Then and Now: The Olympia Brewery Fountain

Then and Now: The Olympia Brewery Fountain

Near a very busy intersection in the Olympia-Tumwater area sits the base of what was once an oft-photographed icon of a bygone era in local history. Located at the site of the old Olympia Brewing Company headquarters is the base of a fountain that once greeted not only visitors coming in from Interstate 5 and Highway 101, but employees of the massive brewery complex who would pass the fountain on

Read More

Northwest Trek: Experience Washington’s wildlife in the outdoors

Northwest Trek: Experience Washington’s wildlife in the outdoors

In a split second, I knew it was a bald eagle as it shot by about ten feet overhead. I had never been that close to one in flight before. The unmistakable white markings, yellow beak and talons and gargantuan wingspan that easily distinguished it from the more common ravens and falcons in Ocean Shores were clearly visible just before it disappeared over the roofline as quickly as it had materialized.

Read More

Around the state in 48 hours: Part 1

Around the state in 48 hours: Part 1

Everybody thought I was joking when I said I was taking a business trip from Olympia to Vancouver to Yakima to Spokane to Wenatchee to Everett to Bellevue to Tacoma and back to Olympia in two days. The itinerary I had laid out with Google Maps said it was a cinch and I’m the guy who enjoys driving around this beautiful state we call home. Well, I proved to everyone

Read More

Easy week in eastern Washington, Part 1: The roads less traveled

Easy week in eastern Washington, Part 1: The roads less traveled

My father, Walt Ebel, and I began our second annual trip to the Colville Indian Reservation on a Monday in early June. Dad’s been doing this for decades; he visits his best friend, Lyn, and they spend a week on Twin Lakes at Hartman’s Log Cabin Resort near Inchelium. Last year I decided to finally accept their invitation and had such a good time I wanted to make it an

Read More

Western State Hospital and Fort Steilacoom Park

Western State Hospital and Fort Steilacoom Park

Kelly was feeling under the weather one day last week, so I decided to take Parker off her hands and get him out of the house for a bit. I had wanted to make a day out of it, perhaps visiting the recreated Fort Nisqually on Point Defiance, visiting the old Fort Nisqually in DuPont (and the historic Dynamite Train), or Fort Steilacoom Park between the two. Being that the

Read More

A parkful of Washington State history

Being cooped up in the house for days on end is enough to drive anyone mad, and throwing a four-year-old in the cage can sometimes seem just plain cruel. So needless to say, I had to get my poor wife and son out of the house before we all ended up in the newspaper the next day. Despite the intermittent weather on Saturday, we decided to visit Tumwater Historical Park

Read More