Devouring life, one bite at a time
It was rainy on my last day in Washington last week and I found myself in Olympic National Park, Hurricane Ridge to be specific. I didn’t mind at all that our view was obstructed. When you are at your final destination on a trip, one …
The next destination on our Washington itinerary was Olympic National Park, waaaay north just across the bay from Vancouver, Canada. Did I mention I have never been to Canada before? Or seen it, despite living in Northern Wisconsin for 4 years of my life. My …
A day trip to the old cowboy town of Toppenish gave me a chance to catch up on local art. The town is covered in murals, one commissioned each year to honor the community’s history and culture.
No surprise they call it the “city of murals.” Enjoy the mini-tour!
This one was my favorite.
And though it’s totally unrelated, let me just share a couple obligatory apple tree photos, from apple capital of the planet. It was a big deal for me, since the branches were bare when I came to visit last December.
After cruising along the Columbia River Gorge and heading into Washington state on our way to my aunt and uncle’s house, a mysterious mountain loomed ahead. Actually, we had to exit and drive a ways first, but then we saw it … Mount Saint Helens, …
Before we left our brief introductory visit to Portland, there was something I had to do. See Bob’s Red Mill. Aka a baking pilgrimage of sorts. A paradise of organic bulked goods and health food products for bakers and gluten intolerants. My one bit …
For me, that was a red tide. This algae bloom was the first I’d seen, and you can see for yourself how it gets its name.
And fishing just a week before showed no trace of it. Even a mass as infinite as the ocean can change quickly.
The algae blooms are part of the season and provide food for lots of species- just harmful to us if we eat shellfish from the water during a red tide.
If you haven’t heard from me in a while, it’s because I’ve been too busy having fun with my bestie who came for a visit from Minnesota last week. I’m dogsitting, but the pup, Zero, is so cool we let him join the gang and …
Last day in Yosemite! I made the decision to exit via the south so we could see the other side of the park and delay our departure by a few miles. But first, one last look before leaving the valley. When we reached Wawona and …
I wasn’t a fan of the ravenous, immune to human, zombie-like squirrels, but I liked to see this little guy laying on his stomach. Or maybe he was on a stakeout for his next meal from an unsuspecting hiker?
This could be a repeat photo, but I seriously couldn’t get enough of this view.
Scared of heights? Me, too.
Yosemite hosts many youth programs throughout the summer to help kids (like here below) develop their connection with the environment.
For more info on protecting Yosemite, check out the Yosemite Conservancy page.
Our first big day of hiking- we started with Vernal Falls, an easier 3 mile loop, though lots of climbing. I was surprised by how full the falls are for this time of year, especially with little snow in the sierras. Lots of people go …