What Is the Pacific Northwest?

A blurring of boundaries, personal and political.

Hearing The Earth

For Michael Mason, a longtime attorney and lobbyist for Pacific Northwest tribes, home is deeply rooted in the land, history, and songs of this region.

Start with Curiosity

For Julie Pham, author of Their War and CEO of CuriosityBased, home is about the people, and being curious is an essential part of understanding them—and yourself.

Changing Course

The story circles at Sacajawea Historical State Park hint at all that is, was, and could be lost—or saved—by altering a river’s path.

The Art of Tea and Conversation

At Tea Zen Teahouse in southeast Portland, Fengxia Liu provides a traditional Chinese tea ceremony steeped in history, culture, and connection.

The Gathering Place

Located near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, the Vancouver Land Bridge merges rivers, land, people, and trade.

A Confluence of Peregrinations and Prayers

At Cape Disappointment near the mouth of the Columbia River, Maya Lin’s walkway and boardwalk present juxtaposing journeys of discovery.

What the Camas Flower Teaches

The understory forest dweller and popular PNW native has inspired many tales—tall and otherwise.

Lost Among the Trees

Deep in the Sandy River Delta, Maya Lin’s bird blind connects past and present through the animals found all around us.

Along the Water’s Edge

Maya Lin’s Confluence Project traces cultures, history, and ecology across the Columbia River basin in Washington and Oregon. Here’s what it taught me about homeland, heritage, and waterways.

Spirit of the Mists

The creation story of Snoqualmie Falls swirls amid its cascades, mists, and deep pools—and lives on in the People of the Moon.

Best PNW Hikes: The Thumb via The Knoll

The hike to God’s Thumb winds through a residential neighborhood, a UNESCO Biosphere Region, and a national forest—and offers one of the most stunning views of the Oregon coast.