Category: Washington

The Best 3 Day Olympic National Park Itinerary

This Olympic National Park Itinerary for a three day road trip gives you a taste of the many unique and diverse ecosystems of this special place. In just three days take in sweeping mountain vistas, cascading waterfalls, hot springs, towering ancient old growth forests, and wild coastal beaches overflowing with...

Summer Day Trip to Olympic National Park Beaches and Forest

Olympic National Park is a wonderful road trip getaway from Seattle, but if you only have one day to see the park or just want to get out of town for a day, it makes a great day trip too! A summer day trip to Olympic National Park means...

Mt Rainier Summer Day Trip with Less Crowds

A Mt Rainier Day Trip from Seattle during the summer is an incredible way to spend the day! Summer in Mt Rainier is mid-July through September. During this time, all the roads are open, most of the easy and moderate hiking trails will be snow free and this is...

A Seattleite’s Guide to One Day in Seattle

Planning a visit to Seattle? Newcomer looking for a way to spend your first day off? Family visiting soon? As a lifelong Seattleite, this is my born and raised local’s guide to one day in Seattle! If you’re looking for a day trip from Seattle outside the city, look...

Cowiche Canyon winery hike

What’s not to love about a short, sunny hike to a winery? The Cowiche Canyon winery hike is a wonderful year round escape for Seattleites (especially in the spring and fall). This is one of my favorite hikes in Washington. It’s in the town of Yakima, about 3 hours...

Where to Find Old Growth Forest in Seattle

Looking for some giant, ancient trees? You can find old growth forest in Seattle! Before white people came to the Pacific Northwest, old growth forests were everywhere (before extensive logging to power steam ships and for building). Today there are very few old growth trees left in Washington State...

Blue Lake Larch Hike in the North Cascades

Looking for one of the shorter trails to get to the gorgeous fall larches in the North Cascades? If you’ve already done Cutthroat Lake, or you just want a little more climbing then it’s time for the Blue Lake Larch hike! This hike pairs well with a day or weekend...

Mt Rainier wildflower hikes with less crowds

The best time to see alpine wildflowers in Mt Rainier National Park is generally late July and early August, a short but spectacular season! Mt Rainier wildflower hikes are the best way to immerse yourself in this fleeting beauty. Mt Rainier’s wildflowers are famous around the world and the park...

Don’t Hike Mt Si! Do these hikes instead

Summer hiking season is just around the corner (still quite a bit of snow in the high country for another month or so). As Washington’s most popular trail, Mt Si seems an obvious choice. I need to offer the following disclaimer: I have hiked Mt Si many times, with...