Blog Archives

Postcard from Wildlife Safari

It’s a road trip weekend and a chance to enjoy the baking hot weather of southern Oregon. These three brown bears at Wildlife Safari (in Winston, Oregon), were trying to beat the heat with a bear-sized popsicle – a large block of ice with berries and other fruit frozen inside.

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Paul McCartney Out There in Center Field at Safeco Field

It was big, it was bold, it was Out There last night as Paul McCartney played center field in Seattle’s Safeco Field. For its first major concert held in the stadium, you could hardly go wrong with the legendary Sir Paul, who last played Seattle eight years ago. What can you say about a musician who has held audiences in the palm of his hand for over 50 years. And who, at 71 years of age, can still headline a show for two and a half hours (including two encores). Oh sure, there were a couple of times his voice showed the age (Yesterday), but there were ten times more that he delivered in spades. I jumped on buying tickets early (thank you Amex Gold card advance ticket option), grabbing field seats in the middle section. The seats were 32 […]

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Postcard from Seattle: Summer in the City

I’ve spent most of today in downtown Seattle, glued to a chair in front of my keyboard. But – it’s time to knock off for the weekend and enjoy the evening at the Paul McCartney concert at Safeco Field. How are you kicking off your weekend?

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Postcard: Downtown Seattle Skyline

I’ve lived in the greater Seattle area most all of my life, and during that time I’ve seen a lot of changes in the downtown skyline. No matter which direction you’re looking, there’s always something to catch your eye.

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Spring Fling: A Theme Park Weekend

Whether you’re contemplating a family weekend getaway, or perhaps just want to have kid-like fun yourself, there’s nothing quite like immersing yourself in theme parks for an introduction to spring travel. I had a chance to check that premise out on a recent extended family theme park getaway to Minneapolis. Minneapolis might not be the first city that comes to mind when you think about theme parks, but it has several offerings that make the city an attractive choice. Let’s take a look. Nickelodeon Universe Located in the Mall of America, the largest shopping mall in the United States, Nickelodeon Universe covers seven acres in the middle of the mall, offering rides and attractions appropriate to all age levels. As you would expect, many of the rides feature top Nickelodeon characters such as SpongeBob Square Pants, Rugrats, and Dora the […]

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Postcard from Nickelodeon Universe

A theme park inside a mall? Yep, that’s just what you’ll get with Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. Located near the Minneapolis-St Paul airport, this was the first stop on my theme park getaway weekend.

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Do This Weekend: Great Backyard Bird Count

Sometimes creating a great travel experience isn’t just about decide where you’re going to take a trip. Sometimes it’s about doing something to ensure that others who travel can experience things you might take for granted. This weekend, February 15-18th, 2013, you have a chance to enjoy a weekend and home, while at the same time performing a valuable service to the environment and future travelers to your home town. The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual 4-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are. While here in the Pacific Northwest it’s easy to look outside and see birds in every tree, this environmental initiative is a worldwide event. As a bonus, you can count wherever you happen to be – even if you’re traveling. […]

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Postcard from Fort Vancouver

Located in the southern part of Washington state, Fort Vancouver was a 19th century fur trading outpost for the Hudson Bay Company. Today it is part of the National Park System, with living history events and a world-class archaeology collection. In the blacksmith shop, a top-notch nail maker could make one in 12 seconds flat.

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