Cancelled vacations. Postponed honeymoons. Delayed holidays. This is how we will remember 2020. Travel plans all for naught. As this most-memorable year draws closer to an end, it might be the right time to plan a close-to-home getaway. A weekend or longer that … read more

Christmas starts in October at Ann Ryan’s home on Oyster Bay. That’s when she hauls out the boxes and boxes of holiday decorations she’s collected over the years and starts decking the halls of the 100-year-old home. Ryan’s collection includes Christmas-themed paintings, dozens … read more

Yes, there is a Santa Claus. He lives on the Key Peninsula when he is not at the North Pole tending his reindeer or supervising the elves in the toy shop. His “Ho! Ho! Ho!” is most convincing, and he has a bag … read more

Don and Nancy Davenport have always hung Christmas lights on the front of their house, which is situated at the end of a long driveway on a cul-de-sac in Gig Harbor. “Because our house sits back so far from the street, hardly anyone … read more

The way people work and conduct business has evolved from a traditional, brick-and-mortar platform (think factories and office buildings) to a less structured, more fluid environment. Many can now establish an office or workspace anywhere in the world and still conduct their business … read more

Garden books are often dry and read more like an encyclopedia. Yet not so with Ciscoe Morris’ book, “Oh, La La!: Homegrown Stories, Helpful Tips, and Garden Wisdom.” Well known for the tales he peppers into his garden talks, Morris has a talent … read more

Gordon and Janet Knudsen don’t have a lilac, but that’s OK, because they have practically everything else. From astrantia to zinnias, the Knudsens’ Poulsbo garden is a botanical who’s who — and what’s that? — of fabulous plants. However, the Knudsens’ arboretum-esque property … read more

Dedicated in March 2019, Ancich Waterfront Park in downtown Gig Harbor is both a remembrance of the town’s pioneering Ancich family and a dedication to the commercial fishing boats that shaped much of the community’s history. The park’s landscaping plan included public artwork … read more

Humans have been baking bread since they first ground grain, made it into a paste and spread it on a hot rock. Archaeologists have found evidence of starches from plant roots and grasses, as well as rudimentary mortar-and-pestle grinding stones dating back 30,000 … read more