Where to Eat at Pike Place Market
I’m a fourth generation Seattleite and I love Pike Place Market! Pro tip: It’s Pike Place Market or The Market, NEVER Pike’s or Pike’s Place! It does get really crowded and touristy, but I still love it. Even if you are visiting our town for only a day this...
Long Beach Washington Weekend: Year round fun!
A Long Beach, Washington weekend is the perfect getaway from Seattle, Tacoma or Portland any time of year. It’s a low key, outdoor oriented place with tasty food and drink, cozy lodging and miles of walking and biking opportunities, not to mention the beach! It’s probably obvious that the...
Cutthroat Lake Hike in North Cascades: Easier Larches
Looking for a relatively easy hike to see the gorgeous orange larch trees of North Central Washington? Similar to Blue Lake, Cutthroat lake is a mellow 4 miles round trip with just 400 feet of elevation gain, this one is easier and in the same area along the North...
Visit Chief Seattle’s Grave by Bike or Car
Did you know that Seattle is the only major city in the United States named for a Native American? When white people came to this area, they called him Seattle because they were unable to pronounce is name, Si’ahl. He is buried near Seattle in Suquamish, which is about...
Snoqualmie Tunnel Bike Ride or Hike
The Snoqualmie Tunnel is an interesting and weird phenomenon to visit! I want to make sure it’s clear that riding a bike is NOT necessary to check it out. However, even though I’m not that big of a cyclist, I find biking to be the most enjoyable way to...
Tolmie Peak Lookout Hike: Big Views of Mt Rainier
As of Spring 2025, a bridge washout has caused an indefinite closure to the Carbon River Entrance of Mt Rainier National Park, including Carbon River Trails and Mowich Lake Trails. If the road reopens, I will update this article. Imagine the best views around of Mt Rainier, two alpine...
McClellan Butte Hike: Super hard and rewarding
By now you likely know that I don’t normally write about hard hikes, since I like to keep things low key. I do enjoy a super hard hike now and then, (check out my Mt St Helens summit climb guide here) I like to include them in case you’d...
What to Pack for a Hike in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska
This post is all about what to pack for a hike in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. As I talked about in my post about hiking for absolute beginners, you don’t need a lot of gear to get started with hiking. You may not bring the exact same things...
Deception Pass Day Trip or Weekend Adventure
Deception Pass State Park is the most popular state park in Washington and it’s easy to see why. Close to our major populations center (about two hours from Seattle) and with ocean beaches, lakes and forest, spectacular sunsets, an iconic historic bridge and endless recreation opportunities, it’s a wonderful...
Talapus Lake Hike near Snoqualmie Pass
The very popular Talapus lake hike is a 4 mile round trip with a bit under 1000 feet of elevation gain mellow hike to a lake within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, which is awesome for summer! You have the option of adding another mile and a bit more uphill...