I Heart Okanogan

(206) 953-7226

Going There, Doing That

A Love Affair with Mountains, Lakes, and Ponderosa Pines

We live in Seattle, Washington, but our go-to destination in the Pacific Northwest is Okanogan, ideally located for exploring beautiful north central Washington State -- a region that is still largely undiscovered by folks in the big cities west of the Cascade Range. 


This is the land of orchards (and now vineyards), ranches, fishing lakes and streams, endless wildlife habitat, and backroad panoramas that will knock your socks off. It's just one postcard-perfect mountain-and-valley view after another. Theme towns, ghost towns, small towns, they're all here to enjoy. Rafting, fishing, hiking, snowmobiling, antiquing, wine tasting -- there's something to do in every season. 


"Base camp" is our vacation compound, Kokanee Cottages, which are available as Airbnb rentals when we're not exploring all the back roads and towns we'd always bypassed when making a beeline for our cabin east of Tonasket, before it burned in the big 2015 forest fires. 


There is so much we missed for so long -- every trip we find some new treasure or spectacular vista! And now we can share it with you and hope you'll come out and fall in love with the area, too.

Follow Us -- Literally

image1

We'll go up to Canada to check out their wines and so I can hear that famous accent again. Down to Grand Coulee and some less grand but new to us. Over to Republic to dig fossils, Up, up, up into the high country where the views make you weep. 


I intend to find every antique store in the region. Make another attempt at fly fishing. Finally float down the Okanogan River when it's not a trickle or raging torrent. Get a concert at The Gorge off my bucket list. Find China Wall. Pan for gold. Pig out on peaches, plums, cherries, and the mandatory apples. Ski the local slopes. Scout out new craftspeople and all the best places to eat (and drink). 


Greg is into history, so we'll be checking out some museums and ghost towns (that's Molson, pictured above) and finding out more about the Colville tribes. Sound like fun?


Base Camp: Kokanee Cottages

image2

Besides the fact that these wee places are welcoming, comfortable, and attractive (each has a different decor theme, courtesy of Craigslist, Ebay, thrift stores, antique stores, and yard sales), they are smack dab in the middle of the region (and only 4 1/2 hours from Seattle). Some attractions are minutes away, the most distant only a couple of hours, and because there are tiers of valleys and parallel valleys, short day trips can be turned into loops. You don't even have to arrive and leave over the same mountain passes. 


Go to KokaneeCottages.com to see these cuties  -- 1 BR Tamarack, Pine Cone (pictured above), and Nootka Rose, and 2 BR pet-friendly Cottonwood and Saskatoon, or go directly to my listing page on Airbnb.com where there are way more photos, guest guidelines, availability calendar, and booking info.