Travel
Travel Easy With New In-Home Health Service
TravelRx service eliminates trips to the office
Typhoid, dengue fever, measles. These aren’t diseases most of us worry about—until we start planning that trip abroad to countries where these diseases are problematic. Helping you learn what vaccines or medications you need to protect yourself, and having them conveniently administered, is the mission of TravelRx (progressivetravelrx.com), a new Tacoma-based company. The Centers for…
What You Need to Know About Zika
Disease-carrying mosquito not found in Washington, will likely reach U.S. this summer
Seattle may not be a hot spot for the mosquito-borne Zika virus, but the number of local cases could swell during the summer travel season. First identified in 1947 in Uganda, Zika—often a symptomless virus—is now a household name because it has been linked to several debilitating conditions, including microcephaly, in which babies are born…
Stratospheric Growth at Sea-Tac Warrants Possible Expansions
Sea-Tac growth continues to exceed expectations. How will our airport be able to handle the crowds?
As crowds surge in the security line at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on a recent day, a uniformed man and woman—until that moment standing quietly by the side of the line—suddenly swoop in and open a new security lane. These low-key personnel are called “pathfinders.” Their only job? To rejigger the security lanes leading to passenger…
The Must List: Folklife Festival, ‘Motown’ and Memorial Day Travel Spots
What to do this weekend in Seattle
Must FestNorthwest Folklife Festival at the Seattle Center(5/27 to 5/30, times vary) Memorial Day weekend brings Northwest Folklife to Seattle Center for its 45th year. The region’s demographics have changed over the years, and the festival has evolved accordingly, embracing a wider, more diverse spectrum of world music, dance and other performances, making it a…
San Juan Lavender Festival: A Summer Island Adventure
Summer festival showcases the delectable tastes, sites and smells of lavender
WHERE: San Juan Island, Washington’s bucolic getaway, a few hours’ drive and a ferry ride from downtown Seattle. WHY: 15th annual San Juan Island Lavender Festival & Summer Arts Fair at Pelindaba Lavender Farm in Friday Harbor (7/16–7/17; pelindabalavender.com). Hear about how lavender is farmed by going on a tour, or grab some lavender ice…
Kick Off Spring with These 4 Local Flower Fests
Flowers, flowers everywhere!
Spring is finally here and with the warm weather comes a burning desire to get outside. If you’ve been bottled up through the long winter months, you’re likely looking for any excuse to spend your days off exploring Seattle’s many outdoor activities. You can pack a lunch and have a picnic in the park, but…
The Best Hotel Bars in Seattle
As travelers swarm the city for summer fun, locals can play tourist year-round
Stoneburner at Hotel Ballard With bar manager Erik Carlson steering a stellar cocktail menu and sommelier Dawn Smith carefully cultivating a wine list that includes dozens by the glass, this is a good place to drink. And the eating is fine, too. Guests are spoiled by chef Jason Stoneburner’s menu, which features local ingredients (some…
RedTri: Enjoy Fall Colors in Seattle Parks
While ours is a more muted display compared to New England, there’s plenty for the whole family to see here in the Northwest, including brilliant colors not only found on deciduous trees and shrubs but also grasses, meadows, berries and even still-in-bloom dahlias. You don’t have to venture far, as our local parks have lots…
Trip Report: How Seattle Compares to NYC, Part 2
[Read Part 1 Here] After my enjoyable but less than awesome lunch at Red Rooster, I headed back downtown to take a long afternoon walk. I needed to get a little exercise, to see my old neighborhood. I needed to walk my old favorite streets: Jane Street, Greenwich Avenue, Perry. I needed to make room, too, because…
Trip Report: How Seattle Compares to NYC, Part 1
Back from four nights and days of eating (and don’t forget all that drinking!) in New York City, my home for three years several years ago. Unlike many of the food-crazed, when I’m in New York, “the food thing” is only a part of what I want to experience. My old favorite walk–down Greenwich Street from the…
Road Trip to Port Townsend
These Northwest artists and Kinetic Sculpture Races are worth the trip.
WHERE: Northwind Arts Center in Port Townsend WHY: To see the “(so) Much (too) Little” group exhibition (through 10/31; 2409 Jefferson St.; 360.379.1086; northwindarts.org), featuring the gorgeous work of three emerging (and hot-hot-hot) Northwest visual artists: Counsel Langley, Gala Bent and Sharon Arnold. SIDE TRIP: Time it right and indulge your quirky side with Washington’s…
Road Trip: British Columbia’s Bard on the Beach
Go thither to Vancouver for a memorable marathon of plays by Shakespeare and contemporary playwright
WHERE: Vancouver, British Columbia, for the 22nd annual Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival (through 9/24; 1695 Whyte Ave., in Vanier Park; bardonthebeach.org). Why: To experience As You Like It and The Merchant of Venice performed in the newly renovated main-stage tent against a stunning natural background of mountain peaks, ocean and sky. Beyond the…
Old Ballard Hotel Gets Extreme Makeover
Hotel Ballard is back with exciting modern updates and its original Old World elegance.
Ballard residents, rejoice: A new boutique hotel gives visitors an alternative to sleeping on your couch. Built in 1902 for the American Scandinavian Bank (the words “Bank Building” still appear on the façade), the two-story building at the heart of Ballard Avenue became a hotel in 1920. In more recent decades, it served as a…