MARCH 09, 2021by MARYROSE DENTON Since 2017, Refugee Artisan Initiative has envisioned creating a welcoming global community that values and invests in refugee and immigrant women as they achieve healthy, stable, and fulfilling lives in the PNW and beyond. Once in a while, there is a person who stands out from the crowd. Someone who... Continue Reading →
Where is the longest running retail store in WA? Ocean Park
We drive along the two-lane highway heading north up the Peninsula. No more than 10 minutes pass and we see it. It's huge! Just as the urban tales described it. Jack's Country Store takes up a whole city block starting at the main intersection, well really the only 4-way intersection in this small, seaside town of Ocean... Continue Reading →
La Conner and Edison, Two Towns in the Heart of Skagit Valley, Waiting for You.
If you are looking for the perfect Washington state weekend getaway then try these two, off-the-beaten-path, towns in the heart of the Skagit Valley. They can be combined in a single day trip or extended into a leisurely and fun-filled weekend. Skagit Valley is located just about half-way between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. This beautiful... Continue Reading →
When a Weekend Getaway is Wild, Wet, and Beautiful
A Pacific Northwest adventure of the normal kind Tiny droplets of ocean spray hit my face as I turn into the wind. I am bundled up warmly from head to toe; knit hat, quilted jacket, gloves, and warm socks inside my shiny red rubber boots. The sun is at a quarter slant in the sky, for... Continue Reading →
Healthy, raw, vegan…chocolate? It exists, thanks to this Bellingham company
JANUARY 08, 2021by MARYROSE DENTON Healthy, Raw, and Vegan. All words we expect to see on heath and organic foods, but on chocolate? That's a little more rare, but not for Bellingham's LunaVida Chocolates. These mini organic squares of chocolate love you right back, and are handmade from LunaVida's kitchen to yours.Assorted Flavors. (Image: LunaVida Chocolates)... Continue Reading →
Chimpanzee Northwest: A Sanctuary of Hope, A Home of Love
DECEMBER 14, 2020by MARYROSE DENTON Their names are Honey B, Burrito, Mave, Annie, Willie B, Foxie, and Jamie. They spent most of their life behind bars, in a research facility with only minimal social interaction - but now, these chimpanzees are getting a second chance at life. Their home now is on the 90-acre farm... Continue Reading →
On an Incoming Tide, We Arrive in Friday Harbor
view of harbor and ferry landing from street level with a peek a boo look around buildings
Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery is the Latinx/Chicanx arts hub of Seattle
OCTOBER 30, 2020by MARYROSE DENTON Walking up the city sidewalk in the White Center neighborhood, we stop outside the sandstone painted door of Nepantla Cultural Arts gallery, the hub for Latinx/Chicanx artwork in the Seattle area. Stepping inside, we find co-owners Jake Prendez and Judy Avitia Gonzalez re-arranging some newly arrived pieces to the current art... Continue Reading →
A haunting history at the Palace Hotel in Port Townsend
...by MARYROSE DENTON In the heart of historic Port Townsend, where Victorian buildings stand stately along Water Street, there is one such building with its own colorful past. The Palace Hotel. Built in 1889 by retired sea captain Henry L. Tibbals, this landmark housed many businesses throughout its years, from a billiard parlor and saloon to... Continue Reading →
A Road Trip of a Different Color
“Road trips are the equivalent of human wings. We will stop in every small town and learn the history and stories, then we will turn it into our own story that will live inside our history to carry with us, always. Because stories are more important than things.” -- Victoria Erickson Road trips hold a... Continue Reading →