Featured image: Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park, Washington (photo by Cheryl Landes) In honor of Veterans Day, the US National Parks Service and National Forest Service are offering free admission to national parks and forests that charge an entrance fee to the public today and tomorrow. Find a national park near you. Find a … Continue reading Free admission to national parks and forests this weekend

Featured image: Museum of Flight in Seattle (photo by Cheryl Landes) Several tourist attractions on the West Coast are offering free admission to Veterans and active-duty military personnel this weekend in honor of Veterans Day. Washington Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma offers free admission today and tomorrow for all active-duty military personnel and … Continue reading West Coast attractions offering free admission to honor military personnel this weekend

Featured image credit: Shari's Cafe & Pies In honor of Veterans Day, Shari's Cafe & Pies is offering a free breakfast for Veterans and active-duty military personnel. The breakfast includes three pancakes, two eggs cooked to your preference, bacon or sausage, and hashbrowns. To get your free breakfast, show your military ID or proof of … Continue reading Free breakfast for veterans and active-duty military personnel all day at Shari’s

Photo by Cheryl Landes I rarely check bags, but didn't have a choice this week. I wasn't concerned, because I was flying into the Portland International Airport, and the waiting time for retrieving checked bags isn't long. Usually I'm reunited with my bags within 10 to 20 minutes. Yesterday, after a flight from Anchorage to … Continue reading A warning for PDX travelers who check bags

Photos by Cheryl Landes In the spring, the Willamette Valley has a constantly changing colorscape. Daffodils, berry blossoms, and tulips appear, and almost as soon as they pass peak, the iris start to bloom. By mid-May, Schreiner's Iris Gardens reach full bloom and open for the season. The sight resembles a bright giant patchwork quilt … Continue reading It’s Bloom Season at Schreiner’s Iris Gardens in Salem, Oregon

Featured image: Entrance to the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma (photo by Cheryl Landes) In celebration of Mother's Day, the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma is offering half-price general admission to moms from 9:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 13. These tickets are available at the gate. The Point … Continue reading Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium offers half-price admission for moms on Saturday

Featured image: Ranunculus in full bloom at The Flower Fields in Carlsbad, California Photos by Cheryl Landes Some blossoms look dainty—tissue-paper-thin petals bundled into thick pods. Others appear to be made from crinkly crepe paper. And others have curled petals, which, from certain angles, resemble dancers’ skirts twirling in the wind. These are the Giant Tecolote … Continue reading See the Giant Tecolote Ranunculus flowers through Mother’s Day in Carlsbad, California

Photos by Cheryl Landes The faint mid-morning mist falling on the Dean Creek marsh east of Reedsport, Oregon, has transformed the grassy flatland into a velvety carpet, a bright green contrast to the darker, forested hilly backdrop. In the foreground, a herd of Roosevelt elk graze, their light brown coats adding even more contrast to … Continue reading The roadside show at Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area

Photos by Cheryl Landes When the lilacs are in bloom at the Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens in Woodland, Washington, their fragrance welcomes you long before you enter. During Lilac Days through Mother's Day, this four-acre garden showcases blooming lilacs, dogwood, rhododendrons, azaleas, magnolias, bleeding hearts, tulips, and many other flowers. The gardens are part of Klager's … Continue reading Lilac Days in Woodland celebrates a gardener’s legacy through Mother’s Day

An orange sleeping beauty in the Meowtropolitan cat lounge in Seattle Photos by Cheryl Landes For feline fans who love coffee, the chalkboard sign on the sidewalk outside Meowtropolitan couldn't describe the experience any better. "Cats + Coffee: Purrfect!" At this coffee cafe and cat lounge in the Wallingford neighborhood, north of downtown Seattle, you can schedule … Continue reading Cattin’ around in Seattle at the Meowtropolitan