Bench and Snow Lake Trail On Mount Rainer, Washington
When a day on Mt. Rainier is filled with clouds or fog, I like to switch to one of the lower elevation hikes. The major hikes at Paradise start at 5,000 feet, so when choosing…
Pinnacle Peak Trail, Mt. Rainier, Washington
When I want to hike a less busy trail in mid-summer while still getting great views, I head to Pinnacle Peak Trail at Mt. Rainier National Park. When the mountain is “out” as we say…
An Afternoon In Seattle – Nibbles And Arts
While Seattle is known for misty, cool winters, there is plenty to do indoors when the weather is damp. One of my favorite ways to spend time in Seattle is to take in a concert,…
Paradise Inn, Mount Rainier, Washington
The Paradise Inn sits at 5,400 feet elevation on the south slopes of Mount Rainier’s high mountain meadows. Designated one of the “Grand Lodges” of the National Park system, it provides easy access to multiple…
Hummocks Trail Loop, Mt. St Helens National Volcanic Monument
On the many trails around Mt. St. Helens, an August hike is reliably warmer. Summer winds are steady, changing the way the mountain looks. The light ash in the blast zone is easily picked up…
Westport Winery Garden Resort, Washington
On the way to Westport, Washington beaches, I like to stop in at the Westport Winery Garden Resort, locally owned by the Roberts family, and easy to spot thanks to the small lighthouse attached to…
Westport Beaches, Washington
On the far west coast of Washington, on a quiet peninsula sits Westport, Washington. The town is a working fishing village, with plenty of opportunities for visitors to go sport fishing. I am drawn to…
Harstine Island, Washington
In the depths of the pandemic, summer of ’21, I was looking for a place that was outside but not crowded. All summer long people flocked to the outdoors, which meant well-known and easily accessible…
Chehalis Western Trail, Washington
One of the great benefits of living in the lowlands of western Washington State is that this area was once interlaced with multiple railroad lines. As these have been abandoned in favor of roads and…
Trails Of The Historic Cape Disappointment State Park
At the far southwest corner of Washington State, the Columbia River empties into the Pacific Ocean. While best known to visitors as the place where the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery arrived in November…
McLane Creek Nature Trail Loop, Washington
When the fall rainy season starts in Western Washington, it can feel fairly gloomy, but outside of Olympia, Washington is the Capitol State Forest, where opportunities to hike abound. And of all the places to…
Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve Trail
In 1966, an unusual area south of the city of Olympia and north of the town of Rochester, WA, was set aside as a National Natural Landmark. Known most often by it’s shortened, local name,…
