In case you haven’t noticed, a recurring theme in our day tripping is the idea of buying local. Not only is it healthy for the local economy, it instills a great sense of pride.  Whether it’s produce, products or services, you are buying directly from the people that create them.

With that said, this is an especially good time of year for locally grown produce.  Between now and the end of October, your local farmers markets will be bursting at the seams with bounties of fresh produce.  And if that’s not …

Situated at the north end of the Kitsap Peninsula is the small picturesque town of Port Gamble.  You’ve probably driven through it many times on your way to the Olympic Peninsula.  Within an hour’s drive from Port Gamble, you can find yourself in Port Townsend, on the trails in Olympic National Park and Forest, clamdigging along the saltwater beaches of Hood Canal, shopping in Poulsbo, dining on Bainbridge Island and, with a ferry ride, in downtown Seattle.  So what’s so special about this place?
Port Gamble is a small historic town located 8 …

Skagit Valley, 50 miles north of Seattle on I-5, is primarily known for the Tulip Festival every April.  However, as we recently discovered, there is much more to do there than meets the eye.  This area is one of our most frequent day-tripping destinations year round.
Skagit Wildlife Area – North Fork
We stumbled on this area one day after stopping at the Snow Goose Produce stand (a worthy stop in and of itself).  It’s a beautiful area that during good weather is great for exploration.  Bordered on one side by the north fork …

Update: 2009 festival dates are October 17 – 18th.
Recuperating from outpatient surgery, I was getting a touch of cabin fever so we set out for “Farming Yesterday & Today: A Snohomish County Fall Farm Festival,” a weekend that “offers visitors a chance to tour local farms not usually open to the public.”  The weather was ideal, cool and unseasonably sunny for a Northwest fall.  This festival was new to us and looked exactly like what we were looking for that day: something outside the city with a variety of area …