Northwest Travel and Life
In the Shadow of the Cascades: A Highway 97 Road Trip
Originally published on Northwest Travel & Life. Besides the scenery, the joys of a road trip include the stops along the way—roadside curiosities, a small town or city, historic markers, the best burger in the state. You can map out your itinerary in advance or let spontaneity reign. I chose the free-and-easy spontaneity method on […]
Inventive Jet Boat Tour Brings Stargazing to the Willamette Valley
Originally published on Northwest Travel & Life. On a warm spring evening, still under bluebird skies, six of us piled into a vessel piloted by Scott Heesacker, owner and operator of NW Jet Boat Charter, for a trip down the Willamette River. Within a few minutes of leaving the dock outside Newberg, Oregon, we’d left […]
A Sweet Summer Getaway in Nanaimo, British Columbia
Originally published on Northwest Travel & Life. If you’ve ever wished for a culinary trail dedicated to desserts, Nanaimo is the summer getaway for you. This coastal city on Vancouver Island is a place to enjoy the sweeter things in life while soaking up Indigenous culture and art. Start with a taste (literally) on the […]
Meeting News Northwest
Big Connections Start Small: A Q&A with Deborah Hoskins on Meetings in the San Juan Islands
Originally published on Meeting News Northwest. While massive conferences have their place, oftentimes smaller gatherings make for more meaningful connections. And that’s where destinations built for smaller gatherings are having a moment. The San Juan Islands have long specialized in intimate retreats and meetings where attendees can step away from daily distractions, reconnect with colleagues […]
Looking Back Toward the Future: Why In-Person Events Are Booming Again
Originally published on Meeting News Northwest. Last year, Forbes released a report that showed meetings and events industry saw a surprising amount of optimism in 2025. That continues to be good news for destinations, convention centers and hospitality businesses across the Pacific Northwest. According to the Forbes report highlighting the American Express Global Business Travel […]
IACC Report: Making Large Meetings Feel Personal
Originally published on Meeting News Northwest. Venues are often evaluated on metrics. After all, there are many to consider: square footage, room layouts and audiovisual capabilities, just to name a few. While those fundamentals still matter, a new report from the International Association of Conference Centres (IACC) shows the industry’s priorities are shifting. The modern […]
425
Wright Runstad & Co. Submits Design Review Applications for Bellevue Residential Projects
Originally published on 425. Commercial developer Wright Runstad & Co. recently submitted a design review application for two eight-story residential buildings that would be constructed at 1209 124th Ave. NE in Bellevue‘s BelRed neighborhood, the Downtown Bellevue Network reported. The building proposal would span over two blocks in the Spring District, with the buildings estimated […]
Homage Senior Services Appoints New Board Members
Originally published on 425. Homage Senior Services has added Timothy Little and Sarah Zabel to its board of directors. Little is a longtime gastroenterologist and co-founder of Puget Sound Gastroenterology, while Zabel previously served as chief operating officer of Swedish Edmonds and now leads her own health care consulting firm. In a press release announcing […]
Blue Origin, NASA Partner to Test New Glenn's Upper Stage at Mississippi Site
Originally published on 425. Kent-based Blue Origin and NASA have signed an agreement to use the historic Thad Cochran Test Stand “B-Test Complex” at NASA Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, for hot-fire testing the second stage of Blue Origin’s heavy-lift New Glenn rocket, the company announced last week. The B-Test Complex is […]
425 Business
Microsoft, Databricks Expand Enterprise AI Partnership
Originally published on 425 Business. Software company Databricks and Microsoft are expanding their partnership to further integrate data management and artificial-intelligence technologies for business customers. The updated agreement extends the companies’ collaboration into the next decade and focuses on connecting enterprise data with AI applications across Microsoft’s cloud platform and productivity tools. Under the agreement, […]
Swiss Coworking Company Adds 5 New Locations to Washington Roster
Originally published on 425 Business. Switzerland-based International Workplace Group is expanding its presence in Washington with five new flexible workspaces under its Regus brand, bringing the company’s total to more than 45 locations across the state. The new branches include private offices, meeting rooms, and coworking and creative spaces for businesses ranging from startups to […]
Wells Fargo Names Commercial Banking Market Executive for Washington, Alaska
Originally published on 425 Business. Wells Fargo has named commercial banking veteran Jim Teichman its market executive for commercial banking in Washington and Alaska. Based in Seattle, he reports to Commercial Banking Northwest Division Executive Eric Houser. “Jim has a strong track record of helping clients grow and building high-performing teams across the Pacific Northwest,” […]
South Sound
Lacey Pulls the Curtain Back on Newest — and Largest — Park
Originally published on South Sound. The city of Lacey has announced the opening of its newest and largest greenspace. Greg Cuoio Park is located at 2711 Carpenter Road NE and encompasses 537 acres of forest, wetlands, tributaries, and sensitive habitat areas, according to a press release from the city. The full Greg Cuoio Park is […]
How LaDonna Olmstead's Tea Madame Fills a South Sound Niche
Originally published on South Sound. This article originally appeared in the July-August 2026 edition of our sister publication, South Sound Business. LaDonna Olmstead didn’t know much about tea when she agreed to take the reins at the Sumner-founded Tea Madame 20 years ago. “I got a job (at Sumner’s Windmill Bistro) and the owner’s wife […]
Tacoma Art Museum Executive Director Steps Down
Originally published on South Sound. Andrew “Andy” Maus is stepping down from his position as executive director of the Tacoma Art Museum. Maus served in the role for the last three years. “The (Tacoma Art Museum Board of Trustees) is committed to ensuring a thoughtful and orderly leadership transition while continuing to advance the museum’s […]
South Sound Business
Puyallup Warehouse Fetches $175M
Originally published on South Sound Business. A newly completed industrial warehouse in the Frederickson area has been sold for nearly $175 million, marking one of the Puget Sound region’s largest industrial-real-estate transactions of the year, Hoodline recently reported. The 782,875-square-foot distribution facility, located at 6920 192nd St. E in Puyallup, was purchased by Bridge Logistics […]
New Townhome Community Opens for Sales in Black Diamond
Originally published on South Sound Business. Conner Homes has announced its newest community, Village Towns at Ten Trails in Black Diamond, is open for sales. Located in the master-planned Ten Trails community, it features a collection of 53 townhomes. There are three distinct floor plans, ranging from 1,750 square feet to 1,930 square feet. Each […]
Gig Harbor Peninsula FISH Food Bank is Celebrating 50 Years of Service
Originally published on South Sound Business. The July-August 2026 edition of South Sound Business is focused on local legacy businesses. We’re putting a spotlight on several in the area; read about last week’s subject, The Rants Group, here. Though she was raised in Gig Harbor, Jan Coen’s tenure as a military wife saw her travel […]
Southwest Travel and Life
Trade Neon Lights for Stars: See the Perseid Meteor Shower at Great Basin National Park
Originally published on Southwest Travel & Life. Las Vegas may be famous for dazzling lights, but one of Nevada’s greatest shows happens far from the Strip. Each August, the skies above Great Basin National Park come alive as the annual Perseid meteor shower streaks overhead, offering a front-row views to the annual spectacular celestial event. […]
What's New at Utah's 140-Year-Old Lagoon Amusement Park
Originally published on Southwest Travel & Life. Before it could call itself a state, Utah had an amusement park. Celebrating its 140th anniversary in 2026, the Farmington attraction has been entertaining generations since 1886, making it one of the oldest family-owned amusement parks in the United States — and the 15th oldest amusement park in […]
24 Festivals, Rodeos & Can't-Miss Celebrations
Originally published on Southwest Travel & Life. August might be the Southwest’s most surprising month for festivals. One weekend, you can watch world-class surfers carve waves in Huntington Beach. The next, you’re stomping grapes in Arizona wine country, cheering on rodeo champions in Payson or celebrating Palisade’s famous peaches in Colorado. From Japanese cultural traditions […]
West Sound
Poulsbo Café Supporting Homeless Youth Reopens with Updated Menu and Hours
Originally published on West Sound. The Coffee Oasis, a nonprofit organization providing services and support to youth and young adults experiencing homelessness and housing instability in Pierce and Kitsap counties, recently reopened its Poulsbo café on Northeast Iverson Street. The café is now open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday to Friday, and in addition […]
Bainbridge Island Author Releases Vietnam-Era Historical Fiction
Originally published on West Sound. Bainbridge Island-based author Susan Wiggs, whose penned more than 30 books, added one more to her repertoire this summer — a historical fiction novel titled “Wayward Girls.” “Wayward Girls” is based on a true story and follows six teens from Buffalo, New York in 1968 amidst the unsettling Vietnam War […]
Look Up at the Bremerton Airshow
Originally published on West Sound. The Port of Bremerton at the Bremerton National Airport will host the Bremerton Airshow on July 11-12. The show will feature a full lineup of classic military and civilian aircraft, para-commandos, and lots of action in the sky. On the ground, check out planes, military vehicles, take pics in an […]