Coldwater Lake Trail Loop, Washington
Hiking in the rain is to be expected in the Pacific Northwest, and there are benefits to spending a day in the soft drizzle and low clouds. There are fewer people, and the air is…
San Juan Island, Washington, USA
When visiting the Pacific Northwest, it is well worth the effort to take a ferry ride out to the islands north of Seattle. My favorite is San Juan, accessible by a vehicle and passenger ferry…
Sperry Chalet Trail, Glacier National Park, Montana
Glacier National Park, Montana, a Peace Park that borders Waterton National Park in Canada, is off the beaten path, but well worth the trip. There are enough visitors that along with a National Park Pass…
Along The Columbia River, Central Washington
Visitors to Washington State are sometimes surprised to discover it is not all heavy forest and tall Cascade peaks. As a Midwesterner by birth, I sometimes need to get out of the trees and back…
Tumwater Falls Park, Washington
Salmon One of the great joys of living in the Pacific Northwest is getting to watch the salmon make their return from the ocean each year to the same rivers they swam down as small…
Staircase Rapids Loop, Olympic National Park, Washington
Hiking in the off season has benefits, especially lowland hikes like the Staircase Rapids Loop. In the summer this hike is filled to the brim with visitors, but in the rainy winter it’s possible to…
Johnston Ridge Observatory to Harry’s Ridge – Mt Saint Helens
A wonderful hike that takes in amazing views and panoramas of Mount Saint Helens and Spirit Lake. All within Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument. The Eruption After two months of tremors, small earthquake swarms,…
The Skyline Trail – Mt. Rainier National Park
From Seattle, WA, Mount Rainier beckons like a bright white beacon. Snowcapped all year round and within a two-hour drive of the city, it is a popular destination. My favorite day-hike takes me through the…
Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah
Most people will have heard of the US National Park’s, think Yellowstone or Yosemite or Arches, but I find that the State Parks can be equally impressive, however, much less visited. One such State Park…
Taft Point and The Fissures, Yosemite National Park
We were lucky enough to have a place in the Yosemite NP Lodge, right on the valley floor at the heart of the park. Why lucky? Well these rooms are at a premium during peak…
Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Colorado
I still remember my first visit to the Grand Canyon and standing on the South Rim, slack jawed in amazement staring at the stupendous views in front of me. For as far as the eye…
The Hoodoos and Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Firstly, let me declare that I love the US National Parks (NPs)! Ever since we did a road trip some 20 years ago that took us to Zyon, Grand Canyon, Lake Powell and Monument Valley…