Northwest Travel Destinations, Spring 2016

1. Victoria
After being acquired by a global ferry company, the Victoria Clipper adds Victoria-to-Vancouver routes, which makes sense, and hopes to start historic, slightly balmier service between Florida and Cuba.

Courtesy Diane Penland
2. Coupeville
March 12 & 13: Celebrate mussels (or as we like to think of them, goth clams) at the 30th annual Penn Cove Musselfest, featuring chowder tastings and mussel-eating contests.
3. Mount St. Helens
The volcano’s Mother’s Day tradition has a dress code for climbers—vibrant skirts or dresses, even on men—because your mama didn’t raise no scrub.
4. Portland
Through May 8, Portland Art Museum shows off the winners of this year’s Contemporary Northwest Art Awards, where we can gloat that five of their eight artists hail from Seattle.
5. Salem
On April 1, Main Street Drivers launch their unique service in Oregon wine country: They’ll pilot your car between vineyards, or, should you drive yourself and get sloshed, send a DUI prevention squad to ferry your vehicle back to the hotel.
6. Hanford
The National Park Service helps conduct tours of the newly created Manhattan Project National Historical Park starting in April. Poor ole Smokey Bear. Those bomb-making nuclear reactors are definitely going to blow his fire-phobic mind.
7. Spokane
April 22 & 24: Kristi Yamaguchi headlines the first-ever international figure skating Team Challenge Cup, which is basically like Dancing with the Stars but colder and featuring way more Russians.