A couple weekends ago we headed for the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains to check out the Ginkgo Petrified Forest - one of only six petrified forests in the United States - and some nearby hikes along the Columbia River Gorge. After a snowy journey across Snoqualmie Pass, our first stop was the Ginkgo …
Continue reading Washington Hikes: Ginkgo Petrified Forest Interpretive Trail
Last weekend we decided to check out a longer hike in Mt. Rainier National Park. Now that we live in the South Sound, the west entrance is less than an hour from our house so we're looking forward to spending more time in the park. We arrived around 7 a.m., breezed through the gate thanks …
The last month has been a little crazy. We finally ripped the band-aid off and listed our house, which went into contract two weeks later, and in the midst of prepping it to sell we found a new place to rent in the South Sound and moved most of our things and ourselves in. After …
Our final morning in Rocky Mountain National Park we got an early start for the trailhead to Deer Mountain - the most accessible summit in the park. While the park is known for all of its 14ers, Deer Mountain's summit is at an easy, breezy 10,040 feet. To cut to the chase, our hike was …
Continue reading Rocky Mountain National Park: Summiting Deer Mountain
These crazy times of COVID-19 have inspired us (and many other people) to prioritize visiting the National Parks and enjoying the great outdoors. One of my favorite Christmas gifts - my annual America the Beautiful National Parks Pass - has come in especially useful this year. As planned, we kicked off the year visiting new …
Continue reading Rocky Mountain National Park: Trail Ridge Road
For our seventh wedding anniversary, we spent a weekend in Colorado enjoying time together in the great outdoors. In addition to spending a couple days in Rocky Mountain National Park, we drove to Colorado Springs to check out the infamous Pikes Peak. When we arrived mid-morning, traffic was already lined up to enter Pike National …
On our way to Bainbridge Island from Gig Harbor during our recent Labor Day motorcycle trip, we made a stop at an unusual roadside attraction Brian found near Port Orchard called Elandan Gardens - home to hundreds of different types of Bonsai trees! Bonsai, the Japanese art of growing miniature trees, is a process that produces exceptional …
Finding direction and purpose on the road, in the outdoors, and on the page
Finding direction and purpose on the road, in the outdoors, and on the page
Finding direction and purpose on the road, in the outdoors, and on the page
Heather's Compass 