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.

Frozen

Ways to Play in the Snow near Seattle

Snow bikes and sledding hills: The Pacific Northwest has plenty of options to enjoy winter beyond the ski resorts.

01/19/2023 By Allison Williams

Heat is on

A Floating Sauna Hides in the Vancouver Island Wilderness

The unusual retreat near Tofino redefines getting away from it all with a rugged-meets-resort experience.

01/17/2023 By Allison Williams

Planner

Things to Do in Washington in January

A folk festival in Bellingham, all the ice at Lake Chelan Winterfest, and a DJ party on skates in Spokane.

01/10/2023 By Allison Williams

Statewide

The Best Restaurants in Washington State

Our favorite meals outside Seattle, from far-off islands to creative cuisine in cities east of the mountains.

01/09/2023 By Allison Williams and Allecia Vermillion

Late Checkout

Checking In at Some of the Best Hotels in Washington

We linger at a mountain spa, a city lobby, and other favorite overnight spots.

12/21/2022 By Allison Williams

Short Stops

A New Gourmet Food Stop Elevates Snoqualmie Pass

Laconia Market brought the gourmet sandwiches and fancy sodas we didn't know we needed after a day of skiing.

12/19/2022 By Allison Williams

Overnight Sensations

The Best Hotels in Washington State

We checked in to the 20 best luxury lodges, boutique properties, and urban hotels outside the greater Seattle area.

12/16/2022 By Allison Williams

Planner

What to Do in Washington in December

Explore Leavenworth to Bellingham for festive markets, festivals, and events to make things a whole lot merrier this month.

12/02/2022 By 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.

11/29/2022 By Allison Williams

Holiday Spirit

Christmas Tree Farms Near Seattle

From Stocker Farms in Snohomish to Pfaff's Old Time Farm in Auburn, there's no shortage of places to pick out a Christmas tree in Western Washington.

11/23/2022 By Allison Williams

Map Quest

A Road Trip through the Columbia River Gorge

When winter descends, the north side of the Oregon border sets a not-so-snowy route to Eastern Washington.

11/22/2022 By Allison Williams

Snow Business

Volunteers Patrol the Slopes at Washington Ski Mountains

Crucial rescue duties on the ski hill, from emergency care to chairlift evacuations, are mostly done by unpaid workers—even at for-profit resorts.

11/18/2022 By Allison Williams

Feature

The Ancient Spirit That Settled in Small-Town Washington

An hour south of Seattle, JZ Knight channels a god-like warrior spirit named Ramtha. To outsiders it can look like a cult, a religion, a 40-year-long fake.

11/15/2022 By Allison Williams Illustrations by Jonathan Bartlett