52 Weekends
52 Destinations for Each Weekend of the Year
By James Ross Gardner, Jim Gullo, Courtney Nash, Lia Steakley Dicker, Jessica Voelker, Christopher Werner, and Laura Cassidy
31 | 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
32 | Escape to Little Norway
Founded by Norwegian immigrants and named affer 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
33 | 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
34 | Hit the Hood
You’ve slurped your share of succulent Hood Canal oysters, now go pick some yourself along the shores of the 65-mile-long fjord (it’s not technically a canal) that is their place of provenance. Begin at Seattle’s Pier 52, where you’ll catch the Bremerton ferry (wsdot.wa.gov), an hour-long crossing that offers plenty of snow-capped Olympic eye candy. Driving southwest from Bremerton, make a pit stop at the Belfair QFC (360-275-2050; qfc.com) to stock up on Meyer lemons, sea salt, and a bottle of Argyle champagne to stash in your room at the recently-remodeled Alderbrook Resort and Spa (360-898-2200; alderbrookresort.com). Once there, you can gather mollusks on the resort’s private shorefront, then suck up your bounty raw or barbecue the squishy suckers right there on the beach. The waterfront trails at the nearby Olympic National Park (nps.gov) offer scenic hikes and plenty of eagle sightings, while Hood Canal Adventures (360-898-2628; hoodcanalkayak.com) will rent you a kayak for paddling around the canal. Keep an eye out for curious otters, who periodically pop their heads out of the water to see what you’re up to.
Drive time 1 hour, 50 minutes
When to go Oysters can be gathered in fall, winter, and early spring; check hotel Web site for events and special packages
35 | Score Great Junk and Hear Soulful Funk
Whether you’re a natural-born day-tripper or a naturalist, the patchwork of B & B’s, antiques, and cliff-rimmed lakes and tide-pool beaches in Anacortes is sure to wipe away the harried memories of the previous week. The 16,000-person town, on Fidalgo Island, east of the San Juan archipelago, boasts some of the best B & B’s in the land, but our favorite is the Heron House Guest Suites (360-293-4477; heronhouseguestsuites.com). For brunch, you can’t beat the Calico Cupboard Café (360-293-7315; calicocupboardcafe.com). And when it’s time to take locally grown cuisine seriously, we break bread at Adrift (360-588-0653; adriftrestaurant.com). But what really pulls us into Anacortes every year is Shipwreck Days—an all-community yard-and-craft sale that spills down the old-town stretch of the main drag—and, on the same weekend, What the Heck Fest (www.whattheheckfest.com), a big sonic party lousy with scruffy funk-folksters and supercute twee rockers in from Bellingham, Olympia, and beyond.
Drive time 1 hour, 30 minutes
When to go Shipwreck Days is one day, July 18, but the Heck Fest lasts all weekend, and sometimes into Monday
36 | Take a Short Walk on a Long Beach
Who cares if it’s not actually the world’s longest beach? With 28 miles of wide, hard-packed sand, Long Beach is the longest beach we’ve got, and it’s Washington’s version of Coney Island. Driving or walking on the sand is way more fun than swimming (the water is freezing) and the town of Long Beach has goofy summer attractions like bumper cars, go-carts, and Marsh’s Free Museum (360-642-2188; marshfreemuseum.com) for souvenirs. Ride your bike on the paved Discovery Trail on the beach, or head to Cape Disappointment State Park (parks.wa.gov), which has a lighthouse, trails, and interpretive center. Ilwaco’s marina now features a farmers market and terrific new restaurants like The Port Bistro (360-642-8447; portbistro.com) for clam chowder and seafood, and Pelicano (360-642-4034; pelicanorestaurant.com) for innovative modern fare. In Klipsan Beach, takeout food is elevated to sublime levels at Jimella’s Seafood Market (360-665-4847). Get awfully cozy at the private, homelike China Beach Retreat (360-642-5660; chinabeachretreat.com) on a secluded cove, or swing at the nautical-themed Akari Bungalows (360-642-5267; akaribungalows.com) in the middle of town. When in doubt, remember these two simple beach-holiday words: saltwater taffy.
Drive time 3 hours, 18 minutes
When to go Year-round; best beach season is July through September
37 | Eat Pie and Pizza in Idaho
This is no ordinary lake in the middle of nowhere in Idaho. Lake Pend Oreille, about 30 miles north of Lake Coeur d’Alene, is a geologic wonder of shocking, 1,172-foot depths and rugged mountains rising up from its 111 miles of coastline. And then it gets weird: There is a former naval base at the south end. There is a chunk of the Berlin Wall on the Hope Peninsula on the lake’s northeast side, and a replica of the Statue of the Liberty at the public dock in the charming town of Sandpoint. First-rate pie can be had by the slice at Pie Hut (208-265-2208). Hoot Owl Café (208-265-9348) is the quintessential breakfast joint with a big-haired waitress named Wanda. And the Old Icehouse Pizzeria and Bakery (208-264-5555) in Hope has great food and live music on a balcony overlooking the lake. Jump into its waters from your rustic digs at Sleep’s Cabins (208-255-2122; sleepcabins.com), or rent a waterfront condo at the Seasons at Sandpoint Resort (877-265-4420; seasonsatsandpoint.com
sandpoint.com).
Drive time 5 hours, 33 minutes
When to go July through September
38 | Go Back to School
Enjoy a whiskey and cigar in the Detention Bar, or sip fine wine in the Honors Bar. Hell, go ahead and flip off the principal on your way to drinking beer in the auditorium. Is this high school in Detroit? No, just a visit to Portland’s Kennedy School (888-249-3983; mcmenamins.com), a jewel in the Oregon-based McMenamins chain of brewpubs and renovated hotels. Built in 1915, the school was decommissioned in 1975 before Mike and Brian McMenamin scooped it up in ’97, turned the classrooms into 35 guest rooms (with chalkboards intact), and had their artists rampage through the hallways. You can indeed drink beer, eat pizza, and watch movies in the auditorium, order full meals and housemade beer in the cafeteria, soak in a hot tub or drink in any (or all) of several bars, including the new Boiler Room Bar that just opened last fall. If you can tear yourself away from the place, head to the International Rose Test Garden (rosegardenstore.org) in Washington Park for sweeping views of the city and close-up whiffs of hundreds of rosy varietals.
Drive time 2 hours, 55 minutes
When to go Year-round
39 | Enjoy life at the Top
Out ’n’ About Treesort (541-592-2208) in the Siskiyou Mountains of southwest Oregon shelters you in one of 11 unique tree houses, including the three ultimate high-rise cabins, Forestree, Pleasantree, and Treezebo, each up to 37 feet off the ground, and accessed via suspended bridge. After a night of elevated sleep, come back down to earth and explore the caverns of the nearby Oregon Caves National Monument (541-592-2100; nps.gov), and dig into Caveman Chili at the Oregon Caves Chateau Café (877-245-9022).
Drive time 7 hours, 30 minutes
When to go May through October
40 | Go East
The urban renewal fairy has turned Spokane’s dreary old downtown buildings into condos and brewpubs like Steam Plant Grill (509-777-3900; steamplantgrill.com), which has housemade beer and burgers that will haunt your taste buds for weeks. The Davenport Hotel and Tower (800-899-1482; thedavenporthotel.com) was renovated to the tune of $40 million; rooms in the original Davenport are tasteful and elegant, but if it’s nutty you crave, go to the safari-themed Davenport Tower (Warning! Stuffed tiger in the lobby!). Down a few designer cocktails in the black-leather back room of Bluefish (509-747-2111; bluefishspokane.com), or listen to the Spokane Symphony saw out some tunes at the art deco Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox (509-624-1200; foxtheaterspokane.org). Parks are big in Spokane: Manito Park (manitopark.org) is crammed with designer gardens, including a Japanese Garden, a rose garden, and a classical European garden. Riverfront Park (spokaneriverfrontpark.com) has amusement-park rides, an ice-skating rink in winter, and an awesome aerial tram ride over Spokane River Falls. Oh, and don’t forget the laptop: The whole downtown area is a Wi-Fi zone.
Drive time 4 hours, 19 minutes
When to go Year-round.
Published: January 2009