Tidepooling in Cannon Beach

Low tides and volunteers offer a chance to learn more about all the life teeming beneath the waves.

Best PNW Hikes: Memaloose Hills

This dog-friendly hike near Mosier in the Columbia River Gorge is best in the spring, when wildflowers cover the hills.

Of Mice and Men—and Douglas-fir Trees

A legend found in the tree’s cone provides lessons in shelter and community.

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.

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.

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.

What Is the Pacific Northwest?

A blurring of boundaries, personal and political.

Growing Among the Mushrooms

Mushroom foraging with a guide taught me something about chanterelles—and myself.

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.

Ponder the Trees

Forest bathing is a Japanese concept that boasts mental, physical, and spiritual benefits—as well as a good excuse to return to a childlike curiosity about the world around you.

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.

In Search of Big Cats

For Gary Koehler, a big-cat expert and retired wildlife researcher from Wenatchee, home means learning to share the land with all of its enigmatic critters.

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.