a former gymnast with a neverending case of wanderlust
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
I’ve bragged before about the town of Bellingham and how I spent a fabulous 4 years living there while attending college. Located in the northwest corner of Washington, right on the coast, Bellingham has its fair share of gloomy, rainy days. But when the sun comes out, the rays of light shine down on a… Continue reading Get Outside in Bellingham, Washington
The final leg of our trip led us back out to the west coast of the Olympic Peninsula on Highway 101. Just south of the Hoh Indian Reservation is Ruby Beach. It’s a 5-minute walk to the beach and many sea stacks, the most famous of which is Abbey Island. I'm still at a bit… Continue reading Glimpses of the Sun – Olympic National Park, Washington (part IV)
The next morning found us heading inland to the Hoh Rainforest, located at the end of Upper Hoh Road off Highway 101. The road follows the Hoh River and also passes a big Sitka spruce tree. Though not the largest, it's one of many giant nearly 1000-year-old trees in the park! From the Hoh Visitor Center,… Continue reading Onward, Hoh! – Olympic National Park, Washington (part III)
When we planned a vacation to Washington in June, we expected lots of rain and minimal sunshine, so we were fortunate to only have a couple gloomy days the entire vacation. The unfortunate part is that they fell on the days we were out at the beach. On the plus side, though, the drizzle scared… Continue reading Sand and Solitude – Olympic National Park, Washington (part II)
Summer of 2008 was different. It was the start of something new, something better, something wonderful. Following my parents’ split, my mom, sister, and I were now facing a challenge: planning and executing our annual summer vacation with just the three of us. It's been seven years now, and despite all the great places I'd… Continue reading The Remnants of Winter – Olympic National Park, Washington (part I)
Handstands Around the World 