The Hiker Mama

Category: Trip Report

  • School at the Beach

    School at the Beach

    We had plans yesterday to go to the Seattle Art Museum for First Thursday, when it’s free, but with a forecast of warm sunshine, I just couldn’t bear to be inside all day.  I wasn’t feeling up for a hike, though, and we hadn’t spent much time at the beach this summer, so we all…

  • Boardman Lake Hike

    Boardman Lake Hike

    Since our hike 2 weeks ago was canceled due to thunderstorms, we rescheduled it for this week, and boy, was the weather fantastic!  We picked up my friend K and her baby R2 and carpooled to the trailhead.  After taking several long drives lately, it was nice to have a hike closer to home.  The…

  • Camping Weekend at Twin Harbors State Park

    Camping Weekend at Twin Harbors State Park

    My husband had his 25th class reunion last weekend.  Apparently no one wanted to meet in the charming town of Winlock (former egg capital of the world, and home to a giant egg statue).  The planners of the reunion decided to meet in Westport on the beach.  We thought it would be nice to stay…

  • Esmerelda Basin Hike – 7/21/12

    Esmerelda Basin Hike – 7/21/12

    Last week I sent out a big email to every parent with kids I could think of who might possibly consider hiking with us.  I had planned to take the kids to Boardman Lake on Friday, but the morning thunderstorms caused me to cancel our hike.  We went to the zoo instead.  All was not…

  • Stonerose Fossil Hunting and Camping at Klipchuck

    Stonerose Fossil Hunting and Camping at Klipchuck

    Recently we went on a wonderful weekend road trip together as a family.  Last year we had heard about a little museum and fossil digging site over in eastern Washington, and we looked forward all winter to this summer, when we could get over there and try our hand at digging for fossils. We started…

  • Seattle By Foot Kid’s Tour – An Urban Adventure

    Seattle By Foot Kid’s Tour – An Urban Adventure

    Normally this blog is about getting kids out into nature, but on Thursday we had the chance for a different kind of hike.  The good folks at ParentMap asked me to review the brand new kid’s walking tour of Seattle put on by the company Seattle by Foot. We began our adventure by taking the…

  • Metolius River Camping Trip

    Metolius River Camping Trip

    As a child growing up in Oregon, we had a tradition of camping every year on Mother’s Day weekend with my extended family.  The campground of choice was on the Metolius River in the Camp Sherman area near Sisters.  I have many fond memories from those years, such as running all over the campground with…

  • Tumwater Botanical Area and Tumwater Pipeline Trail

    Tumwater Botanical Area and Tumwater Pipeline Trail

    We’ve settled firmly into a weather pattern called the June Gloom here in Puget Sound, and with the end-of-the-school-year activities I’ve been going a bit crazy.  A trip to find the sunshine and flowers was in order.  My friend Jessie was able and willing to come with us again.  I checked the weather forecasts all…

  • Lucia Falls and Moulton Falls Outing

    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…

  • Mother’s Day at the Kruckeberg Botanic Garden

    Mother’s Day at the Kruckeberg Botanic Garden

    This site is focused on getting kids out into nature.  But the reality is, Mom needs to get out into nature, too.  I started hiking with my kids when they were babies because I needed, to the depth of my being, time in the wilderness.  With the busy pace of life, social demands for the…