Located in the heart of the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area, the city of Kent is often overshadowed by its two larger sibling towns. Indeed, it is smack-dab in the middle of Tacoma and Seattle, which are 19 miles south and north, respectively.  However, Kent is the sixth largest city in the entire state of Washington and is growing fast.

If you've lived in Seattle long enough, odds are you've at least heard of Tulalip Resort Casino. For us, it's been the radio ads publicizing Tulalip's summer concert series that gave us awareness of the resort. We've even driven by many times during our semi-annual trips to Seattle Premium Outlets and Skagit Valley. But it wasn't until a weekend in July that we actually set foot inside of Tulalip Resort Casino.

Seeking a new experience, we decided to spend a weekend exploring the Olympic Peninsula instead. Although the Olympics are also relatively close to Seattle, accessing them takes long enough that most won't visit the area on a quick day trip. Instead, it's best to spend at least a long weekend here to make the most of your time. Enter, Peace Vans!

Hawaii is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world. As such, some travelers think Hawaii is too touristy and over-crowded. While both of these observations are in many ways true, there are less touristy things to do in Hawaii. I grew up on Oahu and have experienced this island as both a child growing up and an adult returning home as a tourist. In truth, Oahu has changed and developed so much over the past several years that I barely know where to visit anymore.