Category: Hikes
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Lucia Falls and Moulton Falls Outing
When I was a kid, we used to “take a drive” and go out exploring with my parents. I always enjoyed these adventures, and now I like to do the same thing with my kids. We are down near Vancouver this weekend visiting my parents, and today we all went for a drive into rural…
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Baker Lake Trail, Southern Terminus, Trip Report
Last week Gabriel had state standardized testing to endure. By the end of the week we were all feeling frazzled and ready for a hike. Luckily our friend Jessie was able to join us. The weather looked iffy, but we hoped it would turn out to be not too wet. As we were packing the…
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Moran State Park, Orcas Island
All week we had been debating on where to go for our Friday hike. The weather looked good, but there is still so much snow in the mountains. None of our ideas inspired us. No one felt like climbing a mountain; we didn’t want to go anywhere we had been before. We flipped through the…
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Sugarloaf Mountain
Gabriel has had it in his mind for a few weeks now that he wanted to climb Mt. Erie near Anacortes. We’ve driven up it several times, and we can see it from many of the places we like to go on a whim. Because he kept mentioning it (and saying that he’d like to…
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Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
Grandma and Daddy joined us recently for a trip to the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. On the drive down, it was pouring rain, but when we got there the showers let up and we were mostly dry. We started out looking through the Visitor Center, enjoying the displays about the estuary. They have some models…
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Mercer Slough Nature Walk
We’ve been stuck inside a lot this winter, with yucky weather and yucky colds. My kids have both been begging to go hiking, and once they were starting to feel better we took a little walk down at Mercer Slough. We parked on the east side at the Environmental Learning Center, a newer building that…
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Padilla Bay Shore Trail
We went up to Anacortes 2 weeks ago to check out the Padilla Bay Shore Trail. We had been having our normal February week of sunshine in the middle of our gloomy winter. We were also recovering from colds, and wanted an easy, gentle outing. This trail fit the bill. We stopped first at Bayview…
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Highway 20 Adventure and HawkWatch
Sometimes I get a crazy idea in my head for an adventure I just have to take. And sometimes I am even able to make it work. Last week I took the kids for a drive and a visit and an educational opportunity. We started up Hwy 20, intending to see some fall color. We…
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Naches Peak Loop Trail Hike
Friday is Field Trip Day! Two weeks ago, we did this spectacular hike. First, we stopped at the store to get an overabundance of snacks and use the bathroom. Then we stopped at the Ranger Station in Enumclaw to use the bathroom and get a map for the child who loves maps, so he can…
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A Day at Mt. Rainier
Two weeks ago we went on a spur-of-the-moment trip up to Mt. Rainier. We decided to camp the night before nearby to maximize our time at The Mountain, since it is such a long drive for us. We left town right after hubby got home from work, and thankfully, luckily, got one of the last…