Encouraging women to try adventurous travel
To practice traveling solo, I took myself on a sunset sail from downtown Seattle for views of the city skyline. I even bought myself the cheese platter! How romantic! And it was a delightful and different way to see the “Emerald City.” It’s super fun …
My friend and I wanted to backpack in Rainier National Park but didn’t have any permits. Instead, we utilized the first-come, first-served campground and opted for walk-up permits for a memorable weekend. The gamble led us to backpacking to Glacier Basin after doing the Fremont …
When my friend suggested a sunrise hike in Rainier National Park, I knew it had the potential to be spectacular. And it truly was. We hiked with headlamps with Mount Rainier looming in the dark, snow reflecting light from the moon. However, we were not …
As a planner who likes to have things confirmed before going somewhere, the idea of getting a walk-up permit or staying at a first-come, first-served campground is anxiety-producing. I always think “What if I don’t get my first choice? What if there are no more …
By 10:00 am, we had our tents and gear completely set up for our weekend to explore Mount Rainier with the day wide open. It was cloudy and chilly, but we decided to hike the Summerland Trail to wear ourselves out. We needed to get …
After experiencing the magic of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness during my hike to the Enchantments, my close friend and I were looking to explore more of the area on a short weekend backpacking trip. Initially, we were going to try to camp at Snow Lake …
The Hurricane Ridge section of Olympic National Park is a high alpine area with snow-covered mountains, pine trees, and if you’re lucky, a cloud inversion. The drive itself is stunning with serious elevation gain from the coast region. After visiting the rainforests of Quinault and …
I’ve always wondered what it is like to camp on the beach. Would I get annoyed with the sand or would I love it? After my experience at Hole-in-the-Wall Beach on the Olympic Peninsula, I can say I am leaning toward loving it. It was …
Would you like to guess how much rain the Hoh Rainforest on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State receives annually? Well, Seattle gets about 3ft of rain each year, so you might have guessed 6 ft or maybe 10 ft… But the Hoh Rainforest gets …
Probably the silliest and most spontaneous activity while on our Olympic Peninsula road trip was going to the Olympic Game Farm in Sequim. At the Olympic Game Farm, you can buy a loaf of whole wheat bread and drive through a series of large gated …
When deciding what to explore on a multi-day road trip on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, I was pleasantly surprised at all the fun things to do at Lake Quinault. We included the Quinault area as our first stop in a clockwise loop around …
Each morning, I watched the steep granite peaks light up bright orange with a reflection in the lake below. I am becoming deeply enamored with the Cascade Mountain Range in Washington, and the Enchantments hike and lakes only furthered that admiration. I backpacked into the …
The Enchantments is an alpine wonderland with lakes, granite peaks, and a sprinkle of magic. Located in Washington, you can backpack into this basin, where you can discover crystal clear lake after crystal clear lake. Due to its beauty, the Enchantments exploded in popularity in …
As my very first foray into Olympic National Park, I did an overnight in the Royal Basin, where the subalpine beauty shocked me. Complete with glacial streams, a deep blue lake, wildflower meadows, and exposed mountain peaks, this hike has a little taste of everything …
Although a little frightening in name, the Rattlesnake Ledge Hike leads you to a rocky outcropping with fantastic views of the surrounding ridges and lake far below. As a solo hiker, I found the easy-to-follow trail to be delightful, with mossy boulders, lush greenery, and …