Explore Washington State
If you’ve ever camped at Lake Chelan State Park, you know how busy it can get. Summer weekends fill fast. Campgrounds feel packed. The lake is constant motion. What most visitors never see is what it takes to keep a park like this running when it’s full. “During peak season, Lake Chelan State Park can...
A Conversation with Author Eric Vickrey Most baseball fans can tell you about the Dodgers’ iconic moments in Los Angeles — legendary players, unforgettable seasons, and the culture that turned the franchise into a powerhouse. But far fewer know where the roots of that success were actually planted.And almost no one points to Spokane, Washington as the...
Wallace Falls State Park is one of those places almost everyone in Washington has a story about. A first hike. A rainy weekend escape. A “let’s just go to the Middle Falls and see how we feel” kind of afternoon. It’s familiar, it’s reliable, and it’s always busy. But the version of Wallace Falls most...
he best art often comes from the people who don’t quite fit in. The ones who color outside the lines, play offbeat notes, and follow curiosity instead of convention. Those are the artists As Many Weirdos As Possible celebrates — the ones who make the Northwest’s music scene feel alive, unpredictable, and proudly original. In...
Some outdoor moments stay with you. Morning light filtering through evergreens. The steady rhythm of boots on dirt as a trail wakes up for the day. A quiet pocket of forest after rain. These experiences often return to us long after a hike ends. For decades, Mountaineers Books has helped capture moments like these and...
Joe Giampietri worked in grocery stores for 15 years. Department lead, manager, the whole climb. Respectable career. But here’s the thing—he knew it wasn’t what he wanted. When Joe was 18, he spent a summer working at Yellowstone. One summer. That was enough. He came back to Spokane and thought, “Yeah, that. I want to...
Coffee, UFOs, and Micro-Adventures with Mark Everton Most people see SeaTac as an airport, Tukwila as a shopping stop, and Des Moines as a place to pass through. But there’s a lot more going on—if you know where to look. In this episode of the Exploring Washington State Podcast, host Scott Cowan sits down with...
The Columbia River may look calm from the shore, but beneath its surface flows a current that can shave precious minutes off an Ironman swim time. For Claude Brun, a French-American triathlete preparing for his second Tri-Cities IRONMAN, this downstream advantage is just one of many reasons why this race has become an annual pilgrimage....
What defines a place and who gets to decide? In this episode, Scott sits down with Kevin Lewis, CEO of Visit Tri-Cities, to explore how one region is reimagining its identity. From hosting a world-class IRONMAN competition to strengthening its brand through local storytelling and unified vision, the Tri-Cities is leaning into what makes it...
The Tri Cities Ironman 70.3 is no ordinary race. It is a test of endurance, grit, and mental strength — and for Jennifer Comfort, it is also home turf. As both a seasoned competitor and a dedicated coach, Jennifer has spent years helping athletes prepare for one of the Pacific Northwest’s most challenging events. In...
When Daisey James picked up a disc during COVID, she didn’t plan on becoming a leader in Bellingham’s disc golf scene. Fast forward a few years, and she’s co-owner of Far From Par Disc Golf Pro Shop, president of the Whatcom Disc Golf Club, and the driving force behind a lost disc rescue service that...
Sean Visintainer didn’t set out to build one of the Northwest’s most respected fly shops. He just loved fishing. Growing up in Spokane, Sean spent hours casting in the backyard, chasing water wherever he could find it. That quiet obsession eventually grew into something bigger: Silver Bow Fly Shop, a now-iconic storefront that serves everyone...
