In addition to driving along the coast from Carmel-by-the-Sea north to San Francisco, there are some interesting inland sights worth exploring. After our morning on the 17-Mile Drive and lunch in Monterey, we continued north on route 1 until Santa Cruz when we caught a smaller road that traveled inland and to higher elevations as …
Continue reading Afternoon Among the Coastal Redwoods
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, …
Continue reading Hiking in Pinnacles National Park
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 …
Continue reading Hiking in Malibu, California
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 …
Continue reading A Day at Channel Islands National Park
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
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
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
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
Finding direction and purpose from travel and culture
Finding direction and purpose from travel and culture
Finding direction and purpose from travel and culture
