Tourism
Off-beat in New York
What to see to get a real feel for the fascinating city
Date: 05/26/2012 | Life
Take Mom for a free cruise Saturday on historic boats
Go sailing: If you are still splashing about for last-minute Mother's Day ideas, why not take her out to Cama Beach State Park on Camano Island for a scenic ride on a historic vessel.And the price is right: free.
Date: 05/11/2012 | Life
Sedro-Woolley railway offers a deal for moms
Don't throw momma from the train. Put momma on the train.The Lake Whatcom Railway is offering scenic train rides that are a bargain for families looking for a way to spend the day before Mother's Day riding the rails.The Mother's Day Train Ride takes place at noon May 12.
Date: 04/30/2012 | Life
Donald Trump lashes out at Scottish windmills
EDINBURGH, Scotland — He came, he saw, he blustered.Donald Trump on Wednesday swept into Scotland's parliament to demand the country end plans for an offshore wind farm he fears will spoil the view at his exclusive new $1.2-billion golf resort.
Date: 04/25/2012 | Nation & World
U.S. firm to salvage Costa Concordia cruise ship
MILAN -- Salvage work to remove the capsized Costa Concordia cruise ship from its rocky perch off Tuscany, where 32 people died, will begin early next month and is expected to take a year, the Italian owner announced Saturday.
Date: 04/22/2012 | Nation & World
Tips to break the ice when traveling abroad
I'm not naturally a wild-and-crazy kind of guy. But when I'm shy and quiet, things don't happen, and that's a bad rut to travel in. The meek may inherit the Earth, but they won't enjoy it.
Date: 04/21/2012 | Life
In Skagit Valley, Tulip Festival now in full bloom
It's Friday the 13th and hopefully your luck is good and the tulips are blooming.The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival continues through April. Early varieties are up and more tulips are predicted to be popping through April 22.
Date: 04/13/2012 | Entertainment
What's up at Tulip Fest
Blooms predicted, plus other fun for this weekend
Date: 04/05/2012 | Entertainment
Washington Monument is sinking, study finds
WASHINGTON -- The Washington Monument, the iconic marble tribute to the first U.S. president that strikes into the District of Columbia skyline, is sinking.
Date: 03/16/2012 | Nation & World
Cowlitz County touts volcano to tourists
KELSO -- Cowlitz County highlights Mount St. Helens in a tourism marketing campaign starting with the new slogan, "Where Nature Erupts."
Date: 03/09/2012 | Northwest
Jeffrey Dahmer tours stir up backlash in Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE -- A planned walking tour of the Milwaukee haunts where serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer trolled for victims has drawn protests from victims' family members and others, prompting online deal-maker Groupon to cancel its promotion for discounted tickets.
Date: 03/03/2012 | Nation & World
Rick Steves: Adventure travel adds thrills to Europe experience
Adventure travel continues to be a major trend in the tourism industry, and while I'm not going to suggest you drop everything to climb the Matterhorn, Europe has plenty of thrills and chills to carbonate a stodgy vacation.
Date: 02/25/2012 | Life
Langley calls to sleuths to solve its Murder Mystery Weekend
The game is afoot.The annual Mystery Weekend in Langley has arrived. As always, the small Whidbey Island town is preparing to be overrun with lurid tales of deception, intrigue and death.
Date: 02/18/2012 | Life
Mardi Gras beads cause environmental hangover
NEW ORLEANS -- The beads were flying all around them, some pooling in the street, some caught by revelers and cherished for a moment -- most of them destined, in all likelihood, for the landfill.
Date: 02/17/2012 | Nation & World
Whidbey Island tour pairs chocolate and wine
The people behind the Whidbey Island Vintners Association came up with a perfect coupling to celebrate Valentine's Day and its homage to romance.Locally made chocolate, may we introduce you to locally crafted wine?
Date: 02/10/2012 | Life
U.S. travel warning for Mexico is updated
The U.S. State Department has issued an updated travel warning for tourists planning to visit Mexico, adding information on drug violence on a state-by-state and city-by-city basis.
Date: 02/10/2012 | Nation & World
New, hip krewes join Mardi Gras in New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS -- A new generation of parades is hitting the streets of New Orleans for Mardi Gras, and they're throwing away old traditions of big, glitzy floats and celebrity kings and queens for smaller, greener and sometimes naughtier floats with a...
Date: 02/08/2012 | Nation & World
Expo will return to fairgrounds
MONROE -- Snohomish County plans to bring back its spring recreation expo in April for a third straight year.The 2012 event has a new name and an extra day of carnival rides. Admission and parking are free.
Date: 01/24/2012 | Local News
Draw inspiration from travel
See landscapes, gardens, cities that inspired great masters
Date: 01/14/2012 | Life
Free national park entry set for MLK weekend
WASHINGTON -- The National Park Service is waiving entrance fees at more than 100 national parks on Jan. 14-16 in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day weekend.
Date: 01/06/2012 | Nation & World
Project will restore sand to beaches at Waikiki
HONOLULU -- A $2.3 million state project to widen a chronically eroding section of Waikiki beach with sand pumped in from offshore began with a Hawaiian blessing Wednesday.
Date: 01/06/2012 | Nation & World
Thousands enjoy merry Christmas in Bethlehem
BETHLEHEM, West Ban — Tens of thousands of tourists and Christian pilgrims packed the West Bank town of Bethlehem for Christmas Eve celebrations Saturday, bringing warm holiday cheer to the traditional birthplace of Jesus on a raw, breezy and rainy night.
Date: 12/24/2011 | Nation & World
Snohomish County's tourist strategy earns award
Snohomish County's strategy to boost local tourism won recent plaudits from marketing types.Meanwhile, the county continues to advance its plans to lure more out-of-towners here and get them to stay longer.
Date: 12/19/2011 | Local News
Mexican city begins countdown to 2012 apocalypse
MEXICO CITY -- A city in southern Mexico wants to live each moment as if it were the last.Tourism officials in Tapachula have installed a digital clock to count down the time left before the Dec. 21, 2012, solstice, when some believe the world will end.
Date: 12/17/2011 | Nation & World
Lovely weather for ducks
Amphibious touring vehicles are fun any time of year
Date: 12/17/2011 | Life
Explore the fairy tale landscape of Denmark
Copenhagen is a thriving metropolis and the main attraction in Denmark, but a trip here isn't complete without a swing through the cute Danish countryside. In less than two hours, you can time-travel from modern Copenhagen and see a 10th-century Viking ship, 17th-century castle, or 19th-century...
Date: 12/10/2011 | Life
Berlin on the rise as capital of culture
More than any other place in Europe, Berlin is a work in progress. Over the past two decades, ripped-up tracks and a canopy of cranes have signaled its rebirth as a great city.
Date: 12/03/2011 | Life
Swiss ski season start stalled by snow shortage
VERBIER, Switzerland -- Unusually warm, dry weather has Switzerland's ski resorts on edge.Newspaper front-pages, weather reports and ski websites are showing grim images of snow-free slopes, threatening the traditional start of the ski season on the first weekend of December.
Date: 12/02/2011 | Nation & World
Britain’s three oldest college towns lively, not stodgy
Ever since the first homework was assigned at the University of Oxford in 1167, the stellar graduates of British universities have influenced Western civilization. But that doesn't mean that Britain's three oldest college towns are stodgy.
Date: 11/26/2011 | Life
Hop aboard Holiday Snow Train to Leavenworth
If you want to visit a Bavarian winter wonderland this holiday season but don't want to drive, then take the daylight snow train.
Date: 11/21/2011 | Life
Flooding devastates Italy's charming Cinque Terre
While hitchhiking in Switzerland 32 years ago, I met two American college girls. They were studying in Florence, and I asked them their favorite place in Italy. They surprised me by naming a place I had never heard of before: the Cinque Terre.
Date: 11/19/2011 | Life
Hidden gems of Victoria
Things to see beyond the usual day-trip destinations (gallery)
Date: 11/12/2011 | Life
Statue of Liberty marks its 125th birthday
NEW YORK -- Scores of people waved tiny flags after taking the oath of U.S. citizenship at the foot of the Statue of Liberty on Friday, 125 years after the iconic American symbol welcoming visitors and immigrants was dedicated.
Date: 10/29/2011 | Nation & World
Walla Walla wineries open doors for tasting
The last of this year's grapes have been picked, pressed and prepared for the leisurely journey to becoming wine.Time to roll out the fruits of earlier vintages for Fall Release Weekend in Walla Walla, Nov. 4 to 6.
Date: 10/29/2011 | Life
Travel in Central America leaves you wanting to return
People ask me where I go for a vacation. Europe is certainly my passion and the focus of my work, but Central America has long held a fascination for me.
Date: 10/22/2011 | Life
England's Harry Potter studio to open for tours
WATFORD, England -- The magical world of Harry Potter is being meticulously reassembled at a former aerodrome near London.
Date: 10/15/2011 | Nation & World
Discover the old Europe at open-air folk museums
Many people travel across the Atlantic in search of Old World Europe and to witness traditional culture in action. But with most of Europe firmly entrenched in the modern world, travelers are getting fewer opportunities to glimpse the old way of life.
Date: 10/15/2011 | Life
Strikes, protests in Greece shut down Acropolis
ATHENS, Greece -- Unions and protesters shut down the Acropolis, halted public transport and occupied government buildings on Thursday, intensifying their confrontation with the Greek government as it scrambles to push more painful cuts through parliament.
Date: 10/14/2011 | Business
Mount Rushmore gets a Kevlar facelift
KEYSTONE, S.D. -- Mount Rushmore is getting its annual facelift.
Date: 10/13/2011 | Nation & World
A taste of cruising
In-between season offers affordable sample of cruise ship life
Date: 10/08/2011 | Life
Bill would ease rules for U.S. tourism visas
The United States has lost an estimated $606 billion in economic activity over the past decade because its visa process is too cumbersome for millions of foreign travelers.
Date: 10/07/2011 | Nation & World
Monroe looks to sell its new image as a recreation destination
MONROE -- Potential.
Date: 09/30/2011 | Local News
Curb your trust when abroad; many scams feed on it
Europe is safe when it comes to violent crime. But it's a surprisingly creative place when it comes to travel scams. Pickpockets and con artists target Americans, not because these crooks are mean but because they're smart.
Date: 09/24/2011 | Life
Discover the world of beavers
A fossil found about a week ago in northeast Oregon by Bureau of Land Management employees turned out to be beaver teeth, the earliest evidence of beavers in North America.
Date: 09/24/2011 | Life
Board a Clipper to Victoria
If you're thinking about a fall trip to Victoria, consider Clipper Vacations' getaway deals.
Date: 09/17/2011 | Life
Murals in Needles, Calif., celebrate Route 66
NEEDLES, Calif -- Along old U.S. Route 66, the once-kitschy Overland Motel is crumbling, vacant lots pock downtown and, as if this remote desert outpost weren't suffering enough, the last car dealership folded up and left behind a blanket of empty asphalt.
Date: 09/17/2011 | Life
A quieter Belfast offers rewards to its visitors
A visit to the Emerald Isle is not complete without including Northern Ireland. It offers the tourist a very different but still very Irish world.
Date: 09/17/2011 | Life
Whatever your travel plans in Europe, there’s a rail pass that will work for you
When I travel, I still get a little rush when I settle into the right train. With each journey, I celebrate the joy of not having to drive.
Date: 09/10/2011 | Life
Zip-A-Dee-Ya-Hoo
Tour a historic Camano Island farm on zip lines (video)
Date: 09/06/2011 | Local News
Tour wineries of Whatcom
Combine a stay at a luxury hotel in Bellingham with tours of area wineries with the new Whatcom County Wining and Dining package offered by Hotel Bellwether and Whatcom Wine Tours.
Date: 09/06/2011 | Life
Barcelona's eclectic street life a hit with travelers
If you're in the mood to surrender to a city's charms, let it be in Barcelona. Life bubbles in its narrow old town alleys, grand boulevards and elegant modern district.
Date: 09/03/2011 | Life
Foodies' dream destination
Lummi Island's Willows Inn boasts world-class dining
Date: 08/27/2011 | Life
No cookie-cutter kitchen
See cooking area rich with Old World charm on Whidbey tour
Date: 08/25/2011 | Home and Garden
Early Alaska wood-frame house preserved in Anchorage
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Oscar Anderson's home has had several close calls over the years. There was the 1964 earthquake that knocked down big concrete buildings but left the little cottage unscathed.
Date: 08/25/2011 | Home and Garden
New Christian park to feature Noah’s Ark
HEBRON, Ky. -- Tucked away in a nondescript office park in northern Kentucky, Noah's followers are rebuilding his ark.
Date: 08/17/2011 | Nation & World
Brides, border crossings and a birthday bash
Surprises were in store when we celebrated husband Chuck's 62nd birthday at the Tulalip Resort Casino.
Date: 08/17/2011 | Local News
Cops in Rome crack down on rogue gladiators
ROME -- Undercover police have donned togas, capes and sandals to stop a turf battle among Italians who impersonate gladiators outside the Colosseum and other landmarks in Rome and make money by posing for camera carrying tourists.
Date: 08/13/2011 | Nation & World
Discovering the mad king's castles
Touristic, glorious and romantic, some of Germany's best attractions are in Bavaria. My favorites are three of King Ludwig II's castles: stocky Hohenschwangau, his boyhood home; the nearby and fanciful Neuschwanstein, his dream escape; and Linderhof, his final retreat.
Date: 08/13/2011 | Life
A car buff's fantasyland
See the world's most exotic cars in Portland (gallery)
Date: 08/12/2011 | Life
For Star Wars fans, San Francisco's Yoda statue is a Force of attraction
SAN FRANCISCO -- Within sight of the Golden Gate Bridge lies another landmark cherished by a small but fervent group of travelers: a full-size replica of Yoda, George Lucas' master of the Force.
Date: 08/08/2011 | Nation & World
From Leonardo to Sir Mick, Loire's been a hot address
As the Loire River glides gently east to west, officially separating northern from southern France, it has come to define one of France's most popular tourist regions.
Date: 08/06/2011 | Life
At night, Alcatraz is a different world
ALCATRAZ ISLAND, Calif. -- When night fell on The Rock in San Francisco Bay, visitors moved shadowlike through the former prison's lantern-lit hospital rooms, a gloaming against dingy walls with peeling blue paint.
Date: 08/06/2011 | Life
Bright future for flight center
Future of Flight is on pace for attendance record
Date: 08/04/2011 | Local News
Try a picnic for the quintessential European experience
Despite France's reputation for fine restaurants and grand cafes, one of my most memorable meals was actually a picnic on a bench in Chartres.
Date: 07/30/2011 | Life
Enjoy summer activities with Edmonds Senior Center
Edmonds Senior Center has relaxing summer activities, whether you want to hang out downtown, walk on a beach or take a cruise to the San Juans or Victoria, B.C.
Date: 07/26/2011 | Life
Stanley Park and more
Tours, views, parks, shops ... Vancouver, B.C., has it all
Date: 07/23/2011 | Life
Listen and learn with two new audio tours of Cascade Loop
There are two new audio tour guides out from Northwest Heritage Resources, completing the circle that began with the "Cascade Loop Heritage Tour -- South."
Date: 07/23/2011 | Life
Cappadocia is a Turkish treasure
Turkey is changing fast. And it's modernizing fast. For my vacation this year, I hit the road in Turkey, with romantic memories (a few years old) of horse-drawn carriages and villages with economies powered by hay, dung and ducks.
Date: 07/23/2011 | Life
Tour Edmonds' historic cemetery
Dead men may tell no tales, but cemeteries can.That's the idea of Edmonds Memorial Cemetery and Columbarium's "Walk Back in Time" tour at 1 p.m. Thursday.
Date: 07/18/2011 | Life
Whidbey’s Loganberry Festival offers a taste of farm life
Greenbank Farm's 22nd annual Loganberry Festival on Saturday and Sunday boasts a "Back to the Farm" theme with more than 100 booths and exhibitors to showcase the farm's role as a center for sustainable agriculture, recreation, environmental education and small-scale economic development.
Date: 07/18/2011 | Life
Travel seminars
Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door hosts free travel classes most Saturdays at the Edmonds Theater, 415 Main St., Edmonds, or at Rick Steves' Travel Center, 130 Fourth Ave. N., Edmonds. Reservations are recommended. Call 425-771-8303, ext. 298, or go to
Date: 07/16/2011 | Life
Easy to get carried away in Rome's eclectic districts
I'd spent the whole afternoon in my hotel room, splicing changes into the next edition of my guidebook. It was time for just a quick little break, but stepping outside was dangerous.
Date: 07/16/2011 | Life
Travel seminars
Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door hosts free travel classes most Saturdays at the Edmonds Theater, 415 Main St., Edmonds, or at Rick Steves' Travel Center, 130 Fourth Ave. N., Edmonds. Reservations are recommended. Call 425-771-8303, ext. 298, or go to
Date: 07/09/2011 | Life
Four injured in Pamplona's first running of the bulls
PAMPLONA, Spain — Thousands of thrill-seekers dashed ahead of six fighting bulls in the streets of the northern Spanish city of Pamplona on Thursday in a fast first running of the bulls in this year's San Fermin festival.
Date: 07/07/2011 | Nation & World
Yellowstone won't cull grizzly that killed hiker
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. — Yellowstone National Park authorities will not try to capture a female grizzly that killed a backcountry hiker because the bruin was trying to defend its cubs when it was surprised by the man, a spokesman said Thursday.
Date: 07/07/2011 | Nation & World
Chaotic Running of the Bulls lasts just seconds
Each July, a million revelers pack into Pamplona, Spain, for the raucous Festival of San Fermin. They come to this proud town in the Pyrenees foothills for music, fireworks and merrymaking.
Date: 07/02/2011 | Life
Central America's agonies make tourism unlikely
While Europe is my passion and the focus of my work, Central America has long held a fascination for me. I took my first trip to the region in 1988 and have returned several times, as recently as last Christmas.
Date: 06/25/2011 | Life
Reserve now for discount at Kitsap wine fest
Seems wine festivals abound in Washington, and Bremerton is in its third year, hosting the Kitsap Wine Festival at the Harborside Fountain Park, conveniently next to the ferry terminal.
Date: 06/25/2011 | Life
Bach, buckin' broncos on tap in Chelan area
Fireworks and wine corks, among other things, will be popping this summer around Lake Chelan. Here are a few options, if you have a mind to hop across the mountains.
Date: 06/25/2011 | Life
When coal was king in Roslyn
In today's column, we return to Roslyn. All who lived around that small town in the 1886 to 1963 period were familiar with the trains that brought the coal out of Roslyn's mines, dug into the most extensive coal fields on the West Coast.
Date: 06/25/2011 | Life
Egypt to restore ancient pharaoh's boat
CAIRO, Egypt -- Archaeologists have begun excavating a 4,500-year-old wooden boat found next to the Great Pyramid of Giza, one of Egypt's main tourist attractions, Egypt's top antiquities official said Thursday.
Date: 06/24/2011 | Nation & World
Central Washington town of Rosyln has more than its TV past to offer
It's not often that you can stand over history, but that's possible in Roslyn, a former mining town known more for being the site of the television series "Northern Exposure" than for coal.
Date: 06/18/2011 | Life
Europe’s markets are open to wheeling and dealing
At Europe's lively open-air markets and bazaars, bargaining for merchandise is the accepted and expected method of setting a price.
Date: 06/18/2011 | Life
Hotels don't all come clean regarding towels
Christa Webster doesn't trust her hotel towels. And with good reason.She lived in a hotel for a year and a half and still travels frequently. Webster says just because the towel is folded on the rack doesn't mean it's clean.
Date: 06/18/2011 | Life
Lake Forest Park’s Secret Gardens open Saturday for tour, plant sale
The Secret Gardens of Lake Forest Park will be revealed today.Visitors to the Secret Gardens of Lake Forest Park Garden Tour and Plant Sale can walk among beautiful blooms, listen to live music and watch artists in action all in one trip.
Date: 06/18/2011 | Life
Head east this July Fourth
Parades, music, food, fun and fireworks fill Yakima Valley
Date: 06/11/2011 | Life
Travel Seminars
Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door hosts free travel classes most Saturdays at the Edmonds Theater, 415 Main St., Edmonds, or at Rick Steves' Travel Center, 130 Fourth Ave. N., Edmonds. Reservations are recommended. Call 425-771-8303, ext. 298, or go to www.ricksteves.com.
Date: 06/11/2011 | Life
When traveling, don’t neglect Europe’s greatest natural gifts
Last summer, while traveling in England, I went on a hike through the Cotswolds countryside. The two-hour trek took me from the charming hill town of Stow-on-the-Wold, through the villages of Lower and Upper Slaughter to Bourton-on-the-Water, the "Venice of the Cotswolds."
Date: 06/11/2011 | Life
Earn a free Discover Pass to state parks with 24 hours of volunteer work
You may have heard by now that as of July 1, access to Washington state parks and recreation areas will cost $10 for a day pass or $30 for an annual pass that must be displayed on your vehicle.
Date: 06/11/2011 | Life
Visit Clint Eastwood's favorite Calif. hangouts
Clint Eastwood's name conjures up a multitude of images: cowboy, cop, rogue, real-life mayor, masterful storyteller. To pay tribute to the California native who turned 81 on May 31, plan a trip to a few of the spots in the Golden State that helped frame his many memorable moments, both onscreen and...
Date: 06/04/2011 | Life
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