Nisqually NWR
Washington Park Arboretum
Stimpson Family Nature Preserve
Hoh River
Bellevue Botanical Garden
Lord Hill Regional Park
Soaring Eagle Regional Park
Paradise Valley Conservation Area
Bench and Snow Lakes, Rainier
Chain Lakes
Bagley Lakes
Heather Lake (Mountain Loop)
Lake 22
Sheep Lake
Naches Loop
Panorama Point
Second Burroughs
Reflection Lakes Loop
After a summer of little hiking, I have been feeling ready to get back out on the trails. I’ve been wanting to go to Blue Lake for a few years now, ever since we were stymied by my car breaking down on the road up there back in 2014. This is one of those hikes…… Continue Reading
Our kids were at camp together for a whole week in July, so we thought we’d take a little trip without them. Aaron had a doctor appointment he had to go to, and one that would be difficult to reschedule, so we didn’t get out of town until 7:30 Monday evening. We made it smoothly…… Continue Reading
I’m trying to fill in the gaps of kid-friendly trails we haven’t hiked on, and wanted to do something with an easy drive a couple of weeks ago. We slept in late on this beautiful morning, and it turned out Annika’s shoes were too small – once again, I had forgotten to get her new…… Continue Reading
Summer is in full swing, and our thoughts are full of adventures we’re planning. We yearn to travel far and light, and sleep in the backcountry, with the stars and moon in view. If you’re new to backpacking, or are a dayhiker contemplating the next level of adventure, then you’ll appreciate a new book about…… Continue Reading
Our first full day in Tucson during our Spring Break trip brought us to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. This was one of my top favorite spots on our journey. We got there fairly early, though I couldn’t convince everyone to get there at 7:30 am for a guided bird walk. (It’ll be just one more…… Continue Reading
On our fourth day in Arizona, we reluctantly said goodbye to our lovely cabin in the woods northwest of Flagstaff, and moved our families south to Tucson. Along the way, we stopped at Montezuma’s Castle National Monument. This park is smaller than the others we’d visit on our trip, but it’s a unique treasure and…… Continue Reading
For our third day in Arizona in April, we spent the day up at the Grand Canyon. We were staying at a house on the north-south road up to the South Rim area of the canyon. This turned out to be a really good spot for getting up to the Canyon early in order to…… Continue Reading
The month of March brought some newly published hiking books across my desk. Take A Walk: Seattle, by Sue Muller Hacking (Fourth Edition, Sasquatch Books) is one that I’m impressed with. I’ve been flipping through this book quite a bit this spring, and am surprised that there are trails near me that I haven’t explored yet.…… Continue Reading
Our friend Cindy and her 4 dogs joined us on Friday for a great hike up Little Si. This knob sits on the side of Mt. Si, and provides a great workout for little legs without the steep slog up the larger peak. You’ll still get wide views and a wild feel, even though you’re…… Continue Reading
On our first day in Arizona, my parents picked us up from the airport, and we drove up to Flagstaff to get groceries before we went to our cabin near Williams. We got quite a surprise when it started snowing in Flagstaff! That was not what drew us to Arizona, after one of the gloomiest,…… Continue Reading
Summer is in full swing, and our thoughts are full of adventures we’re planning. We yearn to travel far and light, and sleep in the backcountry, with the stars and moon in view. If you’re new to backpacking, or are a dayhiker contemplating the next level of adventure, then you’ll appreciate a new book about…… Continue Reading
The month of March brought some newly published hiking books across my desk. Take A Walk: Seattle, by Sue Muller Hacking (Fourth Edition, Sasquatch Books) is one that I’m impressed with. I’ve been flipping through this book quite a bit this spring, and am surprised that there are trails near me that I haven’t explored yet.…… Continue Reading
Many of you are familiar with Craig Romano, the prolific and energetic guidebook writer for Washington State. We use his books all the time to plan our hikes to wild and scenic locations. But it’s not always easy to get out to true wilderness. With iffy weather, packed schedules, family illnesses – sometimes we need…… Continue Reading
When I was younger, my biggest dream in life was to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. I was never able to figure out how to tackle that audacious goal, and life moved on, and I set that dream aside. But now Tami Asars has come out with a unique new book about how to…… Continue Reading
The latest book I’ve reviewed for you is Treecology: 30 Activities and Observations for Exploring the World of Trees and Forests by Monica Russo. [Amazon link here.] This thin paperback is accessible for both parents and teachers. It is packed full of the science to understand all parts of trees and the environments they grow…… Continue Reading