Since joining Seattle Met in 2011, Allison Williams has overseen the magazine’s travel and outdoor coverage, including deep dives into Olympic National Park, the Columbia River, and a Burger King drive-thru in Canada. She edits the travel-focused blog Tripster and contributes service, news, interview, and narrative pieces to the magazine, including long-form features about mountain mysteries and puppies in prison. She’s earned awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and been nominated for a City and Regional Magazine award. 

Allison was raised here in Olympia and studied writing at Duke University, Oxford University, Columbia Journalism School, and University of Alaska. She began her career in New York City in the newsrooms of Metro newspaper and Time Out New York, then hightailed it back to her native habitat so she could write guidebooks and climb mountains.

Valley Whirl

What to Do in Yakima

Artsy small towns meet the wilds of Central Washington.

09/10/2021 By Allison Williams and Seattle Met Staff

Essay

My Trial by Fire in Seattle’s Shockingly Understaffed Restaurants

Where have all the cooks—and servers and dishwashers and hosts—gone? You know they’re desperate when they hire a writer like me.

09/08/2021 By Allison Williams

Fall Report

Northwest Travel Fall 2021: Where to Go, What to Know

Chillier weather doesn't mean there's any less to do.

09/02/2021 By Allison Williams

Quote Unquote

Class of 2021 Graduate Ellie Snyder Came of Age in Covid

How a newly minted Garfield High School alum refuses to be defined by this unusual era.

08/31/2021 By Allison Williams

Wine Not

Things to Do in Walla Walla

History, outdoor sports, and the original Batman.

08/13/2021 By Allison Williams

Hot Dog

Animal Cooling Shelter Opens in Bellevue

As temperatures hit 90, a volunteer-run haven offers free relief from hot homes.

08/12/2021 By Allison Williams

Water's Fine

Swimply Rents Backyard Swimming Pools by the Hour

That's not weird, right?

08/10/2021 By Allison Williams

Wet and wild

11 Swimming Holes within Two Hours of Seattle

Dive in to Washington’s glistening lakes and rivers—the water's fine.

07/27/2021 By Allison Williams

Salish Sea Style

Where to Stay and What to Do on Washington's Idyllic San Juan Islands (and Beyond)

Scenic escapes, empty beaches, and a farm-to-table way of life: The San Juan Islands are waiting.

07/08/2021 By Allison Williams Illustrations by Levi Hastings

Wine Not

The Best Things to Do in Woodinville

Wine tasting isn’t the only game in town.

07/02/2021 By Allison Williams

Native Names

This Land Is Their Land: The Rise of Land Acknowledgments in the PNW

A growing wave of Indigenous acknowledgments tie outdoor recreation to the tribes that first lived here—but just saying so isn’t enough.

06/29/2021 By Allison Williams

Guide to Electric Bikes

Don’t Call an E-Bike a Bicycle

A guide to Seattle's plugged-in pedals.

06/22/2021 By Allison Williams

ELECTRIC AVENUES

Washington's Best E-Bike Routes

Six routes made for an e-bike adventure, from sleepy streets to formal trails.

06/22/2021 By Allison Williams

Quote Unquote

Case Berrysmith Guards Seattle's Busiest Beaches

"I’m a bigger dude. I’m an older brother, the oldest in my family of the cousins and stuff. So I’ve always been, like, the protector."

06/21/2021 By Allison Williams

Gorge Us

Where to Eat in the Columbia Gorge

Eat your way down the river, from French cuisine to soft serve sundaes.

06/08/2021 By Allison Williams and Allecia Vermillion Photography by Kelly Turso

Deep Cuts

The Best Things to Do in the Columbia Gorge

Kiteboarding, IPAs, and one seriously unexpected religious exhibit.

06/08/2021 By Allison Williams Photography by Kelly Turso

Seattle Standouts

Our Favorite Everything in Seattle

From an unbeatable bar bathroom to the best setting for a tantrum, our editors dove deep into what they love about our city.

06/04/2021 Edited by Allison Williams By Nate Bullis, Benjamin Cassidy, Sophie Grossman, Sarah Nipper, Zoe Sayler, Allecia Vermillion, and Erin Wong Illustrations by Stevie Shao Photography by Kyle Johnson

Best in the biz

Mud Bay Founder Lars Wulff Has a Pet Theory

His pet supply empire taught Seattle how to treat our four-legged friends right. 

06/04/2021 By Allison Williams Photography by Kyle Johnson

Best in the biz

King of the Hill Grocery Owner Abraham Aklilu Rules with Benevolence

He's seen it all on Capitol Hill.

06/04/2021 By Allison Williams Photography by Kyle Johnson

Go Green

Trailhead Direct Restarts Bus Service to Hiking Trails

Skip the parking lot shuffle at Mount Si or Tiger Mountain.

06/01/2021 By Allison Williams