Off the Map Travel Archives

Home » Off the Map Travel

Aug05

What to Expect When Visiting Oak Harbor, Washington

Posted By Laryssa on Aug 5, 2013

Oak Harbor, Washington is nestled on Whidbey Island, one of the islands amidst the waterways of western Washington. If you’re driving to British Columbia by way of Seattle, you should absolutely take a detour to Oak Harbor. The sunlight is always up, it seems. Full sunlight would spill through my hotel’s curtains every morning at 5am, and every morning I’d wake in a panic that I’d overslept. The sun wouldn’t dip beneath the horizon until after 10pm. The best parts of Oak Harbor are right off the highway. It felt like I was in a painting. To be this far north in the winter must be brutal, but Oak Harbor in the summertime is enchanting. And apparently, the Puget Sound is one of the best places in the country to become a raw oyster fanatic! While I enjoy oysters Rockefeller, the thought of raw oysters makes me gag (the only time I’d tried one was in Charleston — and it was gross). I wasn’t the kind of person that ate raw oysters before visiting Oak Harbor. One of the guys on our crew is from Washington, and promised I wouldn’t regret trying an oyster from his homeland. I learned that the Pacific Northwest provides the sweetest oysters in the country, specifically the Baywater Sweet variety — which are farmed in the nearby Thorndyke Bay. I had my first raw oyster from the Pacific Northwest at Fraser’s Gourmet Hideaway. We sat at the chef’s bar and got to talk a little with the owner and head chef, Scott Fraser. We watched him prepare each dish with scrutiny; every plate a masterpiece. As soon as I took a sip of my glass of Maryhill Viognier paired with a raw oyster, I knew I was in for one of the best dining experiences of my life. Each appetizer was better than the last. The crabcakes were delicious, the calamari was perfectly breaded and tender — but the tapas plate was my favorite. Have you ever had a bacon-wrapped date? It is absolutely exquisite. After an excellent meal, we walked to the nearby shoreline. It was almost ten o’clock at night, and the streets were quiet as somewhere behind the clouds, the sun finally began dipping beneath the horizon. It’s hard not to think about the infinite when staring into an endless canvas of blues and dashes of a fading sun. There is a LOT of driftwood on the banks of Oak Harbor – I’d never seen so much in my life! If you’re headed to Victoria from Seattle in the summertime, I highly recommend a night’s stay in Oak Harbor. It’s a hidden gem in the United States, a...

Sep21

Off the Map Travel: Svalbard, Norway

Posted By Laryssa on Sep 21, 2012

When I’m in the middle of a job and know I won’t be able to sneak away for a few months, I satisfy the urge to escape by pouring over maps of the world. So, as a perpetual daydreamer plagued by curiosity of places not many folks visit, and as lover of adventures in general, I’m starting a new series: Off the Map Travel. While I’m based at home, it’ll (somewhat!) satisfy my wandering mind… and perhaps yours, as well! I’ll start with a personal favorite that gives me chills whenever I look at its location on a map… Svalbard, Norway. Svalbard Svalbard is an archipelago located inside the Arctic Circle way, way, WAY north of Europe. We’re talking further north than most of Greenland and Canada, folks! Up until a year ago, I had no idea it was an inhabitable place – and it’s possible to get there. The main entry point into Svalbard is through Longyearbyen, a port town located towards the center of the island. With a population of just shy over 2,000, there’s somewhat of an established tourist infrastructure, plus the added bonus of the basics, such as electricity and internet. Primarily a home for those in the mining and research industries, it’s a quaint little town that serves as the gateway to the rest of the uninhabited, picturesque landscapes of Svalbard. How to Get There There’s a weekly boat that goes from Tromso to Longyearbyen, but the most economical and quickest option is by way of Scandinavian Airline Systems. SAS has two direct flights to Longyearbyen most days of the year, one departing from Oslo and one departing from Tromso. It isn’t a budget flight by any means, but prices can get as low as $350 roundtrip if booked far enough in advance. Seeing the Island The most popular way to take in the sights of Svalbard is by way of cruise – a 6-night cruise will take you all around the west and north parts of the island, showcasing glaciers and arctic wildlife that would otherwise be impossible to see if you were trying to plot the route yourself. There are TONS of cool activities in Svalbard, albeit pricey. Day hikes, excursions, and taking a day trip via snowmobile to the last remaining Russian settlement of Barentsburg on Svalbard are just a few of the options available. Pyramiden If I ever can justify the cost of getting to Svalbard, at the top of my list is checking out Pyramiden, an Arctic ghost town that used to be a bustling Russian mining town in the 70’s and 80’s, but was suddenly abandoned in 1998. It’s the definition of creepy: abandoned homes, buildings, schools, still with furniture, clothing,...