HyperLocal News for Olympia, Washington

Seattle Bug Safari: creepy crawlies aboundSeattle Bug Safari is not really a safari. However, it is one of the most interesting and unusual little museums in Seattle.

Nordic Heritage Museum: Seattle captures the midnight sunYou can find evidence of Seattle's Nordic founders within Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, which hosts annual Nordic themed festivals (like Viking Days) and the Nordic Heritage Museum.

Onda Arte Latina: A colorful look at contemporary Latin artOn bustling Alberta Street, Onda Arte Latina holds its own among a vast array great art galleries and street art. With a variety of Latin art from paintings, ceramics, and tapestry, the gallery serves also serves as an important cultural experience. With an extensive gift shop, visitors can come away with a special item for loved ones back home.

Museum of Flight: sky's the limit, literallyMuch of Seattle's history in the middle 20th century is tied up with the aeronautics industry, and the Museum of Flight preserves this history.

Log House Museum: West Seattle was born freeQuirky West Seattle is the birthplace of the city; the story is told inside the tiny Log House Museum.

Northwest African American Museum: stories that need to be toldThe first museum dedicated exclusively to preserving and educating the public about Pacific Northwest African American history is here in Seattle.

DeNorval Unthank Park: A Piece of History Set in Historic North PortlandDeNorval Unthank Park may be a mouthful, but this peaceful location can be a great spot to spend an afternoon. The park is centrally located in north Portland’s Boise-Eliot neighborhood between Martin Luther King and Mississippi Street. The vibrant neighborhood feel of nearby Mississippi Street surrounds the park with great restaurants, food, and businesses. The park itself is generally busy with people playing basketball, lounging in the sun, or just getting a breath of fresh air.

Two Plum Park: A Neighborhood’s Pride and JoyThe tiny Two Plum Park is a former empty lot that was transformed from eye sore to the relaxing center of a neighborhood. Portland is well known for its parks and Two Plum Park is a petite addition. Like many of the parks, it is on land that was in need of a natural makeover.

Sabin HydroPark: relax underneath the enormous green towersSabin HydroPark reflects the innovative way the city of Portland turns land that serves a public good into a public park for all to use. The park can be seen from blocks away thanks to the large water towers. It is great place for Portland visitors to see how to dual use works in a major American city.

King Farmers Market: A Taste of Portland Every SundayThe King Farmers Market is a Sunday institution. Northeast Portland’s weekly market features the freshest food, locally grown produce, flowers and more. For those used to shopping at grocery stores, you will understand why farmers markets are not only affordable, but also informative and fun.

The Comet Tavern: A deep dive into local musicThe Comet is one of the most iconic venues in the city: broken down, but on the cutting edge.

Merchant's Cafe: Boozing up the city for 100+ yearsThe Merchant's Cafe has been continually serving Seattle since 1890.

Soul Food Books: tricks and treats year roundRedmond's Soul Food Books is tucked on the far corner of a mini-mall, which is kind of weird, considering how ant-mini-mall a place it is.

Pike Place Magic Shop: fun making your money disappearTrickery, deception, sleight of hand. Hokum, hooey, bunk, hogwash. It’s all for sale and it’s all a lot of fun at the Pike Place Magic Shop.

Pilot Books: '100 percent indie lit'Pilot Books is halfway hidden, upstairs inside a Capitol Hill style mini-mall, a gem of less than 500 square feet, carrying fewer than 600 titles at a time.

Sonic Boom Records: Day trip for music collectorsSonic Boom is definitely a throwback to a simpler time—before the influx of MP3s and when record store clerks could afford to give you the stink-eye if you asked them about bands considered passé.

Velouria: Indie art made for wearingVelouria stocks clothing, jewelry and housewares all lovingly made by hand.

Mort's Cabin: Chock-a-block knickknacksMort's Cabin is part antique shop, part jumble sale, and part solid education in Pacific Northwest culture and design.

Daiso: Plastic paradiseGot a soft spot for pink and adorable animals? Daiso's got them all--for a buck and a half.

Beecher's Handmade Cheese: Dairy wonderlandThe cheese curds are completely addictive at this artisan cheese shop.

The Gargoyle Statuary: Spooky fun for allGoth's not dead at this all-gargoyle-all-the-time curiosity shop.

SureShot: Seattle coffee done mild and wildLoud SureShot doesn't tempt with atmosphere, but the "white coffee" is worth a try.

Friends of the Seattle Public Library Book Sale: The running of the booksThe twice-annual book sale, which sells over 200,000 donated, discarded or no-longer-needed books, prints, CDs, and VHS and DVD movies to benefit the library system.

Bite of Seattle: All-day grazing July 16-18Foodies, welcome to three days of eating heaven.

Seafair: The all-city, summer-long party!If it's related to water, it happens at Seafair. What began as a celebration of Seattle’s centennial in 1951-52 has blossomed into a two month long, multi-venue/multi-event festival that celebrates all things waterfront.

Flash Mob Seattle: no one likes to be defeatedWacky, random acts of art entertain the unwitting on the streets of Seattle.

The Capitol Hill Block Party: Welcome to hipster heavenOver 60 indie bands play for 3 days in Capitol Hill each July.

Bumbershoot 2010: the biggest party of the yearHeld annually on Labor Day weekend, the Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival is the largest urban arts festival in North America.

Seattle Art Museum's "Target Practice" gets art in the crosshairsEvery piece in this fascinating exhibition of modern art has one thing in common with the others: it's been in a fight with the artist that made it.

Fremont Solstice Parade and Fair: Now, it's summerSeattle's Fremont neighborhood celebrates the longest day of the year with a Mardi Gras-like parade and a two-day party.

Jim Henson's Fantastic World: Muppet mania!The antic genius of the man who created "Sesame Street" and "The Muppet Show" is in full display in this family-friendly and fairly fuzzy exhibit.

The Seattle International Film Festival is a big-screen epicSIFF is the largest film festival in the United States, is under way. With nearly 400 films screening over three weeks, it's nearly impossible to see it all — but it's fun to try.

Mississippi Street: Where Portland’s history and future meetThe Mississippi neighborhood is one of the most electric neighborhoods in Portland. Quite nearly exploding with local businesses, it has gone from small-time neighborhood to local shopping spot de jure in only a few years. A bustling atmosphere filled with shops, food carts, restaurants, bars and live music, Mississippi is a must-see community for all visitors.

Alberta Arts District: Northeast Portland’s creative and vibrant neighborhoodWhen first visiting the Alberta Arts District, you will be struck with the cohesion among the variety of art galleries, restaurants, and local businesses. With so much to see and do along this busy, narrow street, the Alberta Arts District can be a great place to explore on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

Irvington: A local neighborhood with regal charmIrvington neighborhood offers visitors a stroll through tree-lined drives and majestic homes. Most were built at the turn-of-the-century, giving a peak into Portland’s transition from a small lumber town to an international city. The stately homes are surrounded by beautiful parks, bountiful shopping and great eateries.

Ivar's: keeping clam for over 70 yearsEvery city has a food for which they are famous. Philly has cheese steaks, New York, its pizza; Seattle is, itself, best known for fresh seafood.

Wayward Coffeehouse: space age caffeineSeattle has an inordinately large number of science fiction and fantasy literature writers and fans who call the Wayward home base.

B&O Espresso: Middle Eastern healthy meets Paris pastryVintage vibe and chocolate ganache everything. There's no wrong way to enjoy B&O Espresso.

Pho Jasmine: A taste of Vietnam hidden in North PortlandDespite its modest interior and location far from the center of Portland’s culinary activity, Pho Jasmine stands out as a top notch Vietnamese restaurant. Whether it is their traditional Pho or one of their rice noodle dishes, Pho Jasmine's dishes exude a care and delicate blend of tastes.

Inspire: A Refreshingly Different Food CartIn the busy world of Portland’s food carts, innovation and creativity are keys to sticking out. Inspire does this by being housed in a bright red train car and serving delicious juice and pie. Their laid-back attitude and devotion to local artists and musicians, make it a must-see when exploring the Alberta Arts District.

Gravy: A heapin’ helping of breakfast favoritesGravy is not one of those restaurants for those who prefer moderate portions. Their huge meals make it a perfect brunch spot, earning a local following by those who love down-home cooking with a no-frills appeal.

Grilled Cheese Grill: Sandwiches that make you feel like a childThe Grilled Cheese Grill helps to dispel those bad memories of grade school. One trip to this amazing food cart and eating their delicious sandwiches in their artfully decorated school bus, you will understand how this restaurant has carved out a niche in the crowded street food market.

Le Fournil: True French croissants, no jet lagFlaky and perfect, with a pound of butter per square inch, Le Fournil's croissants are worth extra treadmill time.

Serafina Osteria & Enoteca and Cicchetti: Rustic Italian that has it allElegant fine dining meets relaxed neighborhood successfully in Eastlake gem, Serafina and Cicchetti.

Dick's Drive-in: Burgers, fries and no-frillsCheap, good, with few frills, Dick's is where you can satisfy your need for grease into the wee hours. And when we say grease, we mean grease. Don't go counting calories or fat grams — your head will explode.