July 2010

Best Camping Spots in Washington

Best Camping Spots in Washington

Whether you prefer authentic camping or luxury "glamping," our camping guide has you covered.

Roughing ItThe Northwest offers plenty of ways to commune with nature, but nothing quite surpasses the getting-back-to-the-land feeling of hiking, sleeping and cooking outdoors—especially when s’mores await at the end of a day spent entirely free of walls. Not-so-Roughing ItIf sleeping on the ground—even on a pad in a warm sleeping bag and tent—is more…

Top Doctors 2010: Special Hall of Fame Edition

Top Doctors 2010: Special Hall of Fame Edition

Saluting the 381 finest physicians in the Puget Sound region.

Over the past decade, Seattle magazine has been the go-to resource for information about the best doctors in the region. For this Top Doctors issue—our 10th since 2000—we created a Top Doctors Hall of Fame to honor the four doctors (pictured L to R: Dr. Joseph S. Gruss; Dr. Linda S. Mihalov; Dr. David R. Byrd;…

Spotlight: Screaming Flea Productions' Third Season of Hoarders

Spotlight: Screaming Flea Productions’ Third Season of Hoarders

With a third season of Hoarders in the works, the Seattle-based production team offers a behind-the-

Let’s get this out of the way: The name Screaming Flea Productions (SFP) is not a reference to the conditions commonly seen on Hoarders, the popular reality show the Seattle-based company produces for A&E. Though the SFP team is all too familiar with infestations—and other unpleasant consequences of living amid piles of newspapers and herds…

Sage Advice for Camping with Children

Sage Advice for Camping with Children

Camping with kids presents special problems, so we asked a family-camping expert for some answers.

Should I buy my child a special ergonomic telescoping titanium trekking pole? Only if you hate nature. There is no way that pole is not going to be used to whack the crap out of trailside vegetation (and probably your ankles and your child’s little brother). Balance is a learned skill—let them learn it! Save the…

Best Camping Spots: Vamping

Best Camping Spots: Vamping

The Eurovan is the ground-averse camper's silver bullet.

When my husband, Daniel, and I go camping for the weekend, there are no tents involved. We do not drag Therm-a-Rests or tarps out of the garage; we do not strap carefully rolled sleeping bags onto backpacks. Instead, we pile into our VW Eurovan and head for nearby wilderness to experience a night or two…

Easy Salted Caramel S'mores

Easy Salted Caramel S’mores

An extra decadent version of the classic campfire dessert.

When the late-evening air is infused with the smell of a crackling campfire, there’s no better nightcap than a mug of warm cocoa and a melty, chocolatey s’more. In this extra-decadent version, we’ve taken Cougar Mountain chocolate chip cookies and sandwiched between them toasted marshmallows and the ultra-rich, dark chocolate salted caramels from Jo’s Candies…

Best Camping Spots: Roughing It

Best Camping Spots: Roughing It

The Northwest offers myriad ways to commune with nature, but nothing surpasses sleeping outdoors.

Salt Creek A Family AffairWhere: North side of the Olympic Peninsula on the Strait of Juan de FucaBest For: Base-camp adventuring, tide pooling and family-friendly camping  Sea stars, swimming and s’mores, oh my! Salt Creek Recreation Area off State Route 112 on the north side of the Olympic Peninsula has a wealth of options for family…

Scoop: W.C. Afield

If nature calls while you're in the Wedgewood neighborhood, make use of Seattle's first public compo

W.C. AfieldGardeners at Wedgwood’s Picardo Farm P-Patch have new cause for relief—a composting toilet. Similar to toilets installed on U.S. Forest Service land, the Clivus Multrum M54 Trailhead single-station model arrived on the scene in April, acquired and installed with the help of a $15,000 City Neighborhood Matching Fund award. Dubbed “the Picaloo” by the…

Road Trip: Steveston

Wild salmon awaits you in Steveston, B.C.

WHERE: Steveston, a picturesque fishing village in Richmond, B.C., south of Vancouver. WHY: The 65th annual Salmon Festival takes place July 1 (aka Canada Day). DON’T MISS: The parade of floats, marching bands and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, plus carnival rides, belt-sander drag races and the massive salmon bake (1,200 pounds of wild salmon…

The Must List: July

Our Top To-Do's For July

See the Rockets’ Red GlareFourth of July FireworksThanks to the initiative—and donations—of Tom Douglas, Dave Ross and countless local citizens, Seattle’s last remaining in-city fireworks show was rescued in April after nearly fizzling out from a lack of corporate sponsorship. Time to enjoy the star-spangled fruits of our labors! We recommend walking or biking to…

Scoop: Coops De Ville

Seattle Tilth's city chicken-coop tour showcases a flock of fowl dwellings

You’ve probably spied members of Seattle’s burgeoning urban chicken population clucking, pecking, preening and strutting their stuff—and you’ve probably wondered: Where do they live? How do they live? As a sort of MTV Cribs for the fine-feathered set, the garden gurus at Seattle Tilth present the third annual city chicken-coop tour, showcasing the lifestyles of…

Feature: Mike Mcginn’s Eco Trip

Seattleites thought they had an environmentally progressive mayor in national magazine poster boy Gr

Mike Mcginn’s EcoTripMike McGinn has a habit of pausing before he speaks. Whether he’s responding to a question or about to address a large group, he will take a moment that is a bit too long, squint his blue eyes slightly and stare. It can seem as if McGinn is an alien intelligence, wondering whether to…