Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
I was born and raised in Washington, and I LOVE being surrounded by green! Though officially known as the Evergreen State, you wouldn’t be wrong if you called it the Waterfall State; it has more waterfalls than any other state in the country, over… Continue Reading “Washington my Home – Waterfalls from the Evergreen State”
One day last week we were looking to get out of the house and chose Tipsoo Lake, where we had views of Mt. Rainier and no crowds. After an easy walk around the lake, surrounded by abundant wildflowers, we continued on over Chinook Pass… Continue Reading “Tipsoo Lake and Little Naches River”
Our last day in Paradise had a bit of everything – mountain views, crystal clear lakes, wildflowers and wildlife. We woke up early and left the Paradise Inn for the trailhead to Bench Lake and Snow Lake, just a few miles down the road.… Continue Reading “Hiking in Paradise – Reflection Lakes, Bench Lake and Snow Lake”
We covered a lot of ground in Paradise last week for the short amount of time we spent at Mt. Rainier; just one night at Paradise Inn gave us access to many wonderful hikes without the crowds. We managed to take 3 of them… Continue Reading “Hiking in Paradise – Nisqually Vista and Myrtle Falls”
Location – location – location. Look closely and you’ll see the Paradise Inn where I spent the night earlier this week. Yes, I know. I’ve posted about Mt. Rainier again and again; twice in the last month alone! But this is wildflower season and… Continue Reading “Waking up with the Mountain – A Night in Paradise”
It was only two weeks ago that I took you to Paradise on the south side of Mt. Rainier National Park – here – if you missed it. But that didn’t stop us from returning again, this time to Sunrise, on the east side… Continue Reading “The Other Side of the Mountain- Sunrise and Silver Falls at Mt Rainier”
Yesterday we headed south to one of our favorite local attractions – Mt. Rainier National Park. It was perfect hiking weather as we started our adventure at Longmire on the Trail of the Shadows. Afterwards we took the scenic road to Paradise, stopping at… Continue Reading “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood – At Mt. Rainier National Park”
Hooray for road trips – the only way to travel during a pandemic! There were many close to home this year in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest – to Mt. Rainier – Olympic National Park – and the Columbia Gorge. There were also… Continue Reading “A Look Back at the Road Trips of 2021”
Of all the hikes I’ve done on Mt. Rainier – and there have been many I’m a local after all – this was the best – the Golden Gate and Skyline Trails on the flanks of the mountain! It was a perfect day for… Continue Reading “A Wow Hike on the Flanks of Mt. Rainier”
Not far from the Longmire entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park you’ll pass the Recycled Spirits of Iron Sculpture Park. Don’t. Be sure and stop to wander the grounds among the whimsical sculptures, the creation of Dan Klennert. He shares his wonderful creations with… Continue Reading “Whimsical Iron Sculptures at Mt Rainier”