California’s 17-Mile Drive

After incredible days driving the Big Sur coast and hiking in Pinnacles National Park, we decided to spend the last day of our long weekend taking a road trip from Carmel-by-the-Sea back to San Francisco for our 9:30 p.m. flight home. I had no idea how expensive it would be to stay in Carmel and …

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Hiking in Pinnacles National Park

Our travels have taken us to some beautiful places, both at home and abroad. While I’ve always found those outdoor experiences to be highlights of our trips, it wasn’t until we moved to the Pacific Northwest and really picked up hiking as a hobby that I’ve intentionally planned vacations around spending time in nature. Meaning, …

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Driving Big Sur

Brian and I had Presidents' Day off and United miles burning a hole in our pocket so we booked a getaway to a new area of California for both of us—Big Sur. Brian had met a customer in Monterey once, but I’d never spent time south of San Francisco and was looking forward to exploring …

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Hiking in Malibu, California

After an incredible day hiking in Channel Islands National Park, we were ready for more time outdoors in the sunshine exploring Malibu and the Santa Monica Mountain Recreation Area. We made the time outdoors happen, but there wasn’t much to be done about the sunshine. Apparently even Malibu sometimes has its gray, rainy days! We …

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A Day at Channel Islands National Park

On January 31, Seattle-area news outlets reported that there had been 28 rainy days in Seattle throughout the month, tying records set in January 1953 and 2006. We’re pretty accustomed to clouds and rain after having lived here almost five years, but even this was a bit much for me! I don’t mind the rain …

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Environmentally Friendly Travel: 10 Ways to Reduce Your Impact on the Road

I’ve been reading Virgin Group Founder Richard Branson’s first autobiography, Losing My Virginity, and have been blown away by his story and success. I’m also impressed at how he’s leveraged his businesses and personal profile to support social and environmental causes. Just this week I saw his post on LinkedIn about his investment in sustainable …

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Washington Hikes: Tubal Cain Mine

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, …

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