Exploring Maritime Washington

Exploring Maritime Washington

I am proud to announce the publication of my new book, Exploring Maritime Washington—a History and Guide. Each of the places covered in its pages has a connection to Washington’s maritime history, whether a popular tourist destination or a hidden gem known only to longtime locals. Exploring Maritime Washington provides visitors with a fun and easy way to enjoy each community while learning about Washington’s nautical history. By visiting and

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Say WA! Part II: How to Pronounce Washington’s City Names

Say WA! Part II: How to Pronounce Washington’s City Names

There are 281 official cities and towns in the State of Washington, according to the Washington State Association of Cities, and every one of them has a unique story to tell. Some of them have hundreds of stories…others, perhaps just one major story. All of them have their own character, vibe, ambiance, and backstory, and many of them have weird, interesting or unusual ways they got their names. Why is

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Marketing in the Methow Valley

Marketing in the Methow Valley

Thanks to my work with Scenic Washington, I was invited to be a presenter at their annual retreat in Winthrop. Since I haven’t been to Winthrop since I was about seven, I jumped at the chance to not only see the Methow Valley again but to help some of Washington’s tourism partners recognize the value in history, heritage and culture. The drive from Lacey to Winthrop is a long one, but

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Time to finish what I start

Time to finish what I start

Happy new year, and welcome to 2015! In the spirit of new beginnings, making resolutions and so forth, I thought I would share some of the blog posts from the last two years that didn’t quite make it to the publish stage. So let it be known that, from this day forward, I will finish every blog post I start – no matter the time or research involved, and no matter

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Road to Rainier

I had the pleasure of taking my son, Parker, to Mt. Rainier National Park on Sunday…well, at least to the gate. Wait…let me tell the whole story from the beginning. Kelly had to work all day Sunday since the Senate wasn’t in session that day, so I got to stay home with Parker. Though she got to stay home with him all day Friday and Saturday while I was at

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