Exploring Washington State

Explore Washington State -Scott Cowan

What if you could sit down at your favorite coffee shop with the most interesting people in Washington State? Every episode does exactly that. Host Scott Cowan has unhurried conversations with artists, entrepreneurs, historians, and makers—people doing fascinating work across the state. These 60-minute episodes feel less like interviews and more like catching up with a friend who has great stories to tell. No scripts. No time limits. Just curiosity and good conversation. 340+ episodes and counting. There is always more to explore.

  1. 3d ago

    Scott Griffith, Washington State Parks, on the Palouse to Cascades Trail

    Scott Griffith started with Washington State Parks in 1981 as a park aide at Fort Ebey on Whidbey Island, and he is now the agency's statewide Interpretive Program Manager. He has walked parts of the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail since he was a Boy Scout, and he worked on the corridor as a student, when the state was still deciding what to do with it. The trail follows the old Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, the Milwaukee Road, for 251 miles from Cedar Falls near North Bend to the Idaho border. Griffith walks through how a railroad becomes a state park, one parcel at a time, and why the trail has carried so many names, from the John Wayne Pioneer Trail to Iron Horse State Park. Then it goes section by section. The West section and the Snoqualmie Tunnel, 2.3 miles long and dark, where a weekend means hundreds of headlamps. The Central section past the restored South Cle Elum Depot, through the Yakima Training Center, where you register at the trailhead, and across the Columbia River on the Beverly Bridge. And the East section, the most remote, where you register online before you go, carry your own water, and plan for gaps that are not open. His honest advice: the trail is not one continuous route yet. Plan it in pieces, the way some people hike the Pacific Crest Trail. Ride a section you can do in a day, bring water and plan on no cell service out east, and expect to spend some time on quiet county roads. Also: what a park ranger one does, how the Discover Pass pays for the parks, the Kittitas depot and the Kittitas Cafe, why the trail surface is gravel and not pavement, his favorite state parks (Deception Pass, and a remote one in the Blue Mountains, Fields Spring), and cake or pie. Before you go Snoqualmie Tunnel: closes Nov 1 for the winter, reopens about May 1, weather dependent. Headlamp and a jacket.Discover Pass: required, $45 a year or $10 a day.East section (Warden to the Idaho border): register online before you go.Yakima Training Center stretch: self register at the Renslow or Doris trailheads.Day use only. Dogs on leash, horses welcome, no fires.Current closures and detours change often. Check the State Parks trail page before every trip.Chapters 00:00 Hundreds of headlamps in the Snoqualmie Tunnel (cold open)00:25 Two Scotts: welcome Scott Griffith, Washington State Parks00:41 A park aide at Fort Ebey in 198102:30 Park ranger one, two and three05:57 What an interpretive program manager does09:01 Interpretive centers across the state15:09 How a railroad became a state park, the simple version15:33 A Boy Scout and a two mile tunnel17:04 Student slides and the state's options19:06 Saving the Beverly Bridge21:21 John Wayne, Iron Horse and a new name25:12 The first parcel: Rattlesnake Lake to Thorp27:47 The fiber line along the trail30:02 The South Cle Elum Depot33:14 Bridges that went missing34:30 Through the Yakima Training Center37:04 What "developed" means on a rail trail44:45 Reality check: the trail out east47:06 Crossing the Columbia on the Beverly Bridge53:06 Where to park55:01 Kittitas: the cafe and the depot1:01:23 A word from the EWS Card1:01:55 Beverly to Idaho: the farm country years1:04:13 State Parks takes the east end1:05:05 The gap, and the bike tourers1:07:14 Why the East section asks you to register1:07:57 Counting trail users1:10:43 At the Idaho border1:11:23 The surface: gravel, not pavement1:15:06 The Columbia Plateau Trail1:20:11 Who keeps the trail up1:25:09 Doing the whole trail1:29:04 Do it in chunks1:33:06 A Saturday plan: the tunnel from Hyak1:36:31 Where to buy a Discover Pass1:40:00 How many state parks are there?1:41:48 Willie Keil's grave1:43:05 Has he been to all of them?1:44:04 One more state park: his pick1:53:04 Coffee and lunch in Wenatchee1:55:43 Cake or pie1:57:31 His last word on the trail2:04:08 Oral history and folk arts at State Parks2:05:23 Thanks Links Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail on Explore Washington StateWashington State Parks: Palouse to Cascades State Park TrailThe Explore Washington State Card

    Scott Griffith, Washington State Parks, on the Palouse to Cascades Trail

  2. Oct 21

    A Year in Auburn: Parades, Petpalooza and a Crow With Fries

    Amanda Valdez is the special events coordinator for the City of Auburn's Parks, Arts and Recreation department. She grew up in Girl Scouts, found her calling running events during a year of AmeriCorps service, and spent about ten years running the Auburn Farmers Market before moving to the city's larger events. This episode works in any month, because Amanda walks through Auburn's whole year. In spring, Peter Cottontrail hides laminated paper bunnies in parks across town over Easter weekend, and the Clean Sweep around Earth Day puts hundreds of volunteers to work, mostly pulling blackberries. Petpalooza fills Game Farm Park the Saturday before Memorial Day weekend with more than 150 pet vendors and a dog trot. Kids Day at Les Gove Park marks the end of the school year and is free, and the 4th of July festival brings two stages, a car show and a wristband for the rides. August has an almost 5K fun run that doubles as a poker run, so you do not have to be fast to win. The fall belongs to the Veterans Parade, now in its 61st year: more than 120 units every year, about 4,000 participants, and more than 160 entries already for 2026. Amanda's advice: "bring a flag and bring some tissues." December brings the Lighted Santa Parade, where one Auburn kid, age 5 to 9, is picked to light the tree at City Hall, and a gingerbread contest that is not about graham cracker houses anymore. Scott also asks her to play tour guide for a friend who has never been to Auburn. Her Saturday starts with laps around Les Gove Park and a photo with the Crow With Fries, then coffee, chocolates and ice cream for breakfast at Gosanko Chocolate, more parks, and an evening show from the city's Bravo performing arts series while the Auburn Avenue Theater is rebuilt. Also: free parking for the parades, Mando's Disc Golf Pro Shop, Aura Song Gifts, Z Street Coffee Roasters, lunch at Oddfellas, Pie Style Bakery across from City Hall, and pie, apple, no question. A friendly fact check: Amanda remembers the Crow With Fries as "over 40 feet tall." It is actually 12 feet tall and 18 feet long, which is still plenty of crow. Auburn dates to know Veterans Parade and Observance (61st): Sat Nov 7, 2026, 11 AM, Main Street. Park free at the Transit Center garage.Lighted Santa Parade and Tree Lighting: Sat Dec 5, 2026, 4:30 PM, East Main Street to City Hall. Free.Gingerbread contest: early December, Auburn Community and Event Center. Free, public voting.Every year: Peter Cottontrail (Easter weekend), Clean Sweep (around Earth Day), Petpalooza (Saturday before Memorial Day weekend, Game Farm Park), Kids Day (end of the school year, Les Gove Park), 4th of July festival (Les Gove Park), the almost 5K poker run (August), and the Auburn Farmers Market (Sundays, June through September, Les Gove Park). Chapters 00:00 The giant crow (cold open)00:20 Welcome Amanda Valdez, City of Auburn01:09 From Girl Scouts and AmeriCorps to running Auburn's events03:30 The Girl Scout cookie question04:23 The Auburn Farmers Market at Les Gove Park06:51 Farmers markets as a start for small food businesses08:48 The Veterans Parade: 61 years, 4,000 participants14:16 The Lighted Santa Parade and the kid who lights the tree16:25 Downtown under construction: the theater, the Postmark Center, Party on the Plaza17:51 Is parking in Auburn a problem?19:43 Spring: Peter Cottontrail and 40 plus parks21:48 Clean Sweep and the blackberry war23:08 Petpalooza24:39 Kids Day, free at Les Gove Park26:16 The 4th of July27:15 August: the almost 5K poker run28:53 Winter: the gingerbread contest30:18 Fall programs, the golf course and the community center31:46 Why she loves the Auburn Library33:04 Tour guide: a Saturday in Auburn36:56 When the Auburn Avenue Theater comes back39:00 Scott's family connection to Auburn Links Crow With Fries: auburnwa.gov/crowwithfriesAura Song Gifts: aurasonggifts.comThings to do in Auburn: explorewashingtonstate.com/auburn

    A Year in Auburn: Parades, Petpalooza and a Crow With Fries

  3. Sep 30

    Voluntold: How Brian Alley Ended Up Running a Folk Festival in Winthrop

    Brian Alley spent years on the road with Never Come Down, a Portland band that played bluegrass instruments and anything from Gillian Welch to Ween. They played Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in San Francisco and a hostel stage in Reykjavik during Iceland Airwaves. Then Brian settled in the Methow Valley, offered to help a small festival called Cidergrass with its booking, and by spring realized he was running the whole thing. He was voluntold. That festival is now the Winthrop Folk N Roots Fest, back at the Winthrop Barn on October 23 and 24, 2026, with Max Gomez headlining. It is small on purpose: one stage, seven acts, and a full house for every artist. Brian is blunt about the money. Every musician leaves with at least $300 for each day they play, with food and lodging covered, and even that is only about $60,000 a year for a band on the road 200 days. Tickets have a set price, plus pay what you can passes and patron passes for people who want to cover a neighbor, and there is no VIP tier. As Brian puts it, "this is a community thing." We also get into the late night jams at the artist hang, "emo grass" and the Northwest sound, why small venues can lose money on a full night, what a small town asks of a newcomer, and Mountain Music Fund, the nonprofit he started so nobody misses music camp because they cannot afford it. Also: Blue Star coffee in Twisp, the veggie sandwich at the Mazama Store, and pie, no question. Chapters 00:00 Welcome, and the festival coming up02:24 From touring band to festival organizer05:05 Voluntold05:25 The coolest stage he ever played: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass07:46 A hostel show in Reykjavik during Iceland Airwaves11:03 What a Portland sound means, and emo grass14:51 Hard choices at a big festival, and finding Chuck Prophet17:10 Why one stage is the right size for now18:22 The late night jams at the artist hang19:29 What a free festival makes possible21:27 Booking a festival from the far end of the road26:07 Folk and roots is a big umbrella29:29 How many people fit in the Winthrop Barn30:42 Free workshops, showcases and jams around town33:08 Is a small town welcoming to a new face?36:53 This year's lineup, headlined by Max Gomez40:49 Pay what you can, and patron passes43:44 Why small venues lose money on full nights48:55 $300 a day, and why that is still not getting rich51:12 The crew: four board members and 20 to 30 volunteers54:41 What a festival does for a town in shoulder season58:04 Why you should come: Sisters Folk Fest meets Wintergrass01:00:41 Where the outdoors starts at the back door01:02:33 Coffee in the Methow Valley01:06:03 Lunch at the Mazama Store01:09:00 Cake or pie01:14:18 Mountain Music Fund and the camp he wants to build01:17:59 Can you bring a 140 pound dog to a festival? Winthrop Folk N Roots Fest October 23 and 24, 2026 at the Winthrop Barn, 51 State Route 20, Winthrop. Friday 5pm to 11pm, Saturday 11am to 11pm. Weekend pass $120, day passes $60 and $70, patron pass $175, and a limited number of pay what you can passes. The Saturday daytime workshops, showcases and jams around town are free.Lineup: Max Gomez, Jenner Fox, Skillethead, Golden Shoals, Shane Brown, Bordergrass Alliance and Omak Creek. Links Winthrop Folk N Roots Fest: www.folknroots.comTickets: zeffy.com/winthrop-folk-n-roots-fest-2026Want to help Mountain Music Fund? winthropfolk@gmail.comBlue Star Coffee Roasters, Twisp: bluestarcoffeeroasters.comThe Mazama Store: www.themazamastore.comThings to do in Winthrop: explorewashingtonstate.com/winthrop

    Voluntold: How Brian Alley Ended Up Running a Folk Festival in Winthrop

  4. Aug 26

    He Has One Roll of Film Left. John Shephard's Panoramic Washington

    John Shephard has spent three decades photographing Washington State on Fujichrome Velvia 50, using two cameras nobody makes anymore. One of them has a lens mounted on a rotating cylinder that takes two minutes and twenty seconds to complete a single exposure. It started at five in the morning in a Skagit Valley tulip field in 1999, when he met an Australian photographer named Ken Duncan and ended up spending four years as his assistant, two of them living in Australia. Now John has made his own book. Washington Wide is a panoramic portrait of the entire state, shot on film, drum scanned on a 25 year old Heidelberg Tango, with a foreword by Randy Lewis. It releases this fall. We talk about why he only buys 20 rolls of film a year, which corners of Washington he still wants to shoot, and what happens to an art form when the film, the cameras, and the people who can repair them are all quietly disappearing. Also: the Salmo-Priest Wilderness, why summer is his least favorite season, and a firm vote for huckleberry pie. Chapters 00:00 Meeting Ken Duncan in a tulip field11:59 Two cameras, two ways of seeing16:34 What film cannot do that your eye can23:35 Washington before and after Instagram41:22 Going digital46:38 Deciding to make the book himself01:11:08 Washington Wide, out this fall01:22:00 Wrapping up Links John Shephard Photography: https://johnshephard.comWashington Wide, preorder: https://washingtonwide.com

    He Has One Roll of Film Left. John Shephard's Panoramic Washington

  5. Aug 14

    Not a Bog, a Fen: Inside the $1.5 Million Save of Bonaparte Meadows

    Kate Miller is the executive director of the Okanogan Land Trust, a nonprofit with two staff and an intern that protects working farms and ranches, wildlife habitat and water resources across Okanogan and western Ferry counties. Scott recorded this in their office in the town of Okanogan, in the county of Okanogan, a naming situation he admits gets him every time. Kate did not plan this career. She was born in Chapel Hill, grew up overseas while her father worked in global public health, went to Reed College, and finished a PhD in cultural anthropology in California. There was a postdoc in Vienna and teaching at Western Oregon University. Then COVID rearranged everything, a friend pointed her toward local environmental nonprofits, and she has now run this one for over five years. Her husband teaches at Tonasket Elementary. Most of this conversation is about one property. Bonaparte Meadows is 745 acres in the Okanogan Highlands, below Bonaparte Mountain near Bonaparte Lake, and at its centre sits roughly 265 acres of calcareous fen. Kate explains the distinction most of us never learn. A bog catches and holds rainwater, which is what makes bogs acidic. A fen is fed by groundwater welling up through the site. At Bonaparte that water filters through limestone, which makes it a calcareous fen, one of the rarest wetland types in the United States and the largest peat wetland in Okanogan County. Its deep peat soils hold water, store carbon, and feed cold clean flows into the Okanogan River watershed. Parts of it had been mined for peat. The family that owned it wanted to sell rather than place an easement, which meant the only way to protect it was to buy it outright. So a two person organisation in one of Washington's least populated and lowest income counties set out to raise 1.5 million dollars. Kate walks through how that actually works: state Recreation and Conservation Office grants that require a local match, the Ponderosa Dinner they hold every summer, the end of year mail campaign, and the part that surprised her most, which was how hard and how fast her own community gave. On August 12, 2026, five days after this conversation was recorded, Okanogan Land Trust announced that the For the Fen campaign had reached its 1.5 million dollar goal. Project partners include Trout Unlimited, the Okanogan Conservation District, North Central Washington Audubon Society, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and Sparrow Song Consulting. Restoration planning comes next. You can learn more about Bonaparte Meadows and its extraordinary capacity to sequester carbon, store water and provide habitat for wildlife and plant life on the Okanogan Land Trust campaign page. Giving now supports the stewardship fund for the property. Also covered: what a conservation easement actually restricts and what it leaves alone, why parcels under about 80 acres rarely qualify, how many years one easement takes, the 36 easements the trust now holds, and the worthy projects it has to turn down because two people can only do so much. Plus a divemaster certification in Egypt, and a firm ruling on cake. Chapters 00:00 Welcome, and an office in Okanogan, in Okanogan County 00:50 Chapel Hill, then overseas, then Reed, then a PhD in anthropology 06:02 What a land trust is, and what an easement does 08:46 Getting paid for an easement, or donating one for the tax benefit 12:31 How big a parcel has to be 13:11 So how long does all this take (watch her face) 17:24 Working with landowners 21:43 The water rises up through limestone, and that changes everything 30:37 Putting the water back 33:27 How you actually raise the money 34:57 The Ponderosa Dinner 40:54 What surprised her about her own community 44:46 Why this place, and who wanted it protected 46:34 What is next for the trust 49:32 Thirty six easements and counting 51:02 The projects they have to say no to 58:03 Where Kate eats 01:01:11 Getting divemaster certified in Egypt 01:06:14 Exploring Okanogan County 01:12:08 Protecting the trails around Wenatchee Kate's local picks Smallwoods, a little south of Okanogan toward Malott, for the porch, the smoked meats and the milkshake. Bonaparte Lake Resort, which is proud of its dinners and runs a smoked prime rib on Saturdays, with a reservation strongly advised in high season. She also named Crafted, Freebird, Tugboats and Scott Brothers. Links Okanogan Land Trust: okanoganlandtrust.org Bonaparte Meadows and the For the Fen campaign: okanoganlandtrust.org/protect-bonaparte-meadows-3 Exploring Washington State Podcast: explorewashingtonstate.com/podcast-2/

    Not a Bog, a Fen: Inside the $1.5 Million Save of Bonaparte Meadows

  6. Aug 12

    Greasy Fingerprints on a Beam: Inside Fort Flagler and Fort Worden

    Kelsey Lang looks after the museums at Fort Flagler and Fort Worden, and she lives at one of them. She grew up in central Florida, an hour north of Orlando. Her husband went looking for the rainiest place in the country that also had mountains, Washington came up, and after years of applying they made the move during COVID with a dog who could not fly and a U Haul driven by a hired stranger. Her degree is in marine science with minors in biology and geology, which is not the resume you expect from someone running two history museums. The best story in this episode is a ceiling beam. The Fort Flagler museum sits in the old quartermaster storehouse, and across one beam there is a scatter of greasy fingerprints at different heights. A volunteer anthropologist worked out the likely explanation: bored soldiers, stationed at the end of an island with no bridge and no ferry, greasing their fingertips to see who could jump the highest. Nobody has ever cleaned it off. She also points out something most visitors trip over without noticing. The concrete gun batteries have been aging for a century, rain pulls calcium carbonate out of the cracks, and it is recalcifying inside as stalactites, stalagmites and flowstones. There are caves forming inside the fortifications. Also covered: how she rebuilt both museums around human stories instead of glass cases, the scavenger hunt she designed by following her eight year old around and writing down everything at that eye level, the Junior Ranger program and why adults keep asking for their own version, and the interactive rooms at the Commanding Officer's Quarters where you can write in the commander's log, look over the parade grounds through vintage binoculars, and put on a fake mustache for a photo. Plus a footstool whose legs are literal deer legs, hooves attached, and a rug made from used silk underwear. Her advice, and it is the line worth keeping: the next time you drive past a state park sign, turn down the road. Just do it. CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome back, and a host who admits he is rusty 00:52 Interpretive specialist, or park ranger 01:43 Central Florida to the Olympic Peninsula 05:00 Moving during COVID, with a dog and a U Haul 06:02 The museums Kelsey actually oversees 08:24 Living in ranger housing at Fort Flagler 09:47 Marine science to museum curation 11:49 Rebuilding the Fort Flagler museum 13:00 A scavenger hunt designed by an eight year old 15:15 How the Junior Ranger program works 20:29 Why Washington's parks are underappreciated 25:41 Favorite season at each fort 27:25 The greasy fingerprints on the storehouse beam 30:55 Cave formations growing inside the batteries 32:55 Camping at Fort Flagler, and the ranger pick 35:59 Coffee and lunch in Port Townsend 38:35 Inside the Commanding Officer's Quarters 43:34 The commander's log and the selfie station 50:17 Deer leg footstool, silk underwear rug 52:50 What still needs fixing, and the long term plan 01:01:41 Summer events at the parks 01:05:06 A recent visit to Peshastin Pinnacles KELSEY'S PORT TOWNSEND PICKS Coffee: Conduit Cafe, 1012 Lawrence St, Uptown. She orders an iced latte. Lunch: Tommyknocker's Cornish Pasty, 711 Water St. She goes for the mac and cheese. Lunch: The Old Whiskey Mill, 825 Water St. Camping: Fort Flagler site 37, back corner of the upper forested loop, the furthest spacing from your neighbors. Cake or pie: cake. Specifically spice cake. PLAN YOUR VISIT Fort Flagler Museum is open daily 11am to 4pm through August, then Wednesday through Sunday in September and October. Free, donations welcome, Discover Pass required to park. The Commanding Officer's Quarters Museum at Fort Worden is open Friday through Tuesday, 11am to 4pm, April through October. It is closed Wednesdays and Thursdays. The Rothschild House in Port Townsend is open Thursday through Saturday, 11am to 4pm, April through September. The Fort Flagler historic hospital tour is cancelled through August 30 for construction work. A Level 3 burn ban is in effect statewide through October 30. No charcoal or wood fires. Gas and propane stoves are fine. The Junior Ranger booklet can be downloaded from parks.wa.gov, and completed pages can be mailed in to earn the badge. A note on two numbers you will hear in this episode: Washington State Parks recorded more than 40 million visits in 2025, not the 36 million quoted from the sign, and Fort Flagler has 116 campsites rather than the 150 plus estimated in the conversation.

    Greasy Fingerprints on a Beam: Inside Fort Flagler and Fort Worden

  7. Jul 1

    Remember Me? The Show's Back With a Coffee Crawl Through Everett

    Remember me? After six months off, the Exploring Washington State podcast is back, and we're kicking things off with a caffeinated twist. Scott dragged his buddy Brooks Smothers from RV Out West to four very different coffee shops in downtown Everett to drink too much coffee, talk even more, and finally figure out what a "one and one" actually is. Turns out you can drink coffee your whole life and still learn something at the first shop. From cortados served in little glass juice cups to the surprising backstory of the AeroPress, plus Everett's arts scene, its food, and the eternal question of why every coffee shop closes at 3, it's a loose and friendly tour of a city that takes its coffee seriously. Grab a cup and settle in.

  8. 12/17/2025

    A Thousand Campers a Night: Inside Lake Chelan State Park

    During peak summer season, Lake Chelan State Park can host nearly a thousand campers every night. Behind the scenes, that responsibility falls on one park manager. In this episode of the Exploring Washington State Podcast, I sit down with Brian Frahm, the park manager at Lake Chelan State Park, to talk about what it actually takes to operate one of Washington’s busiest state parks. Brian oversees daily operations, staff, safety, and law enforcement across the entire park — responsibilities most visitors never see. We talk about the reality of seasonal staffing, what happens when the park reaches capacity, wildlife encounters, emergency incidents, and how quickly the quiet of spring turns into full-blown summer chaos. Brian also shares what it’s like to raise a family in a state park and why the slower shoulder seasons are when Lake Chelan really shows its character. This conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at the people and systems that make Washington’s state parks work — and why they deserve more appreciation than they often get. If you love spending time outdoors in Washington, this episode will give you a new perspective the next time you pull into a full campground.

    A Thousand Campers a Night: Inside Lake Chelan State Park
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4.8
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About

What if you could sit down at your favorite coffee shop with the most interesting people in Washington State? Every episode does exactly that. Host Scott Cowan has unhurried conversations with artists, entrepreneurs, historians, and makers—people doing fascinating work across the state. These 60-minute episodes feel less like interviews and more like catching up with a friend who has great stories to tell. No scripts. No time limits. Just curiosity and good conversation. 340+ episodes and counting. There is always more to explore.

Information

  • Creator
    Explore Washington State -Scott Cowan
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    352
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 T212 Media LLC
  • Show Website
    Exploring Washington State

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