One of the beautiful things about being in Seattle during the winter is realizing that you are surrounded by snow-capped mountains in every direction and that a winter wonderland is yours to be had for as little as a 45-minute drive. If you’re from out of town, however, it can be a daunting task to plan for it. What should we do? Where can we go? Can we leave our car there? Do we need a special permit for that? Then there are the questions of what to bring, what to wear, whether the te

In case you weren’t one of the 56 million people around the country watching the NFC Championship last Sunday (and why weren’t you?!), allow me recap things quickly. After three hours of back-and-forth, drama-filled, heart-wrenching football, one play ended a feverish comeback from the San Francisco 49ers and catapulted the Seattle Seahawks into Super Bowl XLVIII. The play defined the game, likely the Seahawks’ season, and most definitely introduced the world to Seahawks All-Pro defensive ba

Downtown 12th Man in lights and CenturyLink Field illuminated on the right. Photo by Sarah Minaker. For visitors and locals alike, it is nearly impossible to step foot in Seattle without taking notice of the Seahawk’s fervent 12th man following.  ESPN’s Chris Berman even questioned whether Seattle had seceded from the Union, referring to the replacement of American Flags with the 12th Man version. These days, life in the city is best illustrated in “12s.”  Our breathtaking skyline is enhance

As I strode into SAM on a sleepy Thursday morning I realized that the only time I had ever seen Miró’s art was in college studying Gardner’s Art Through the Ages. As you can imagine, seeing the works of a master is hardly impressive when you see them as a two by three inch picture in a textbook. I had no idea how magnificent they could be in person. Miró: The Experience of Seeing has made landfall at the Seattle Art Museum, giving visitors a unique opportunity to see the works of a Catalan S

Editor’s note: This post is part of a series themed to The Travel Effect, a national advocacy campaign created by the U.S. Travel Association.  Visit Seattle is committed to promoting the importance of travel and we remind our hard-working team members with a “Spontaneous Getaways” program. Each quarter, we award one employee a trip of their choosing. We provide the transportation and allocate extra paid time off, they return rejuvenated and sometimes even write about their travel experience

The majority of Seattle visitors staying downtown have no idea that they’re blocks away from one of the most exciting neighborhoods in the entire country. Capitol Hill, adjacent to the east perimeter of downtown, has long been the Emerald City’s gay epicenter and home to artists, hipsters, students and now-famous musicians, not to mention some of the best restaurants, bars, coffee shops, live music venues and public parks. If you’re only in town for a couple of days and wan

This May, museum professionals from across the United States and around the world will gather in Seattle for the annual meeting of the American Alliance of Museums. With more than 5,000 attendees from 50+ countries, AAM’s conference explores the latest innovations in museum design, operations, programs and collection management. We are delighted to host this important event in Seattle, which presents the perfect occasion to shine a spotlight on the outstanding variety of museums in the Puget

Table setting at The Herbfarm. Photo taken by Danielle Decker Some experiences in life are so special and leave such lasting impressions that you can forever return to those memories and swell from the sweet pleasure of a moment in life truly well spent. Your journey begins as you leave Seattle and take the short drive to the rural farmlands of Woodinville.  Once you arrive at The Herbfarm, step under the unassuming country sign and make your way toward the cottage you are beckoned by warmth

The sun was out. The sky was blue. The air temperature hovered at about 71° F. It was the quintessential summer day in Seattle and the city was simply begging to be explored. Fortunately, my cousin, Andrea, and I started the day with two CityPASS booklets in hand. Starting out the day right. For only $64, CityPASS gives you access to five different Seattle attractions – a $119 value! Photo by Kristin Kruger. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or super familiar with a city, City

Bumbershoot photo by Christopher Nelson. Seattle’s festival of arts & music, Bumbershoot is one of my favorite annual events. Growing up in a small town about an hour away, I jumped at any chance to visit the “big city” for music and festivals. I attended my first Bumbershoot in the 1980s, and became a lifelong fan. I didn’t know then how unique Bumbershoot was in the universe of arts festivals, and I probably wouldn’t have cared, anyway. I knew that it was a celebration of t

Editor’s note: This post is part of a series themed to The Travel Effect, a national advocacy campaign created by the U.S. Travel Association.  Visit Seattle is committed to promoting the importance of travel and we remind our hard-working team members with a “Spontaneous Getaways” program. Each quarter, we award one employee a trip of their choosing. We provide the transportation and allocate extra paid time off, they return rejuvenated and sometimes even write about their travel experience

Sam and I have both lived pretty normal lives. When we met at the Gay Christian Network Conference in Nashville, we were on Winter break from college. Sam flew down from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, and I drove up from the University of South Carolina. The friendship that began there blossomed into a two year long distance relationship and later into an engagement this past December as we moved to Minnesota together. See? Pretty normal, huh. A little over three weeks ago, we got a

As a lifelong Seattle area resident, foodie, and citywide concierge, I am a little ashamed to admit that, until recently, I had never been to the San Juan Islands. So, when given the chance through our amazing Travel Effect program, on a sunny Thursday I packed my bags and my husband and hopped on the first ferry. During the busiest travel months the line to get onto any ferry heading out of Anacortes can be daunting so heed the advice of a professional and get there 2-hours prior to departu

If you’ve never traveled by train, you really ought to give it a whirl. My twelve-year-old daughter, Aliyah, and I had the chance to “ride the rails” last weekend courtesy of Amtrak. We traveled from Seattle to Vancouver, B.C. via Amtrak’s Cascades line for a quick yet exciting two-day adventure, and I couldn’t recommend it more! King Street Station David Newman We started our trip early in the morning. Coming in from the dark at 6:50am to catch the 7:20 train,

My husband and I moved to Downtown Seattle from the Ballard area about four months ago, and one of the biggest adjustments was learning where to grocery shop, and where to find a half gallon of milk for under  $2.50.  It’s the most commonly asked question by friends:  “Where do you do your grocery shopping?”  Now instead of getting in the car once a week and shopping, I find myself constantly on the lookout by foot for good deals on groceries since there are multiple options. The two most lo

Photo by: The Underground Tour. Years ago, before careers, kids and mortgages, I used to go on road trip adventures.  One memorable road trip we drove through central Oregon, stopping in old ghost towns to explore abandoned churches, school houses and the occasional single family home if the front door was missing.  I’ll admit – our main goal was to find a ghost, but it was also interesting to think about the building in its heyday, and the people who used to walk through their doors so many

Expedia Viewfinder partnered with Visit Seattle to highlight some family activities in Emerald City to check out this holiday season.  The Space Needle illuminates the skyline, lights twinkle upon the water of Puget Sound, and the snow-packed peaks of Mt. Rainier hover high overhead. These charming features make it seem as if Seattle, Washington, is always decked out for the holiday season.  The Expedia Viewfinder team thinks that there is something so magical about exploring a city during t

You know how there’s always a place close by that you’ve never been to? A place so close that that it’s embarrassing to tell people you’ve never been there? For me, this place is Winthrop. In the 10 years that I’ve lived in Washington, I have never been to Okanogan County. I had heard about the epic drive and the “Western” town that is Winthrop and have always wanted to go and experience it for myself, this last August, Visit Seattle sent me on an excursion to do just that. Located about 4 h

It’s a January day in Seattle as I write this, and outside it’s clear, sunny and blue. But it’s true, our winter weather can lean more to the…..ahem……neutral side of the color palette, and gray skies are not uncommon. This February, you won’t care what color the skies are because you’ll be so busy soaking in the colors, sights and sounds of more than 40 top museums during Seattle Museum Month, at half off! Here’s the unbeatable deal: stay overnight in any of 54 participati

There is something magical about Winthrop and the Methow Valley. This is true in any season, as my friend and colleague demonstrated in a previous blog post about Winthrop in the summer. But for me, winter is particularly extraordinary. The high desert covered in a layer of fresh white snow makes for an irresistible landscape, just begging to be explored. How you choose to set about exploring this winter wonderland is your first challenge as there are many options for venturing out into th