Off Grid

Unplugging Outdoors Is Hard but Totally Worth It

How one kayaking company is paying customers to ditch their phones—and why it matters so much.

09/26/2025 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

Bobbing Along

Where to Float a River near Seattle and across Washington

Grab a tube and let the water do the work.

06/20/2024 By Taylor McKenzie Gerlach

Water Ways

The Best Places to Rent a Kayak or Standup Paddleboard in Seattle

No boat? No problem. Check out a seafaring vessel for the day. Plus: What's up with hydrofoils?

05/11/2023 By Allison Williams

Water Ways

Where to Launch a Kayak or Standup Paddleboard in Seattle

Time to captain your own armada. Plus: Where to go for a post-paddle snack.

05/04/2023 By Allison Williams

Lake Town

Oregon Mountain Hideaway Joseph Is Worth an Underwater Look

And glass-bottomed kayaks oblige.

09/24/2019 By Allison Williams

Work Hard, Play Hard

Local Essentials: An Intern's Guide to Seattle

Skip the Space Needle and live like a Seattleite with this roundup of our favorite off-the-clock spots.

07/18/2019 By Seattle Met Staff

Float On

How Seattle Folk Fit Boat Life into a Crowded City

From fold-up dinghies to commuting by kayak, we do what it takes.

05/29/2019 By Allison Williams

All Aboard

Sail the Local Seas on These 8 Boat Rentals and Cruises

How to travel our waterways the easy way.

05/29/2019 By Allison Williams

Hang Around Town

19 Urban Adventures for the Whole Family

Where to embrace the city sights, the great outdoors, or a rainy afternoon.

09/21/2018 By Allecia Vermillion

State Park Adventures

Hike, Paddle, and Climb: 14 More State Parks to Explore

Kayaking, glamping, sledding. And that's just the start. You wouldn’t believe what Washington's state parks hold.

07/17/2018 By Allison Williams

The Columbia River

The Atomic Graveyard on the Hanford Reach

The Hanford Reach was the top-secret site of America’s biggest technological achievement—or one of its deadliest. Now it’s simultaneously a toxic dump and a pristine expanse of river.

07/24/2015 By Allison Williams

The Columbia River

5 Ways to Boat Down the Columbia

Bring your own captain’s hat.

07/24/2015 By Allison Williams

Guide to the San Juans

Orcas Island: What to Do and Where to Eat

The biggest San Juan island has an artsy heart, a mountain that dominates half its clam-shaped mass, and views that can't be beat. Swim in a millionaire's basement pool and shuck your own clams.

08/01/2014 By Allison Williams