1802, 2020

Olympic Club offers an authentic railroad hotel experience

Washington Our Home
February 18, 2020
Destinations, History, Western Washington
0
1520

If you’re looking for stunning views from picture windows, wide screen TVs with streaming channels, and a brightly-lit lobby where you can enjoy a complimentary continental breakfast, the Olympic Club in downtown Centralia, Washington, is not for you. Heck, if your travel needs require a toilet in your own room, you may want to pass on it as well. And though it doesn’t have an Olympic-sized pool, what the Olympic Club does offer is more historical authenticity than you might expect.

0111, 2019

Ryderwood, Washington: The town with two histories

At the very end of Washington State Route 506 lies a tiny, well-kept community that bills itself as the town with two histories. And both of those histories are pretty darned amazing. Heard of Ryderwood, Washington? Neither had I until I was approached by a representative of their historical society. And the story she told me had me fascinated.

0710, 2019

Ryderwood: The Town with Two Histories

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2807, 2014

Gravel to golf: The Chambers Bay story

Washington Our Home
July 28, 2014
History, Puget Sound, Recreation, Western Washington
2
2232

In June, Chambers Bay Golf Course in Pierce County will join the ranks of such prestigious courses as Pebble Beach, Bethpage, Marian, and Pinehurst, among others. At these courses, some of the greatest players ever to walk the links made U.S. Open History. Chambers Bay is poised to become the next great field of champions. But unlike the other courses, whose golf history goes back generations, Chambers Bay is a

2302, 2013

Mud and muck around Millersylvania State Park

Washington Our Home
February 23, 2013
Family, Gear, Hikes, History, Recreation, State Parks, Western Washington
2
1695

Almost every year I pack up the family and head ten miles south of our Lacey home to go camping at Millersylvania State Park, and every time we make plans to take advantage of the miles of woodland trails skirting its edges. Unfortunately, for a multitude of reasons, we’ve never been able to actually hike those trails. But this weekend I was determined to spend some long-overdue and much-needed quality

1803, 2012

The Evergreen Sportsman’s Club near Littlerock

The Evergreen Sportsman’s Club bills itself as the west coast’s premiere shooting facility. While I can’t confirm that (come on, the entire west coast of the United States? Really?), it does boast 36 trap fields, hosts several 2 and 3-day shoots throughout the year, and has one of the nicest range masters you’ll ever come across. They also host the annual Washington State Championships and the PITA Grand Pacific Championships

2810, 2011

Finally, the hunting begins

Washington Our Home
October 28, 2011
Gear, Hunting, Recreation, Western Washington
0
1165

My alarm went off at 4:30 in the morning, and my first thought was, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Even though I had gone to bed relatively early the night before, I still didn’t get much sleep since it was the night before my first real hunting trip. Fortunately, the excitement of the coming day was also enough to roust me out of bed at that ungodly hour and

0510, 2010

My personal tour of Centralia-Chehalis

I had the opportunity to take a private tour of the towns of Centralia and Chehalis today. My friend and former co-worker, Jim Valley (now the Executive Director of the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce), agreed to meet me for lunch so I could pick his brain about a few ideas I’ve had. After lunch at Azteca (where we ran into Rep. Richard DeBolt, Washington State House Minority Leader), Jim showed