well-deserved reward after an active day. Sleeping Lady guests take advantage of dinner at Kingfisher Restaurant, included in their package— here, chefs create gourmet meals from the freshest local ingredients, many from the resort’s own 2-acre organic garden.
Icicle TV
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EAT Mana www.manamountain.com Watershed Café www.yodelinrestaurantgroup.com Kingfisher Restaurant & Wine Bar www.sleepinglady.com/kingfisherrestaurant-wine-bar.php South www.southrestaurants.com
STAY Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort www.sleepinglady.com LOGE www.logecamps.com/ leavenworth-wa Posthotel www.posthotelleavenworth.com
PLAY Leavenworth Community Farmers Market www.leavenworthfarmersmarket.org Icicle Brewing Company www.iciclebrewing.com/home Blewett Brewing Company www.blewettbrew.com
Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce
LEAVENWORTH, WASHINGTON
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Oktoberfest www.leavenworthoktoberfest.com
Oktoberfest runs on the weekends in October, and that includes parades.
Leavenworth-area trails www.leavenworth.org/trails
Day
Arlberg Sports Haus www.arlbergsports.com
OKTOBERFEST • SHOPPING • COFFEE If you happen to be in town during Oktoberfest—traditionally three weekends in October—head to the gathering’s four venues to eat, drink and be merry. A Keg Tapping Ceremony led by the town’s mayor happens at 1 p.m. on Saturdays, and throughout the fest, enjoy live tunes by Musikkapelle Leavenworth and other groups from the U.S., Canada and Germany. (Children under 12 enter for free, as do military members with I.D. Minors, allowed until 9 p.m., will enjoy the designated Kinderplatz area.) Vandenbrink offered some insider tips for negotiating Oktoberfest crowds, like walking or taking a shuttle from one’s hotel. (Sleeping Lady offers a complimentary shuttle for guests on Saturdays.) Other tips—go early if you seek a mellow experience, know that Friday is cheaper than Saturday, and sit at Icicle Brewing Company, Sulla Vita or the
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Goose Ridge tasting room for the people watching. In general, cycling is a good way to get around in high season. “The trickiest part of living in Leavenworth is navigating around town during peak periods,” Vandenbrink said. “In the spring and summer, I just jump on my bike, so sitting in traffic or parking aren’t an issue.” After checking out the festival revelry, pop into stores like Posy Handpicked Goods, where the owner raves about her location along a “row of small-production companies that have a lot of soul and speak their own vibe.” This woman-owned shop supports small businesses mostly from the Pacific Northwest. On the drive back to Seattle, tuck into a burger and fries served out of the 59er Diner food truck, as memories of your blissful Bavarian getaway fade in the rearview mirror.
Lia Simcox/Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce
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Adorable Ellensburg This Central Washington town has art, beauty and charm to spare written by Michelle Harris
Ellensburg in Central Washington has views to match its Western roots.
HOME TO CENTRAL Washington University and the state’s largest rodeo, Ellensburg has managed to retain its Wild West allure. Late nineteenth century buildings line the city streets. Local ranchers tend to their horses in the surrounding valley. Trendy cafes dot the historic downtown, where you’ll find college students, artists and cowboys rubbing elbows. Officially incorporated in 1883, Ellensburg’s earliest settlers were AJ Splawn and Ben Burch, who built the first log cabin there in 1868. They opened a store dubbed “Robber’s Roost” in 1870, which was located on present-day Third Avenue—there’s a placard on the wall designating the city’s first business location. In 1871, John Alden Shoudy bought the store and, along with his wife, Mary Ellen, platted the town. Shoudy named it Ellensburg after his wife, and it might’ve been named the state
capital if not for a fire that destroyed most of the city on July 4, 1889. Luckily, the town recovered quickly. The historic brick buildings you see downtown embody the city’s rebirth. While Ellensburg is primarily known for its rodeo culture, its art galleries and museums also define the city as an artistic hub. And even if you can’t make it to the annual Ellensburg Rodeo on Labor Day weekend, a few days here will reveal there’s a lot more to the city than barrel racing and chaps.
Day HISTORIC BUILDINGS • GALLERIES Start your day with eggs Benedict and a Bloody Mary at the Palace Cafe, an iconic eatery that’s been serving the Ellensburg community for more than 100 years. Set inside the 1908 Pearson Building, the cozy interior features brick walls and ornate tin ceilings. Steeped in old-timey décor like wagon wheels and rust-worn equipment, the cafe offers a glimpse into the city’s pioneer past. The large portions will fuel you for the adventures ahead. While downtown Ellensburg has its share of historical structures, the whimsical Davidson building, located on North Pearl Street, is the most eye-catching. Built in 1889, the elegant brick building underwent a major renovation in 1979 and now houses Gallery One 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 87
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Visual Arts Center, where you can learn all about the local art scene. The family-friendly Gallery One not only showcases local work, it offers art classes for teens and adults. For an even quirkier exhibit, stroll down to Dick and Jane’s Spot, where local residents Dick Elliott and Jane Orleman have decorated their home with handmade and local art, such as bottle caps and brightly colored light reflectors. Please keep in mind that it’s a private residence, so respect the fences. Insider tip—visit Ellensburg during the First Friday Art Walk, a monthly event that celebrates local artists and includes food, beverages and live music. Come evening, sit down to freshly made pasta at Ellensburg Pasta Company. The warmly lit Italian spot offers classics such as spaghetti marinara as well as more adventurous plates like spicy chipotle linguine and braised beef ravioli. There are also gluten-free and dairy-free options.
Day ROCKHOUNDING • MUSEUMS • WINE Fill up on giant pancakes at Wild Huckleberry Restaurant. Then try your luck rockhounding at Rock’N’Tomahawk Ranch, a 160-acre spread above town where you pay $5 to search for the Ellensburg blue—a rare gem famed for its vibrant cornflower blue color. Also known as E-blue, the gem can only be found in Kittias County, and has long captivated locals. Most of the existing stones are on private land, and a reservation is required for rockhunting at Rock’N’Tomahawk Ranch. If you’re not looking to get down and dirty, the Kittias County Historical Museum has a large collection of Ellensburg blue, along with petrified wood and old mining tools. The museum also exhibits antique automobiles, war memorabilia, old neon signs and an entire case of vintage elixirs. Looking to day drink? Pay a visit to Ellensburg Canyon Winery and sip wine while taking in views of the Yakima River Canyon. The tasting room and vineyard, open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., is located 8 miles south of Ellensburg and is the oldest commercial vineyard in Kittias County. Back in town, try crostini and pizza at BRIX Wine Bar & Restaurant. Complement your dinner with one of the restaurant’s signature wines from Elevage Wine Company. If you aren’t a wine fanatic, BRIX also offers draft beer, including selections from local brewpub Iron Horse Brewery. 88 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Ellensburg Canyon Winery is the oldest in Kittitas County. Downtown Ellensburg is filled with historic buildings. Dick and Jane’s Spot features weird, charming art. The Yellow Church Cafe serves breakfast and lunch from a converted church, complete with stained-glass windows.
Photos: Lia Simcox/Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce
ELLENSBURG, WASHINGTON
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EAT The Palace Cafe www.thepalacecafe.net Wild Huckleberry Restaurant www.wildhuck.com/ellensburg BRIX Wine Bar & Restaurant www.brixwinebar.org The Yellow Church Cafe www.theyellowchurchcafe.com Ellensburg Pasta Company www.ellensburgpasta.com
STAY The Lodge at Canyon River Ranch www.canyonriver.net Best Western Plus Ellensburg Hotel www.bestwestern.com KOA Campground www.koa.com/campgrounds/ ellensburg
PLAY Gallery One Visual Arts Center www.gallery-one.org Dick and Jane’s Spot www.reflectorart.com/spot Rock’N’Tomahawk Ranch www.facebook.com Kittias County Historical Museum www.kchm.org Wild Horse Renewable Energy Center www.pse.com/pages/tours-andrecreation/wild-horse
Day ANTIQUE SHOPS • WIND TURBINES • BARBECUE Your trip to Ellensburg just wouldn’t be complete without a bit of antique hunting, and the city’s variety of antique shops makes this very easy. Hidden Treasures, a flea market on Ellensburg’s main street, is worth perusing for random knick-knacks. On your way out of Ellensburg, be sure to make a pit stop at Thorp Fruit & Antique Mall, a grocery store that also houses two floors of antiques. And as far as dining goes, head over to The Yellow Church Cafe for breakfast or lunch. The cafe, which focuses on local seasonal ingredients, was built in 1923 and was once a German Lutheran church. Although the former church has been renovated into a cafe, its vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows remain.
A visit to the Wild Horse Renewable Energy Center, located 16 miles east of Ellensburg, should definitely be on your bucket list while visiting the area. The facility’s 149 wind turbines provide renewable energy using wind and solar technology. Perched atop a ridge, you’ll also get epic views of Mount Rainier, Mount Hood, Mount Adams and the Columbia River Basin. Come a little before 10 a.m. or 2 p.m., when the facility offers free guided tours around the grounds. Just be sure to wear closed-toe shoes. The visitor center also has educational displays inside as well as a gift shop.
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Head in the Clouds
Mount Rainier National Park centers on the mountain, but has much to offer written by Ethan Shaw
MOUNT RAINIER—also known by the regional indigenous name Tahoma—is not only one of the defining landmarks of the Pacific Northwest, it’s a glacier-clad colossus that’s among the most topographically prominent peaks on the continent. This is the 14,411-foot high point of the Cascade Range—garbed in more ice than the rest of the range put together—and the centerpiece of the fifth national park established in the U.S., back in 1899.
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Reflection Lakes, southeast of Paradise, is a classic park photo op.
The bulk of “the Mountain” and the roughly square shape of the national park divide visitor access into four quadrants—northwest, southwest, southeast, northeast. You could spend a summer weekend circumambulating Rainier by car and savoring up close the distinct looks of each of its four faces, but that’s an awful lot of driving and not as much time simply immersing yourself in this royal Cascadian kingdom. Our three-day itinerary does skip one of the park’s magic places—the Carbon River, the wettest Rainier drainage and host to a superb example of a Northwest temperate rainforest. It won’t be as ambitious as the nearly 100-mile backpack around the volcano on the Wonderland Trail, or a climb to the summit itself— one of America’s mountaineering classics. This trip, however, will introduce you to the megascale scenery of Mount Rainier National Park, a bit of its history, and—most important—a sense for the monolithic presence of this kingly snowpeak: palpable enough when seen from Puget Sound vantages, but almost stupefying right in its shadow.
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Scott Minner
RUSTIC LANDMARKS • WATERFALLS From Tacoma or Olympia, reach Rainier via 706 up the Nisqually River, the classic approach from the park’s early days. As you head up to Longmire, study the river channel for evidence of the occasional lahars and outburst floods that have barreled through off the volcano. An epic 2006 deluge washed out the Sunshine Point Campground that once stood near the Nisqually Entrance, and the Kautz Creek pulloff shows the work of a massive 1947 mudflow that temporarily dammed the Nisqually. Stop at Longmire to delve into the park’s story. This visitor hub—the original park headquarters—is named for James Longmire, who came across mineral springs in these soggy meadows in 1883 and opened the Longmire Medical Springs Resort here shortly thereafter. You can see those springs and associated travertine mounds along the short, easy Trail of the Shadows. The path also allows more ambitious hikers access to the route up Rampart Ridge, a steep crest— edifice of a Rainier lava flow several hundred thousand years old. It walls the north side of the Nisqually Valley and serves up awesome views. Admire the complex’s vintage buildings on the selfguided Longmire Historic District walking tour. Featuring native stone and timber, structures such as the administration building set the standard for the National 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 91
Deby Dixon
Scott Minner
Deby Dixon
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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Christine Falls is a good stop on the way to Paradise. In Paradise, an extensive trail system allows for plenty of views. Paradise Inn opened in 1917.
Park Service Rustic Style, a movement that defined the architecture of U.S. national parks in the early twentieth century. Other Longmire landmarks include the long-standing National Park Inn—which includes a restaurant, if you’re hankering for lunch—and the Longmire General Store, a good place to grab picnic and camping grub, if you haven’t already stocked up. Then—onward to Paradise! En route, check out Christine and Narada falls and the lava-rock headland of Ricksetter Point, and sneak peeks at Mount Rainier and the Tatoosh Range, an arresting cluster of dark, jagged peaks just south of the volcano. Reach Paradise (elevation 5,400 feet), the most popular destination in the park. With the Tatoosh jags shredding the southern horizon and the immensity of Tahoma or its cloud cap to the north, and timberline meadows smoldering with summer wildflowers, the place comes by its name naturally. Make another Rainier architectural icon home for the night. The Paradise Inn opened in 1917, a couple of years after the celebrated “Road to Paradise” was finished. Anchored by a yawning Great Room and displaying beams salvaged from yellow-cedar snags near Narada Falls, this mountainside hotel stands as a worthy counterpart to Western lodges such as Yellowstone’s Old Faithful Inn, the Crater Lake Lodge and Lake Quinault Lodge on the Olympic Peninsula. To cap off your inaugural day under Tahoma’s icy gaze, try a Rainier burger or some bourbon buffalo meatloaf, a slice of pie, and a boozy “Kautz mudflow” or “glacier coffee” digestif in the Paradise Inn’s dining room. 92 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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Day PARADISE • GROVE OF THE PATRIARCHS Breakfast at the inn should suffice for the day’s meadow meandering and glacier gazing, the itinerary for a morning in Paradise. The area has an extensive trail network and, given the expansive scenery, there’s no bad choice. The classic overview walkabout is the Skyline Trail, a 5.5-mile loop you can hook into right from the hotel. Along with marmots, you might be rubbing shoulders with climbers beelining for Camp Muir, one of the main starting points for summit attempts and also its own turnaround destination for strong hikers. Depending on your timing and the weather, you’ll see exuberant blooms in Paradise Park’s subalpine gardens, from lupines and paintbrushes to torch-like beargrass and shaggy pasqueflower. Take the short detour to Glacier Vista, where you’ll encounter the much-studied Nisqually Glacier. The Skyline Trail culminates in Panorama Point, where, in clear conditions, your view includes several of Tahoma’s fellow fire-mountains—bulky Mount Adams, lopped-off Mount St. Helens, toothy Mount Hood—as well as the ripsaw Tatoosh rampart and, beyond, the pale Goat Rocks, ice-gutted remnants of a onetime Rainier-esque stratovolcano. When you can tear yourself from Paradise, saddle up for your afternoon journey to the park’s southeast. Between the Paradise River valley and Stevens Canyon, you’ll pass one of the popular Rainier photo ops at the Reflection Lakes. Farther east, peer into the Box Canyon of the Muddy Fork Cowlitz River, a tight-cleft
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT The Grove of the Patriarchs has a milelong interpretive path. Marmots are a common sight in Paradise. Sourdough Ridge Trail offers incredible views.
gorge up to 180 feet deep and as narrow as a few feet across. Before heading for a campsite at the Ohanapecosh Campground, pay your respects to the old-growth giants at the Grove of the Patriarchs, explored along an easy, mile-long interpretive path. The dimensions of the western redcedar and Douglas firs in this river-bottom forest— some of which likely exceed a millennium in age—are staggering.
Day FLOWER FIELDS • VIEWS Your last day in Tahoma’s company calls for early rising so you can appreciate the splendor of Sunrise—the highest vehicle access in the park—at its morning prime. The east route takes you north up the Ohanapecosh—which, like the Muddy Fork, drains via the Cowlitz to the Columbia River, unlike the other major Rainier drainages that send glacial meltwater to Puget Sound—and then west up the White River. Along the switchbacks climbing Sunrise Ridge, pause to take in the vista from Sunrise Point, which includes Rainier and Adams and highlights the impressive relief of the White River’s glacial trough.
Sunrise (elevation 6,400 feet) is home to a visitor center with fine exhibits as well as a day lodge, and presents Rainier’s northeast face in showstopper fashion. The view is great from the parking lot, but expands gloriously from the easy Sourdough Ridge Trail looping through the flower meadows and conifer groves above the grounds. Feast your eyes on the smooth snow dome of Columbia Crest—the ultimate summit of threeheaded Tahoma—and the craggy buttress of Little Tahoma, a remnant of the volcano’s former east flank. You can also see where a spectacular east-face collapse, the Osceola Mudflow, triggered some 5,600 years ago. In between Little Tahoma and Steamboat Prow, the Emmons Glacier—biggest by area in the lower forty-eight—sparkles down to the White River valley far below. Southward rise the fangs of the Cowlitz Chimneys and the Goat Rocks behind. Far in the southeast distance Mount Aix and Bismarck Peak make twin pyramids. From the crest of Sourdough Ridge, the view north and northwest unfurls dramatically to a sharpcrested North Cascade skyline, including, if it’s clear, the white monsters of Mount Baker and Glacier Peak. When the trip home calls you down from Sunrise, you’ll be in the proper state of mind for leaving this old and venerable park— stunned by her beauty and charm.
MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, WASHINGTON
Janelle Walker
Scott Minner
Scott Minner
trip planner
EAT National Park Inn Dining Room www.mtrainierguestservices.com/ rainier-dining/national-park-inndining-room Paradise Inn Dining Room www.mtrainierguestservices.com/ rainier-dining/paradise-inn-diningroom Paradise Camp Deli www.mtrainierguestservices.com/ rainier-dining/paradise-camp-deli Sunrise Day Lodge www.mtrainierguestservices.com/ rainier-dining/sunrise-day-lodge The Highlander www.ashfordhighlander.com Mt. Rainier Railroad Dining Co. www.rrdiner.com
STAY National Park Inn www.mtrainierguestservices.com/ accommodations/national-park-inn Paradise Inn www.mtrainierguestservices.com/ accommodations/paradise-inn Mount Rainier National Park campgrounds (Ohanapecosh, Cougar Rock, White River, Mowich Lake) www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/ campgrounds.htm Silver Springs Campground www.bit.ly/silverspringscampground Gateway Inn www.gatewayinnonline.com Alexander’s Lodge at Mount Rainier www.alexanderslodge.com
PLAY Tatoosh Wilderness www.wilderness.net Norse Peak Wilderness www.wilderness.net William O. Douglas Wilderness www.wilderness.net Mt. Rainier Railroad & Logging Museum www.mtrainierrailroad.com Northwest Trek Wildlife Park www.nwtrek.org Alder Lake Park www.mytpu.org/communityenvironment/parks-recreation/ alder-lake-park
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Tracy Ellen Beard
Tracy Ellen Beard
Andrew Wiese
Tracy Ellen Beard
trip planner
Port Townsend Witness the resurgence of a Victorian seaport written by Tracy Ellen Beard
IN THE LATE 1800S, city fathers poured their hopes, dreams, sweat and tears into building Port Townsend, once the second-busiest seaport on the West Coast. Constructed at the northeasternmost point of the Olympic Peninsula and along the Strait of Juan de Fuca, this city sat poised for growth in anticipation of the arrival of the Pacific Coast Railroad. Alas, to quote the insightful words of Robert Burns, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” Misfortune came upon the city—railroad planners bypassed Port Townsend in favor of a route on the east side of Puget Sound, and the city’s economy floundered. No longer are the streets filled with a parade of top hats, corsets and petticoats. The lingering aroma of fish does not permeate the air, nor do people line the docks waiting
to purchase wares from afar. The harbor that once teemed with seafaring traffic is now peppered with an assortment of recreational vessels. Today, the charming Victorian seaport thrives on tourism. The city has outstanding dining options, luxurious B&Bs and a booming art scene. Historic buildings and unique shops create a delightful ambience from days gone by.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Port Townsend sits on the Port Townsend Bay. Finistère’s chef’s tasting menu is for adventurous appetites only. The seaport has a Victorian feel. Port Townsend Vineyards has a tasting room with locally made wines.
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Day
The Northwest Maritime Center and Wooden Boat Foundation celebrate all things nautical.
PIZZA • BOOKSTORES • ARTS On your way to Port Townsend, make a quick stop in the small town of Chimacum, where farms supply quality ingredients to the local communities and beyond. Visit Finnriver Farm & Cidery for a delicious tasting of farm-crafted hard ciders and dessert wines. On Friday or Saturday, stay long enough to enjoy a woodfired pizza and live music. If you missed pizza at Finnriver, pick up a quick slice in downtown Port Townsend at Waterfront Pizza. Employees constantly refill the pizza rack with a variety of flavored pies. Beware, locals love this tiny place and you may have to wait for the slice of your choice. Walk along Water Street and peruse the art galleries, quaint boutiques and Victorian shops while you treat yourself to a decadent chocolate or a scoop of ice cream from Elevated Ice Cream Co. & Candy Shop. Stroll into one of the city’s four bookstores offering readers an opportunity to escape to new worlds, live out a fantasy, or even improve their writing skills. Step back in time as you gaze upon the historic buildings, or enter the Jefferson Museum of Art and History to learn more about the seaport’s past. Maritime activities continue to influence the city. Poke around the Northwest Maritime Center and Wooden Boat Foundation near the marina. Here you will learn about the long history of the Wooden Boat Festival, and nautical enthusiasts can sign up for programs teaching world-class boatbuilding and maritime skills. Art abounds in Port Townsend, and the city’s calendar is typically filled with music festivals, writers’ workshops, art walks and year-round theater featuring plays, poetry and prose. Locals and visitors enjoy the Film Festival, which showcases all
types of films, including free outdoor movies on the weekends during September. Admiralty Distillers is open on Saturdays or by appointment. Jake Soule, the owner, will share his story while you taste his distilled creations. Take part in the longtime tradition of afternoon tea at Pippa’s Real Tea. Select a flavor you find appealing, then choose one of Pippa’s delectable treats as an accompaniment. Try a slice of cake or a traditional scone, but be sure to order Pippa’s authentic clotted cream—it is simply divine. For dinner, try Finistère. Owners Scott Ross and chef Deborah Taylor devised a menu with small and large plates. Diners with adventurous appetites should order the multi-course chef ’s tasting menu. The potato leek soup is delicious and soothing, and the gnocchi with pork shoulder ragu and shaved Parmesan will leave you convinced that you’ve been transported to a trattoria in Italy. Next up, head to Cellar Door, the city’s subterranean cocktail lounge and restaurant, or Sirens Pub for some fun after dark. Sirens’ upstairs seating offers views of the water, and the main floor features a fireplace to warm you on cold nights. Both venues highlight live music from local musicians on the weekends. Finally, it’s time to sleep in luxury. Snuggle into silky soft sheets and lay your head on pillows suited for royalty at the Ravenscroft Inn. Hidden in a residential neighborhood, this bed and breakfast is the perfect place for a relaxing getaway. Read a book in the library, cuddle up with a blanket by the fire in the great room or simply unwind in the comfort of your lavish guest room. 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 95
Tracy Ellen Beard
FROM LEFT Port Townsend’s Saturday Market appeals to all ages. The Ravenscroft Inn is tucked into a residential area.
Day PORT TOWNSEND, WASHINGTON
MARKETS • FERRY RIDES • HISTORIC HOMES EAT Finestère www.restaurantfinistere.com Fountain Café www.fountaincafept.com Silverwater Café www.silverwatercafe.com Taps at the Guardhouse www.facebook.com/ TapsFortWorden
STAY Ravenscroft Inn www.ravenscroftinn.com Bliss Vista Cottage at Fort Worden www.fortworden.org
PLAY Jefferson Museum of Art and History www.jchsmuseum.org Northwest Maritime Center and Wooden Boat Foundation www.nwmaritime.org Port Townsend Farmers Market www.jcfmarkets.org/saturday Cellar Door www.cellardoorpt.com Sirens www.sirenspub.com
Breakfast at the inn changes frequently, but guests can always count on locally made granola or muesli, fresh fruit, yogurt and a pastry. A hot breakfast follows with offerings such as frittata or fluffy lemon ricotta pancakes with blueberries. On Saturdays, walk a few blocks to the Port Townsend Saturday Market. Local farmers and purveyors line the blockaded streets with fresh produce and tasty morsels for patrons to relish. For lunch, assemble a picnic from the market, or get a bite at the Silverwater Café downtown. Outdoor activities abound in the area, so explore the local waters by renting a kayak, rowboat, or longboat. Ride the ferry or take one of the numerous tours available near the marina. For land discoveries, enjoy one of the local trails on foot or by bike. For a diversified city walk, begin by strolling through Chetzemoka Park. Make a right at the beach and wander alongside the water
Day SCENIC DRIVES • LAVENDER FARMS • HEARTY BREAKFAST Wake before sunrise and make a hot beverage in the cottage kitchen, then get comfortable on the porch and gaze over the water as the sun peeks from beyond the horizon. Blue Moose Café is an unpretentious eatery with delicious, hearty breakfast items. Stop at Port Townsend Vineyards and
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down to the marina. Revel in the water’s beauty and appreciate the variety of boats, then cross back to the street and meander up the hill and admire the historic homes on your way back to the park. After exploring the outdoors, check into one of the newly renovated cottages or a historic vacation rental on Officers Row at Fort Worden State Park. The Bliss Vista Cottage sits on a hill overlooking the water with views of passing ships for your entertainment. For a drink or appetizer before dinner, stop over at Taps at the Guardhouse. If a member of your party misbehaves, put them behind bars in the old jail cell. Dine at a longtime favorite restaurant, Fountain Café. Owner Nickolas Yates uses locally sourced ingredients in his Northwest cuisine. Choose a delicious menu item like the chicken and linguini, or branch out and order one of the specials—the lamb shank is perfect.
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sample locally produced wines, or extend your trip and delight in a scenic drive along the Strait of Juan de Fuca toward Sequim. Spend the afternoon visiting fragrant lavender farms, then dine at Nourish or Alder Wood Bistro where ingredients are sourced from nearby farms.
trip planner Sol Duc Falls is a short hike from the nearby resort and its soaking pools.
Stalking the Perimeter Find your piece of Olympic National Park written by Naomi Tomky
COVERING NEARLY 1,500 square miles of the Olympic Peninsula, with terrain ranging from craggy coastlines and sandy beaches to dense, lush rainforest and skyscraping mountains, the Olympic National Park looms large over Washington. Penetrated by few roads and many hiking trails, mapping a trip around the park— and with no roads actually through it, you are truly going around the park—can be challenging. Visitors can trace their way along the perimeter of the park, popping in for a boat tour here and a beach walk there. A full circle of the park over the course of three days provides opportunities to see every aspect of the Washington’s wettest and wildest peninsula. From selfguided nature walks to hosted rainforest tours, clamdigging beaches to frigid mountain tops, the park offers a world of options—it’s just a matter of choosing a route and planning your stops.
Day If you’re coming over on the Edmonds-Kingston ferry, start your trip by popping into Butcher and Baker Provisions in Port Gamble to load up on supplies. Great food is not easy to find in the park, and you don’t want to have to spend time driving around in search of something to eat when you could have squirrelled away some of the store’s artisanal charcuterie, pickles and a loaf of bread. Load up on fancy snacks before making your way around the top of the park. From there, head to the top of Hurricane Ridge. In winter, it’s one of only three ski resorts operated within a national park—it gets more than 400 inches of snow each year and has plenty of gentle, beginner-
Olympic Peninsula Visitor Bureau
CHARCUTERIE • SKI SLOPES • HOT SPRINGS
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friendly slopes. For non-skiers or in the offseason, there’s always snow play (yes, yearround!). Just trying to stand up in the famous winds that gave the ridge its name can be entertaining. In warmer months, skip the ridge in favor of getting out on Lake Crescent—either on one of the boat tours or by renting a kayak and paddling yourself around. Finish off your day by pulling into the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort. There’s no cell service, no internet, and the cabins are spare: disconnect from the world and sink into the sulfur-scented pools, which will leave your skin baby-soft. Young deer amble between the buildings and angel wing mushrooms sprout from the trees, quickly transporting guests into a world far from buzzing cell phones and nagging duties. That remoteness means dining options are slim (there are no options), but the restaurant on site, The Springs, does an impressive job considering, bringing in local ingredients to bolster crowd-pleasing standards—local salmon and steak share the menu with burgers and salads. Sol Duc closes for the winter, re-opening in mid-March, so if you’re visiting while it’s closed, head a little farther to the coast, where the Lost Resort at Ozette—the westernmost outpost in the continental United States—lets you pay the weather for your cabin. During the offseason, whatever the temperature is in Fahrenheit when you arrive at the resort, that’s how much it costs.
Day WATERFALLS • TIDEPOOLS • TACOS Get up early at your cabin in Sol Duc—the soaking pools are open at 8 a.m. only for people staying there, which gives you a quiet session watching the sun gleam over the horizon and filter through the steam as you soak. Follow that with a quick hike out to the waterfalls, about a mile and a half round trip, before heading west for a morning at Rialto Beach. There, seastacks shoot up from the chilly waters and tidepools gather along the smooth-stoned beach, making for spectacular scenery on both a grand and minute scale. Continue your journey by turning south toward the town of Forks, where the Twilightfueled tourist boom of the late 2000s has never really faded. Turn inland at the Hoh Rainforest 98 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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entrance to learn what fruits in a place that gets more than a dozen feet of rain each year. A series of hikes leave from the visitor center, ranging from a short amble through the woods guided by informative signs to longer day or overnight hikes. Any of them will allow you to walk among the gnarled knots of trees felled by the excessive damp of the area, and resting gently on the forest floor, where they sport new growth that look like something out of a Dr. Seuss book. Finish off your day with a final drive down to Lake Quinault Lodge, where you can get a taste of a bit more luxury in the upscale lodgings with stunning views over the lake. The lodge, which dates back nearly a century, feels more quintessentially “national park” than anywhere else nearby—the fireplace roars in the grand lobby, guests relax in Adirondack chairs as their children run about on the sprawling lawn. But things are a bit fancier here—there are flatscreen televisions, mostly functional wi-fi and a warm pool in the basement, along with a sauna. It’s the kind of place you want to cozy up in the winter and base yourself for long hikes in the summer—just enough creature comfort to wind you back up for a day enjoying the great outdoors.
Day RAINFORESTS • INSTAGRAM • OYSTERS The best way to enjoy that day outdoors from Lake Quinault is the rainforest tour, which traditionally runs year-round daily starting at 9:30 a.m. The four-hour guided van tour takes you through the history of the area, from the local native peoples to historic homesteads. It introduces you to the plant life and waterfalls of the region on a series of short walks, and depending on the time of year, provides an introduction to a few of the animals of the region and takes you to all the most Instagrammable places around. Finish your drive around the park by pointing yourself toward a different view of the animal life of the peninsula: the oyster bar at the Hama Hama Oyster Saloon in Lilliwaup. End your trip just outside the park at this shellfish farm’s rustic outdoor eating space, watching storms roll in over the tide flats with a pint of beer and a pile of oysters, clams, salmon chowder, crab cakes and more.
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK, WASHINGTON
trip planner
EAT Butcher and Baker www.butcherandbakerprovisions.com Springs Restaurant at Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort www.olympicnationalparks.com/ lodging/dining/sol-duc-hot-springsresort Hama Hama Oyster Saloon www.hamahamaoysters.com/pages/ oyster-saloon
STAY Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort www.nationalparkreservations.com/ lodge/olympic-sol-duc-hot-springsresort Lake Quinault Lodge www.olympicnationalparks.com/ lodging/lake-quinault-lodge Lost Resort at Lake Ozette www.lostresort.net
PLAY Olympic National Park www.nps.gov/olym Boat Tours of Lake Crescent www.olympicnationalparks.com/ things-to-do/boat-tours-of-lakecrescent Sol Duc Hot Springs www.olympicnationalparks.com/ things-to-do/mineral-hot-springspool-at-sol-duc-hot-springs-resort Rainforest Tours of Lake Quinault www.olympicnationalparks.com/ things-to-do/tours-of-lake-quinaultrainforest
Photos: Olympic Peninsula Visitor Bureau
Skiing at Hurricane Ridge www.olympicnationalparks.com/ things-to-do/skiing-at-hurricane-ridge
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Rialto Beach has seastacks and a smooth beach. Hurricane Ridge is one of three ski resorts in a national park. Sol Duc Hot Springs has several pools. Hike through the Hoh Rainforest.
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Small, But Mighty
Retreat to Camano Island, a pint-sized nirvana for all manner of play written by Heather Larson
Camano Island State Park was built by locals in a single day.
IN 1949, A GROUP of 500 locals brought their tools and sweat equity to a beach site at Point Lowell on Camano Island and built a park in one day. Camano Island State Park became the first on the island, a place where residents and visitors could recreate. In 2007, Freedom Park, a 12,000-square-foot wooden playground, was constructed in five days by 1,000 volunteers. Camano Islanders love the outdoors and have developed some remarkable spots for all to enjoy. The island feel remains rural, peaceful and mostly undiscovered, yet there’s enough to do to keep you on-island for however long you stay. A ninety-minute drive from Seattle—no ferry ride required— the “easy island” stretches to almost 16 miles in length and extends 6 miles at its widest point. Edged by Port Susan on the east and Saratoga Passage on the west, water sports flourish. The ideal genesis for your marine adventures is The Center for Wooden Boats at Cama Beach Historical State Park. Not only can the experts there tell you where to see whales, they’ll also rent you a boat. 100 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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For swimming, wading, beachcombing and sunbathing, proceed to Iverson Spit Waterfront Preserve. Be aware of the tides, though, or you could get stranded on the mud flats. Both state parks (you’ll need a Discover Pass, good for a year at $35) also have miles of shoreline open to the public. Beaches and a multitude of other locations make ideal hiding places for “clue balls.” Great Northwest Glass Quest, an annual event that takes place each February, draws eager treasure hunters. A found clue ball holds directions to claim your limitededition Glass Quest Ball crafted by Mark and Marcus Ellinger, a father-son glass-blowing duo. To view the Ellingers in action, visit their studio in Stanwood, just across the bridge from Camano. Trade a land view for one on high by ziplining at Canopy Tours Northwest on the Kristoferson Farm. A few short hikes interspersed with six ziplines and a belay from a century-old cedar tree at the end will stir up your adrenaline. In 1912, Alfred Kristoferson bought 1,400 acres on Camano where he maintained a thriving dairy farm. Today, the fourth
CAMANO ISLAND, WASHINGTON
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EAT Cama Beach Café www.camabeachcafe.com The Baked Café www.thebakedcafe.com Pub 282 www.pub282.com Rockaway Bar + Grill www.rockawaycamano.com Camano Commons Marketplace www.camanocommons.com
STAY Camano Island Inn www.camanoislandinn.com Cama Beach Historical State Park www.parks.state.wa.us/483/ Cama-Beach Camano Island State Park (cabins) www.parks.state.wa.us/408/ Camano-Island-State-Park Sea Mist Waterfront Inn www.seamistwaterfrontinn.com
PLAY Ziplining www.canopytoursnw.com The Center for Wooden Boats www.cwb.org/cama Camano Island State Park www.parks.state.wa.us/484/ Camano-Island
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Matzke Gallery and Sculpture Park has 10 acres of outdoor art. The landmark crab sign greets visitors at Camano Commons Marketplace. Blown glass is there for the taking, thanks to the Great Northwest Glass Quest.
generation of the family runs the business. One of the farm’s signature events, Dinner in the Barn, showcases local ingredients and chefs Donna King and Jeremiah Leighton with a five-course meal, plus wine pairings. You can continue your wine tasting at Dusty Cellars and Edward Lynne Cellars, or try some craft brews at Ale Spike Camano Island Brewery. Both wineries open to the public during the art tours held on Camano. Enchanted, fairylike and a place to spend hours and still not see it all, Matzke Gallery and Sculpture Park’s 10-acre display sends you around bushes, behind trees and straight ahead to discover what sculptors have conceived. Feel free to return, because depending on the time of day or season, the sculptures change in appearance. New ones are also added. Don’t forget to stop at the indoor gallery, which features the brightest
artistic talent from the Pacific Northwest, the United States and Japan. One last stop to visit Jennifer Short, a veterinarian and chief bee wrangler at Camano Island Honey. Find out what she’s doing to save the bees and pollinators. Schedule a tour, if you have a keen interest, by calling or emailing ahead. When rest calls to you, the hot tub and luxury guest rooms at Camano Island Inn will reinvigorate you for your next island adventure. Equally as restful, with the waves slapping the shore and the cleansmelling air, are the beachfront cabins at Cama Beach Historical State Park. A trip to Camano Commons lets you take in the perfect number of calories of ice cream, baked goods or a full meal. Pick up some handcrafted items to remind you of an offthe-charts vacation.
Kristoferson Farm www.kristofersonfarm.com/ about/our-events Matzke Fine Art Gallery and Sculpture Park www.matzkefineart.com Camano Island Honey www.camanoislandhoney.com Camaloch Golf Course www.camalochgolf.com Hike Cranberry Lake Trail www.hikeoftheweek.com/ new/cranberry-lake Iverson Spit Waterfront Preserve www.camanoislandinfo.com/ iverson-spit-preserve Camano Island Coffee Roasters www.camanoislandcoffee.com/ roaster-tour Great Northwest Glass Quest www.greatnwglassquest.com Glass Quest www.glassquest.com Whidbey Camano Islands www.whidbeycamanoislands.com
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CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Wave sculptures at Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. Get a morning caffeine boost at Slate Coffee Roasters. A street vendor prepares food at the Ballard Farmers Market.
Seattle’s Ballard The city’s hottest ’hood still has hints of its heritage written by Naomi Tomky photography by Austin White
WALKING DOWN Ballard Avenue on a Friday night offers an accurate representation of today’s Seattle—trendy restaurants spill their sushiseeking, cocktail-drinking diners into the street, new condominiums poke up behind them, and a Tesla looks for parking. But the history woven into the fabric of this neighborhood—one of the hottest real-estate neighborhoods in the country—lurks around every corner. It comes in the form of the old industrial warehouses that now play host to craft breweries, the fishing boats that pass through the locks, and the hints of Scandinavian heritage barely visible to those who know where to look. All too often, visitors to Seattle look out on downtown from the doubledigit floor of their hotel rooms, where the streets are near silent after 7 p.m. and the few non-chain restaurants cater to the tourist palate, serving overcooked salmon and fried fish assumed to be appropriate in a seaside city. But Seattle’s not that kind of city. Instead, it spreads its wealth among neighborhoods, stashing James Beard Foundation Award-winning chefs in Capitol Hill and Georgetown, scuttling away up-and-coming musicians in Columbia City and Fremont. And the best way to see the city’s finest is by basing oneself in a single neighborhood—like Ballard, just 15 minutes north of downtown—and exploring from there.
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Long after the city of Seattle annexed Ballard in 1907, the one-time Nordic fishing village fought to hold onto its identity. But as it lingered on, Ballard became not only entirely integrated, but the best example of the quintessential Seattle neighborhood in a city centered on them. The main drag, Ballard Avenue, seems to sprout a new restaurant at least once a month, but it sets up shop next to places like Hattie’s Hat, which pre-dates the neighborhood’s annexation. The streets no longer ring with Scandinavian accents, but you can still find the famously stinky, air-dried specialty lutefisk if you know where to look—when you’re done picking up the much nicer-smelling hot cider, doughnuts, and flowers from the Sunday farmers market.
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Diners get brunch at Brimmer and Heeltap.
Day COFFEE • WATERFRONT • BREWS Slip into Seattle culture by starting your day at Slate, where the white walls and sleek modern look of the tiny space reflect the roaster’s coffee: light roasts designed to emphasize the flavors in the single-origin beans. For serious coffee drinkers and newbies alike, the baristas (despite their trendier-thanthou appearance) walk customers through the nuances of various roasts and preparations. For those who can’t bear conversation before coffee, the deconstructed espresso— served in a trio of wine glasses—is a fun, self-guided exploration of the drink. Once awake, head to Ballard’s best-known tourist attraction, the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. The gateway from the saltwater of Puget Sound to the freshwater of Lake Washington just celebrated its centennial, and continues to operate the busiest locks in the country. If you want more after watching salmon jump around the fish ladder, gawking at the bobbing boats waiting to pass through the locks, and wandering the garden, ranger-guided free tours leave from the visitors center. Continue your waterfront tour with a stroll (or cycle on one of Seattle’s many dockless bike shares) just less than a mile up the paved Burke-Gilman trail to Un Bien. The pink shack serves overstuffed Caribbean sandwiches slathered with aioli and spilling with caramelized onions. Grab your sandwich to go and continue along the trail to Golden Gardens beach. 104 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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In the summer, Golden Gardens teems with families at picnic tables during the day and young folks at firepits at night, but even in winter, an al fresco meal eaten against the backdrop of the snow-capped Olympic Mountains spiking up from behind the Sound makes it worth putting on a parka. Whether you need to warm up or cool down after your picnic, Ballard’s many breweries have just the beer for it. In the early ’80s, Redhook set up shop here, starting a beermaking tradition in the neighborhood that has recently picked up speed. Award-winning breweries like Reuben’s Brews stand next to homebrewers like Obec Brewing making their first public foray. The combination of affordable large buildings—Obec’s previously held a pickleball warehouse—and enthusiastic audiences has allowed more than a dozen taprooms to flourish. Many, like Stoup, which makes some of the city’s best IPAs (the calling card of any Northwest brewer), allow children and dogs and often have a food truck parked out front, providing an ideal place to while away an afternoon. When you’ve almost had your fill, head back to where you started the day—across the street from Slate, Brimmer and Heeltap spins Korean flavors and Northwest ingredients into bar food. Smoked fingerling potato salad with pickled shishito peppers and miso aioli shares the table with pork chops dressed in marinated Fuji apples, all ferried from the open kitchen by warm, friendly servers.
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CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Enjoy beers and board games at Mox Boarding House. Asadero Steakhouse grills up steaks over mesquite wood. Eggs top a breakfast skillet from The Fat Hen.
Day NORDIC HISTORY • BOARD GAMES • LIVE MUSIC Join the line of locals outside The Fat Hen as early as possible to avoid waiting any longer than necessary. Order a coffee when you put your name down, then settle into the seats outside while you wait for your chance at sizzling skillets of baked eggs afloat in bubbling tomato sauce, housemade yogurt and thick toasts slathered in creamy ricotta over which to plan your day. The National Nordic Museum has opened a new facility that will give you the inside scoop on the original occupants of the area. Stop into the Ballard Library (a striking building capped with a sweeping green roof of 18,000 plants) to pick up The Ballard Historical Society’s short self-guided walking tour of old buildings. Finish off at Scandinavian Specialties, one of the few remaining commercial representations of the heritage, to browse angelica soap, dala horses, and lip balm that asks, “Got lutefisk?” (The shop does, along with pickled herring, Viking bread and lingonberry preserves.) For dinner, again aim early to avoid the crowds at Asadero, a Mexican steakhouse—or plan to pop down the block to play
board games at Mox Boarding House while you wait. Asadero grills up steak over mesquite wood, charring the beef and blessing it with a distinct south-of-the-border savory flavor. Served on hefty boards with soft tortillas and a bowlful of beans, the crowning touch here comes from the salsa bar. Customize your tacos with stone-ground salsas, pickled peppers and a rainbow of garnishes. Finish the evening with a little live music, choosing from the elegant jazz of Egan’s, the modern country of the Tractor Tavern, or the dive-bar rock of Sunset Tavern. All are within a few blocks of both Asadero and Ballard’s duo of boutique hotels. The Ballard Inn offers artfully designed European rooms, with or without shared bathrooms, in a historic building (you’ll learn about it on your walking tour), though is somewhat limited in amenities. The Hotel Ballard’s unique multi-use building means people staying in the luxurious rooms have access to a full gym, spa and swimming pool, as well as underground parking and a roof deck with a fireplace and stunning view. 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 105
trip planner FROM LEFT Small plates from Café Munir. Explore the Ballard Farmers Market on Sundays.
Day BALLARD NEIGHBORHOOD, IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
MARKET • COCKTAILS • AFFORDABLE EATS EAT The Fat Hen www.thefathenseattle.com San Fermo www.sanfermoseattle.com Café Munir www.cafemunir.blogspot.com Un Bien www.unbienseattle.com Brimmer and Heeltap www.brimmerandheeltap.com Slate www.slatecoffee.com Asadero www.asaderoprime.com
STAY Ballard Inn www.ballardinnseattle.com Hotel Ballard www.hotelballardseattle.com
PLAY Hiram Chittenden Locks www.ballardlocks.org Golden Gardens Park www.seattle.gov/parks/find/ parks/golden-gardens-park Ballard Historical Society www.ballardhistory.org Ballard Farmers Market www.sfmamarkets.com
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On Sunday mornings, the neighborhood’s centerpiece, Ballard Avenue, closes to vehicle traffic and transforms into a street market. Local artists, busking musicians, farmers from the surrounding area, and artisan food producers set up booths in the center of the street for the day. Start your morning with a stroll, stopping for a morning kombucha (fermented tea) or hot apple cider. At the edge of the market, duck in for lunch at San Fermo, housed in one of the last quaint old homes on the street. Serving Italian-inspired dishes often made with vegetables from the same farms selling outside and pairing prosecco-based cocktails, the refreshingly adorable restaurant makes a nice break from the market crowds. Powered by prosciutto and zeppole (Italian doughnuts), head back out to Ballard Avenue to check out the brickand-mortar shops. From used mountaineering equipment at Ascent Outdoors to clothes cool enough for a night out at Ballard’s hottest bars at Horseshoe, Ballard’s boutiques, vintage stores and consignment shops have treasures for truly every type. If this jam-packed weekend has you feeling overspent— in dollars or energy—Café Munir’s affordable chef ’s menu will cure what ails you and send you home refreshed. Hidden in the northern corner of Ballard, this Lebanese restaurant celebrates Sundays by sending out three courses of its vegetable-forward food as part of a set meal. The parade of mezzes (small plates), grilled meat skewers, and Arab desserts provides as good a toast to a weekend in Ballard as any extensive collection of whiskey—though they’ve got that here, too. 2020
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Ingrid Barrentine/ Grit City Photography
Olympia is a quiet corner of the I-5 corridor, with scenic views and good coffee.
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Small-Town Stunner Olympia is on the path to trendiness written by Naomi Tomky
SITTING AT THE bar at Dillinger’s, the upscale cocktail bar built in an old bank building, I asked my bartender, Donny Drake, what Olympia was missing. “Lots and lots of people,” he answered. As the I-5 corridor’s big cities grow up, Olympia has quietly and consistently kept its core intact. Washington’s capital remains the same as it’s been for years, now with a few fancier trappings (like the cocktail bar). You can still duck into bars and listen to bands that might someday be famous—the future SleaterKinney, Bikini Kill or The Gossip—but now you can pre-game with oysters shucked to order. The town’s best beers still brag about using artesian well water, but mass-market pale ale is out and microbrew IPAs have taken its place. As Olympia eases along the path to trendiness that Seattle and Portland paved—gaining a food hall, a food truck pod and a cutting-edge coffee roastery—it does so at its own pace. The town of just over 50,000 refurbishes historic buildings into modern uses, offers reinventions of businesses that have been around for years—like the farmers market, which has been going for more than forty years—and welcomes newcomers to see the old stuff, be it in antique malls or historic landmarks. Spend three days in Olympia, and you’ll walk from one edge of downtown to the other a half-dozen times, and like Drake, you’ll think to yourself—passing the uncrowded waterfront path—“Why aren’t there more people here?” But then you’ll book a last-minute hotel room, saddle straight up to any bar in town, and think about how nice it is to be in a city that gives you a little bit of space.
Day COFFEE • ANTIQUES • BEER Olympia’s coffee scene, like so many in the Northwest, is world-class, starting with the flagship Olympia Coffee
Roasting Co. The downtown location, opened in 2015, shares its obsession with coffee quality through the glasswalled roastery and in every cup. Nitro cold-brew kegs, various pour overs, and a view into the inner workings of a coffee company make this a pleasant place to pause before starting the day in earnest. The city has a walkable trail of antique shops through downtown. Start just up the block from the roastery at Finders Keepers Antique Mall, where forty booths sell everything from high-end dinnerware to heaps of old buttons. If that’s not enough, within a few blocks are the Courtyard Antique Mall and Peacock Vintage. For lunch, return to the modern era with a stop at 222 Market, the food hall that follows the national trend to bring marquee restaurants and food shops under a single roof. Chelsea Farms, a second-generation family business, brings its fresh bivalves straight from the source to its oyster bar here. Dig into shucked-to-order platters of signature Chelsea Gems, sit at the beautiful bar, and wash them down with a bowl of chilled asparagus soup. Then it’s time to head off in search of further beverages—while there’s a budding wine scene, this has long been a beer town. Olympia Beer started bragging about its well water-brewed 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 109
Ingrid Barrentine
Olympia Tumwater Foundation
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FROM LEFT Three Magnets Brewing has some of the best beers around. Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls is ten minutes away, but feels a bit like wilderness.
beer in 1896, and the legacy—and slogan, “It’s the water”— remain prominent today. Well 80 Brewhouse promotes the strongest ties to the well-water roots of Olympia beer, and the enormous restaurant caters to families. Three Magnets, a few blocks away, has more of a traditional taproom feel and the best beers by far. It does have a kid-friendly restaurant section, but the taproom is the best place to sample the halfdozen or so IPA options. For those willing to go farther afield, Top Rung, in Lacey, is worth the trip. After an afternoon of beer tasting, come back to the center of town for a hearty plate of Rush In Alaskan Dumplings. The Russian dumplings, in flavors such as curry beef or buffalo, will do the hard work of soaking up all that beer and get you ready for a night exploring the Olympia nightlife—or hitting the hay back in the hotel.
Day SNACKS • OUTDOORS • COCKTAILS In summer, the Olympia Farmers Market rolls up the doors four days a week, but even the weekly Saturday market in winter remains a destination for visitors. The permanent, dedicated location gives a community feeling—and having a roof makes it 110 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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more palatable whatever the weather. Pick up a few snacks for a mini-hike and pop into Batdorf & Bronson for a cupping (the industry word for tasting) of its coffee beans. Then head down the street back to 222 Market to sample baked goods at the Bread Peddler. The wild yeast breads, European-style pastries and rustic sweets and savories pile up along the counter, a feast for the eyes before becoming a feast for the stomach. From there, head out for a taste of nature and history at Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls, a quick ten-minute drive south from the market. The 15-acre park offers short trails starting at the falls themselves, with labeled native plants, historic building markers and footbridges. Look up to see the original Olympia Brewery building. Stop at one of the benches and dig into your picnic supplies from the market before heading back into town. Pop into Dillinger’s, the newly expanded cocktail bar in one of the town’s oldest buildings. The Security Building, from 1927, once held a bank. Owner Sandy Hall embraced that history in putting together a Prohibition-era theme for the bar. Drinks like the “This is a Shrobbery” (mezcal, tequila, strawberry and lemon) play on the theme, and the original vault has a table for people who like to drink behind 6-inch thick concrete walls. Dinner is eclectic, including okonomiyaki (Japanese pancakes), local crab cakes and pork and grits, but worth sticking around for.
Poppi Photography
The Chelsea Oyster Bar in 222 Market has oysters shucked to order.
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EAT Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar www.chelseafarms.net/oyster-bar Our Table www.facebook.com/OurTableOlympia
Hands On Children’s Museum
OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON
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Nineveh Assyrian www.nineveholympia.com El Pulgarcito www.restaurantelpulgarcito.com Old School Pizzeria www.oldschool-pizzeria.com
STAY The Governor Hotel www.coasthotels.com Swantown Inn & Spa www.swantowninn.com Hilton Garden Inn www.hiltongardeninn3.hilton.com
PLAY Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls www.olytumfoundation.org Olympia Farmers Market www.olympiafarmersmarket.com Capitol Building www.olympiawa.gov Hands On Children’s Museum www.hocm.org Little Creek Casino Resort www.little-creek.com
Kids can experience Puget Sound marine life up close at Hands On Children’s Museum.
Day BRUNCH • KIDS TIME • PIZZA If you have little ones with you, reward them for their patience with a stop into the Hands On Children’s Museum. Olympia’s kids museum trumps both the Seattle and Portland versions and is worth a trip on its own, with crafts, local-themed activities and elaborate water exhibits. Older kids and adults can skip that in favor of a trip to the state capitol building, which offers free daily tours. Cap off the trip with a casual meal at a local favorite. Decorated with retro 112 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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memorabilia, Old School Pizzeria has been slinging slices since 1995. Long a favorite hangout of college students, it’s the sort that exists in every town, but gives as good a flavor of a place as any hyper-local, farmto-table spot. It’s the kind of place where high school kids drink endless soda and their college peers drink beers while small children crawl about, where the people who are here, the ones who aren’t missing out, gather for pies.
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Bellevue has a big-city buzz all its own.
Off the Beaten Path The Eastside has its own great restaurants, wine and culture written by Sheila G. Miller
YOU’VE SPENT TIME in Seattle. You’ve watched them throw the fish, marveled at the view from the top of the Space Needle, maybe even caught a sunny day when the city lights up and everyone’s in short sleeves. Now it’s time to do the surprisingly nearby, and chic, suburbs. We picked Bellevue, Kirkland and Woodinville for our foray into the bedroom communities that make up the region.
Day COFFEE • CULTURE • BARS In Bellevue, start your day at Third Culture Coffee. This spot, which opened in 2017, is already wildly popular thanks to its ethically sourced coffee and tea from around the world. If you seek a caffeine buzz that’s a little international, try an Indian filter coffee poured hot with condensed milk or a New Orleans iced coffee thick with chicory. Properly caffeinated, a good stop for a bit of culture is the Bellevue Arts Museum. The
museum started as an art fair, and didn’t have a permanent home until 2001. The light-filled space contains a constantly rotating set of exhibits, and the museum takes an open-minded approach to the styles and types of art it features—a recent exhibit included a re-creation of a band’s van intricately crafted entirely from cardboard. If you’ve got a good weather day, check out the Bellevue Botanical Garden.
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Merrill Images
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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Kirkland has five waterfront parks with beach access, perfect for kayaking on Lake Washington. The Bellevue Arts Museum has constantly rotating exhibits. Lady Yum makes macarons seem necessary.
The 53-acre public park is free and open from dawn until dusk, and in it are a variety of gardens, from a contemplative Japanesestyle space to an area filled with rhododendrons. Finally, refresh with a beer from one of Bellevue’s breweries— Bellevue Brewing Company has great beer with the added bonus of an extensive menu that offers an idea of the right beer to pair with the meal. Another option is Resonate Brewery & Pizzeria, which is a gem hidden away in a strip mall neighborhood. Go looking for it and leave satisfied. And remember, there’s always Tavern Hall, a great beer spot that also happens to have great bar food (loaded fries, shishito peppers, grilled cheese).
Day SHOPPING • MINI-GOLF • MACARONS You know Kirkland as the namesake of Costco’s store brand. It’s a lot more than that. Located on the shores of Lake Washington, this city has five waterfront parks with beach access. You can rent a boat or go on a boat tour along the lake, or kayak or standup paddle on a nice day. Beyond the water, the city has a lot to offer. Head downtown to browse through the shops that line the main drags. Purpose Boutique combines shopping with philanthropy, as portions of your purchase are donated to an anti-trafficking organization. Or try Ragamoffyn’s Women’s Consignment Store, where you can find high-end and designer clothing cast off and ready for you to step into. Asher Goods has stylish men’s goods, and Prim & Prawper Pets has everything you didn’t know your dog needed. 114 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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Flatstick Pub is a great stop if you’re looking to add a little athleticism to your beer drinking. There are twenty-four Washington beers on tap, plus an indoor nine-hole mini-golf course with hazards and obstacles. No stop in Kirkland is complete without a macaron at Lady Yum. With fifteen regular flavors (salted caramel, s’mores, honey lavender, to name a few) and about five rotating seasonal or monthly flavors, there’s a treat for even the most discerning palates. Bonus—grab a glass of champagne and stay awhile. After all, macarons are best when eaten immediately (and in large quantities). For dinner, Volterra is the place to eat. The restaurant and its chef, Don Curtiss, were made famous by a wild boar tenderloin in a gorgonzola sauce. But the entire Tuscan menu and exceptional wine list in this charming restaurant are worth trying. Don’t sleep on the pork jowls or the lobster risotto, either. After all that delicious food, you’ll need a little exercise. Head for the Cross Kirkland Corridor, a new-ish gravel trail, running a little less than 6 miles. It was once a rail line, and today it’s a 10-foot-wide crushed gravel trail that connects the entire city. While on the trail, there’s good news—a delightful brewery backs right up to it. Run, walk or ride your bike until you hit Chainline Brewing’s backyard deck, then belly up for a beer or two at this unassuming spot. Currently, the brewery is tucked into an office park which hides its beautiful barrel system picked up from a hotel lobby setup in Japan (really). Soon, the brewery will operate a twenty-barrel system just a few blocks away. Chainline is a little different from your average Pacific Northwest brewery in that it focuses on lagers and pilsners—though like any brewery in Oregon or Washington you’ll definitely find an IPA on tap.
Woodinville Warehouse District is ground zero for winemaking in the area.
Day TASTINGS • PAIRINGS • FORAGED FOODS Woodinville is about a lot more than wine, but let’s just say the wine makes the stop momentous. It is vital that you make time to eat at The Commons Kitchen and Bar. You will likely have to wait for a table, as this is a popular spot. Trust me, it’s worth it—the bacon is crispy, the pastries are flaky, the juice is fresh squeezed. After brunch, my husband and I debated whether it’d be weird to go back for dinner that night and also breakfast the following day. In Woodinville, wine tasting begins after breakfast. In fact, wine tasting before noon isn’t considered gauche. Unlike places like Oregon’s Willamette Valley or Sonoma and Napa in California, which often have you traversing long country roads between wineries, Woodinville brings the wine to you. In the Hollywood District, there are nearly three dozen wine tasting rooms, many in the same buildings. The Warehouse District is where the magic actually happens—that is, where much of the wine gets made and bottled and shipped. During busy times of the year, you can see wineries sharing equipment or its people lending each other a hand. Your best bet is to focus your efforts in the Hollywood District, where you can grab bites and sips at a variety of storefronts, all within walking distance. Begin at Guardian Cellars, founded by a police officer with a love of wine. Bordeaux-style blends here have names like Gun Metal and Alibi, and
they’re delicious. Around the corner, sit on the heated patio at Patterson Cellars and try some truly spectacular wines, including a Sangiovese that tastes much more expensive than its price tag. Head chef Javin Bakke has also created experiences with food that are totally over the top—pair your wine flight with a tray of cheese, fruits and crostini, or charcuterie and roasted veggies. Better yet, match them up with jcoco chocolates for dessert. Other tasting rooms, including William Church Wines, àMaurice Cellars and Gorman Winery, offer equal delight. There’s nothing wrong with going old school and checking out Chateau Ste. Michelle, the state’s oldest winery complete with a chateau and beautiful grounds that make you feel like you’re in a more traditional setting for wine-tasting. If your taste buds are wined out, there’s Woodinville Whiskey Company right up the road and Métier Brewing, a special place making very special beer. For dinner, check out Barking Frog or The Herbfarm, both on the grounds of Willows Lodge. At Barking Frog, you’ll find a comfortable but upscale restaurant with wooden beams and rustic style, but the food is anything but casual—it’s local and modern. The Herbfarm offers ninecourse dinners filled with foraged and fresh ingredients and wine pairings. Make sure to stay over at Willows Lodge for a grand finale you didn’t know you needed.
BELLEVUE/KIRKLAND/WOODINVILLE, WASHINGTON
Richard Duval
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EAT Volterra www.volterrakirkland.com Tavern Hall www.tavern-hall.com Lady Yum www.ladyyum.com Barking Frog www.willowslodge.com/barking_frog The Herbfarm www.willowslodge.com/herbfarm _restaurant The Commons Kitchen + Bar www.thecommonscafe.com
STAY The Willows www.thewillowslodge.com Heathman Hotel Kirkland www.heathmankirkland.com
PLAY Third Culture Coffee www.thirdculturecoffee.com Bellevue Art Museum www.bellevuearts.org Bellevue Botanical Garden www.bellevuebotanical.org Flatstick Pub www.flatstickpub.com Chainline Brewing www.chainlinebrew.com Patterson Cellars www.pattersoncellars.com Guardian Cellars www.guardiancellars.com
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Bellingham Calling This maritime city has all the makings of a great visit written by Nancy Zaffaro
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A ROAD TRIP begins as soon as you see home fade in the rearview mirror. But for me, a trip to the maritime city of Bellingham in Whatcom County starts when I pull onto Chuckanut Drive for an incredibly scenic entry into town. I lived in Bellingham a long time ago. We rented a house on an acre in town, and a neighbor taught me how to make jam and can vegetables. Historic Fairhaven was a great place to hang out and Western Washington University offered live music and lectures. We traversed the hiking trails, picnic spots and small towns along Mt. Baker Highway, which ends well before the 10,781-foot, snow-capped peak. We explored the towns of Blaine, Birch Bay, Lynden, Everson, Lummi Island and Point Roberts. The following year, we bought a house north of town on 5 acres with large stands of cedars and Douglas firs, an eighteen-wheeler repair shop and a great view of the sunset. I planted a huge garden. My son was born in Bellingham, and I made good friends there. Bellingham has grown considerably since then in population and offerings. Situated between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., this coastal city of less than 90,000 has a flourishing waterfront and has maintained the best of its maritime culture. The city’s waterfront is lined with inviting parks and trails, yet Squalicum Harbor is also the second largest in Puget Sound.
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Nancy Zaffaro
SCENIC DRIVES • SHOPS • MASSAGE
Bellingham sits on Bellingham Bay.
Chuckanut Drive was first built in 1896, and, once off I-5, this scenic drive starts with expansive farmland views. Stop in for a coffee and pastry (try the lime-polenta cake) at Farm to Market Bakery in Bow before continuing on. The road soon climbs into forests of cedars and firs and offers peekaboo views of the bays and the islands beyond. Park the car at Larrabee Park and take one of the short trails down to the sandy beach. Cliffside homes dot the remainder of the road before it drops into Historic Fairhaven. Established in the late 1800s, Fairhaven was originally a separate village—it became part of Bellingham in 1903. Fairhaven has gone a little more upscale in recent years, but retains its relaxed alt-culture and village vibe. Brick buildings from the late nineteenth century, flower baskets on street lamps, and even a bit of cobblestone street under foot. Wander a bit before deciding where to have lunch. You have a wide range of options available. Colophon Café is a Village mainstay. Weather permitting, sit outside on the patio adjoining the Fairhaven Village Green. This expansive public square hosts free outdoor concerts and movies. If you make one shop-stop, visit independent bookstore Village Books and adjoining
gift shop Paper Dreams, which have been around since 1980. Gallery West, Three French Hens and Current & Furbish are worth poking into as well. Lodging options are abundant in Bellingham, and The Chrysalis Inn & Spa is a great choice. Overlooking Bellingham Bay and the new Taylor Boardwalk, this boutique waterfront hotel is walking distance to most of the sites you’ll visit in town. The natural wood-beamed and wood-paneled lobby and original Northwest art create an ambience that’s both elegant and cozy. The spa has massage and other spa treatments, and you can’t go wrong with a eucalyptus steam room. Check in, take a break, and then head over to Taylor Dock. The boardwalk makes a semi-circle out into the water, offering great views and putting you right out on the water. Stroll adjoining Boulevard Park and its 2-mile waterfront trail that connects Fairhaven and downtown Bellingham. Return to the Inn for a cocktail and dinner at Keenan’s at the Pier, the hotel’s restaurant. Grab a window seat indoors or enjoy patio waterfront seating. The menu offers the best of the region’s fresh ingredients. Catch the sunset, if you can. 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 117
Charity Burggraaf
Visit Bellingham
Visit Bellingham
Nancy Zaffaro
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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Historic Fairhaven has food, drink and shopping options. Willows Inn on nearby Lummi Island is a culinary experience. Access the island via ferry. Whatcom Museum has a hall of birds.
Day LUMMI ISLAND • CHOCOLATES • BEER CRAWL Start your day with a coffee and something light at Woods Coffee near the hotel. Then head over to Gooseberry Point to catch the Lummi Island Ferry. The Whatcom Chief ferry makes 6-minute trips back and forth to serve visitors, parttime residents, and its year-round population of 900. Do check the ferry schedule. Lummi Island’s charms belie its landmass of fewer than 10 square miles. There are a handful of artist studios, places to stay, a post office and fire station, a Grange Hall and elementary school, and the cozy Beach Store Café. Lummi Island is also the site of the Willows Inn. The Inn has been around since 1910, but with renowned Chef Blaine Wetzel at the restaurant’s helm since 2011, the restaurant has drawn international recognition and awards. Dedicated foodies in the mood and ready for a splurge should plan on spending the night and make reservations well in advance for a truly memorable, three-and-a-half hour, twenty-course tasting menu dinner experience. The restaurant is also open for lunch. We enjoyed a cocktail with a house-cured charcuterie and cheese board, halibut rillettes, and pickles, nuts and olives. There were two wonderful salads composed of produce grown in the restaurant’s own garden. House-made hunter’s sausage and black bread were next. Dessert was ice cream with berry compote. Again, call ahead—the Inn closes for part of the winter. 118 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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Return to the mainland and head over to downtown Bellingham. The iconic Whatcom Museum is an easily recognizable landmark. Originally the Old City Hall building, the museum’s exterior red brick and rich wood interiors are stunning. The regional photo gallery and exhibit on the area’s maritime history are excellent. While you’re wandering, take time to notice the public sculptures, as well as some of the murals by local artist Gretchen Leggitt. Make a stop for top-tier chocolate confections and true Italian gelato at Kevin Buck’s Chocolate Necessities. The shop is near the landmark Mount Baker Theatre. Buck has been in business for more than thirty years. He uses only the finest grade of Callebaut Belgian chocolate. In addition to bar chocolate and truffles, I picked up a big bag of cocoa powder and now can’t imagine using anything else. If you haven’t yet tried thick, European-style drinking chocolate, this is the place to start what may very well become an addiction. Bellingham has a vibrant array of cafes, restaurants, lounges, craft breweries, wine bars and distilleries. If you’ve got a taste for pizza, La Fiamma Wood Fired Pizza is excellent. Have a bit of a pub crawl with stops at Aslan Brewing Co. and Boundary Bay. Twin Sisters Brewing Company is a popular brewpub with expansive indoor and outdoor space.
BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON
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EAT Farm to Market Bakery www.farmtomarketbakery.net Colophon Café www.colophoncafe.com Keenan’s at the Pier at The Chrysalis Inn & Spa www.bit.ly/keenansatthepier Willows Inn Restaurant www.willows-inn.com Beach Store Café www.beachstorecafe.com Woods Coffee www.woodscoffee.com Aslan Brewing Company www.aslanbrewing.com Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro www.bbaybrewery.com
Visit Bellingham
Twin Sisters Brewing Company www.twinsistersbrewing.com La Fiamma Wood Fire Pizza www.lafiamma.com Drayton Harbor Oyster Company serves “tide-to-table” oysters.
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Drayton Harbor Oyster Company www.draytonharboroysters.com/ welcome-1 Atwood Ales www.atwoodales.com
HIKES • ICE CREAM • OYSTERS Start your final day with breakfast at another town favorite, the Birch Door Café. Get a little hike in at one of the city’s many nature parks right in town. Lake Padden Park’s trail makes a 2.5-mile trip around the lake. Whatcom Falls Park has 5.5 miles of trails. If time allows before you have to head home, drive north to the town of Blaine. Long-viewed only as a Canadian border crossing, Blaine is enjoying a burst of entrepreneurial energy that’s transforming the town. Head over to Edaleen Dairy on the town’s main street, Peace Portal Drive. Ed and Aileen Bransma have six locations in the county and their ice cream is a local favorite. Or maybe you want to end your trip with a reminder that Bellingham and Whatcom County is, above all, influenced and fed by the sea. Drayton Harbor Oyster Company serves up tide-to-table oysters harvested from their farm less than a mile off the coast. The oysters couldn’t
The Birch Door Café www.birchdoorcafe.com
be more fresh—they’re harvested that morning right before opening for the day. (Father-and-son team, owners Steve and Mark Seymour, post the current record—13 minutes from sea to store as of this writing!) Try the oysters raw with homemade mignonette sauce, grilled with a choice of toppings, or in a bowl of oyster stew. Bounty from next-door neighbor, Kaisacole Seafood, adds to the menu with shrimp and other occasional specials. There are wine, sodas, kombucha and beer—including an Oyster Stout, made in collaboration with Blaine brewery Atwood Ales. Check hours and you may be able to visit the nearby Atwood farm and tasting room. The comfortable, newly renovated brick-and-mortar shop is just the place to sit back and take in the waterfront views. Heading southbound, you’ll pass the Fairhaven exit that would put you back on Chuckanut Drive. If you don’t want to take the twisting, turning route again, it will be there to enjoy on your next trip to Bellingham.
Edaleen Dairy www.edaleendairy.com
STAY The Chrysalis Inn & Spa, a Curio Collection by Hilton Hotel www.bit.ly/chrysalisinn The Willows Inn www.willows-inn.com Hotel Bellwether www.hotelbellwether.com Fairhaven Village Inn www.fairhavenvillageinn.com Silver Reef Casino Hotel www.silverreefcasino.com
PLAY Lummi Island Ferry www.co.whatcom.wa.us Whatcom Museum www.whatcommuseum.org Chocolate Necessities www.chocolatenecessities.com Village Books and Paper Dreams www.villagebooks.com Current & Furbish www.currentandfurbish.com Three French Hens www.threefrenchhens.net Gallery West www.artgallerywest.com
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Deception Pass is postcard pretty.
On Island Time Whidbey Island may be close to Seattle, but it feels a world away written by Jean Chen Smith
WITH ITS IDYLLIC green landscape, Whidbey Island lies approximately 30 miles north of Seattle between the Olympic Peninsula and the SeattleMetro corridor of Western Washington. Off the beaten track and offering a slower pace than the San Juan Islands, Whidbey’s terrain is diverse—offering access to beaches, rolling hills and farmland. The northern stretch of the island is anchored by the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, where jets can be heard zooming across the sky throughout the day. As you navigate to the central and southern parts of the island, you will find boutiques, art galleries and farm-to-table dining experiences. Easily accessible by ferry and perfect for a long weekend escape, pack your bags to discover this coastal allure for yourself.
Day BIRD SANCTUARY • BISTRO • THEATER Head out early and take the ferry at the Mukilteo Terminal. Once on Whidbey, begin exploring in the town of Langley, also known as the village by the sea. Take a drive to Earth Sanctuary, a 72-acre nature reserve and sanctuary for birds and other wildlife. Founder Chuck Pettis created the space to offer a sacred place for peace, renewal and spiritual connection, and it includes reflective ponds, megalithic sacred spaces, sculptures, a labyrinth, a Native American medicine wheel and an authentic Buddhist stupa. Earth Sanctuary is open to visitors every day of the year during daylight hours, and costs $7 per person. 120 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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Day SHOPPING • CAFE • FARMHOUSE DINNER After breakfast at The Saratoga Inn, where the menu changes daily, head up to First Street for some shopping. Soleil carries an assortment of scarves, gloves and totes in addition to soaps and candles. Owner Susan Ishikawa, a longtime Langley resident, always looks forward to meeting the visitors to her store and speaking about the island’s history. Be sure to stop in at The Star Store, where you can find natural foods and eclectic souvenirs ranging from Whidbey Island sweatshirts to mugs and fine wine. Browse Callahan’s Firehouse and Glassblowing, a menagerie of delicate, beautiful hand-blown glass. The gallery also offers glass-blowing classes by appointment. Drive over to Flower House Café for a bite to eat. The cafe serves local coffee from Useless Bay Coffee Co. and has a fullservice espresso bar. Don’t miss the avocado toast on a whole grain baguette, which is deliciously simple and quick. Next door is Bayview Farm & Garden, a cute spot with items for the home 122 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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D. Broberg
Head to Prima Bistro for lunch. The menu is French-inspired with Pacific Northwestern influences and focuses on locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. Don’t miss the Penn Cove mussels à la marinière with a side of house-baked bread. If you’re looking for something a little more casual, you’ll want to head over to Prima Bistro’s sister restaurant, Saltwater Fish House & Oyster Bar, which serves fish and chips and a specialty—the Maine lobster roll. Take in a movie at The Clyde Theatre, built in 1937 at the height of the Depression. The theater isn’t only a piece of history right on the main road in Langley, it also gives back to the community. The Magic Change Jar, perched on top of the snack counter, is where customers can place their extra change or tips and the amount will be matched by the theater along with other local businesses. The jar has reached upwards of $8,000 in donations so far. Rest your head at the Saratoga Inn, a delightful bed-and-breakfast located right in the heart of downtown. While all rooms are pleasant and cozy, some have excellent views of the waterfront. A full homemade breakfast is served each day between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.
Mark Swatsell
As you navigate to the central and southern parts of the island, you will find boutiques, art galleries and farm-to-table dining experiences.
and garden. Small batch and mostly local products are the highlight here. You’ll want to spend your last night in Langley doing something special. Book a dinner at The Orchard Kitchen for an exquisite farmhouse dining experience. The restaurant uses produce mostly grown on its farm. Chef and owner Vincent Nattress and his team also work closely with local farmers and vintners to present the four-course menu, which highlights the season’s bounty. Each dinner is served family style and seats thirty-two guests. There is something so intimate and engaging about the atmosphere that I started talking to the couple seated right next to me as if we were old friends. Reservations highly recommended.
Day BREAKFAST • HIKING • MUSSELS A thirty-minute drive from Langley is Coupeville, one of Washington’s oldest towns. Two popular films, “The War of
WHIDBEY ISLAND, WASHINGTON
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EAT Prima Bistro www.primabistro.com Saltwater Fish House and Oyster Bar www.saltwaterlangley.com Flower House Café www.bayviewfarmandgarden.com/ flower-house-cafe.html The Orchard Kitchen www.orchardkitchen.com The Oystercatcher www.oystercatcherwhidbey.com
STAY Saratoga Inn www.saratogainnlangley.com Blue Goose Inn Bed and Breakfast www.bluegooseinn.com
the Roses” and “Practical Magic,” were filmed in town, which is only a little over 1.2 square miles. What it lacks in size, it makes up for in charm, with restaurants, shops and plenty to do. Head out to The Bluff Trail at Ebey’s Landing and check out the stunning landscape as you hike the 5.6 miles roundtrip. Situated on a bluff overlooking the majestic Puget Sound, the hike is not for the faint of heart, as trails can be narrow and steep, but you will be rewarded with gorgeous views like none other on the island. In the heart of downtown Coupeville is The Oystercatcher, serving a farm-to-table menu in an elegant space. With dishes ranging from local Penn Cove mussels to pan-roasted duck and market fish of the day, there are options for everyone in your party. Chef Tyler Hansen and his team showcase the flavors of local farms of the region. Don’t miss the oyster po’ boy, served with radish slaw and tartar on a warm brioche bun. Stay at the historic Blue Goose Inn Bed and Breakfast, two beautifully restored Victorian homes that offer modern amenities. Each room is furnished with period antiques, private baths, comfortable sitting areas and original artwork. The best
Michael Stadler
Jean Chen Smith
PLAY CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Orchard Kitchen serves intimate family-style dinners. Prima Bistro’s Penn Cove mussels are fine dining. Earth Sanctuary has a Buddhist stupa on site. The Bluff Trail at Ebey’s Landing is narrow and challenging but offers sweeping views. Blue Goose Inn Bed and Breakfast is composed of two Victorian homes.
Earth Sanctuary www.earthsanctuary.org The Clyde Theatre www.theclyde.net The Bluff Trail at Ebey’s Landing www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/ ebeys-landing Deception Pass State Park www.parks.state.wa.us/497/ Deception-Pass
part about the small inn experience is the breakfast, which the Blue Goose does wonderfully. A hot gourmet breakfast is prepared from scratch daily with fresh, local ingredients. On my trip, the peach jam was made from peaches freshly picked from the inn’s own backyard. As you depart, you can retrace your drive back to Clinton to catch the return ferry to Washington. Or you might continue heading to the north end of the island to Deception Pass, which separates Whidbey Island from the northwest part of Washington. Be sure to stop by Deception Pass State Park, the state’s most visited state park, to explore Goose Rock. A hike to the top of Goose Rock will put you at the highest point on Whidbey Island, allowing for breathtaking views. If you aren’t up for the 4.3-mile roundtrip hike, check out North Beach Trail, which also offers great views and access to a walkable sandy beach. Either way, you will be smitten by Whidbey Island’s charm and already planning your return.
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Hide Away in the Skagit Valley Eat, play and toast in this thriving agricultural community between the mountains and the sea written by Jen Sotolongo
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Skagit Valley is world renowned for its tulip festival.
THE WORD “SKAGIT” means “to hide away” in the native tongue of the Lushootseed Salish tribe that inhabited the land before pioneers arrived. Situated an hour north of Seattle, between the Cascade Mountains and the Puget Sound, the Skagit Valley has some of the lushest soil in the state. The fertility of the land has galvanized a passionate community that produces a cornucopia of agricultural products found only in this special pocket of the state. If indulging in foods plucked from the ground or sea that day, nurturing a nature fix in mountains that inspire awe from all angles, or watching for wildlife along the rocky shores of the Puget Sound is your idea of a hideaway, then plan a few days in the Skagit Valley.
Day HIKES • BOUNTY • SMALL TOWN My dog, Sitka, and I began our trip with a hike in Little Mountain Park in Mount Vernon. This gem features 10 miles of trails. Drive to the top and begin by making the short walks to both the south and north viewpoints. From the south, the observation deck displays panoramic views of the lower Skagit Valley, Whidbey and Camano islands, the Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. The north viewpoint features Padilla Bay, the San Juan Islands and Mount Baker. Several trails begin here, with varying degrees of difficulty. After working up an appetite, I popped into C-Square Bistro, managed by the Skagit Valley Food Co-op next door. C-Square serves Northwest-style meals sourced from local farmers and producers. Chilled from the soggy hike, I warmed up with a turmeric latte. My solstice tacos came piled so high with vegetables, they required a fork. On our way to the Heron Inn in charming La Conner, I kept an eye out for the famous snow geese that flock to the Skagit Valley each winter. Sitka and I were greeted with warm hospitality before sneaking away to take advantage of the cozy fireplace and Jacuzzi tub in my spacious room. The hotel was less than a half block from the main drag, so we took a spin around town, peering into galleries and gift shops, before running into the marina. Famous for hosting the annual Tulip Festival, La Conner also attracts a vibrant art culture. For dinner, I decided on Seeds Bistro. Chef Jason Custer works with regional farmers and fishermen to bring guests seasonal meals. At the suggestion of my server, I went with the Brussels sprouts and “beets by Jay” from the small plates menu. I ate my meal piece by piece, to savor the simple yet complex flavors. It was one of those meals that left me sad to finish the last bite. 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 125
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Day SLOUGHS • BEER • BREAD Feeling refreshed from a solid sleep, I headed downstairs to indulge in the Inn’s chia pudding, bowls of fruit, lentil and quinoa porridge and assortment of veggies. Today, we planned to visit several breweries located on the Skagit Valley Ale Trail, but first, we walked off my meal at Padilla Bay. The 4.4-mile walk follows the bay where the Skagit River meets the Salish Sea. Birders will revel in the constant flutter of busy waterfowl swooping overhead. The birth of Skagit Valley Malting, in 2011, led to a rise in craft breweries, distilleries, cideries and meaderies that take advantage of the local grain. Today, the Farm to Pint Passport encourages beer lovers to visit all fourteen breweries to earn a souvenir pint glass upon completion. I started off at Bastion Brewing in Anacortes, which produces a variety of beers ranging from lagers to ales to Belgian-style beers, as well as the occasional sour. Owner Joe Behan began as a homebrewer with zero restaurant experience who grew his business under the guidance of a book. I made a stop at the famous Breadfarm bakery to pick up some bread, at the behest of my parents. Next up was Terramar in the tiny but vibrant town of Edison. Once a slaughterhouse and a Russian Mafia chop shop, reminders of the brewery’s history show in artifacts left behind, like the rusted Mafia truck displayed in the dining area. Ready for lunch, I ordered a pizza alongside my beer sampler tray. For my third stop, I headed to Garden Path Fermentation, a hyperlocal project that makes beer, wine, mead and cider. The goal here is to source all ingredients from within 10 miles of the tasting room, including 100 percent native Skagit Valley yeast, which means no two beers are ever the same. Last on my beer tour was Farmstrong Brewing Company, named the Skagit Valley’s best brewery four years in a row. In addition to beer, the brewery is also home to the Ragged & Right Cider Project, which uses apples grown in the valley. I stayed for dinner—tacos served by the on-site food truck, Los Cachanillas. 126 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Willowbrook Manor owner Terry Gifford serves tea and scones. C-Square Bistro specializes in local food. Cypress Island is accessible by water and open only to foot traffic. Terramar Brewing’s building is full of history.
SKAGIT VALLEY, WASHINGTON
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EAT C-Square & Third Street Cafe www.csquare.coop/ third-street-cafe Seeds Bistro www.seedsbistro.com Terramar Brewing www.terramarcraft.com Gere-a-Deli www.gereadeli.com Terramar www.terramarcraft.com
STAY The Heron Inn & Day Spa www.theheroninn.com Willowbrook Manor www.teaandtour.com
PLAY Little Mountain Park www.littlemountainpark.org Padilla Bay Trail www.wta.org/go-hiking/ hikes/padilla-bay
That evening, I checked into the Willowbrook Manor, a chamomile farm and English tea house located off the North Cascades Highway. My room, the loft above the garage, was adorned with retro appliances and repurposed materials from the renovation of a nearby high school gym.
Day TEA • WATER TAXI • EXPLORING Having arrived in the dark, I awoke to a stunning stone manor set on an expansive property in the shadow of the Cascades. While owner Terry Gifford made a batch of scones for our morning tea, Sitka and I took a walk along the Cascade Trail located right outside the property. Upon our return, the smell of freshly baked blueberry and rosemary scones lured me inside the estate. I was instructed to select a tea cup of my choice and a tea to complement those scones. When a divorce left Gifford in need of a way to earn income, she used what she had at her disposal—a giant house on a large property—and developed Tea and Tour. Experiences begin with morning tea and
scones and progress to bike rides ranging from 10 to 100 miles, showcasing the history and scenery of the region. Come summer, guests can enjoy glamping in High Camp, a luxurious tent with hot water, a cozy bed and gas fireplace. Sitka and I had a boat to catch, so we departed for Anacortes, stopping at Gere-aDeli to pick up a sandwich for lunch. We met Stephanie Fernandez, owner of Skagit Guided Adventures, who would take us on a hike around Cypress Island. Accessible only by water taxi and private boat, Cypress Island sees relatively few visitors and permits only foot traffic. Ninety percent of the island is protected by the Department of Natural Resources, making it the largest, mostly undeveloped island in the San Juans and an important wildlife habitat for bird and marine species. We trekked along 5 miles of trail through coastal rainforest and maple groves and past a small lake. We paused for a seaside lunch with views of the Salish Sea, Mount Baker and the North Cascades before making our way back to the boat launch. Fulfilled from a day of trekking in such a special place, we loaded back into the car already planning our return.
Cascade Trail www.skagitcounty.net/ Departments/ParksAndRecreation/ parks/cascadetrail.htm Skagit Guided Adventures www.skagitguidedadventures.com
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Cape Disappointment State Park’s lighthouse overlooks “the graveyard of the Pacific.”
Long Weekend at Long Beach The Long Beach Peninsula is beautiful, quiet and a perfect spot for a getaway written by Lauren Kramer
WHEN YOU IMAGINE quiet walks along a seemingly endless shoreline, sandcastle building with little hands digging next to you, serene, ocean-inspired meals and blissful silence but for the whoosh of the waves, you’re picturing Long Beach Peninsula. This 28-mile tongue of land cradled by the Pacific Ocean, Willapa Bay and the Columbia River binds a handful of sleepy communities that feel lost in time and almost completely unchanged over the years. Come for the soothing melody of the ocean, the joy of biking through sand dunes with the wind in your hair and the exhilaration of forest hikes to jaw-dropping vistas. If you love the beach, three days on this little-known peninsula will calm your soul, intrigue you with its history and leave you breathless with its beauty.
Day BIKING • BEACHES • WINDOW SHOPPING We checked in at Adrift Hotel, a beachside property where the waves are so close that earplugs are placed in each bedroom, in case guests can’t sleep through the tumbling sound. Meticulously remodeled in recent years, Adrift offers complimentary beach bikes, making for an irresistible way to explore the coastline. We took to the Discovery Trail, an 8-mile paved bike path that winds through the sand dunes, past bright yellow bursts of fireweed, alongside dune grass blowing in the wind and sandpipers scurrying close to the shoreline. At the peninsula’s southernmost hamlet, Ilwaco, stop for lunch and a salty cucumber cocktail at the Salt Hotel & Pub, a harborside restaurant 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 129
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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT At Pickled Fish, the food and views are a perfect match. The Discovery Trail and others offer solitude. Fish and chips are the perfect order at Long Beach.
where the ahi tuna on the tacos is reeled in straight from the water. Stroll along the harbor and it’s easy to tell that fishing is Ilwaco’s main attraction. Starting in May, sturgeon- and salmonfishing charters depart daily from the port, taking anglers out in search of a great catch. While there isn’t much shopping on the peninsula, the majority of retailers are situated along Long Beach’s colorful Pacific Avenue. Cool off after an invigorating bike ride with an ice cream cone and wander between the galleries, gift shops and souvenir stores filled with unique treasures. Don’t miss a visit to Marsh’s Free Museum, a hard to miss, one-of-a-kind store that combines seaside curios with a collection of preserved animal heads, unusual antiques and photographs of the area from bygone days. Like most shops on the peninsula, this one has an undeniably quirky personality. Folks eat early here, so don’t wait ’til late before you head out for a meal. The Depot Restaurant, five minutes down the road from Long Beach in Seaview, is a great choice for an intimate meal. The restaurant is run by Michael Lalewicz, one of a handful of talented chefs who have made their home on the Long Beach Peninsula. You can’t help but bump into history in these parts. The Depot’s building started as a platform station in 1888 for the railway system that moved visitors between the peninsula’s communities. The train schedule and other historical paraphernalia are displayed on the restaurant walls and make for interesting reading as diners tuck into king salmon, ribeye meatballs, housemade hummus and a range of dishes prepared with a level of skill and careful ingredient-sourcing that defies this relatively isolated location. 130 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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Day HIKES • LIGHTHOUSES • HISTORY Start your day with an energizing smoothie at Roots Juice, Java & Salads in Ilwaco, a roadside espresso stand that whips up a fabulous liquid breakfast but also serves hearty avocado sandwiches easily eaten on the go. Your destination, Cape Disappointment State Park, is one of several places on the peninsula with an intriguing name. It was named Disappointment by Captain Meares in 1788, when he failed to cross the bar where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. A notoriously dangerous crossing, it’s a place where millions of gallons of fresh water collide with ocean swells, creating waves that reach heights of 40 feet. Thanks to dense fog, fierce currents and a shallow, shifting sandbar, some 2,000 vessels have sunk here since 1792, earning it the nickname “the graveyard of the Pacific.” One of the many picturesque beaches at the park, Dead Man’s Cove, earned its name because of the sailors’ bodies that would wash up on its shores. There’s a fabulous array of forest hikes at Cape Disappointment, with trails that lead uphill to its two lighthouses, and down toward the sand dunes and the beach. On the coastal forest loop trail, the sheer girth of trees at least 200 to 300 years old is compelling, while the hike past Dead Man’s Cove to Cape Disappointment lighthouse has a series of spectacular scenic overlooks, each better than the one before it. For dinner, head to Pickled Fish at Adrift Hotel for fried fish, chips and microbrews overlooking the rolling waves.
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EAT Pickled Fish www.pickledfishrestaurant.com The Depot Restaurant www.depotrestaurantdining.com 42nd St Café & Bistro www.42ndstcafe.com Roots Juice, Java & Salads www.facebook.com/ilwacoroots
STAY Adrift Hotel www.adrifthotel.com Shelburne Hotel www.shelburnehotelwa.com At The Helm www.atthehelmhotel.com Salt Hotel & Pub www.salt-hotel.com
PLAY Oysterville Sea Farms www.willabay.com Cape Disappointment State Park www.parks.state.wa.us/486/CapeDisappointment
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP The beaches are long and quiet on the peninsula. North Jetty Brewery has tasting trays perfect for vacation. Oysterville Sea Farms sells bivalves straight from the bay.
Additional information www.visitlongbeachpeninsula.com
Day BIVALVES • BREWS • VIEWS Tuck into a hearty omelet at the 42nd Street Café & Bistro, a cozy mom-and-pop eatery in Seaview, before you head north on Highway 101 for Oysterville. This super-small, quiet community with a population of 17 has an interesting past, thanks to its delicious bivalves. In 1855, the oyster trade was so strong that the growing town had a school, college, newspaper, courthouse and church. By the 1880s, however, the oyster beds were declining and Oysterville gradually became the sleepy, national historic district it is today. Admire the beautifully preserved homes on a quick drive through its streets and pause for a walk around the cemetery to see the graves of its pioneers. Prominent among those tombs is that of Chinook Chief Nahcati, who first revealed the location of the rich oyster beds to those settlers. If you have a yen for bivalves, visit Willabay at Oysterville Sea Farms, the last oyster cannery in the peninsula, where
clams, crabs and oysters, harvested the same day, can be eaten on the deck overlooking the beautiful Willapa Bay. We hunkered down for a historic night at the Shelburne Hotel in Seaview, the oldest hotel in continuous operation in the state. With its wood-paneled walls, stained glass windows and original clawfoot tubs, the Shelburne’s fifteen rooms date back to 1896 and have been lovingly preserved and restored. Work off dinner at the hotel’s fine dining room with a walk on Seaview beach at sunset, and before you head home, be sure to sample some of the innovative alcoholic beverages being crafted on the peninsula. Adrift Distillers in Long Beach has a delectable cranberry liqueur and a selection of great gins and whiskies, while the North Jetty Brewery & Tap Room’s raspberry hef is a light, fruity brew perfect for a summer afternoon. 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 131
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134 Coeur d’Alene 136 Ketchum + Sun Valley 138 McCall 132 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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McCall is a skier’s paradise.
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I Left My Heart in Coeur d’Alene A beautiful off-season run at Coeur d’Alene written by Kevin Max
I LEFT FOR Coeur d’Alene with three things on my mind— running trails, exploring the culinary scene and chilling at the resort. It was November and off-season, and gone was the summer throng of golfers, lake-bound boaters, paddleboarders and water skiers. Here were cool temps with a fall sun above and a fraction of the usual number of people below. Coeur d’Alene Resort is a beautiful property on the shore of shockingly blue Lake Coeur d’Alene, perhaps best known for its famous floating fourteenth hole in the middle of the lake. But the resort’s retro feel takes you back and implores you to grab a cocktail and gaze out over its azure dreamscape. The mix of colors of the boats in the slips of the marina trigger a latent synesthesia in me and lingers. Less than a mile south of the resort is Tubbs Hill. There is a 2-mile loop trail that encircles the park, but I opted for a greater 134 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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perspective and took the summit trail to intersect with a maternal sunset that swaddled its offspring in soft yellow. In the morning, I walked to the nearby downtown coffee shop, Vault, to awaken my brain and work for a bit. Vault is everything you would want in a café—great coffee drinks, an enviable selection of pastries and a clean, modern style. Caffeine will get you so far, then it’s time to work on the rest of the brain through exercise. About 14 miles east of Coeur d’Alene is Marie Creek Trail, a quiet trail that, depending on the review, goes on for 9 to 14 miles. November is for solitude lovers. I was alone on a new trail with a million chandeliers of raindrops swollen with morning light falling around me. When I run, I never carry GPS for distance and rarely carry a phone or watch for time. I run until I think that the roundtrip distance will challenge me
COEUR D’ALENE, IDAHO
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EAT Daft Badger Brewing www.facebook.com/ daftbadgerbrewing Honey Eatery & Social Club www.honeyeateryandsocial club.com Crown & Thistle Pub www.crownandthistlepub.com Vault Coffee www.vaultcda.com Calypso’s Coffee www.calypsos-51266b. easywp.com Coeur d’Alene Resort www.cdaresort.com Angelo’s Ristorante www.angelosristorante.net/ menu.html
STAY Coeur d’Alene Resort www.cdaresort.com
PLAY Hike Tubbs Hill www.cdaid.org/tubbs-hill Run Marie Creek Trail www.alltrails.com/trail/us/ idaho/marie-creek-trail
on that day, then I turn around. Marie Creek Trail was a trail runner’s dream. In the Pacific Northwest, running’s two functions are to clear the mind and to justify the next craft beer. A town’s beer is its terroir and people in a pint. Daft Badger Brewing on North 2nd Street is a small brewpub on a residential block on the north edge of town. A Badgers Bounty IPA and a pulled pork sandwich put me in a good place to stroll downtown. There’s Crown & Thistle Pub, an impressively authentic British pub with Smithwick’s, Belhaven and Guinness on tap and live music acts to boot! There are many art galleries and some worth the visit. For my taste, Art Spirit Gallery on Sherman Avenue has the best curation of local and national painters, sculptors, photographers and textile artists. Mercifully, no landscapes. After buzzing in and out of countless boutiques, galleries and
Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course www.cdaresort.com
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CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Coeur d’Alene Resort sits right on the beautifully blue Lake Coeur d’Alene. Biking is easy in this area, especially on the 73-mile, paved Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes. Tubbs Hill has a summit trail perfect for sunsets.
other shops downtown, I headed back to the resort to dress for dinner and have a glass of wine. Honey Eatery and Social Club has a downstairs den with the feel of a speakeasy—dark, brickwalled, with well-dressed people sipping cocktails. I started with a glass of regional red wine and wild mushroom flatbread. For the mains, I opted for a cedar-roasted arctic char with roasted fennel-potato hash. I imagined the social club packed during the summer months and relished its quieter self. In the morning, I headed south of town to jump on the railtrail Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes. A 73-mile paved path, it starts on the south end of Lake Coeur d’Alene and runs northeast to the middle of the state and the northwestern tip of the Bitterroot Range. Most people opt to cycle the mostly flat and scenic trail, but I was on foot and launched into another easy run through some of Idaho’s most scenic areas. 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 135
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Ketchum and Sun Valley Hitting up the best slopes in Idaho written by Kevin Max
The Limelight Hotel opened in January 2016.
THE PROBLEM WITH Ketchum and Sun Valley is there are too many things to get after if you’re on the outdoorsy-to-athletic arc. Let’s deal with the obvious first—Sun Valley Ski Resort is the stuff of dreams, reveries that go back to the roots of alpine skiing in this country and figures as broad as history itself. As mining was fading in the 1930s and the valley was losing population, Averell Harriman, of the Union Pacific Railroad and Secretary of Commerce under President Truman, had an interest in the success of the Wood River Valley. Harriman recruited Austrian nobility in the form of Count Felix Schaffgotsch to site a world-class ski resort in Ketchum. Schaffgotsch declared the surrounding slopes perfectly suitable for skiing, developed them, built the Sun Valley Lodge and invited glamorous Hollywood stars out for winter fun. The dirty little secret is that Count Schaffgotsch counted himself a Hitler supporter. He soon decamped to fight on the wrong side of the war and was killed in the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942, as Soviets crushed the Nazi attack. Permit me this one insensitivity—we got a nice ski resort out this and one that is Hollywood’s winter home. Today, the resort is an iconic destination with 3,400 vertical feet, ten lifts and more than 100 trails. The ski lodges are built for ages past and future—big wood beams, brass fixtures, massive chandeliers, stone fireplaces in a collision of comfort and opulence, Lodge and Jazz eras. Let’s not forget Wood River Valley’s best skiing. Up the Sawtooth Scenic Byway heading north from town is the Nordic 136 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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mecca at Galena Lodge. North Valley and Galena trails and Wood River trails are free and open to the public. The mountains that tilt off the highway are known as the Boulder Mountains, despite their smooth and boulderless appearance. One runs out of names, I suppose. A fairly serious competition of crosscountry skiing happens in this valley each February. In flattering spandex, competitors in the Boulder Mountain Tour glide 34 kilometers down the Harriman Trail from Galena Lodge. It’s not for everyone, but a spectacle for onlookers nonetheless. Try the full-moon dinners at Galena Lodge December through March. You get a four-course dinner served at communal tables in a remote lodge in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. For a surprising bit of culture in this mountain town, check out the Sun Valley Opera. This is an intimate way to see top musical acts for a high-browed thrill. Strolling downtown Ketchum is a simple pleasure of its own. On Main Street, too many places demand the attention of a drink or two—Pioneer Saloon, Sawtooth Club, Whiskey Jacques, Despo’s for Mexican and margaritas. My favorites include the Ketchum Grill, a classic and good for noisy conversation; Il Naso for lively Italian cuisine in an intimate den; and the newcomer Town Square Tavern for upscale Middle Eastern dishes and well-traveled wines. Thrifting at the Gold Mine is always on the retail menu, too. Of course, there is the burgher of burgers, Grumpy’s just north on Warm Springs Road. Hoist a stein of
208 Images & Media
Dev Khalsa Photography
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beer, then tipsy-toe over to Ketchum Cemetery to pay respects to the writer’s writer, Ernest Hemingway. In A Farewell to Arms, Hemingway wrote, “If people bring so much courage to this world the world has to kill them to break them, so of course it kills them. The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places.” This is a good place and state of mind to swear out loud and then solemnly vow to re-read every Hemingway book. In a way, Ketchum is a historic fence line between two of its most remarkable past residents. Hemingway was fighting against fascists with words in the Spanish Civil War long before Schaffgotsch fought with guns for fascists. Ketchum and Sun Valley are top of mind for winter vacations but, by Zeus, summer may be the better season. I’ve been to Ketchum many times, but these trips were always built around skiing. Last July, my wife and I rolled into town over the Galena pass with an Airstream trailer in tow and down the spine of Highway 75, the scenic byway. Our daughters had a Nordic skiing camp there, yes, in summer, giving us time to play in Ketchum’s other season. We set up at Easley campground, 14 miles north of town. Wood River and North Fork campgrounds are just down the road and are also good options for camping. Easley, though, has a leg up with the Easley Hot Springs adjacent to camp. From the hot springs pool, you can soak in the Sawtooth National Forest, slow down and start to mend.
From Easley, it’s also a short drive to one of the most varied and scenic trail runs in the West. Fox Creek Loop spins out over 6.8 miles through stunning vistas of the Boulder Mountains, bombasts of wild flowers, shocks of white aspen and chars of recent burns. There are some wide-open stretches of this run that beg you to stop, walk and take it all in until electrical storms move in. If you’re spending any time in the area, this is one of the flagship trails for hiking or running, along with Adams Gulch and Pioneer Cabin. We spent the next few nights in town, where we decamped at Limelight Hotel. which opened in January 2016, and which is a destination luxury hotel with a modern, sustainable and clean vibe. Dogs are equally pampered guests. Limelight’s pool area is a great place to unwind with truffle fries, lamb lollipops and margaritas. Limelight is just a jog from another spectacular run. The Bald Mountain trail to the upper station of the Roundhouse Gondola gains 3,230 feet in the 5.3 mile-round trip. Run up and ride down. The ski resort operates the gondola from the end of June to the middle of September from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. If you want to take a different approach to recreation, Limelight is connected with Zenergy, the top fitness and spa in Ketchum, which has musical guests in the summer. Our night there, outside in the heat of summer and in the courtyard of Zenergy, a jazz singer crooned sultry songs of the soul that healed all broken places.
KETCHUM AND SUN VALLEY, IDAHO
FROM LEFT Find stellar nordic trails at Galena Lodge. Grumpy’s, in Ketchum, is the perfect place to grab a burger.
EAT Town Square Tavern www.ketchumtavern.com Grumpy’s grumpyssunvalley.com Il Naso www.ilnaso.com Ketchum Grill www.ketchumgrill.com Pioneer Saloon pioneersaloon.com
STAY Limelight Hotel www.limelighthotels.com/ ketchum Sun Valley Lodge www.sunvalley.com/lodging/ sun-valley-lodge Camp in Sawtooth National Recreation Area www.fs.usda.gov
PLAY Zenergy www.zenergysv.com Sun Valley Ski Resort www.sunvalley.com Nordic skiing at Galena Lodge www.galenalodge.com Easley Hot Springs Trail Running
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Winter Wonderland
McCall is more than just a summer stronghold written by Kevin Max
MANY PEOPLE TAKE McCall as a summer fling—paddleboards, water skiing and beach volleyball. They are half right. For fall and winter explorers, McCall is a playground and a cozy respite from everyday stress. McCall, once a brothel-and-booze warren of the early 1900s, underwent a transformation that put four-season recreation at the fore.
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Brundage Mountain Resort’s high base leads to a long ski season.
MCCALL, IDAHO
trip planner
EAT McCall Brewing Company www.mccallbrew.com Salmon River Brewery www.salmonriverbrewery.com Rupert’s at Hotel McCall www.rupertsathotelmccall.com The Narrows Steakhouse at Shore Lodge www.shorelodge.com/dining/ the-narrows-steakhouse
STAY Shore Lodge www.shorelodge.com Best Western Plus www.bestwestern.com
Burgdorf Hot Springs is a rustic outpost accessible by snowmobile in winter.
The small town on the edge of Payette National Forest curves around the southern bank of Payette Lake, 100 miles north of the bustle of Boise. To the northwest of McCall is Brundage Mountain Ski Resort, known for its high base, deep snow, a nearly 2,000-foot vertical drop, horse-drawn sleigh rides and elegant four-course dinners at the secluded Bear’s Den cabin. For those who prefer skinnier skis, McCall has fantastic groomed nordic trails nearby. Little Bear Basin, Ponderosa State Park and Jug Mountain Ranch are just a few areas where novice to novel skiers can kick and glide through amazing outdoor scenes. Due to its extensive trail network, McCall is also a mecca for fat biking and snowshoeing. Meadow Marsh in Ponderosa State Park is scenic and close. The park has 3.4 miles of snowshoe trails and another 12 miles groomed for nordic skiing. McCall’s winter appeal also comes from its warm, cozy retreats at the end of the day. Burgdorf Hot Springs is a bucket list destination. In winter, the resort is accessible only by snowmobile and has fifteen rustic cabins with wood stoves, firewood and spare furnishings. Both Cheap Thrills and CM Backcountry Rentals offer daily snowmobile rentals, but be prepared to spend $200 for the machine. On the more luxurious scale, The Cove, An Authentic McCall Spa and its
Brundage Bungalows www.brundagebungalows.com
immersion pools are the perfect way to shake off the cold. Nothing is more relaxing than soaking in the heated outdoor pool and watching snow as it falls silently into the water. Pop over to the excellent Narrows Steakhouse for a surf-and-turf dinner overlooking the lake. No town is civilized without a good local brewery … or two. McCall Brewing Company offers a panorama of McCall and Payette Lake. It has a more local feel than being down in the harbor with mapin-hand tourists. The beer, burgers and lettuce wraps are all top notch. Salmon River Brewery has a wood stove and an outdoor firepit to bring warmth and ambience to its lakeside views. But if we’re talking Old World charm with out-of-this-world views, Rupert’s at Hotel McCall is the dining venue. For small-town McCall, Rupert’s has a more cosmopolitan perspective, with duck confit crêpes, Himalayan momos and Basque croquetas. The McCall Winter Carnival is a colossal party in the cold. Started in the 1920s as the Payette Lake Winter Games, the carnival has live music and food, ice sculptures, Mardi Gras-like parades, a comedy show and a polar plunge. Thousands of people come out of their cozy places to celebrate in the outdoors. Nothing could represent McCall better.
Hotel McCall www.hotelmccall.com
PLAY Brundage Mountain Ski Resort www.brundage.com Burgdorf Hot Springs www.burgdorfhotsprings.com Ponderosa State Park www.parksandrecreation. idaho.gov/parks/ponderosa Bear Basin Nordic Center www.facebook.com/bearbasin The Cove, An Authentic McCall Spa www.thecovemccall.com
The Narrows Steakhouse at Shore Lodge wows with its Tomahawk Chop.
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Montana
142 Missoula 144 Bozeman 146 Billings 140 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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Bozeman Convention and Visitors Bureau
Fly-fishing opportunities abound near Bozeman.
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Long Rivers and Endless Peaks Missoula, Montana, is everything water, mountain, music and beer written by Abby Lynes
From the top of the “M” Trail, you can see the entire college town.
A LAID-BACK college town nestled in the hub of five mountain ranges, Missoula has a little something for everyone. With several big concert venues, art museums, a winding river and hiking trails in its backyard, there’s always something to do. Missoula has nearly every indoor and outdoor activity you could dream. It’s located at the confluence of three rivers and surrounded by seven wilderness areas, and you can kayak, raft or paddleboard your way through town. Missoula is also known as a cultural hub for the state, hosting concerts throughout the year and a monthly art walk downtown that the whole town seems to turn up to. Everything in Missoula centers on the Clark Fork River. For those 142 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
looking for adventure, there’s Brennan’s Wave, a manmade wave you’ll see surfers and kayaks on year-round. If a relaxing day in the sun is more your style, you can float down the Clark Fork or nearby Bitterroot or Blackfoot rivers on your chosen mode of transportation. When you’re ready to dry off and gain some elevation, there are plenty of trails in Missoula to take you right into the mountains. Among the most famous is the “M” Trail, which zig-zags up to the big, white “M” on Mount Sentinel, right by the university. Just short of a mile long, hike this trail just before sunset to get beautiful, panoramic views of the valley below. Trailblazers should also be sure to check out Blue Mountain, Pattee 2020
Missoula has nearly every indoor and outdoor activity you could dream. It’s located at the confluence of three rivers and surrounded by seven wilderness areas, and you can kayak, raft or paddleboard your way through town.
MISSOULA, MONTANA
Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development
trip planner
EAT Biga Pizza www.bigapizza.com Bernice’s Bakery www.bernicesbakerymt.com Burns St. Bistro www.burnsstbistro.com Caffé Dolce www.caffedolce.com Tamarack Brewing www.tamarackbrewing.com/ missoula Big Dipper Ice Cream www.bigdippericecream.com
STAY Shady Spruce Hostel www.shadysprucehostel.com DoubleTree by Hilton www.doubletree3.hilton.com The Ranch at Rock Creek www.theranchatrockcreek.com
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Big Dipper Ice Cream is a must-stop in the summer. Brennan’s Wave is a manmade wave in the Clark Fork River. Tamarack Brewing is the spot for beer. A Carousel for Missoula is a good stop for travelers with kids.
Creek and Rattlesnake recreation areas, all within a fifteen-minute drive of any point in Missoula, with opportunities for hiking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. And for those willing to venture a little farther, the Bitterroot Valley to the south and the Mission Valley to the north are surrounded by mountain ranges with pristine lakes and endless peaks. Once back in town, there’s plenty of shopping, eating, music and fun to be had. If you’re here on a Saturday, be sure to check out the farmers markets at multiple locations downtown. After, head over to the Hip Strip to buy vintage clothes at Betty’s Divine and stop by Bernice’s Bakery for a slice of cake. Foodies will also find a home in Missoula. Biga Pizza is always a crowd-pleaser, featuring locally sourced, handcrafted pizza. If it’s in season, ask for the Flathead Cherry Pizza—you won’t be sorry. For large servings and good beer, Tamarack Brewing is the place to be, and you can’t beat Caffé Dolce for brunch. If there’s one thing Missoula’s known for, however, it’s its beverage scene. For a classy
cocktail in a casual atmosphere, hit up Plonk, a wine bar, or Montgomery Distillery. If you’re looking for beer, Missoula has endless options. Start with a Cold Smoke Scotch Ale from Kettlehouse Brewery and let the locals tell you where to head next. Looking for more of a caffeine buzz? Missoula excels at coffee and tea alike. Black Coffee Roasting Company, Clyde Coffee and Butterfly Herbs are all sure to get you ready for a day of adventuring. If you’re in search of a cultural experience, Missoula has plenty to offer. You’ll see public art installations across the city, and Missoula Art Museum has free admission. The Historical Museum at Fort Missoula also provides background on the area, with lots of walking opportunities to wear out kids. Listening to live music is also a must in Missoula. National acts regularly headline at The Wilma theater and Kettlehouse Amphitheater, and you can see local and up-and-coming artists at the Top Hat most nights. There’s nothing better than ending a day of Missoula adventures than stomping your feet to some tunes at one of Missoula’s many music venues.
Holiday Inn Downtown Missoula www.ihg.com/holidayinn
PLAY The Wilma www.logjampresents.com/ venue/the-wilma Missoula Art Museum www.missoulaartmuseum.org Historical Museum at Fort Missoula www.fortmissoulamuseum.org Top Hat www.logjampresents.com/ venue/top-hat-lounge Rattlesnake National Recreation Area www.bit.ly/rattlesnakerecarea A Carousel for Missoula www.carouselformissoula.com Draught Works Brewery www.draughtworksbrewery.com Kettlehouse Brewery www.kettlehouse.com “M” Trail www.alltrails.com/trail/us/ montana/the-m-trail The Union Club Bar & Grill www.unionclubbarandgrill.com
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Where Rivers and Mountains Meet Bozeman, Montana, is an outdoor lover’s paradise
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As the sun sets and the air cools, Bozeman Hot Springs is a good next step, with twelve natural pools to rotate through. If it’s a weekend, you’re likely to catch some live music alongside the spa’s four outdoor pools. Head to downtown Bozeman for live entertainment. The historic Ellen Theatre and newly restored Rialto play hosts everything from a giant rock-and-roll puppet show to the newest take on classics like “Oklahoma!” or a band making the rounds. Those looking for Montana-themed grub should stop at Open Range. The menu features the West’s finest, including crispy duck confit, bison tenderloin tartare and venison chop. A Bozeman favorite is Montana Ale Works, with a solid rotation of the state’s beer and a menu to please anyone’s palate, from a local bratwurst plate to Asian ramen with tofu. Winter only adds to the valley. Bozeman’s closest ski mountain, Bridger Bowl, has some of the most technical skiing in the state and lessons for those new to the slopes. Fifty miles south is Big Sky Resort, one of the largest ski resorts out west, with 5,800 acres of terrain across four mountains connected by chairlifts. If downhill skiing isn’t your thing, cross country courses appear throughout Bozeman as snow collects. If you want to enjoy the crisp air without working up a sweat, check out local dog sled and horse-drawn sleigh tours. People with time to spare should explore Bozeman’s wild neighbors. Roughly thirty minutes east of town, beyond a grizzly bear rescue sanctuary and over a mountain pass, is Livingston—where artists and cowboys meet. Drive roughly an hour south and you’ll arrive at the entrance to the wonders of Yellowstone National Park.
MT Office of Tourism and Business Development
THERE’S A REASON people are discovering Bozeman. The town’s growing fast, but with fewer than 50,000 locals, Bozeman has held onto the character that comes with a small ski community framed by mountains. There are packed storefronts with places to eat, drink and find local creations, from leatherwork to plays with live symphonies. The sun rises over the Bridger Mountains and dips behind the Tobacco Roots with forty-three peaks reaching beyond 10,000 feet—what to do between those ranges is endless. For ambitious hikers, Sacajawea Peak is a 4-mile trip paired with a 2,000-foot elevation gain. Those who take on the trail are rewarded with views from the highest point in the Bridgers, Bozeman’s nearest range. Sypes Canyon Trail offers a less-steep family day hike. The 4-mile round trip weaves through a creek-fed canyon on the west side of the Bridgers and unfolds to rocky open sections and shady forests before it lands at an overlook of Bozeman. The trail is also conveniently on the way to one of the town’s more than a dozen breweries. MAP Brewery offers a view of the mountains you just climbed and a chance to recharge with a pint and a hot sandwich. The Gallatin Valley floor is where rivers meet, making it a haven for fly-fishing enthusiasts. Stop by a local fly shop to check out the latest fishing reports, then strike out to the blue ribbon Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin rivers. History buffs can head over Bozeman Pass toward the Yellowstone River, tracing the route William Clark’s team followed in the 1800s. Head underground to the Lewis and Clark Caverns with a guided state park tour. During parts of the year, you can explore the passages as its first discoverers did—by candlelight.
Travis Andersen
written by Katheryn Houghton
trip planner
BOZEMAN, MONTANA
AT TOP Bozeman is tucked among the Bridger Mountains. BOTTOM, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Lewis and Clark Caverns offers guided tours. Big Sky Resort is 50 miles south of Bozeman. Fly-fishing is a popular pastime.
EAT Backcountry Burger www.backcountryburgerbar.com Montana Ale Works www.montanaaleworks.com Bridger Brewery www.bridgerbrewing.com Dave’s Sushi www.daves-sushi.com Montana Fish Company www.mtfishco.com
STAY Treasure State Hostel www.treasurestatehostel.com Rainbow Ranch Lodge www.rainbowranchbigsky.com The Lark www.larkbozeman.com Silver Creek Cabins www.montanasilvercreek cabins.com
PLAY Emerson Center for the Arts and Culture www.theemerson.org
The Ellen Theatre www.theellentheatre.com The Rialto www.rialtobozeman.com Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park www.stateparks.mt.gov/ lewis-and-clark-caverns Bridger Creek Golf Course www.bridgercreek.com Walking Mountains Brewery www.mountainswalking.com The Molly Brown www.facebook.com/ themollybrown
Bozeman Convention and Visitors Bureau
MT Office of Tourism and Business Development
Museum of the Rockies www.museumoftherockies.org
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Chart a course through history or wilderness in this Montana town with an emerging beer and food scene written by Jayme Fraser The Rimrocks surround the city of Billings, and trails along them offer scenic views.
BILLINGS, MONTANA WAS DUBBED the Magic City for its expansive growth in the golden age of railroads, steamboats and cattle barons. Today, the moniker better describes the surprising variety of adventures in Montana’s unofficial capital. The city is a springboard for historical explorations and wilderness excursions. It also caters to those looking for good food, great beer and a taste of Old West culture, perhaps with kids in tow. Dramatic sandstone cliffs, known as the Rimrocks, cradle most of the city. Trails tracing its edge over scenic views of the Yellowstone River and three mountain ranges. On top of the Rims, walkers can find Yellowstone Kelly’s grave. At the bottom, they can hunt for the aging image of a crying face likely linked to stories about Sacrifice Cliff. The Smithsonian-affiliated Western Heritage Center offers “History Mysteries” that help people actively explore Billings’ past. The packets include photos, archaeological reports, oral stories from area tribes, maps and tourism brochures for nearby landmarks. Just outside town, families can find more than a hundred rock paintings at Pictograph Cave State Park, including some that hunters drew at least 2,000 years ago. Others are newer, illustrating men holding rifles. Pack a pair of binoculars for better viewing in each of the three caves. 146 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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History also adorns Pompeys Pillar, where William Clark carved his name into the stone in July 1806 before continuing his famous expedition west with Meriwether Lewis. Today’s explorers can plan day trips to Yellowstone National Park, three national forests, two national monuments, and numerous other wild areas. The region provides ample opportunities to hike, bike, climb, fish, and hunt—for game or for agates and fossils. To the southwest, the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness features nearly a billion acres of stunning granite peaks, hundreds of alpine lakes, and more than 700 miles of trails suited for both mountaineering and leisurely walks. The Beartooth Highway, whose switchbacks stitch across the Montana-Wyoming border, offers impressive summit views when June storms don’t bury the road in snow. Pack a picnic to eat at one of the overlooks or among the late-summer wildflowers. Depending on a traveler’s direction, drivers can coast down into Yellowstone National Park, renowned for its geysers and wildlife, or jaunt over to the artsy town of Red Lodge. Relax in the garden at Red Lodge Ales, share a massive margarita and pizza with friends at Bogart’s, or warm up with a steak and whiskey cocktail at The Pollard Hotel after a day of skiing. Golden plains and rolling hills stretch east of Billings toward the Little Bighorn and Rosebud battlefields, historic sites that
Chuck Haney
Base Camp Billings
BILLINGS, MONTANA
Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development
trip planner
EAT The Burger Dive www.theburgerdive.com The Fieldhouse www.thefieldhousemt.com La Tinga www.bit.ly/latinga Lilac www.lilacmt.com Walkers Grill www.walkersgrill.com
STAY The Northern Hotel www.northernhotel.com Carlin Hotel www.carlinhotel.com The Crossings Bed and Breakfast www.thecrossings.us
Montana State Parks
Kelly Inn and Suites Billings www.bwbillings.com Boothill Inn and Suites www.boothillinn.com
PLAY
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Little Bighorn National Monument provides reminders of the Plains Indian War. Big Dipper offers specialty ice cream, like tangerine sorbet. Pictograph Cave State Park contains rock paintings from 2,000 years ago.
serve as haunting reminders of the Plains Indian War. Books about the era, as well as modern Crow and Cheyenne artwork, can be found along the way at Custer Battlefield Trading Post. Hungry travelers who stop there can enjoy the stew and Indian tacos, or leave with a bag of frybread mix for home. Each summer, both the Crow and Northern Cheyenne tribes host numerous powwows and rodeos. August’s Crow Fair, which draws more than 50,000 visitors each year, is nicknamed “ The Tipi Capital of the World.” In Indian relays—known as “America’s first extreme sport”—daring racers ride bareback and, without stopping, leap onto a new horse for each lap. When it’s time to slow down or refuel, Montana Avenue in downtown Billings is a good place to start. The increasingly hip strip parallels the railroad that gave the city life in the 1800s. Within a 2-mile walk are six breweries, a distillery, a cider house and plenty of restaurants and bars.
Uberbrew, a family-friendly gastro pub, has earned six medals from the Great American Beer Festival in the last few years—quickly catching up on the state record of more than a dozen held by nearby Montana Brewing Company. Whiskey sippers should visit Trailhead Spirits to try the rye malt. Native plants such as bitterroot and sweetgrass make the award-winning Healy’s Gin unlike any other liquor. For the kids and kids at heart, the only thing better than visiting the Caramel Cookie Waffles bakery for the Dutchstyle treats is the specialty ice cream Big Dipper sometimes makes from the favorite local sweet. A block away, The Burger Dive dishes up creations like the Blackened Sabbath and I’m Your Huckleberry burgers, which have been honored by the World Food Championships and others. Or build your own for a reasonable price. Either way, you’ll be served a massive stack of garlic-drenched fries you’ll crave long after you leave Montana.
Western Heritage Center www.ywhc.org Pictograph Cave State Park www.stateparks.mt.gov/ pictograph-cave Yellowstone National Park www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm Pompeys Pillar www.nps.gov/nr/travel/ lewisandclark/pom.htm Custer Battlefield Trading Post www.laststand.com Last Chance Pub and Cider Mill www.lastchancecider.com Uberbrew www.uberbrewmt.com Montana Brewing Company www.montanabrewing company.com Trailhead Spirits www.montanadistillers.org/ member/trailhead-spirits Angry Hank’s Microbrewery www.angryhanks.com
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California
150 Yosemite National Park 152 Sonoma 154 The Redwoods 148 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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Vernal Fall in Yosemite National Park.
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California’s Crown Jewel Yosemite National Park has all the makings for outdoor adventure written by Sheila G. Miller
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Sweeping vistas are just one draw at Yosemite National Park. Mariposa Grove features Giant Sequoias. The Ahwahnee Hotel was built in the 1920s.
YOU’VE SEEN ANSEL ADAMS’ black-and-white photos. It’s time to bring those views to life. Yosemite National Park is one of those must-sees on the long list of the U.S.’s glories. At 1,200 square miles, it’ll take more than one trip (or two or three or four) to see it all, but you’ve got to start somewhere, the sooner the better. The national park, established in 1890, is in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California, a little less than three hours southeast of Sacramento (and closer to Fresno and Merced). It feels a world away from the central valley towns closest to it, thanks to jaw-dropping rock formations, waterfalls and meadows that stand out along each curve in the road. Yosemite is the third oldest national park in the United States, the result of naturalist John Muir and others lobbying Congress to protect it from grazing animals and other encroachment. More than 3 million people travel to Yosemite National Park each year, so be prepared for some crowds. But you can get 150 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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a bit off the beaten path and find nature and solitude. April through October is the most popular time to visit, though the park is open and mostly accessible—some roads will be closed due to snow—during winter. To get started, you may want to stop into the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center to get more information from rangers. From there, it’s a real game of Choose Your Own Adventure. If it’s beautiful views you seek, you have many options. Yosemite Valley is home to many famous views, though you should be prepared for traffic. The Tunnel View includes a photo-ready vista of El Capitan, Bridalveil Falls and Half Dome in the background. Or head up Glacier Point Road to get a sweeping view of the valley and Half Dome. For some serious waterfall-viewing, go in the spring during snow runoff. At more than 2,400 feet, Yosemite Falls can be seen from a variety of locations throughout the park. There are many other waterfalls throughout the park worth checking out.
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA
Kim Lawson
trip planner
EAT The Mountain Room at Yosemite Valley Lodge www.travelyosemite.com The Ahwahnee Hotel www.travelyosemite.com Jackalope’s Bar & Grill www.tenayalodge.com
STAY The Ahwahnee Hotel www.travelyosemite.com Tenaya Lodge www.tenayalodge.com Half Dome Village www.travelyosemite.com/ lodging/half-dome-village
PLAY Hiking Half Dome www.nps.gov/yose/ planyourvisit/halfdome.htm Checking out the views www.nps.gov/yose/ planyourvisit/touring.htm Communing with trees www.nps.gov/yose/ planyourvisit/sequoias.htm
If what you truly desire is to commune with giant trees, Yosemite has you covered there as well. The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, in the southern part of the park, has more than 500 trees that stand nearly 300 feet tall and are more than 2,000 years old. The grove is easy to access and there are a range of hikes to see more of the trees, ranging from easy to hard. Do note that Mariposa Grove is the biggest and most popular—two other groves of Giant Sequoias can be found in lesser-visited parts of the park. Tuolumne Grove is a 1-mile hike to see two dozen trees while Merced Grove requires a 1.5-mile hike to see the two dozen trees (and both hikes back are uphill, so be prepared). Beyond just looking at the scenery, if you have time in Yosemite you owe it to yourselves to get into it, by camping, fishing, hiking or going on guided tours. With the proper preparation and permit, you can hike Half Dome (this is a 14-
Kenny Karst
Damian Riley
Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad www.ymsprr.com
mile round-trip, strenuous hike that includes cables along a steep ascent at the end). There are plenty of other hikes that are less intense, including a 5-mile loop around Mirror Lake that provides incredible views of Half Dome. There are also 12 miles of paved bike paths in the park that offer other vantage points for incredible scenery. When you’re tapped out for the day, there are a variety of hotels and campgrounds inside the park. Certainly the most impressive is The Ahwahnee Hotel, built in the 1920s and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Or grab a canvas tent cabin (heated or unheated) in Half Dome Village. There are plenty of other hotel options in between. As for dining, you’ll find pretty high-quality fare—the dining rooms in the park’s lodges and hotels are your best bet for upscale foods and incredible views. Tenaya Lodge’s Jackalope’s Bar & Grill is also a good option. You’ll find grocery options in strategic locations throughout the park. 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 151
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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Sonoma City Hall sits at the center of the historic plaza. Benziger Family Winery practices biodynamic farming. Sonoma’s mission sits at the edge of the plaza. The California Cheese Trail has many stops in the area. The Francis Ford Coppola Winery has movie memorabilia.
A Phoenix From the Ashes Sonoma County won’t let a fire stop its spirit written by Sheila G. Miller A COUPLE YEARS AGO, Sonoma County and surrounding areas were crippled by a massive wildfire. Rolling hills were blackened, vineyards were damaged, and homes destroyed, but the fires did nothing to dampen the area’s spirit. Indeed, nearly every street-facing surface in the area still features stickers that say #SonomaStrong or handmade signs thanking firefighters for their help in saving residents’ homes. There’s no better way to support this community as it gets back on its feet than by spending some tourism dollars in the region. I was happy to oblige. Glen Ellen was particularly hard-hit by the fires. But the Jack London Lodge in Glen Ellen, where I stayed on a recent weekend, was spared. This renovated motel, tucked into a lush hillside, has charm, free breakfast, and one heck of a bar. Right up the hill from the lodge sits Benziger Family Winery, which is a great spot to learn more about how wine is made. The winery, which practices biodynamic and green farming, offers tram tours through the vineyards, into the winery and even a peek at the wine cave, all while tasting glasses of its wide variety of wines. Keep traveling up London Ranch Road and you’ll find Jack London State Historic Park. This is the author’s Beauty Ranch. He bought much of the acreage in 1905 with a dream of innovating agriculture, including with his pig palace, a circular pig pen he designed. The remains of the ranch, including ruins of the Wolf House and the winery, are compelling. They’re also the site of Broadway Under the Stars, a concert series that combines music, picnicking and wine. To get a true historic sense of Sonoma, swing through Sonoma Plaza, a national historic landmark that has the last Spanish mission, built by Franciscan priests in 1824 and established under a Mexican government that had recently gained independence from Spain. The historic adobe structures are open to the public. The plaza features a lot more than just history—it’s also chock full of top restaurants and shopping. Sit on the back patio of the girl & the fig for a croque monsieur or swing by El Dorado Kitchen for a weekend brunch—brioche french toast, 152 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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anyone? Then finish the tour at one of more than two dozen wine tasting rooms on the plaza, including Hawkes Winery, which has a bright patio for good people watching and some killer cabernet sauvignon. If you’re not a huge wine person, never fear—Sonoma and its surrounds have plenty of other activities to recommend. Heck, even the wineries have non-alcoholic options. For example, Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Geyserville has a movie gallery stuffed with memorabilia like Academy Awards and set pieces from “The Godfather.” It also has two beautiful swimming pools to escape the late summer heat. Know that if you’d prefer beer or cider (or even a cocktail), there are options aplenty—Lagunitas is based in Petaluma, and Russian River Brewing, of Pliny the Elder fame, has its brew pub in Santa Rosa. Lesser-known breweries also dot the region and offer tastings and tours, just like their famous winery friends. Maybe cheese is your thing? The California Cheese Trail features forty-four cheesemakers from all over the state, but
SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
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EAT the girl & the fig www.thegirlandthefig.com El Dorado Kitchen www.eldoradosonoma.com Sonoma Market www.sonomamarket.net Spinster Sisters www.thespinstersisters.com
STAY Jack London Lodge www.jacklondonlodge.com Astro Motel www.theastro.com AutoCamp Russian River www.autocamp.com MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa www.macarthurplace.com
PLAY The Barlow www.thebarlow.net The Cheese Trail www.cheesetrail.org BR Cohn www.brcohn.com Benziger Family Winery www.benziger.com Jack London State Historic Park www.jacklondonpark.com
nine of them are in the Sonoma area, and they’re filled with delicious ways to indulge. With its fine wine and estates built into the rolling hills, Sonoma County can seem like a moneyed place for the urban visitor. But remember, there are dozens of farms growing all kinds of crops and livestock hidden around the area. As a result, the farmers markets are divine, with offerings from local honey and fresh produce to artisan foods and handmade crafts. You can also find plenty of homegrown flavor at Sonoma Market, the locals’ grocery store, including some of the best Caesar salad dressing in history. A local friend and I headed one afternoon to B.R. Cohn, an understated winery in the hills of Glen Ellen. There, we had a wine and food pairing, then bought oysters from a man who brings his catch each day from Tomales Bay. We were similarly tempted by the winery’s excellent olive oils, which were the first produced in California in a century when B.R. Cohn started making them in 1990. While B.R. Cohn is a
great stop, it’s impossible to estimate just how many wineries are tucked around each corner. A good rule is to never go to more than four or five in a day (and four is a lot), and to remember that most of the fun is exploring a new setting and taking the time to enjoy the wine. Plus, really, there’s little bad wine to be tasted. On my list to check out this visit was the Donum Estate, which focuses on pinot noir and has an outdoor sculpture gallery throughout its 200-acre estate. This is not someone’s grandma’s art—this is Ai Weiwei, Keith Haring and Anselm Kiefer-level art. For a more hipster experience, Scribe is a reservations-only spot started in 2007. The wine is great, the vibe is very cool, and the last time I was there I sat in a giant tree swing. Or try Three Sticks Wines, another reservation-only spot but this one right in downtown Sonoma. Located in the VallejoCasteñada Adobe, the winery offers tastings and food pairings and is a tremendous example of historic preservation. Bonus: the wines are delicious. 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 153
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California Redwoods
History and therapy among the giants written by Kevin Max
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Driving through the trees elicits a big “wow.” Battery Point Lighthouse dates to 1856. Guinness enjoys the trails through the Redwoods.
THE CALIFORNIA REDWOODS are tree history writ large. The first time you drive through the giant sequoias and walk beneath them brings, at first, a silent shock that recedes to awe— being humbled in the presence of something extraordinary. The exclamation “Wow!” must have been uttered here first, summoned from pure reaction without diction. The sheer size of a Redwood—wow! The 16-foot trunk is wider than my car. This one is twice the width of my car. Getting out of the car, the next dimension unfolds—wow! This tree is 300 hundred feet tall and as thick at the top as at the bottom. The Redwoods are 206 square miles of massive stakes driven into the forest floor as a history marker of America. The oldest, at 700 years old, were there when Karuk, Yurok, Hupa and Tolowa tribesmen hunted among them. They were there when Spaniards sailed in, bringing religion and disease, as the number of humans in their shadows were culled by 90 percent. They were there at the arrival of people with paler faces after the 154 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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Mexican-American War and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, then the passage of horses and carts carrying gold-miner pans and broken dreams on the unwitting march to manifest destiny. Trees store sugar, cellulose and carbon, even environmental data. Imagine if they could play back memories. Then there’s me, standing in awe of it all. Just be in the Redwoods, I tell myself, and you, too, will be part of the historic memory, another atom cast in carbon and stacking up through the canopy like a natural Tower of Babel. As we drove south from Oregon, we stopped on a whim in Cave Junction. Good things happen here. Cave Junction is home to Taylor’s Sausage, a fifth-generation craft salumi. The deli’s walls are made of carnivore dreams—refrigeration cases filled with packages of beer sausage, bockwurst and boudin blanc. We grabbed a pack of jalepeño sausages and Taylor’s version of English bangers, hoping to impress a British friend at dinner in a couple of nights. Across the deli and on a stage surrounded
CALIFORNIA REDWOODS
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EAT Hiouchi Cafe, Crescent City www.hiouchicafe.com Taylor’s Sausage, Cave Junction www.taylorssausage.com SeaQuake Brewing, Crescent City www.seaquakebrewing.com
STAY Jedediah Smith State Park www.parks.ca.gov Ramblin’ Redwoods Campground & RV www.ramblinredwoodsrv.com
PLAY Hiking in the Redwoods www.nps.gov/redw/ planyourvisit/hiking.htm Take a guided kayak tour on the Smith River www.redwoodrides.com Scenic drives through the parks www.parks.ca.gov
by dining tables was a two-person music act. They crooned “Sweet Melissa” to a hopping scene on a Thursday night. Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park was full, so I reserved a spot at Ramblin’ Redwoods Campground and RV, a surprisingly quiet camp outside Crescent City and along the Redwood Highway, a scenic byway. We honored our Taylor sausage with one of the best comfort camp meals—Pigs in Space, grilled sausage cut to bite size then folded into mac’n’cheese. We drank an IPA that brought tropical flavor to the cool Northern California night. After the dimensional daze of the size, scale and age of the Redwoods waned, we woke up and put on our trail running shoes for forest therapy, a psychological designation just now gaining foothold. Hiouchi Trail wound underfoot, with glimpses of the Smith River. This out-and-back with an additional leg on Howland Hill Road accounted for more than 6 miles, and an hour of mind-clearing therapy.
Part of our Redwoods weekend retreat involved a breakfast stop at the Hiouchi Cafe just a couple of miles back up the Redwoods Highway, in a little red wood building. Serving its customers since 1931, the town’s history was plated alongside pancakes and bacon. In the Redwoods is Crescent City, a hidden gem on the California coast. We’re suckers for lighthouses and Crescent City has the Battery Point Lighthouse, open and walkable during low tides. Dating to 1856, the Fresnel-lit lighthouse was among California’s first. At the terra firma end of the lighthouse pier is SeaQuake Brewing, a charming little brewery with a killer 9.2 Burger with homemade bacon jam and Wicked Aunt Tammy double IPA, brewed with water from the Smith River. From Crescent City, we headed back into the Redwoods with a few scenic drives in front of us—and a mouthful of wows. 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 155
Canada
158 BC ski vacation 162 Vancouver 164 Fraser Valley wine 156 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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Devin Manky
Grizzly bear Coola lives at a local mountain sanctuary near Vancouver, BC.
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SilverStar Mountain Resort, BC Zen and the art of classic skiing in Canada’s Nordic mecca written by Kevin Max
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Blake Jorgenson/SilverStar Mountain Resort
CROSS THE CANADIAN BORDER in Eastern Washington at Oroville and head north up the Okanagan Highway and, after 125 miles, you’ll reach SilverStar Mountain Resort, a ski village in British Columbia’s Monashee Mountains with the feel of a European getaway in the Alps. It’s here that I’ve spent a relaxing week of work and play each of the past two winters. Though it’s a ten-hour drive from Bend, I would consider making the trip even if there were no snow and no skiing—just for the change of pace. With 3,282 skiable acres, SilverStar is billed as BC’s third largest ski resort, following nearby Sun Peaks resort (4,270 skiable acres) and Whistler (4,757 skiable acres). For measure in the lower Pacific Northwest, Mt. Baker registers 1,000 skiable acres, Stevens Pass 1,125 acres and Mt. Bachelor comes in at 4,318. The skiable acres at SilverStar that I’m most interested in are those that comprise the 105-plus kilometers of the Nordic trail network. For the past two years, we’ve shared a condo just above the village so we can drop down daily and along one of the Nordic arteries. Our Nordic-skiing, fat-tire biking friends found this place—a threefloor, three-bedroom space with a good kitchen, a soft living room and a hot tub— and asked us to join two years ago. On the first morning and after a long drive, I tried to shock my system with a long ski and sustained climbing. The starting elevation in the village is 5,280 feet. Those who are used to living and skiing at sea level will feel the effects of altitude immediately. Though I live at 3,500 feet and ski at 6,000
feet, I could feel the lightness of breath from exhilaration, from height and from excitement as I kicked up Paradise trail toward the summit of SilverStar on a 1,000foot climb. From there, I dropped down over the back on a loop of Comin’ Round the Mountain. On a spur from this loop is Lars Taylor Way, which ties into the Nordic mecca of Sovereign Lake. I thought I’d wait ‘til tomorrow to hit Sovereign Lake. Since the early 1980s, when Vermonter and first and only U.S. men’s Nordic Olympic medalist Bill Koch popularized the new style of skate skiing, cross-country skiing has taken on two forms—the new form that resembles duck-footed ice skating where the skis are turned outward at an angle, and the traditional form of kick-and-glide classic skiing in which you glide along set parallel tracks. I warn you in advance, I’m a huge proponent of the classic technique, so much so that friends long stopped asking me to skate ski with them. Hockey players, I’m told, make good golfers but maybe not skate skiers. Having grown up playing hockey, I equate skate skiing with the power-building drill of pushing your teammate across the ice while he faces you and resists. It seemed like too much work then. While it offers the appearance of skating on snow, skate skiing doesn’t have the same release valve as smashing your padded opponent into a retaining wall. My fellow lean Lycra-clads pursue a more passive form of aggression measured in kilometers. Classic skiing, on the other hand, is zen on snow. The motion is as smooth and as natural as
It’s here that I’ve spent a relaxing week of work and play each of the past two winters. Though it’s a ten-hour drive from Bend, I would consider making the trip even if there were no snow and no skiing—just for the change of pace. 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 159
Blake Jorgenson/SilverStar Mountain Resort
Blake Jorgenson/SilverStar Mountain Resort
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Usain Bolt dashing down the track. The hips, legs and arms are in tacit agreement of co-efficiency, creating a state that drives equal and opposite reaction. While others are skating off in perverse angles, I’m connecting the shortest distance between two points on a narrow, straight path. There must be something about symmetry that appeals to me. Leonardo da Vinci put his image of the perfect human body inside a circle and a square, casting symmetry as beauty and perfection in his homage to ancient Greek architect Marcus Vitruvius. (“I’m talking about classical proportions, perfect symmetry and ideal conditioning,” Vitruvius may have said.) Though no sober mind, nor that of my elite-skiing, analytical and critical wife, would conflate my form with perfection, symmetry and its companions—zen and happiness—are lifelong pursuits of the classic school. Speed, my wife would argue, is a much more distant cousin. Symmetry, nonetheless, is a liquid state that takes the shape of its container. After two hours, my container was less symmetrical, and I could feel the slosh of things throwing me off balance. Hot tubs are a good way to re-center. Of course, SilverStar is more than a vast platform for cross-country skiing. Its eleven lifts serve 132 marked runs from beginner to expert. Freestyle skiers and snowboarders can hone their tricks in a terrain park. An outdoor skating rink on Brewers Pond brings out hockey players and recreational skaters. The village of SilverStar has 5,600 pillows throughout its nine hotels and lodges, and eighteen food and beverage venues 160 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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and multiple retail and rental shops. My favorite is Bugaboos Bakery Café, a strudel-lover’s lair from Dutch-born baker Frank Berkers. In the air, the scents of cinnamon, chocolate and coffee mix with spoken accents of French, Dutch, Australian, German and Canadian. On any given day, I can easily spend four hours at Bugaboos working, partaking of pastry, drinking end-to-end Americanos and listening to the banter of non-Americanos. For two years in a row, we’ve stumbled into The Red Antler for dinner on Wednesday’s half-price wing night. This is a sooey call to all of the resort’s workers, so go early and leave early. The Red Antler has good Canadian pub grub that includes poutine and a lamb burger along with local meats and cheeses. The local beer isn’t quite on par with the craftsmanship of Washington and Oregon, but it’s on its way. The people of Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre take their crosscountry skiing and biathlon seriously. With 105 kilometers of trails and a communal lodge at its center, Sovereign is known as the largest continuously groomed network of trails in Canada. The lodge has restrooms, a fire stove and tables for eating lunch. Out back is the ski stadium, a large clearing where races start and finish. Not far from the parking lot is a biathlon target area. I can spend days on Sovereign’s meticulous groomers and ski until my symmetry wanes with the falling sun. Each March, Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre hosts a 30k freestyle loppet race for the recreational competitive skier. The so-called loppet series comes from the Worldloppet Ski Federation, which promotes long-distance Nordic ski races
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around the world. My wife, Sarah, has done many from Germany and Switzerland to Sweden and Wisconsin. I once flailed 50k through the Konig Ludwig worldloppet into Oberammergau, Germany, sightskiing my way to an unremarkable finish. Sovereign’s 30k race now sounds more appealing. Nothing called a getaway is easy to get to. The small Kelowna airport is an hour southwest of SilverStar, with two major airlines of Air Canada and Alaska Airlines (and a handful of locals) in service. Alaska Airlines flies daily from Seattle to Kelowna with a quick onehour flight. Air Canada has flights from Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver. Most visitors will drive in from around the Pacific Northwest. Driving has its perks, too. The town of Vernon, just 15 miles southwest of SilverStar, is home to a fantastic German deli, Helmut’s Sausage Kitchen. Herein lie dozens of mustards, homemade sausage with creative combinations like cranberry turkey sausage, and togo sandwiches for the drive made of schnitzel and bratwurst.
If possible, whether coming or going, drive the beautiful Okanagan Valley during daylight hours. More than 200 wineries span 100 miles of this terroir along the long tendril of the winsome Okanagan Lake, created by the snow melt from the surrounding Monashee Mountains. Wines from this region had once been synonymous with ice wine, but increasingly are known for its newer varietals including the German riesling and gewurztraminer as well as warmer varietals such as sangiovese and tempranillo. Not without patina, Okanagan’s first vines were planted in 1859 by a French priest who grew grapes for the church’s sacramental wine. Ski, bakery, work, dine, drink good wine—this is the menu of life up the Okanagan Valley and into SilverStar. It’s the symmetry of work, play and recreation in equal parts in this remote corner that brings out the best in human nature and patiently awaits our return next winter.
SILVERSTAR MOUNTAIN RESORT, BRITISH COLUMBIA
Blake Jorgenson/SilverStar Mountain Resort
FROM LEFT The Red Antler’s Canadian pub grub is perfect. SilverStar has a network of 105-plus kilometers for nordic skiers. The resort is billed as BC’s third largest.
EAT Bugaboos Bakery www.silverstar.com The Red Antler www.silverstar.com Den Bistro & Bar www.silverstar.com Helmut’s Sausage Kitchen www.helmutssausagekitchen.ca
STAY Snowbird Lodge www.silverstar.com Firelight Lodge www.silverstar.com Vance Creek Hotel www.silverstar.com Sparkling Hill Resort www.sparklinghill.com Cedar Falls Campground and RV www.travel-british-columbia.com/ listings/Cedar-Falls-CampgroundRV-Park/2728 Swan Lake RV Resort www.travel-british-columbia.com/ listings/Swan-Lake-RV-Resort/2669
PLAY Ski or snowboard at SilverStar Ice skate at Brewers Pond
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Canadian Treasure Vancouver is the foodie capital of North America, and we’ve got all the secrets written by Michelle Hopkins
Stanley Park is a huge public park with a long seawall.
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Beach was given its moniker in the 1860s after Jeremiah Rogers, an early settler. Today, its driftwood-strewn sandy beach is a hot spot for sailing, windsurfing, sea kayaking and beach volleyball. As Vancouver’s oldest neighborhood, Gastown was named for “Gassy” Jack Deighton, an English seaman who opened Gastown’s first saloon. Today, this historic district, with its famous landmark Steam Clock, 100-year-old lampposts and cobblestone streets, has a thriving fashion scene, décor boutiques, one-of-a-kind galleries and some of the best food in Vancouver. A trip to Vancouver is never complete without a culinary adventure. This city espoused the farm-to-table philosophy with gusto. Arguably the best foodie city in North America, Vancouver’s chefs source seafood off its shores, vegetables from farmers in the Fraser Valley and some of the best fruit and wines from the Okanagan Valley. After strolling Gastown’s many shops, head to the chic L’Abbatoir, where you can get your French-inspired fix.
Tourism Vancouver/Barbershop Films
COMPARED TO MOST North American cities, Vancouver is relatively young. What it may lack in age, it certainly doesn’t lack in appeal. Mother Nature truly blessed this city of nearly 650,000 residents. Named after Captain George Vancouver, who laid claim in 1792, Vancouver has snow-capped mountains, the ocean, rainforests and beautiful foliage. As one of North America’s most cosmopolitan cities, Lotus Land has an overabundance of things to see, do and enjoy. Vancouver’s historic Granville Island has long been known as a gastronomy destination. This past summer, four of Vancouver’s most celebrated chefs founded Popina Canteen. Housed in brightly colored, repurposed shipping containers, this waterfront, gourmet counter-service eatery features sustainable seafood, salads and more. Besides its bustling food market, Granville Island has also made a name for itself as a hotbed for local artisans, who regularly work in onisland studios. The city is well known for its beaches—in fact, there are nine of them, each with a history dating to the 1800s. Jericho
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Tourism Vancouver/Rishad Daroowala
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA
Nelson Mouellic
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Juke Fried Chicken www.jukefriedchicken.com Ancora Waterfront Dining & Patio www.ancoradining.com The Observatory www.observatoryrestaurant.ca Popina Canteen www.popinacanteen.com
STAY The Westin Bayshore Vancouver www.marriott.com Fairmont Pacific Rim www.fairmont.com/pacific-rimvancouver EXchange Hotel Vancouver www.exchangehotelvan.com
PLAY Ecomarine Paddlesport Centres www.ecomarine.com Fly Over Canada www.flyovercanada.com
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT The Capilano Suspension Bridge Park draws more than a million visitors each year. Granville Island Public Market. Juke Fried Chicken is perfect for a quick downtown lunch.
Nestled along Yaletown’s seawall, Ancora Waterfront Dining and Patio offers an unexpected ensemble of cuisines, thanks to executive chef Ricardo Valverde. This Peruvian chef uses West Coast ingredients to create a cultural food mosaic from his native land. Enjoy False Creek vistas while noshing on grilled octopus Anticucho and Haida Gwaii halibut. For a quick bite downtown, Juke Fried Chicken offers Southern-style fare, thick milkshakes and rotisserie chicken that will knock your socks off. A favorite destination for both residents and tourists is Grouse Mountain. Start your day aboard the Skyride for an eight-minute window into some of Mother Nature’s most majestic views. Once there, there’s a plethora of activities for all ages. For a high-octane summit rush, check out Mountain Rope Adventures, where brave souls climb, swing and zipline through a series
EAT
of aerial courses. Then, snap photos of the resident grizzly bears, Grinder and Coola, who live in a 5-acre mountain sanctuary, watch a lumberjack show or hike along the trails. Another good reason to glide through the air on America’s largest aerial tramway system is dining at The Observatory. After all, how often do you fuel up at 4,100 feet? This eatery offers fresh, sophisticated city-style dining in a place where you least expect it. Choose between a five-course prix fixe tasting menu or a la carte. Just down the hill from Grouse Mountain, you can discover the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. Nestled within the rainforest and suspended high above the Capilano River, it draws more than 1 million visitors from around the world each year. For thrill seekers, its most exciting attraction is the Cliffwalk, in which suspended and cantilevered walkways hug a large granite rock face high above the Capilano River.
Mountain Rope Adventures www.grousemountain.com/ mountain-ropes-adventure Granville Island Public Market www.granvilleisland.com/ public-market Capilano Suspension Bridge www.capbridge.com Stanley Park www.vancouver.ca/parksrecreation-culture/what-todo.aspx Vancouver Maritime Museum www.vancouvermaritime museum.com
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Falling For Fraser Valley BC’s other wine region is your perfect spot for a tasting tour written by Michelle Hopkins
ONCE A SLEEPY county, British Columbia’s Fraser Valley today is one of the province’s most exciting wine regions. It is also one of the most underrated. If you ask most British Columbians about the local wine scene, they will proudly tout the Okanagan Valley, but the Fraser Valley is blessed with rows upon rows of vineyards dotting woodland hillsides, where award-winning wines are being crafted by winemakers who take great pride in toiling the earth. The vineyards owe much to the mighty Fraser River. The river, which is the longest tributary in the province, has created a delta of rich, fertile soil, thanks to the steep mountains. It makes this an ideal wine-growing territory, and it is only an hour from Vancouver. Here, a small sampling of the region’s forty-plus wineries, ones that don’t require an overnight stay or a three-day round trip to get to from the Lower Mainland. These wineries are worthy of a scenic weekend road trip perfect for your next wine-sipping adventure. 164 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION
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We started our weekend getaway at one of the region’s newest wineries—Glass House Estate Winery. If you love charcuterie and fine wine under umbrella-covered picnic tables overlooking vineyards and stately trees, this is your spot. You don’t need to bring your own picnic basket—Glass House offers several straw baskets, lined with blankets and including wine glasses. Or sip one of its fourteen award-winning wines in the stunning contemporary barrel tasting room. Then, it was off to the biggest and oldest, Chaberton Estate Winery, for lunch. Nestled among more than 40 acres of planted vines, Chaberton’s romantic French restaurant, Bacchus Bistro, is a great spot for some farm-to-table cuisine. You can also bring your own fare, grab a picnic table and raise a glass of any of its twenty-five award-winning wines. Not far down a country road or two is Seaside Pearl Farmgate Winery. Imagine sipping wine in a quaint little copper spiral chapel burrowed among rolling fields dotted with grazing horses and beautiful gardens. With eleven world-class
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT The Glass House Winery has a contemporary tasting room, plus picnic baskets for exploring the grounds. Mt. Lehman Winery has a variety of reds to try. At Seaside Pearl Farmgate Winery, a chapel is the centerpiece.
wines to choose from, this boutique winery’s picturesque patio is also a great spot to take in the majestic Mount Lehman mountain range. Framed by postcard views of Mount Baker and vineyards grown alongside heritage farmland, welcome to Singletree Winery. From all vantage points, this is a scenic spot to sip any of its handcrafted wines. Enjoy a bottle of wine with friends on the patio or at the quintessential tasting bar, made from a maple tree felled on the property. Not far from Singletree, you will be completely charmed by Vista D’oro Farms & Winery. Overlooking Campbell Valley Park and Golden Ears Mountain Range, this is also a great place to pick up everything you need for a picnic lunch, including preserves and its flagship D’oro Fortified Walnut Wine, produced from walnuts cultivated in its orchard, before heading to the nearby Fort Langley National Historic Site. Do you love a crisp chardonnay? If so, head to Township 7 Vineyards & Winery. If its chardonnay was good enough to
FRASER VALLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA
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EAT Restaurant 62 www.restaurant62.ca The Blackberry Kitchen www.theblackberrykitchen.ca
STAY Brookside Inn Boutique Hotel www.brooksideinn.ca Abbotsford Hotel www.abbotsfordhotel.place
PLAY Cascade Falls and Suspension Bridge www.vancouvertrails.com/ trails/cascade-falls Fort Langley National Historic Site www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/ bc/langley
serve to Queen Elizabeth during a 2010 state dinner, then it will probably impress you as well. Township 7 began its life in a sixty-year-old horse barn. Today, you can raise a glass in the cellar-style tasting room or on its gorgeous patio, showcased by comfy couches and umbrellas in Township 7’s signature red hue. Or, if delicate riesling and food-friendly rosé are more your thing, go directly to Backyard Vineyards. Set against flourishing vineyards, you can sip wine from its log-beamed gazebo furnished with picnic tables or in the industrial chic tasting room. For an Instagram-worthy photo, snap a photo by the Backyard Bell, acquired from a working farm dating back to 1882. If you plan your trip well, you will have time for more country charm at one of the region’s most popular, internationally awarded, family-owned and operated wineries. Mt. Lehman Winery is surrounded by pristine vines, making it an unforgettable setting for enjoying a fine glass of red. 2020 THE TRIP PLANNER COLLECTION 165