ramblings of a Seattle travel, food and photography hound
Situated on Orcas Island, Turtleback Farm Inn is listed in 1000 Places to See Before You Die. Other travel publications have chimed in with equally effusive praise, backed by the reviews of the many visitors who have stayed there. Susan and Bill Fletcher purchased the farm when they were simply looking for a second home,... Continue Reading →
Several years ago, Orcas Island residents opposed plans to develop Turtleback Mountain, once privately owned by Norton Clapp of the Weyerhauser Corporation, and sold to a foundation. They filed a lawsuit in court and won. The mountain is now an island preserve. Additional trails beyond the logging roads have been developed in the park, with... Continue Reading →
Ever since the closure of La Famiglia many years ago, Orcas Island didn't have a good Italian restaurant to go to. Portofino hardly qualifies since it's mainly a pizza joint. That all changed when Bill Patterson purchased Chimayo and opened Sazio di Notte. His plan was to convert Chimayo, a favorite Southwest restaurant among locals, to a... Continue Reading →
The venerable Bilbo's Festivo, a popular and long-time Mexican restaurant in Eastsound, is now Chiladas, after having gone through several ownership changes. The current one is Bilbo's original owner. While the menu has changed and aims higher than standard Tex-Mex fare that mostly (though not entirely) made up its previous menu. Now, the entrees represent... Continue Reading →
Over the past few years, good friends of ours have invited us over to their cabin on the shores of Lake Chelan. Prior to a wedding in 2009 and our friends' invitation two weeks later, we'd never been here. In the summer, it is a very popular playground for water sports, rarely raining here as... Continue Reading →
Seattle will soon open its giant ferris wheel. At 175 feet, it's the tallest on the West Coast. We noticed it for the first time when we were walking around Pier 57 at the waterfront.
Two years ago, when we stayed at the WorldMark in Bend, the receptionist recommended a pub in nearby Redmond called Diego's Spirited Kitchen, serving fare with a Mexican twist. The waiter at Diego's back then suggested the flatiron steak, one of their most popular dishes. That turned out to be an excellent choice. On our... Continue Reading →
One of the great hikes for wildflower viewing is in my own backyard, on the east side of the Olympic peninsula, part of Olympic National Forest. The Big Quilcene River Trail climbs 3,500 ft in a little over 5 miles, past old growth forest of hemlock and Western red cedar, yellow cedar and subalpine fir. The... Continue Reading →
Earlier in the day, we enjoyed a wine tasting with friends at Hoodsport Winery, courtesy of a gift from neighbors. So, we decided to make it part of a short vacation along the east side of the Olympic peninsula where tomorrow we'd take an all-day hike on the Big Quilcene Trail in the national forest.... Continue Reading →
On our way home from Vancouver, we were driving through Everett at lunchtime. We stopped at Hawaiian Sun BBQ based on a recommendation from friends. It sits in a strip mall that happens to also have one of my favorite Thai restaurants (Spice of Thai) that I used to frequent when I worked in Everett... Continue Reading →
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