Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for washington state
A Whale of a Time in Washington
By Linda Tancs
Orca whales are seen the most in San Juan Island between May and October when the salmon runs are strongest. Only 90 miles north of Seattle, San Juan Island provides visitors with an array of boating and kayaking excursions to observe these highly social oceanic dolphins. Learn more about the killer whale at the museum in Friday Harbor, the main city on San Juan Island. You can get there via the Washington State Ferries from Anacortes.
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Doll Auction in Seattle
By Linda Tancs
A gorgeous French doll is waiting for you on 28 August in Seattle. Now, don’t get the wrong idea; this doll is of the collectible variety, along with a collection of dolls from Chicago and Germany forming the nucleus of this year’s doll auction at the Westin Bellevue. The collection includes early bisque dolls with sculpted hair, rare porcelain dolls, early wooden and cloth dolls, Kewpie dolls, miniature dolls, life-sized dolls, Teddy bears and a host of curiosities. Just a few blocks away is the Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art, a treasure trove of rare dolls that is shutting down as of 1 March 2012. Here’s your chance to get all dolled up.
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Going Green in Bellevue
By Linda Tancs
To say that Bellevue, Washington, is green is an understatement. With nearly 100 parks, the cityscape offers lots of green in between. Even in the heart of town lies a 20-acre oasis featuring a one-half mile promenade, bordered by a double row of shade trees, and a stepped canal leading to the 240-foot wide waterfall that cascades into a reflecting pond. A 10-acre lawn area invites picnickers to dine amidst Bellevue’s skyline with Mount Rainier in the background. Located at 10201 NE Fourth Street, the park is open from dawn to 11 p.m.
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Beguiling Orcas Island
By Linda Tancs
Orcas Island is the largest of the San Juan Islands, which are located off the northern coast of Washington State. Despite its size among the islands, Orcas is not named after the Orca whale if that’s what you expect. Instead, this cozy community approximately an hour and twenty minutes from the mainland city of Anacortes is named after Don Juan Vincente de Guemes Pacheco Padilla Horcasitas y Aguayo Conde de Revilla Gigedo, the patron of a Spanish explorer and viceroy of Mexico. Its fjords and coastal waters are a favorite among kayakers. Whale watching is, naturally, an option. So is yoga, biking, boating, fishing, golfing, camping and sailing. A solid experience awaits you. Maybe that’s why the locals call it “the Rock.”
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The Lavender Capital of America
By Linda Tancs
On Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula sits a tiny town with a big inventory of lavender. Sequim, Washington might not exactly roll off the tongue, but the little farming community’s half-million lavender bloom of some 50 varieties earns it the title of Lavender Capital of North America. With a climate akin to the world’s lavender capital in Provence, France, it’s no surprise that business is booming. And Sequim wants everyone to know it, which is why they’ve hosted an annual Lavender Festival for the past 13 years. The 14th annual celebration of the showy and delectable sprig will take place from 16 to 18 July on Fir Street between Sequim Avenue and Third Avenue downtown. Enjoy the lavender goods, arts, music, food and farmers’ goods. You can even take a tour of the lavender farms. Plan on spending time in the valley? Be sure to bring your walking shoes. There’s plenty to see amidst the the soaring Olympic mountain range and the waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
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A Parade of Lilacs This Weekend
By Linda Tancs
Spokane, Washington will be awash in lilac for the 72nd season during this weekend’s lilac festival. The theme for this year’s torchlit parade on 15 May is “Freedom is Not Free,” a nod to the event’s long abiding collaboration with the local air force base to celebrate Armed Forces Day. A number of local hotels are offering lodging packages for guests. While you’re there, why not tour the new neighborhood aquatic center that opened yesterday. Or take the kids cycling on the Centennial Trail, a 37-mile paved trail from Nine Mile Falls to the state line. As they say in the Lilac City, bring your family and leave your worries behind.
DISCLOSURE OF NO MATERIAL CONNECTION
The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.
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Do Not Disturb
By Linda Tancs
Those Do Not Disturb signs are as yesterday as dinosaurs at Seattle’s Hotel 1000, where infrared sensors let chambermaids know whether anyone’s home. The question is: does that technology protect Fido’s privacy, too? The hotel is, after all, pet friendly. At a wallet-friendly $40 per stay, your furry friend gets a bed, food and water bowl, chew toys and custom treats, among other things. It’s a dog’s life, indeed.
DISCLOSURE OF NO MATERIAL CONNECTION
The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.
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Cranberries Provide Autumn Color
By Linda Tancs
This time of year, it’s more than just the crimson treetops glowing against the cool blue sky. Look under your feet–in the marshy bogs, that is. ‘Tis the season for harvesting the cranberry, along with a few festivals to mark the occasion. So where to go? That part’s easy because cranberries only grow in a few regions, like the Cranberry Coast of Washington State, Wisconsin’s Cranberry Highway, Cape Cod, or South Jersey. Might get a little cool. Bring your Wanderful Places(r) sweatshirt along for the ride.
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