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5 days ago | 
onlyinyourstate.com | Andrea Verschuyl
One of my most cherished childhood memories is a summer trip to Lake Chelan, when my family visited friends at their hand-built cabins tucked deep in the wilderness and reachable only by a multi-hour boat ride across the lake’s deep blue water. There was no electricity. If I recall, two cabins didn't even have running water. Their interiors were dusty and timeworn, filled with the quiet residue of decades' worth of family stories.
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6 days ago | 
onlyinyourstate.com | Andrea Verschuyl
The Pacific Northwest coastline is famous for two things: its majestic beauty and its oddball placenames. As a kid growing up in Washington, I thought nothing of waxing poetic about scenic spots with hang-dog monikers like Useless Bay, Cape Disappointment, and Dismal Nitch. As you follow the Pacific South, this quirky combination of natural splendor and gloomy titles starts to dwindle.
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1 week ago | 
onlyinyourstate.com | Andrea Verschuyl
Let's be honest: when people call their home state the most beautiful place on Earth, they're usually just articulating their profound pride for the landscape they know best. And who could blame them? I'm a self-proclaimed Pacific Northwest snob, but my preference for Washington's saturated greens over, say, Arizona's burnished red rock is exactly that: a preference.
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2 weeks ago | 
onlyinyourstate.com | Andrea Verschuyl
I'll start this article with an admission: it's almost impossible to find a bad slice of pizza in Portland, Oregon. No matter your preference — indulgently loaded with melted mozzarella and oregano-spiced sauce, crisp and topped with basil, or a four-meat pile-up — Rose City has someplace perfect for you. So rather than staking a claim that Dove Vivi serves the best slice in town, I'll simply say this: it managed to do something few pizza joints ever have — it humbled me.
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2 weeks ago | 
onlyinyourstate.com | Andrea Verschuyl
I've been thinking a lot lately about my honeymoon. My partner and I got married during the height of the DIY wedding craze, so naturally, I felt I should try to do almost everything myself. It's unclear whether all my crafting did much for our wallets, but I'm proud to say my efforts paid off. Our wedding was beautiful, and when I look back at the now-aging photos, I see the many hours of love and labor in every detail.
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2 weeks ago | 
onlyinyourstate.com | Andrea Verschuyl
I can only go a few days without drizzle before sun-soaked fantasies start swirling in my head — idyllic small towns, produce so fresh it practically bursts with flavor, award-winning restaurants where diners travel hours for the chance at evening reservations, a chilled glass of white wine, and the soft rustle of grapevines. If you thought I was describing Napa Valley, you're only partially right.
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3 weeks ago | 
onlyinyourstate.com | Andrea Verschuyl
One of the reasons I love hiking is that discovering a new trail gives me the perfect excuse to explore parts of my state I might never otherwise see. These are landscapes that often feel almost inhospitable to people — their steep climbs, scorching heat, and rugged terrain challenge you before revealing their rewards. But for the adventurous, something remarkable always waits on the other side: a glimpse of a place whose raw beauty defies our instinct to tame the wild.
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3 weeks ago | 
onlyinyourstate.com | Andrea Verschuyl
Few places rival France's breathtaking wine country. For many travelers, it's the trip of a lifetime, promising languid afternoons strolling among grapevines, world-class dining, and the timeless allure of the French language — all set against a backdrop rich with history. Still, a wine-tasting pilgrimage to a place like Burgundy is hardly a flight of fancy.
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3 weeks ago | 
onlyinyourstate.com | Andrea Verschuyl
If you'll bear with me for a moment, I'd like to reflect on a word: diminution. When applied to the self, it describes the feeling of being made small — humbled — by immense forces and grand landscapes. It's the feeling I once had as a little kid, when my family was lucky enough to take a trip to Paris, and I stood in the Notre Dame's immense sanctuary, staring up into the lacework of ancient timber that, until recently, supported its iconic roofline.
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3 weeks ago | 
onlyinyourstate.com | Andrea Verschuyl
One of my favorite things about hiking is discovering places that defy my assumptions. From alpine slopes where conifers blaze with fall hues to a waterfall thundering into a jaw-dropping canyon, Washington is a trove of natural miracles that must be seen to be believed. Would you believe there's an ice cave you can visit in the height of summer? Oh, and that witnessing it doesn't require a grueling scramble up the face of Mount Rainier?
