We celebrated our anniversary weekend at Mt. Rainier National Park, hiking around Sunrise and Paradise and spending the night at the historic Paradise Inn. We stopped at the Black Diamond Bakery for an amazing breakfast on our way down to the park and arrived at Sunrise around 9:30 a.m. to begin our hiking adventures. Although …
Continue reading Washington Hikes: Sunrise Rim, Burroughs Mountain and Sourdough Ridge Trails
We wanted to take my brother-in-law and his girlfriend on an incredible hike in the Cascade Mountains last weekend but the weather wasn't cooperating. Although things can sometimes change while you're on the trail, the radar strongly suggested our window of hiking opportunity would be Saturday morning--by Saturday afternoon, the rain would be saturating the …
When we first moved to Washington, my work colleagues helped me construct a list of must see/must do places and experiences to help introduce us to the Pacific Northwest. Several of them recommended Chuckanut Drive, a beautiful road that winds along the coast where the Cascade Mountains meet the sea. We’ve completed that drive multiple …
We’ve explored the northern part of the Olympic Peninsula and Olympic National Park on a handful of occasions, including a long weekend motorcycle trip to Forks, Ruby Beach and the Hoh Rainforest with a loop to Cape Flattery and a scenic ride along the Strait of Juan de Fuca a couple of years back. Since …
This weekend we FINALLY got around to hiking Mount Pilchuck! This hike has been on our list since we moved to Washington, but for some reason we managed to hike multiple other hikes around it while avoiding this big one. It’s actually not a ‘big one’ compared to most—it’s a little under six miles roundtrip …
The weekend after my master's degree classes ended (HOORAY!) we set out mid-morning for one of the longer bike-and-hikes we've tackled in a while. Our destination: Lake Serene. By the time we arrived parking at the trailhead was scarce and I was glad we were on our bikes and able to sneak into an available …
Continue reading Washington Hikes: Lake Serene and Bridal Veil Falls
Brian’s birthday fell on a Sunday, two days after I turned in the final paper of my master's degree program, so of course I immediately drummed up all of the fun weekend getaways I keep stored in the back of my brain for just such an occasion, ready to hit the road and celebrate! Unfortunately …
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 