I’ve always felt that Seattle doesn’t quite get the recognition it deserves when it comes to food. Despite having no Michelin-starred restaurants (through no fault of its own), Seattle can hold its own in nearly every genre of dining. Except one: all-you-can-eat places. For some reason, buffets and AYCE joints are in short supply here—which …
Echo Beach is one of those quiet, lesser-known spots along the Oregon Coast that you could easily drive past without ever realizing it’s there. Tucked just south of Devil’s Punchbowl in Otter Rock, Echo Beach isn’t really marked on any official signs. And yet, it’s a local favorite. The kind of place surfers, tidepoolers, and …
Despite living near the Oregon Coast for years, I’ve never exactly been what you’d call an expert on the ocean—or the creatures that live in it. Sure, I love walking down the beach. But whenever my parents visit, they seem to assume that just by living near the ocean, I’ve absorbed some kind of honorary …
Fishing is one of those hobbies you can keep coming back to for life—if you keep it interesting. New techniques, new gear, new waters… and occasionally, new fish. One of the most eye-catching and unusual fish you can target (especially in California) is the Lightning Trout—a glowing yellow-orange rainbow trout variant that looks like it …
When my wife and I were debating about whether we wanted to move to the PNW and deal with the high cost of living or move to North Carolina and not have majestic mountains it was really a no-brainer. We couldn’t leave the mountains. No matter where you are in Oregon (or the PNW) you …
I was babysitting my nieces the other day, and their latest cartoon obsession (which seems to change every two weeks) is Garfield and Friends—the late-’80s version, not the new one. Conveniently for me, the entire first season is free on YouTube. We ended up watching the episode where Jon gets gifted a live lobster from …
The other day I got a text message from my recent married cousin, “Hey, looking at affordable places in the PNW and Ocean Shores came up…. what’s wrong with it?” It’s a good question, as I often wonder that myself when I look at houses in a certain area and notice that prices are a …
Before I moved to the Pacific Northwest I always imagine that it was just full of pine trees. Maybe it was the PNW stickers (of pine trees) that I saw everywhere but I had no idea of what it was actually like. If you haven’t been to the PNW before, let me tell you, it’s …
I’ve lived in the Seattle area for a few years now and, even before I moved, I visited the city quite frequently. I went back home for my high school reunion recently in the small town where I grew up and almost every single time I spoke to someone, as soon as I mentioned that …
“Just move to the Pacific Northwest”, they said. “The grass is greener there”, they said. Well, they were right. It is greener here than it was in Utah. So why are so many people who live in the Seattle (and the PNW in general) depressed? Is the PNW just a depressing place to live? Well, …