01 / FROM THE NEWSROOM
A 500-pound grizzly needed a root canal
Adak may have broken his tooth wrestling his sister. We asked the WSU medical team how they helped him.
Read the story ↗WASHINGTON · BEYOND THE BORDER
Washington, explain the squirrel bridges.
Between the mysterious beach floats, oversized trolls and two Vancouvers on different clocks, this state is giving me plenty to investigate.
ORIGINAL NORTHWEST REPORTING ✳A NOTE FROM OUR LITTLE NORTHWEST NEWSROOM
Washington gave squirrels their own suspension bridges. That's not a metaphor. Longview built one in 1963 and kept going. On the coast, people hunt for Japanese glass fishing floats. Out in the forests, enormous wooden trolls give a whole new meaning to 'take the long way.'
This is our Washington reporting desk: stories to follow, people to meet and oddball traditions worth understanding before you plan a trip. A Seattle resident may have an entirely different day in mind than someone driving to Westport or taking a ferry to a quiet island. I don't want to pretend they're all next door.
Browse the original stories here, then use the actual organizer, park or museum links inside the articles. Seasonal festivals and beach conditions change; a lovely idea for a summer drive isn't a promise about next weekend.
THREE WASHINGTON STORIES TO BEGIN WITH
The people behind the peculiar.
Read the original story, follow the official links, then decide what to do with your afternoon.
02 / FROM THE NEWSROOM
Westport's mysterious glass-float hunt
The South Beach surf brings the possibility of finding a Japanese fishing float. We learned why organizers deliberately keep the hunt mysterious, and why ocean safety comes first.
Read the story ↗
03 / FROM THE NEWSROOM
Longview builds bridges for squirrels
A city wanted squirrels to cross safely and gave them a suspension bridge. Decades later, the Nutty Narrows has become part of Longview's identity.
Read the story ↗THE NEXT RABBIT HOLES
Something else caught my eye...
04 / FROM THE NEWSROOM
Two Vancouvers. Different clocks.
The two cities share a name, not always a time zone. Our guide explains the winter clock difference and what it does to cross-border calls and train schedules.
Read the story ↗
05 / FROM THE NEWSROOM
The tiny new sea spiders of the Salish Sea
UBC researchers helped us untangle two new-to-science species, a hitchhiking skeleton shrimp, and a frankly amazing tiny underwater world.
Read the story ↗
06 / FROM THE NEWSROOM
Washington started the flying-saucer craze
One 1947 sighting near Mount Rainier gave the world the phrase 'flying saucer.' Chehalis turned that history into a wonderfully odd celebration.
Read the story ↗
07 / FROM THE NEWSROOM
Long Beach fills the sky with gigantic kites
Every August the coastline becomes a seven-day display of elaborate flying art. The 2026 edition has passed; the tradition remains worth knowing about.
Read the story ↗BEFORE YOU FIND YOUR KEYS
Finding your own oddball Washington day out
Start with the geography. Longview, Westport, Seattle and the San Juan Islands aren't four stops on one casual afternoon. If you have only a day, choose one area and build around a specific story. Our Passport Map and road-trip stories can help you choose a direction.
If you're heading to the coast, check current National Weather Service warnings and park or harbor updates. The glass-float hunt is intentionally mysterious; we won't give away secret placements or encourage anyone to walk into dangerous surf just to collect a prize.
Want this weekend's current Washington options rather than an archive of fascinating stories? Start with the live Weekend Desk or the events calendar, where the date belongs at the front.