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.

Flower Power

Guide to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

New tulips just dropped: The rural farmland north of Seattle erupts into a rainbow of color during the state's biggest flower fest.

03/27/2025 By Allison Williams

Don’t Stream It’s Over

The World Needs Scarecrow Video Now More Than Ever

It’s about more than preserving film history. It’s cool kid culture.

03/20/2025 By Allison Williams

Animal Style

The Best Zoos and Aquariums of Western Washington

This is where the wild things are.

03/13/2025 By Allison Williams

Ferry Thee Well

Guide to the San Juan Islands

All the farmstands, haunted hotels, and scenic lighthouses you can fit in a long weekend.

03/11/2025 By Allison Williams

Neighborhood Guide

Secret Spots in Ballard

Cheap movies, craft classes, and a secret beach hidden in plain sight.

03/11/2025 By Taylor McKenzie Gerlach

Winging It

Spring Bird Migration Fills Seattle Skies

Welcome home to our favorite part-time residents.

03/10/2025 By Allison Williams

Play Ball

Dan Wilson Is All Caught Up

Twenty years after he retired as a Mariners catcher, he’s calling the shots as manager and eyeing a World Series.

03/04/2025 By Allison Williams

Cold Tide

Washington's Best Beaches in Winter

Beach days aren't always what you think.

02/27/2025 By Allison Williams

Sport

Best Seattle Rock Climbing Gyms

Our indoor crags boast sky-high fake rocks and some of the best bouldering in the country. Plus: Seattle's best free outdoor climbing rocks.

02/21/2025 By Allison Williams

Spray On

What the Heck Is a Head Spa?

The scalp gets its own line of dedicated self-care, but things are going to get wet.

02/13/2025 By Allison Williams

In Memoriam

Remembering Shelley Brothers, Co-Owner of Bar the Wildrose

A queer icon, committed to her bar and community.

02/04/2025 By Naomi Tomky

sleigh all day

Where to Go Sledding Near Seattle

A good snow hill is surprisingly hard to find.

01/30/2025 By Allison Williams

Sun Screen

Best Sunny Vacations from Seattle

Don't get sad (or Seasonal Depression Disorder, for that matter). Get a vacation to somewhere with sunshine.

01/23/2025 By Allison Williams

Soak it in

Hot Springs Near Seattle

Thank the Northwest's volcanic landscape for our all-natural hot tubs.

01/17/2025 By Allison Williams

Overnights

The Best Pacific Northwest Lodges for a Cozy Vacation

Park once and play all weekend.

01/16/2025 By Allison Williams

Overnight Sensations

The Best Hotels in Washington State

We checked in to the 15 best luxury lodges, boutique properties, and urban hotels outside the greater Seattle area.

01/16/2025 By Allison Williams

Home Cooking

There’s a Cannibal Hot Tub near Mount Rainier

One Ukrainian family is turning a rural hotel into a wholly unique destination.

01/16/2025 By Allison Williams

Warm Up

New Hot Spots to Soak and Sauna

Washington has some weird new ways to heat up, including a few things we've never seen before.

01/13/2025 By Allison Williams

tome travels

Best Bookstores to Visit on a Washington Road Trip

Why go anywhere without a good place to stock up on books?

01/10/2025 By Taylor McKenzie Gerlach and Allison Williams

Snow Report

Best Ski Hills to Visit Across the Pacific Northwest

Ski season has already begun in Northwest resorts. Here's what's new, what's different, and where to ski and snowboard from Canada to Oregon.

01/09/2025 By Allison Williams