Finding direction and purpose from travel and culture
Our first hike of the new year was a memorable one, replete with snow, history, ferry rides, and a kitchy burger joint. When we took a bike trip around the lower Olympic Peninsula last fall, I pulled a number of possible hikes we could do along the way. We ultimately landed on hiking Mount Walker, …
Continue reading Washington Hikes: Tubal Cain Mine
Last year I asked for an annual U.S. National Parks Pass for Christmas, and it ended up being one of the most useful things I could have put on my list! I wanted to make the most out of having it. As we were plotting our travel plans for the year, we prioritized destinations where …
Continue reading Opt Outside: Exploring the National Parks
I'm ready for 2019 to come to a close and look forward to 2020 -- the 'Roarin' 20s' of our lifetime. I'm going to be prioritizing my health, both physical and mental, time with family and friends, and new adventures in the new year and new decade. This past year has continued to impress upon …
Continue reading 2019 Travel Recap
Our final hike of 2019 was a doozy—12.5 miles roundtrip and just over 2,000 feet of elevation gain. After all the Christmas cookies and holiday cheer, I needed something to kick my butt and help me end the year with a bang. Our roundtrip hike to Wallace Lake and Jay Lake checked all the boxes! …
Continue reading Washington Hikes: Wallace and Jay Lakes
One of my work colleagues lives in Queen Anne and always seems to be trying new places and doing fun things around downtown Seattle. The last few weeks he has been carrying on non-stop about an Italian restaurant he stumbled upon in Ballard called San Fermo. He took his dad there when he came out …
Continue reading Worldly Fare: San Fermo
It seems like Mailbox Peak has been on our list of must-do hikes forever. We've been putting it off in part because it's a long one-- taking the New Trail puts the overall hike at just over 11 miles round trip. It's also considered a fairly tough one since you experience 5,000 feet of elevation …
Continue reading Washington Hikes: Mailbox Peak
On our recent weekend getaway to Mt. Rainier National Park we made a loop through the park, entering via the northern entrance and leaving via the western entrance. This route is ideal if you’re heading to the park in the morning because the road follows the sun, meaning Mt. Rainier’s summit is perfectly lit as …
Continue reading Exploring Elbe, Washington
Despite the overcast skies we decided to squeeze in one more hike to round out our weekend of hiking adventures when we woke up at Mt. Rainier National Park's Paradise Inn on Sunday morning. We headed over to the Nisqually Vista Loop for an easy hike to a series of overlooks that were supposed to offer great …
Continue reading Washington Hikes: Nisqually Vista Loop and Deadhorse Creek
On our recent trip to Mt. Rainier National Park, we opted to stay at the Paradise Inn for an evening and dedicate our weekend to hiking around Paradise. After an incredible morning hiking at nearby Sunrise, we finally arrived at Paradise to find that the clouds had rolled in, blocking much of the summit and …
Continue reading Washington Hikes: Alta Vista Loop
During our recent trip to Mt. Rainier we decided at the last minute to check out Narada Falls on the recommendation of my brother-in-law and his girlfriend. They had visited Mt. Rainier during their time here and said it was a nice, quick stop on the way out of the park. They were right--the falls is …
Continue reading Washington Hikes: Narada Falls
Finding direction and purpose from travel and culture
Finding direction and purpose from travel and culture
Finding direction and purpose from travel and culture
