While zipping along State Route 3 between Belfair and Shelton, the speed limit slows through the little hamlet of Allyn. Smack-dab in the middle of town, on the water side of the street, sits “Lennard K’s Boat House.” Part of the building that houses this bustling cafe and watering hole was built in Allyn about […]
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Posted inPeople & Places
Hello, Thailand!
“Sawadee ka.” That’s hello in Thai. Sawadee ka — said with hands in prayer position (known as wai) and a tiny bow with your head. Hello from Thailand — a land of beauty and mystery. A place where royalty and religion are entwined deep in a culture of ritual and superstition. Many Americans know very […]
Posted inHome
Evocative of a Schoolhouse
In the historic community of Grapeview, it can be hard to find your way around the first time you visit. Lots of tiny dirt roads finger off from the main road, featuring funny names that are often nearly identical. It nods to the legacy of each independent, pioneering settler, starting with the first homesteader, Lambert […]
Posted inThe Outdoors
Trail Etiquette Tips for Hiking Around West Sound
We need to be sensitive not only to the environment surrounding our trails, but to other trail users as well. Some of the trails are also open to mountain bikers and equestrians. When you encounter other trail users, whether they are hikers, runners, bicyclists or horse riders, the only hard-and-fast rule is to follow common […]
Posted inThe Outdoors
Trails for Fun and Fitness in Your Big Backyard on the Kitsap Peninsula
Let’s face it: Whether you’re a hiker, walker or runner, life can get in the way when it comes to putting time in on the trail. Far too often, it’s hard for most of us to set aside an hour — never mind a day or even longer — to hit the trails of our […]
Posted inPeople & Places
The Belfair Community Trail System
The Belfair community might soon be recognized as one of the best places in the state to take a nature hike. A trail system currently runs through the Theler Wetlands on a 5-mile loop connecting the wetlands to the Belfair State Park, and now there is a new plan to extend the trail. It would […]
Posted inHome
Home at Last — A Colvos Passage Home Set Apart
Driving through the sculptural gate and down the winding drive through the verdant green lawn dotted with carefully chosen trees and shrubs, there is a noticeable transition from the noise of the street to the sanctuary of private space. A pair of Chinese foo dogs flanking the offset, floating-block concrete walk hints at the Asian […]
Posted inGarden
A Garden that Defies Limits
Western Washington excels as a gardener’s playground. Abundant rains, mild winters and not-too-hot summers let gardeners grow a wide selection of plant species and varieties. But even with the botanical diversity at the gardeners’ disposal, the “tropical” garden does its best to stay out of their reach. The winter temperatures are not quite mild enough […]
Posted inPeople & Places
Westward Ho on the Mother Road
Route 66. The Mother Road. The Will Rogers Highway. The Main Street of America. No matter how you refer to it, one of the original highways in the United States is both iconic and unrecognizable at the same time. And driving it from Chicago to Los Angeles is an adventure still today. “If you ever […]