Experience

How to plan an event in a national park

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 18:05:17 GMT

If you’re planning a party — be it a family reunion, a wedding, or just because — we’ve got an idea that’s a breath of fresh air. Why not give your guests a gorgeous view by hosting an event in a national park? Follow these guidelines to make party planning a walk in the park.

Pick a park

Whether you want a big name park like Mount Rainier National Park or something a little more niche, there are 424 national parks to choose from.

Get a permit

Most parks require a permit for special events. Fill out the application well in advance to avoid any delays. Pro tip: Some parks grant a permit up to a year before the event.

Spread the word

If your festivities are open to the public, let the community know by submitting an event to our website. We’d be delighted to attend.

Provide the essentials

If you’ve ever borrowed sunscreen from a stranger, you know what we mean. Have on hand: sunscreen, bugspray, a first aid kit, and plenty of water — just in case.

Feed guests, not wildlife

Check the park’s rules about food (some require food to be stored in lockers). Either way, it’s a good idea to use airtight containers, and plan to eat in designated areas — like any of these picture perfect picnic spots.

Prioritize preservation

The golden rule of being in the wilderness? Leave no trace.

For example, most parks don’t allow anything to be driven into the ground — so stakes for tents and decor are out. You should also plan to clean up after yourself. Stock up on trash bags (we like these biodegradable bags) and leave the confetti at home.

Bumbershoot announces lineup for its 50th anniversary fest

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 19:10:23 GMT

Start clearing those Labor Day weekend plans. Bumbershoot has announced its full lineup of bands for Saturday, Sept.2-Sunday, Sept. 3 — and it’s a doozy.

Headliners include indie icons with PNW roots like Sleater-Kinney, Band of Horses, and Sunny Day Real Estate. Other blasts from the past you might recognize:

Besides all the rockin out’, the music and arts fest — which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year — has planned intriguing side entertainment. The Living Altar is a multimedia art project from queer and trans witches of Romani heritage; local dancer Ruby Mimosa leads burlesKARAOKE; and there’s going to be a cat circus, because why not?

Early bird tickets are sold out, but regular, on-time bird tickets are available now. The festival’s new organizers said they’re trying to keep prices down this time around — one-day tickets are $65, while two-day passes are $110.

WNDR Museum's art and tech exhibits arrives in Seattle

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 20:50:26 GMT

Seeing is believing — WNDR Museum has brought its trippy, eye-catching interactive art experience to downtown Seattle as a permanent fixture.

The 13,000-sqft space at 904 Alaskan Way opens today, featuring works from international artists, collectives, designers, and other creative mad scientists. Here, guests can engage with 20+ exhibits that meld unique visions with tech.

Among the displays is a virtual reality installation created by the manga-influenced OseanWorld and a translucent greenhouse from flora&faunavisions, complete with a digitized storm. Also look out for:

Hyper mirror | Combines an infinity mirror effect with a digital screen
Light floor | Lying on pressure sensors? Seems kinda soothing
Starry pumpkin | A fiberglass gourd by legendary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama

The year-round attraction is open daily from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Prices start at $32 for adults and $22 for children. Look for possible new additions to the museum throughout 2023.

Seattle's new XFL team is ready for kickoff

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 17:09:52 GMT

Wait, where are you going with all those wings and nachos? The football season isn’t over yet. This weekend, the free-flying league known as the XFL returns to action after a long hiatus — and we have our very own team.

Let’s all meet the Seattle Sea Dragons (no relation to the Targareyans) — and see what this funky pigskin pastime is all about. 🏈

What the F does the X mean?

Er, nobody’s really sure. The league’s original founder Vince McMahon — the pro wrestling mogul — once joked that the XFL was known as the “Xtra Fun League.” He created the first version back in 2001 as a faster-paced alternative to the NFL that also had looser rules, flashier presentation, and more scoring. But it only lasted one season.

Undeterred, the XFL came back for a brief time in early 2020 with a team called the Seattle Dragons — only to have the season scuttled by the pandemic. Now, Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson (yes, that guy) has helped revive the XFL yet again.

Seattle quarterback Ben DiNucci was once drafted by the Dallas Cowboys

Photo via the XFL

But it’s still football, right?

Absolutely. Most of the same NFL rules apply, with a few twists like no coin tosses in overtime to keep things spicy. The Sea Dragons even play home games at Lumen Field, just like the Seahawks.

You’ll also notice familiar NFL names. Former New Orleans Saints coach Jim Haslett is in charge of Seattle’s squad, and the team’s stars include wide receiver Josh Gordon, who was once a Pro Bowler.

When do I pull out my foam finger?

The Sea Dragons kick off their season on the road on Sunday, Feb. 19 and host their first home game on Thursday, Feb. 23 with a pre-party at Lumen Field that includes food trucks, live music, and more.

Tickets start at ~$20 — and you can watch the games on ESPN and FX.

Seattle pizza poll results are in

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 20:28:59 GMT

Alright, pizza lovers — we’ve got something fun we’re ready to dish out.

Last week, we posted a saucy, little pizza poll for National Pizza Day and you all ran with it. We got the second most amount of responses on a survey than we’ve ever gotten, so you all are obviously passionate. We love it. Here’s what you said.

The first question was pretty standard. You all prefer New York (47%) and Neapolitan style (32%) pizzas over Chicago (12%) and Detroit (5%).

In order of favorite toppings, anchovies were dead last (poor fish).The most amount of people listed sausage as their favorite (not pepperoni? Weird...).

As for pineapple and ham, no one loves it enough to put it in their will, but 31% of you don’t mind it from time to time. And just as many people were tired of this question as people who hate the controversial combination (21%).

You all were pretty split on our weird “If a pizza only has one piece of pepperoni on each slice (and no other toppings), does it still count as a pepperoni pizza?” question. 60% said “no, that’s not enough pepperoni” and 40% said “Technically, yes.”

Also, wow — the shame. 58% of you listed other pizza restaurants as the best places in town than the ones we pre-populated for you. But, what’s extra cool is that there were very few overlaps in those suggestions, with lots of varied favorites. Looks like we have some exploring to do. Stay tuned for a full length piece on this soon.

Lastly, you all weren’t kidding. New York and Neapolitan really are your favorites — 56% prefer thin and chewy, baby and one person really has it out for pineapple and ham pizza, voting “I don’t care as long as its not pineapple and ham.”

Poll Introduction

(Published Feb. 9, 2023)

Not to get all cheesy, but Thursday, Feb. 9 is National Pizza Day. Well, really every day should be National Pizza Day.

While we’ll go into some of our favorite local spots to grab a slice in a future newsletter, we’ll start with some saucy questions and get your own thoughts on Seattle’s ‘za scene.

So, take a little click-y, click over to our poll this to give us a piece of your mind. We’ll share the results soon. 🍕

New submarine sighting in Seattle waters

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 22:10:49 GMT

Thar she blows — oh, wait, nope. Not an orca. This week, a submarine was spotted off the shores of Seattle. Almost as cool.

With naval shipyards, heavily-used marine routes, and military bases around the Puget Sound, it’s fairly common to spot subs peeking their little metal heads above the waves around here. This particular one was headed northbound and appeared in Elliott Bay around 9:22 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 9.

If this floats your boat and you want to learn more, head to the US Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport (about a half-hour ferry ride from Bainbridge). You can also use the rad Marine Traffic map to track all the vessels — military or otherwise — floating around our waters. And don’t forget that the Seattle Boat Show is still going on through tomorrow, Feb. 11.

With all this seafaring action, we gotta find ourselves a cool captain’s hat.