This short three-stop tour along the Hood Canal makes for a perfect day trip to the Olympic Peninsula.  It features waterfalls, dense forests and scenic views and, except for one stop, can be done any time of year.  From the Hood Canal Bridge driving distance is approximately 70 miles round trip.  Traveling from Seattle you can take either the Bainbridge Island or Edmonds-Kingston Ferries.  If this is your first visit to Seattle or you are hosting visitors, we recommend taking the Bainbridge Island ferry as it provides the must-have photo …

If you haven’t been east of the mountains lately, now is a good time to go.  Yes, it’s hotter than you know what during the summer, but as seasonal rains plague us Puget Sound Travelers, we can still find decent weather.  A place we’ve been meaning to visit for some time was Red Top Mountain Lookout in the Teanaway Ridge just east of Cle Elum.
Getting there was easy enough.  Just take I-90 to exit 84 and drive through Cle Elum.  You can optionally take the next exit bypassing the town.  However, …

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 …

This is one of those places that, during off season, makes a great quick getaway spot for the entire family.  And by off-season, I’m referring to clam and oyster harvesting season!
You’ve probably seen this beach area when crossing the Hood Canal bridge and looking north - that small isthmus connecting Hood Head with the Olympic Peninsula.  The first few times I tried to get there was by walking the beach at Shine Tidelands State Park immediately north of the Hood Canal bridge.  Never made it that way! The secret is to go to Wolfe Property …