The last time Bryce did this hike, he was rewarded at the top with no view of Mt. Baker at all. He hiked Park Butte in the North Cascades more than 10 years ago. I've never done this hike. We decided to do this hike "on our way back" from spending the Fourth of July… Continue reading The disappearing mountain
Good morning. Logging in those long run miles. Road trips. Heat waves. Camping. More running. Forgetting sunglasses when I need them. Laughing. Dancing. Time spent with visiting friends. Waiting. Trying to stay hydrated. Watching lots of soccer. Bunnies. Here, there, everywhere. Shooting stars. Or, wait, was that a satellite? Celebrations. Barbecues. No, thanks, I don't… Continue reading Weekends are for summer
"Can you stop?" I annoyingly said, more than asked. What started out as my mom simply asking my brother's girlfriend if she'll be staying in town for Thanksgiving turned into a whole discussion around everyone's Christmas plans. It's mid-July, for goodness sake. As much as I love the holiday season between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day,… Continue reading Summer is not over
Going to Vancouver, BC for a day trip isn't that outrageous of an activity for me. It's only about a three-hour drive from Seattle, depending on traffic and the wait time at the US-Canada border, of course. My husband and I decided to go up to Vancouver on the Fourth of July because we had… Continue reading Canada for the Fourth!
Birds chirping at 5 in the morning that wake you up. The evergreen trees swaying in the wind. Clear blue lakes and rivers. Mountains beyond mountains. The sound of laughter nearby. It looked like I could have been home in Seattle, or just outside of Seattle. But, in fact, I was more than 300 miles… Continue reading Not too far, but far enough
One of the nice things about Seattle is that there are so many options for quick day trips or weekend getaways that make you feel like you are hundreds of miles away from the city. Exhibit A: Taking the ferry to Bainbridge Island. My BFF had planned an outing to Bainbridge Island as a belated… Continue reading An island jaunt
Birthdays are kind of weird as an adult. People always ask what I'm going to do for my birthday during the weeks leading up to it. If my birthday is on a weekday, well, surprise, surprise, I'll be working! This year, however, my birthday fell on a Saturday. This meant a birthday race. "You're different,"… Continue reading So, what are you doing for your birthday?
It was only my second time kayaking and I was super excited. Bryce and I were in Kaikoura, a small beach town on the eastern coast of New Zealand's South Island. I got suckered into wanting to go on a seal kayak tour after Bryce brought me back a flyer from the lodge we were… Continue reading Kayaking in Kaikoura: A surprise encounter
As you know, and can infer from the name of this blog, I love otters. I have another favorite animal after my New Zealand trip: Valais Blacknose sheep! There are 5.6 sheep per person in New Zealand. Yes, more sheep than humans! But, Valais Blacknose are different from the "typical" New Zealand sheep. They aren't… Continue reading Meeting the cutest sheep in the world
It's crazy to think I got along just fine traveling on my own with no smart phone, let alone cell phone, back when I was in college. (This was more than a decade ago, eeek!) I'm so reliant on my phone now. How did I manage back then? I guess a decade ago I was… Continue reading That time I spent less than 24 hours in Rome — on purpose
otter travel more 