a former gymnast with a neverending case of wanderlust
My adventures in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and California
My next couple days in San Diego were mostly filled with conference-y stuff; attending talks and poster sessions, presenting my own poster, etc. But we did still manage to find some excellent restaurants. The Gaslamp Quarter is full of places to eat, so you’ll never go hungry. For breakfasts/brunches, we ate at Chocolat, Opera Caffe,… Continue reading Where Desert Meets Ocean – San Diego, California (part II)
Every year in March or April, scientists in biology-related fields converge in one place for five days to attend Experimental Biology. It’s a huge conference; the first time I walked in and saw the giant exhibit hall filled with posters and vendors, I was awestruck. I’d never seen so much science in one place. Anyway,… Continue reading In which there were pandas – San Diego, California (part I)
Day 2 at Crater Lake dawned clear and calm, which was perfect because this was the day we’d been waiting for – boat tour day! We’d hemmed and hawed over this for quite a while because the $42 per person tickets didn’t really fit in with our MO of budget travel. But in the end, […]
After leaving the Columbia River Gorge, we turned south at Hood River, OR and began the 4.5-hour journey to Crater Lake National Park. Crater Lake was formed about 7,000 years ago when Mount Mazama erupted so violently that it collapsed. The top of the mountain was blown off and what remained formed a caldera that… Continue reading Crystal Clear – Crater Lake National Park, Oregon (part I)
After four fabulous days exploring Mount Rainier National Park, we packed up our car and headed off. It was a bittersweet parting; I was sad to leave when so much of the park remained unexplored but also excited for our next destination: Crater Lake! After much cajoling on my part (and some whining – not… Continue reading “Gorge”ous – Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Highway, Oregon
I’ve been a lot of cool places. The US map on my bedroom wall is covered in pins; I’m up to 43 states and 57 National Park Service sites, not to mention 7 Canadian provinces and numerous national and provincial parks there as well. So when I say that the Skyline Trail at Mount Rainier… Continue reading A Day in Paradise – Mount Rainier National Park, Washington (part IV)
Day three at Mount Rainier was full of lakes and waterfalls. Once again, we were greeted by blue skies as we headed out of Ohanapecosh, traveling west down Steven’s Canyon Road to Cougar Rock campground, which would be our home base for the remainder of our time here. We took the entire day, stopping along… Continue reading Feeling Small – Mount Rainier National Park, Washington (part III)
The next morning we woke to blue skies, the fog of the previous afternoon long gone. This was excellent news for us as we were headed up to the northeast section of the park to catch our first glimpses of the mountain. From Ohanapecosh, we drove north to the White River entrance. Five miles (8 km)… Continue reading First Glimpse – Mount Rainier National Park, Washington (part II)
Mount Rainier is a giant, snow-capped peak located in the Cascade Mountains of Washington state. It rises to 14,410 feet (4392 m) above sea level and, though not the tallest mountain in the continental US, is the most topographically prominent one. The summit of Mount Rainier is often above the clouds; on a typical day, you’re… Continue reading At the Edge – Mount Rainier National Park, Washington (part I)
Summer 2011 was the summer of road trips. I graduated from college in early June without any plan in terms of jobs. My travel plans, however, were plenty. But first, I had to make it back to Montana. I had my car out in Bellingham with me, but my mom and sister had driven out… Continue reading The Scenic Route – North Cascades Highway, Washington
Handstands Around the World 