Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Spring Break Road Trip to the Redwoods – April 2018
My family has been itching for a road trip (well, some of us…), and this year we were able to get away for Spring Break. The weather is always tricky in April, but we got lucky and were able to time our trip for a brief window of good weather. We split the drive down…
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Book Review: Best Hikes with Kids: Western Washington, by Susan Elderkin
When my kids were little, I pored through the Best Hikes with Kids books by Joan Burton. Originally in two volumes, they were combined in 2006 into one large volume, packed full of hikes and tips and interesting trail tidbits. But now the baton has been passed to Susan Elderkin, who has updated the information…
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Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge Trip Report
Swimming snakes! Exploding cattails! Dabbling ducks! Croaking frogs! Sunning seals! This hike had it all. We enjoyed a day of record spring temperatures by walking at Nisqually with my mother-in-law. Spring is just getting started at Nisqually, with Indian plum being one of the few shrubs leafing out. The frogs are loudly croaking now, though…
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SEA Discovery Center and Point No Point – Trip Report 3/9/18
Yesterday I took Annika and two of her friends on a fun outing over to the Kitsap Peninsula. We took the ferry over from Edmonds to Kingston, and from there it was a quick 20-minute drive to Poulsbo. Our destination was a small aquarium, the SEA Discovery Center, right on the water of Liberty Bay.…
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Book Review: Wild Love Story: Vignettes From Forest and Pond by Bob Jepperson
There is an excitement to exploring new places far away, but there is a different kind of joy that comes from getting to know a place in every season over many years. Bob Jepperson has done a lot of exploring, but he’s also spent over a decade wandering the trails of a wild area close…
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Becoming a Hiking Family – 6 tips to get you on your way
The New Year is well under way, the holiday lights are down, the excitement of a fresh start is fading, and we are getting to the tasks of building new habits. Does your New Year’s Resolution involve becoming a hiking family? Do you yearn to be outside more with your kids, and to live a…
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Snowshoeing Wrap-up, January and February
I’ve done a couple of snowshoe trips since the New Year, and fully intended to write up a trip report for each, but decided that since time is passing away so quickly, I’ll just write up a blurb about our trips. Kachess Dam Road This is an easily-accessed area, just off the freeway in Easton…
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Interview with Hike Like a Woman Founder, Rebecca Walsh
A couple of years ago, when I first started exploring Instagram, I noticed posts from women about hiking that were tagged with the #hikelikeawoman hashtag. I was curious – what did this hashtag mean? Pretty soon I discovered the Hike Like a Woman website, Instagram feed, and then the podcast. I was hooked! I really…
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Hazel Wolf Wetlands, Trip Report, 12/8/17
Edited to add: I wrote this back in December, but forgot to post it. Here it is! It’s still a lovely park to wander around, winter or summer. You may have noticed it’s been pretty quiet here on this blog. I’ve been dealing with my chronic foot and ankle issues, and have not been allowed…
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Interview with Hike It Baby Founder, Shanti Hodges
Way back when my first child was little, I realized that hiking would be a good way to get us both outside and help stave off postpartum depression. I asked around in my moms group and among my friends for people who wanted to go hiking with me. This was before Facebook and Meetup, and…
Got any book recommendations?