Northwest Zest

15/10/2022

Rainier is stunning, even dressed in smoke.

I never knew about wildfires until I moved out west. But then, I also didn't know what real mountains were, either 😄

04/10/2022

Enjoying these warm and sunny fall days while they last 🌞🍂🍁. Brought a reminder of Maine home to the PNW after our trip last week!

16/09/2022

11/09/2022

Diet Cokes and comfy floats 🤙
Summer's almost over ... soaking up every last second of it, even on-call (staying within arm's reach of that cell phone!).

19/06/2022

This is your sign to buy the nice steak and cook something wonderful this weekend! Whether it's for a special dad in your life this Father's Day or just for you, extra points are awarded if it involves lots of garlic and caramelized onions.

If it's not looking like exciting weather for grilling (like if you're in the PNW this month 🙄) a reminder that your cast iron can do steak and veggies as good and often better!

All the good stuff here was purchased at

12/06/2022

The spring petals have fallen, but the weather just won't budge and we're into mid-June ... Come on, summer ... we're here waiting on you ☀️

12/06/2022

They just stocked the lake with rainbow trout, so it's time to break out the poles and bait! Fish doesn't get much fresher than out of our own "backyard" and it's always nice to bring back our favorite old recipes while trying out some new ones. Owen prefers his fish in a can, but he still enjoys critiquing our catch 🎣

28/01/2022

Arrived in Port Angeles last night and are having a lazy morning before heading up Hurricane Ridge later this afternoon.

This was our first time in the camper with below below freezing temperatures outside - it doesn't happen often out here 🙂

21/01/2022

2017 was the first time we ever went razor clamming. A clinic nurse had told Beth about how their family went every year, driving from Tacoma to Long Beach to spend a long weekend digging these big clams. Unlike the lazy clams we were familiar with in New England (and we do also have out here in the PNW) these ones were deep in the sand and would try to "run" away from you as you chased them with your clam "gun". It sounded so bizarre to us, but compelling - so after reading some blogs and watching some YouTube videos we decided that razor clamming thing seemed like a pretty fun way to spend a winter weekend on the coast.

We had no idea what we were doing. We only had buckets that first time, no mesh clam bags, and we thought we would try both a shovel and a clam gun (word of advice - the clam gun is worth every penny, the shovel is for masochists). We didn't catch our limit, but we learned a lot! We discovered that the thrill of the chase isn't quite like game hunting, but it's closer than fishing. Sort of like treasure hunting, except that the gold coin does try to wiggle away from time to time!

Since that first clamming trip, we now go multiple times a year. Even if it rains, the coast is beautiful in the fall and winter, and you're sure to meet wonderful people and have a great time. Go this often and your freezer will be full of razor clams, and your heart full of memories 😊.

Looking forward to our next trip in a few weeks! Check out for dig dates and beaches.

17/01/2022

Somehow it's always PNW green, even in the winter in these snowy mountains. New England was SO different this time of year. Have you lived where winter means everything is brown and dead? 🍂

13/01/2022

We post a lot of pretty outdoor photos and adventures encouraging people to be active, but the truth is that we need quiet times as much as active times. As we enter the 3rd year of the pandemic it feels more essential than ever to have warm, cozy things that make us feel happy and safe. Winter comfort food isn't always fancy, sometimes it's just taking your leftovers and making ugly but delicious breakfast hash that you eat in the middle of the day ... while still in your pajamas 🤷🏼‍♂️. Warm up that baked ham and roasted vegetables in a skillet, make some home fries, then top the whole thing with a poached egg or two.

*not shown is Beth drowning this (and her sorrows) in excessive amounts of ketchup 😜

04/12/2021

I had a day off this past Monday and drove out to Snoqualmie Pass to find some snow ❄ ...  no snow yet, but it gave me a chance to explore the trails around Gold Creek Pond. The sun was setting and the pond was perfectly still, the mountains casting a perfect reflection on the water. I discovered that I had completely forgotten to replace the SD card in the camera (blaming lack of sleep during call week for that lapse), but I did have my cell phone. Though even if I'd had the camera, it always feels impossible to truly capture the perfect stillness and the magnitude of calm that is felt when standing alone in the mountains. 

-- 𝓑𝓮𝓽𝓱