Mary Jo Manzanares: Mary Jo is the Travel Editor here at PlanetEye Traveler as well as the contributing writer for her home town of Seattle. She is a lifelong resident of the Seattle area, and when she's not out exploring and enjoying all that the city has to offer, she's probably tackling the rest of the world. Mary Jo can be reached at maryjo@planeteye.com. In addition to travel, Mary Jo enjoys a great meal and glass of wine, especially when combined with wonderful friends and conversation. She's also a movie buff, avid reader, and has been known to hit a shopping mall or boutique now and again. Mary Jo also writes about travel, and her experiences as a Flight Attendant at Traveling with MJ (www.travelingwithmj.com).

The Cult of the Crab Returns

Seattle in March is a great place to be for all sorts of restaurant promotions, and at Waterfront Seafood Grill one of my very favorite ingredients moves front and center as the annual Cult of the Crab promotion returns. Now in its fifth year, the Cult of the Crab celebrates the Northwest’s most beloved...

March 7th, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

Seattle St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Irish Festival

Irish eyes are smilin’ in Seattle, with preparations and festivities under way for Seattle’s annual Irish Festival. Kicking off the weekend is Saturday’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The parade starts at 4th & Jefferson (map) and meanders through the city streets,with a reviewing stand at...

March 6th, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

Final Month for Twilight Package at Port Ludlow

Now in its final month, the popular “Twilight” promotion at The Resort at Port Ludlow shows the world (and locals too) why the Olympic Peninsula is such a special place. The resort is about an hour drive from Forks, the quiet rural city made famous in Stephanie Meyer’s best selling Twilight series...

March 3rd, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

Cute Chihuahuas & Lots of Pink in Legally Blonde The Musical

The movie was adorably cute and funny, and Legally Blonde The Musical, now playing at the 5th Avenue Theatre, promises audience the same enjoyable, if saccharine, experience. Hello Harvard! You're going pink, thanks to Elle (Becky Gulsvig) and her best friend Bruiser the dog (Frankie) in the National...

March 2nd, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

Red Carpet Festivities for Oscar Night at Hotel 1000

It may not be Hollywood, but you can walk down Seattle’s red carpet as Hotel 1000 presents a Night at the Oscars. It’s a chance to wear some glitz and strut down the red carpet as paparazzi flashes go off all around you. Don’t worry about your limo, or car, as it will be whisked away for safekeeping...

March 1st, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

Spokane’s Antique Carousel in Riverfront Park

Looff carousel in Spokane's Riverfront Park Take a ride on the Riverfront Park Carousel, also known as the Looff Carousel and you’ll get a chance to grab a brass ring with each revolution. Well, not actually a brass ring – it’s a plastic one – but there aren’t many carousels around...

February 28th, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

Woodland Park Zoo Fecal Fest is Full of B.S.

Postcards will soon be accepted for the twice yearly Fecal Fest lottery where residents vie for the right to scoop up poop. The nutrient-rich compost, courtesy of zoo residents, is available by the truckload or bucketful, and is a big favorite among local gardeners. Here’s the scoop on the poop:...

February 27th, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

Spring Dine Around Seattle March 1-31st

One of the annual Seattle rites of Spring, the city’s Dine Around Seattle program, kicks off March 1st, 2010 and runs for the entire month. With five new restaurants added to the already stellar lineup of fine dining choices. Offering prix-fixe three course dinners, with several restaurants also...

February 25th, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

Scenic Drive Along Columbia River Gorge

Watching the sun come up over the Columbia River Gorge It may only be February, but it felt like spring, on a weekend trip to the Columbia River Gorge. The Gorge is a canyon stretching 80-some miles bringing the Columbia River through the Cascade Mountain Range to the Pacific Ocean. It forms the...

February 21st, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

Artisanal & Saviah Cellars Join for Wine Dinner

Another restaurant jumps into the wine dinner, as Bellevue’s Artisanal Brasserie & Winebar kicks off what is to be a series of wine dinners. The first dinner showcases wines from Saviah Cellars. The French-Mediterranean dinner features five courses designed by Chef Terrance Brennan, paired with...

February 18th, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

Rich & Luscious San Francisco

If you want your San Francisco experience to be rich and luscious, you’ll find it in various shapes and sizes in the chocolate shops around the city. From major manufacturers to boutique chocolatiers, the Bay Area is home to some of the greatest chocolate in the world. San Francisco’s chocolate...

February 17th, 2010 | San Francisco | Read More

Save Time & Money with Houston CityPass

With its vibrant and diverse cultural scene, Houston can be a tough city to tackle. With CityPass, however, you can knock off a little time and money in your city exploration with a booklet that has admission tickets to major Houston attractions. Using CityPass offers a big savings over paying individual...

February 17th, 2010 | Houston | Read More

Free Pancakes to Celebrate National Pancake Day

You’ll flip for this deal, as IHOP offers you a FREE short stack (three) of their famous buttermilk pancakes to patron who visit on National Pancake Day. The occasion started four years ago as a way to raise money for local charities, and since then the event has raised over 3 million dollars from...

February 16th, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

Houston’s Getting Ready to Rodeo

In its annual celebration of agriculture, education, entertainment and western heritage, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo rolls into town, bringing with it the heartbeat of the Southwest. This is the world’s largest livestock exhibition, the world’s richest regular season rodeo, and the Southwest’s...

February 16th, 2010 | Houston | Read More

Sake Tasting in Berkeley

With as wide a range of flavors and styles as wine, the once exotic sake is now taking the country by storm. Ordering it at your favorite Asian restaurant will yield a different result than at your neighborhood sports bar, but chances are they’ll have it both places. For many, it’s an acquired...

February 16th, 2010 | San Francisco | Read More

It’s the Year of the Tiger

It’s one of the Top 10 Parades in the World, but to San Franciscans, it’s just a great way to celebrate another New Year. The San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade and Festival will begin on Saturday, February 27th, 2010, as lunar year 4078, the Year of the Tiger, is welcomed. Originating in 1860’s...

February 16th, 2010 | San Francisco | Read More

Bed & Book-fest at Skamania Lodge

There’s nothing like curling up with a good book on a cold winter afternoon, and Skamania Lodge is upping the WOW factor when you make that choice. The all-season mountain resort, located in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, announces Bed & Book-fest, a little literary getaway that...

February 15th, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

Swirl & Sip at These Houston Wine Bars

Whether you’re looking for a wine adventure or the comfort of a regular watering hole, these Houston wine bars should be on your list of places to visit: 13 Celsius – Named for the perfect temperature at which to store wine, this Mediterranean-style bar is both a neighborhood hangout and an evening...

February 15th, 2010 | Houston | Read More

My Seattle Valentine

I’ve lived in the greater Seattle area all of my life. When you’ve lived somewhere that long, it becomes easy to take the wonderful things about your city for granted. While writing about the city forces me to be curious, examining the city with new eyes, and I love to show visitors my city as...

February 14th, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

I Thought You Made Valentine’s Reservations?

I thought you made Valentine’s dinner reservations! Uh, I thought you did! You said you would. No, you said you’d take care of it. And so began the discussion of the un-made dinner reservations on one of the busiest days of the year. This is bad. Very bad indeed! So what do you do? If...

February 13th, 2010 | Seattle | Read More