21 | But Soft, What Festival in Yonder Ashland Breaks?
The play’s the thing in southern Oregon’s Ashland; well, actually, lots of plays are the thing. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (osfashland.org) dates back to 1935, and conducts an eight-and-a-half month repertory of shows in three theaters. The Bard is always well represented, including classic productions on the Elizabethan Stage, but musicals and avant-garde theater also enter the mix. The 2009 season will see a world premiere of Bill Cain’s Equivocation (starting in April), Henry VIII and Much Ado About Nothing beginning in June, and Clifford Odets’s Paradise Lost (starting in July). Getting outdoors is easy in bucolic, mountainous Ashland; hiking maps of Mount Ashland and the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument are available from the Ashland Ranger Station (541-482-3333), and Crater Lake National Park (nps.gov), with its crystalline blue waters, is a short drive away. Stay downtown on Main Street at the elegant, restored Ashland Springs Hotel (888-795-4545; ashlandspringshotel.com) or the European-style Columbia Hotel (800-718-2530; columbiahotel.com), or get friendly with the locals at one of many bed-and-breakfasts, including the Victorian McCall House (800-808-9749; mccallhouse.com).
Drive time 7 hours, 39 minutes
When to go February through early November; Elizabethan Stage June 2–October 11
22 | Spend the Weekend in Whidbey
There is nothing to do on Whidbey Island but relax and rejuvenate. Which is what we love about it. Seek refuge from the daily grind at the Inn at Langley (360-221-3033; innatlangley.com), a luxurious sanctuary where guest rooms feature Jacuzzis, cozy wood-burning fireplaces, and tranquil 180-degree views of the coastline. Take the Inn’s picnic basket, which is packed with a sumptuous seasonal lunch, wine, and blanket, and enjoy the contents at the Lavender Wind Farm (877-242-7716; lavenderwind.com), where visitors can pick organically grown lavender and walk the outdoor labyrinth. Take time to stop and smell the tens of thousands of blooming daffodils, cherry trees, magnolias, and rhododendrons spanning the 10-acre Meerkerk Rhododendron Gardens 360-678-1912; meerkerkgardens.org). Sip legendary loganberry wine and varietals from around the region, and stroll through wildflowers and wetlands at Greenbank Farms (360-678-7700; greenbankfarm.com). Retreat to The Chef’s Kitchen Restaurant (360-221-3033; innatlangley.com) for a six-course feast showcasing Puget Sound’s bounty of produce and seafood. Toast to a successful weekend of R & R at The Edgecliff Restaurant and Lounge (866-825-3640; theedgecliffwi.com), perched on a bluff overlooking Saratoga Passage.
Drive time 1 hour 20 minutes
When to go Loganberry Festival, July
23 | You Can Pick Your Friends, You Can Pick Your Apples, But Please Don’t Pick Your Friend’s Apples
Nestled at the edge of the Eastern Cascade Mountain foothills, Wenatchee, is the—ahem—core of the state’s apple industry, which produces 60 percent of the nation’s supply. Take a bite out of apple country at Stutzman Ranch (509-667-1664), where owner and fourth-generation farmer Floyd Stutzman leads orchard tours and invites visitors to pluck vine-ripe Fujis and Galas for 50 cents a pound. Sample the local scenery on a hiking or biking trip via the 10-mile Apple Capital Loop Trail to the pear orchard–turned–state park known as the The Confluence State Park Horan Nature Area (509-663-8121; chelanpud.org) and spy deer, beavers, and other creatures roaming the 200-acre preserve. Stave off apple overload with the Mission Street Bistro’s (509-665-2406; missionstreetbistro.com) menu of French-inspired dishes fresh from the farm, but don’t pass up the sinfully indulgent apple and caramel Eden crepe. When it’s time to call it a night, fall into a cozy bed at the Apple Country Bed and Breakfast (509-664-0400; applecountryinn.com).
Drive time 2 hours, 45 minutes
When to go September is prime apple-plucking season
24 | Escape to Little Norway
Founded by Norwegian immigrants and named after Paulsbo, Norway, the small town of Poulsbo, Washington, proudly lives up to its “Little Norway” nickname. Bright red flags bearing indigo blue Scandinavian crosses wave from downtown shops, and each year locals practically channel Elmer Fudd in Looney Tunes meets Wagner regalia and dress in full-horned Viking garb to celebrate Syttende Mai (Norway’s Constitution Day). Drop your bags at the Green Cat Bed and Breakfast (360-779-7569; greencatbb.com), a warm and inviting Swiss-style chalet tucked away in a cedar grove. Treat your taste buds to traditional fattigman and lefse at Sluys Bakery (360-697-2253). Browse decorative Dala horses, novelty gifts such as a Norwegian kitchen witch, and other Scandinavian souvenirs at Nordic Maid (360-779-9863; nordicmaid.com). Admire handmade arts and crafts at local artists collective Verksted Gallery (360-697-4470; verkstedgallery.com), which carries lidded wooden Norwegian “tine” boxes. Stop by Mor Mor Bistro and Bar (360-697-3449; mormorbistro.com) for crispy ale-battered fish-and-chips with garlic and parmesan fries or a burger on Sluys Bakery’s famous Poulsbo Bread. Before digging in, raise a pint of lager and toast, “Skål!”
Drive time 1 hour, 10 minutes
When to go Viking Fest, May 15–17
25 | Forage for Forest Fungi
Crouching at the foot of spruce trees in their rubber boots and funny caps, rain-forest foragers only look like they’re into the sort of shrooms you read about in Tom Robbins novels. In fact they’re gathering species like porcini and chanterelles—wild edibles which pop up all over the Olympic National Forest each fall. Begin your own hunt at the Lake Quinault Lodge (866-297-7367; visitlakequinault.com), a woodsy retreat nestled along the banks of the lake it was named after. Every October, the lodge hosts its Mushroom Festival—two days of cooking demos and expert-led foraging forays and lectures—but solo cap-and-stem seekers will find plenty to pick throughout September and October. (Newbies, bring a field guide. Poisonous varieties grow here as well.) When the wet woods start to wear thin, warm up with chess and cocoa in the lobby or schedule a fishing expedition with retired forest ranger Roger Blain (360-288-2913; rainforestguide.net). Bait and tackle supplies are on sale next door to the lodge at “The Merc,” Quinault Mercantile (360-288-2620; countrystore.bigmountaindesign), an 87-year-old snack bar and general store where visitors fill up on greasy treats.
Drive time 3 hours
When to go Early fall is optimal shrooming season
26 | Paddle to Pelican Beach
The gem of the San Juans is Cypress Island, a ferry-free, nonprivatized north Puget Sound kayaking destination. Pile in with a tour company like Anacortes Kayak Tours (800-992-1801; anacorteskayaktours.com) from the Guemes Island ferry landing. Work your way northwest around Guemes and across the Bellingham Channel. Cypress Head makes for a perfect rest stop and orcas-watching spot on your way to pebbly Pelican Beach, which hosts roughly 10 camping spots (Washington Water Trails Association, 206-545-9161) that get gobbled up quickly in summer’s high-season weekends. The main attraction is Eagle Cliff, an 840-foot vertical drop overlooking Rosario Strait, accessed by a quick one-mile hike from the beach. Once back ashore in Anacortes, devour steamed clams and local salmon at Randy’s Pier 61 (360-293-5108; pier61.com).
Drive time 1 hour, 30 minutes
When to go Early September, when the weekend crowds die down
27 | Excuse Me, I Must Be Dreaming. Did You Say Destination Winery?
Isn’t this the dilemma of visiting wineries? You finish your tasting of, say, two dozen reds, and are looking for a soft place on the floor to curl up for a nap when they politely ask you to leave? Problem solved in Quincy, Washington, at SageCliffe (sagecliffe.com), which combines a working winery with an inn, spa, and restaurant, all perched on cliffs with striking views of the Columbia River Gorge. The Cave B Inn (888-785-2283) has 30 upscale guest rooms with fireplaces separating bedrooms from living rooms and curving roofs that mimic the hardscrabble gorge landscape. Book a Cavern Room to bunk down literally under a rocky outcropping, with a patio facing the river. Dine lavishly at Tendrils Restaurant (509-785-2283), where chef Shauna Scriver sources her lamb, beef, and vegetables from within the Ancient Lakes region of Central Washington, or from the estate’s own gardens. The wines include award-winning merlots, syrahs, and Bordeaux-style blends. Need more wine? SageCliffe makes a perfect base for exploring the wine country of Central and Eastern Washington.
Drive time 2 hours, 24 minutes
When to go Year-round
Published: January 2009
