Category Archives: Uncategorized

Holiday Weekend Weather Around Puget Sound: Memorial Day Looks Good

By Michael Fagin, operational meteorologist at West Coast Weather

If you’ve decided to stay home and skip the throngs of humanity traveling this holiday week-end, the weatherman has some great news for you.

A trough of low pressure will move in on Friday bringing with it a chance of some light showers most likely later in the day. Any rainfall will be light. There will be a better chance of rain late Saturday morning and in the afternoon.  Both Friday and Saturday carry with them cooler temperatures with a high of not-quite 60 degrees.

Both days give you a chance to Marie-Kondo your home for summer, then wait for it…Sunday and Monday are calling for you to get outside and play.

Sunday afternoon we are expecting mostly sunny and warmer temps with a high in the low 70’s. Monday follows Sunday’s lead with even more sunny weather and a high of 75 or possibly higher.

Bonus Hiking Info:  Although these hikes are close to the mountains, they are all currently snow-free:

Iron-Bear near Cle Elum

Oyster Dome near Bellingham

Otter Falls near North Bend

Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive – By Stephanie Land – a review

Much of this memoir is set in small towns in Western Washington including Port Townsend, Camano Island and Stanwood. That’s why it deserves a review on my blog and also because I found Land’s story riveting.

When Land was 28 years old she became pregnant by her emotionally abusive boyfriend. She eventually left the relationship and earned her way by working as a housekeeper. Between that work and various government programs, she managed to eke out a life for her and her daughter, Mia.

To distinguish the different people she cleaned for, she named their houses. The Clown House had lots of pictures of sad clowns (kind of scary, actually), The Porn House with overflowing garbage and a “Hustler” magazine in the nightstand and The Sad House where the owner was very sick.

Land does this menial work day after day. When she manages to find a better paying house to clean, the cost of her daycare for Mia goes up, so she can never really get ahead.

Yet all this time she’s taking online classes to get her college degree and yearning to move out of the Pacific Northwest to Missoula, Montana. Does she make these goals?

That’s reason enough to read “Maid” and find out. I will tell you that she’s not saved by a man. She’s much too strong for that.

I met Land virtually in a Facebook group for writers. At the time, she’d talked about her book that was coming out. But I don’t think she or anyone else knew how it would take the world by storm. The book became an Amazon bestseller almost instantly after publishing in January 2019. The Kirkus Review of “Maid” suggests “An important memoir that should be required reading for anyone who has never struggled with poverty.” In February, the book made it to number three on the New York Times Bestselling List.

These five-star reviews are totally earned. Land spent two years writing her story after an essay she wrote on the topic for Vox went viral. And she got a book deal from Hachette.

She writes well, makes cleaning houses interesting and proves just how strong a mother’s love can be.

I really hope she’s working on another book now because I want to know about her and how she’s doing.

You can follow her at @stephanielandwriter on Facebook, @stepville on Twitter and @stepville on Instagram.

Stay tuned for a fabulous giveaway to be announced this week.

New Vancouver WA Waterfront Showcases the Columbia River

“The fourth largest city in Washington (State) has ample reason to promote their heritage, but a new waterfront project in the works will give them more cause to toot their horn. Set to open the first phase in mid-2018, this $1.5 billion development will infuse new vitality into the area along the Columbia River. The design calls for restaurants, shops, and breweries.”

I wrote the above for the 2018 Washington State Visitor Guide. hThis past week I got up close and personal with what’s been done so far. To say I was impressed is an understatement.

Now

That’s the very good news. Two restaurants have already opened in this first phase of construction. Twigs Bistro and Martini Bar opened last September, and Wild Fin welcomed its first diners around the same time. My friends and I chose Happy Hour at Twigs because we were already familiar with Wild Fin.

On my first visit (yes, I had to take a second look) to the Vancouver WA waterfrontproject the sun shone brightly causing the Columbia River sparkle. Masses of humanity and their canine companions took advantage of the newly-paved trail to get in their daily required steps. Groups of people chatted while others dined al fresco.

Photo courtesy Vancouver, WA, Waterfront Project

We made a delicious choice. I treated myself to Twigs Mezza, an appetizer with grilled pita, garlic hummus, olive tapenade and tomato confit. My compadres ordered Roasted Brussels Sprouts and the Fig and Prosciutto Flatbread. Lots of oohing and ah-ing and no complaints at all.

And Beyond

Looking forward the Vancouver WA waterfront project will encompass 3,300 homes, 32 acres of retail and restaurant space plus Hotel Indigo, a 6-floor, 138-room lodging facility set to open in 2020. The hotel (to be completed in 2019) itself will house three restaurants and a sky bar. Phase two, which includes apartments and condos, is scheduled for completion in 2020. Phase three is too far away to have an estimated finish date yet.

Photo courtesy Vancouver, WA, Waterfront Project

The centerpiece of the park is the 90-foot cable-stayed pier that mimics the hull and mast of a ship, once only an idea of artist Larry Kirkland. This connection to the river symbolizes Vancouver’s reconnection with its waterfront in the form of a stunning backdrop.

If you’ve not visited the “other” Vancouver for a few years, you’ve got a real treat in store.

Smith Tower: A Salute to the Roaring Twenties

When I was young, the Smith Tower loomed over all the other buildings on Seattle’s skyline. Built in 1914, the Tower became the first skyscraper in Seattle at 484 feet tall with 38 stories. More than a century later, it’s dwarfed by the Columbia Tower and even the Space Needle, but it remains an iconic part of the city with some changes that may surprise you.

Insider tip:  The Smith Tower is less crowded than the Space Needle.

Now, for an entrance fee, you can relive those days of yesteryear through a self-guided tour, 360-degree observation deck and speakeasy bar. While you wait for the elevator, complete with an elevator operator dressed in period garb, scan the gift shop for some super cool items like tissue paper depicting a map of downtown Seattle streets or snow globes with Seattle icons sealed inside.

Smith Tower is holding special events this year that they’ve dubbed “Smells Like Seattle Spirits.” Each event features a new bootlegger cocktail and a speaker who charms the audience with a bit of Seattle history. On April 1, you’ll hear about Fred Olmstead and his full-time bootlegging gig. May 6, on tap is “The Feds Fight Back.” Check back here for dates for the rest of this year’s series.

A little of what you’ll find in a trip to the Smith Tower is better explained in photos.

Small bites are offered in the tower. Another option is Tat’s Delicatessen across the street, which is very popular with downtown office workers. Lots of subs, hoagies, Philly steaks, soup and salads to choose from.

Will Seattle Experience a White Christmas?

By Michael Fagin

Last year the Seattle area received some light snow on Christmas Eve. What are the odds of that happening again this year or that we’ll have a blanketing of white on Christmas Day?

According to the National Weather Service the probably is 7 in 100 or 7% chance of a white Christmas.

After our two recent windstorms, the weather will settle down starting this weekend with chances of some light rain but not more windstorms.

Monday, Christmas Eve day; and Tuesday, Christmas Day, we are expecting highs in the mid 40’s and low’s in the upper 30’s with chances of some light rain. Sorry, but no snow.

There will be a similar pattern for the rest of the week (Wednesday through Friday) as weather systems move in for a chance of some light rain. But no snow nor any wind storms expected over this period.

You’ll Have to Go to the Snow

As of Thursday morning, Stevens Pass has received over 14 inches of new snow with a 48-inch base and Snoqualmie Pass has 3 inches of new snow with a 37-inch base. If you want lots of snow, Mount Baker has a 70-inch base and Paradise at Mt. Rainier boasts a 70-inch base. However, Paradise is currently closed due to the government shutdown, so be aware – you can only enter Mt. Rainier National Park through Longmire. New snowfall is expected at all of the above locations this weekend and into next week.

Want to play in the snow? Besides the aforementioned locations the state of Washington State maintains some groomed ski/snowshoe trails with a plowed parking lot. These are fee-based:  check here for more information: Winter Recreation.

Want to take a hike without snow? Here are two snow-free options near Issaquah: Hike of the Week:  West Tiger or Hike of the Week:  Holder Ridge

Michael Fagin is an Operational Meterologist with West Coast Weather.

Stay tuned for local activities you don’t want to miss during Winter Break.

Best Bets for Seattle’s International District

If you only have a short time to spend in Seattle’s downtown International District, I’ve picked four highlights you don’t want to miss.

Definitely, begin your day at the Wing Luke Museum with an added hotel tour, which is included with your admission fee. The information you’ll glean from the tour guide will serve you well for the rest of your day and maybe even longer.

One of the games played in The Freeman Hotel by Chinese men.

Even though I’ve lived in or around Seattle my entire life, only recently did I visit the Wing Luke Museum and I was delighted with what I found. The museum’s namesake was born in 1925. His family immigrated to the U.S. when he was a young child and made their home in the University District. In 1962, Luke became the first person of color elected to the Seattle City Council. He was on his way to a promising political career and an advocate for the Chinese community, until unfortunately he was killed in a small plane crash three years later, at the age of 40.

Museum exhibits change often so you never know what you’ll find, but you can bet wars will be spotlighted, famous Chinese citizens showcased, and you’ll learn a lot. Definitely, tag along on the hotel tour. You’ll go next door to the Freeman Hotel, built in 1910. This lodging mostly catered to Chinese men who had come to Seattle to work. Each room came with one window and the larger rooms rented for 25 cents a night. Four or five men shared one of these larger rooms, which by today’s standard were tiny, to save money. They needed the cash they saved to buy all their meals and send home to their families.

Chinese wedding wardrobe.

Check out the Wing Luke Museum site for other tours you might be interested in taking.

 

After your museum visit, pop across the street to Tsue Chong Company, a 100-year-old noodle factory. You can buy the same noodles there that the restaurants in the International District use in their meals. But my favorite item to purchase is their flavored fortune cookies. Flavors change, but the day I was there they had lemon, chocolate, mocha, vanilla and gingerbread. They taste great and what a conversation-starter if you serve them at your next dinner party.

 

Sometime during the day, I highly recommend you dine at Tai Tung, the oldest Chinese restaurant in Seattle. They have all the regular Chinese-American favorites like pork fried rice, chow mean, chop suey and shrimp egg foo young.

 

One more stop to complete your International District visit should be the huge Uwajimaya store on 5th Avenue. There you’ll discover most of the weird fruits and vegetables used on the “Chopped” TV show, plus lots of live, edible marine life. If you don’t want to cook, they have a plethora of restaurants where you can order already-prepared food.

 

 

 

Now That’s a Train Ride

Mountrainierrrthumbnail_20160722_134703

In the first half of the 1900s, cooking for loggers fell to a few women. Some of them also washed the lumbermen’s clothes and cleaned their cabins. Known collectively as “flunkies,” they lived in their own shack. At the Logging Museum in Mineral,

FlunkyCabinthumbnail_20160722_133306Washington, you can visit a re-creation of one of their cabins complete with a wood burning stove, iron, nylons hanging on a clothesline and even a period radio.

You’ll board the Mount Rainier Railroad in the small town of Elbe. The turn-off from Highway 7 is easy to miss. Watch for the restaurant in a train car and make the next possible right turn, then park behind the train car. Buy your tickets inside the designated building or better yet, get them online to ensure you and your party have a seat on the train.

On our ride, a lady came through the cars selling authentic train whistles, something you might want to give to a child who doesn’t live with you. When the engineer puts the train in gear, you can sit back and watch nature pass by outside your window. The steam train chugs along as you travel through forested land, over Mineral Creek and alongside the Upper Nisqually River. MountRainierRailroadDSCF1954

The first half of the two-hour experience stops at the Logging Museum in Mineral. Besides the flunky cabin, you’ll have time to tour other buildings where loggers lived and ate plus a restoration shop and engine room. The authorities give you plenty of opportunity to look around and talk to the staff. Then you hop on board for the return trip to Elbe.

If you’ve already made plans for the rest of summer, no worries. The steam train becomes the Wine Express on September 24th with tastings provided by three local wineries. Later in the fall, the Great Pumpkin Patch Express takes over with Snoopy and Charlie Brown aboard and for the holidays the train transforms into the Polar Express.

Have you ridden the Mt. Rainier Railroad? What did you think?  MountRainierRailroadDSCF1946

Disclaimer:  My granddaughter, daughter and I were generously hosted on this trip.

What’s New and Cool in July, 2016

The Fairmont Waterfront in Vancouver, British Columbia

Last week I had the pleasure of spending a night (hosted) at this luxury hotel. From my window I had a beautiful view of the harbor where the cruise ships dock. In fact the hotel even has an underground walkway that connects to the Cruise Ship Terminal. The room spelled comfort and caring from top to bottom.

I later learned that a recent $12 million renovation resulted in the hotel’s fresh, contemporary look. Besides going the extra mile to create 368 guestrooms fit for royalty, their eatery and lounge also benefitted from those dollars. Their buffet breakfast offers every item you’ve ever thought of eating in the morning. Look for honey and herbs that come from right on the property.

Vancouver’s Mayor, Gregor Robertson, is on a quest to make his city the “greenest” by the year 2020. The Fairmont Waterfront already has a head start with their organic rooftop herb garden and apiaries. The honey makes its way into chocolate desserts and cocktails. A Bee Butler provides complimentary tours of the bee activity and the gardens everyday. The hotel’s chef, Dana Hauser, shares a passion for sustainable culinary practices and has developed close relationships with local farmers and purveyors who support her views.

One of my all time favorites, Dungeness crab plays a signature role at the ARC restaurant. Hormone-free meat, artisan cheeses and free range eggs also appear on the menu. Kids five and under eat free, while those six to 12 are half price.

For a great central location and a pampered experience I highly recommend the Fairmont Waterfront.

My Favorite Trips of 2013

My friend and fellow travel writer, Sue Frause, wrote a summary of where she went in 2013 and what she recommended for the Examiner.com. I thought it was such a good idea that I’m doing it, too. All these trips came about because of writing assignments so most of my lodging and meals were complimentary, but that has not influenced my opinion. Here are some of the places I visited this year:

Alderbrook Resort & Spa (www.alderbrookresort.com)
Union, Washington

As I sat in the lobby by the blazing fire, I couldn’t help but think “what a great place to set a murder mystery.” Probably because I have read ones that have similar scenes. The setting in Union, Washington, is rural, yet serene. The lodge snuggles up against Hood Canal and the experience was almost surreal, it was so pleasant.

An Oregon reporter called Alderbrook the best lodge on the west side of Puget Sound. It’s outfitted with a wonderful spa, a gourmet restaurant and even has its own boat. If you want to rent a cottage, you can. They also have pet-friendly rooms. Whatever you choose to do, I hope you’ll have as memorable a time as I did.

White Pass
Washington

White Pass is one of our smaller places to engage in snow sports, but still beautiful with that crisp, clear mountain air and lots of snow. I attended the White Pass Winter Carnival with two other travel writers and wrote about it here for Northwest Travel Magazine. This event has been going on for years and even though I’m a native Washingtonian, I’d never heard of it before. The centerpiece of the event is a life-sized snow castle you can tour. At night a torchlight parade and fireworks light up the sky.

I also got to snowshoe for the first time on this trip. That’s now my new favorite snow sport. I’m not a skier or a snowboarder, but I do love just being in the mountains.

Sun Valley
Idaho

I had no idea what I’d been missing until this first visit. Sun Valley encompasses all my favorites in a compact little bundle – Lots of boutiques, many of which fall into the thrift category like the Gold Mine; all kinds of restaurants, snow and a Film Festival. Most of it is walkable, but if you’re tired or your destination seems a little far, the bus service is all free. Benches line the streets so you can sit and rest whenever you like.

I got to stay in the beautiful boutique hotel, Knob Hill Inn, a great location just on the edge of town. I woke up each morning to a panoramic view of the mountains. It was also next door to a cemetery, but Ernest Hemingway was buried there making that parcel of land another highlight of the trip.
Vancouver Island
British Columbia

Oh my gosh, I had no idea how gorgeous this locale could be. I’d only set foot in Victoria, the capitol, previously. This time, an individual press trip for a couple of stories I’d been assigned for Northwest Travel, had me taking the B.C. Ferry from Tsawwassen to Nanaimo. Those vessels don’t have far to go to become cruise-ship size. They even have a gift shop onboard.

The first night I had the rare and unique pleasure of staying in one of the Free Spirit Spheres in Qualicum Beach. These spheres, suspended between trees, literally give you a taste of heaven because you’re right up there next to it. The next day I fell in love with the small seaside town of Cowichan Bay and returned there two more times on this trip.

On my last night I got to sleep in a very well furnished yurt at Merridale Ciderworks. It had a large clawfoot tub not that far from the bed. And the restaurant at Merridale had fantastic food and of course, very tasty cider. I’d return in a heartbeat.

More on my 2013 trips next time.