Since joining Seattle Met in 2011, Allison Williams has overseen the magazine’s travel and outdoor coverage, and has contributed to all sections of the magazine. Allison was raised in Olympia and earned degrees from Duke University 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.

B-N-B Redux

Airbnb Has Been a Roller Coaster Through the Pandemic

If private rentals are the new standard vacation, certain owners are making bank—but not everyone’s coming out on top.

10/06/2020 By Allison Williams

EAT / PLAY / STAY

Complete Guide to Visiting Walla Walla

Where to go, what to do, and where to dine in Washington’s world-class wine country.

10/02/2020 By Allison Williams

Larch Madness

Long Live the Very Short Larch Season

A love letter to the peculiar trees that give our Pacific Northwest fall a golden hue.

09/30/2020 By Allison Williams

Quote Unquote

Omari Salisbury Bears Witness to Seattle’s Season of Protest

“Time and time and time again, the journalist hat came off.”

09/29/2020 By Allison Williams

Overnights

High-End Lotte Hotel Finally Opens, Pandemic Be Damned

At last, a look at a long-vacant property that's been in limbo for years.

09/24/2020 By Allison Williams

Out of Office

Forget Work from Home, Try Work from Hotel

Be on the clock—or at school—somewhere much more interesting than your living room.

09/17/2020 By Allison Williams

Apocalypse Right Now

Where Can You Go When the State Is on Fire?

Blocked highways, closed forests—here's how to plan a weekend during a statewide disaster.

09/10/2020 By Allison Williams

Hotel Horde

15 Best Hotels in Seattle

You need a vacation, and a great—and safe—one is closer than you think.

08/28/2020 By Allison Williams

Feature

The 15 Best City Trails in Seattle

The greatest urban escape routes in the Seattle area, threading downtown, the waterfront, far-flung neighborhoods, and the abundant nature beyond.

08/10/2020 By Allison Williams

Resilient Seattle

Seattle's Pandemic Hobbies: Fad or Foundational?

Which will we toss the second real life returns, and which will become serious new habits?

08/04/2020 By Allison Williams

Resilient Seattle

Meet the Starting Lineup of Seattle's Pandemic Response Squad

From the health honcho to the big cheese.

08/04/2020 By Allison Williams Illustrations by Jane Sherman

Resilient Seattle

A Guide to the Viral Vocabulary of Covid-19

There was a time when none of us knew what this all meant, but now these are words we live by.

08/04/2020 By Allison Williams

Resilient Seattle

Minding the Ever-Wider Gap Between the Community and the Police

Victoria Beach started the pandemic with a hard job as liaison with the police. Then it got even harder.

08/04/2020 By Allison Williams

Resilient Seattle

The Doctor Will Zoom You Now

Dermatologist Melanie Clemenz went all in on telemedicine.

08/04/2020 Edited by Allison Williams By Melanie Clemenz

Resilient Seattle

How You Can Help Seattle Weather the Pandemic

Where to donate money, offer time, or otherwise pitch in.

08/04/2020 By Allison Williams

Classic Cinema

The Pandemic Launched a New Era for Drive-In Theaters

The retro novelty of watching a movie in your own car never looked so good.

07/31/2020 By Allison Williams

Quote Unquote

Cashier Sheryl Saechao Is on the Front Lines at Fred Meyer

"Hazard pay wouldn’t be as bad of an issue if we already had a decent wage."

07/29/2020 By Allison Williams

GO FOR IT

Hiking Is the Safest Way to Have Fun This Summer

Bears? Bees? Nah. As long as you bring a jacket and look where you’re walking, Northwest trails are a safe place to spend the pandemic.

07/24/2020 By Allison Williams

Summer Is In Tents

How to Find a Campsite Now That Everyone Is Camping

Where to set up a tent, trailer, or tricked-out RV on a crowded summer weekend.

07/16/2020 By Allison Williams

Sign of the Times

How Umbrellas Became the Symbol of Seattle Protests

Those things we never use? They're here now, linking local demonstrations to everything from Hong Kong to Amazon.

06/03/2020 By Allison Williams