A Look Back at 2020: Adventures During a Pandemic

I think we can all agree that 2020 has been a hell of a year. Looking back on the last 12 months, I feel like it’s all a fog – a blurry merge of months, virtual meetings and happy hours, walks past the same houses, and long, lonely days spent indoors. And unfortunately, the hope

A Snowy Hike up Granite Mountain

With the year’s first snow accumulation crunching under our feet and melting quickly in the October sun, I climbed, slipped and shimmied to the top of Granite Mountain for amazing views of Mt. Rainier and the Cascade Mountains with my Everest Base Camp hiking buddies. Taking advantage of the sunny weather this fall in the

Cape Horn Loop Hike

“Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.”  ~Kahlil Gibran With high cliff views of the Columbia River Gorge from the Washington side, the Cape Horn Loop Trail is a 6.8 mile loop that meanders through the woods to pop out points with

Mountain views from Maryhill Winery

From the patio of Maryhill Winery along the Columbia River Gorge in Washington, savor sippable views of Mt. Hood with a glass of their Rose of Sangiovese. For more about my recent trip out to Maryhill Winery, check out my wine blog Oregon Winette in the coming week.

A Concrete Love Affair

The kissing statues on the boardwalk in Olympia, Washington during the Wooden Boat Festival.

Wetlands at Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge

With over 3,000 acres of salt and freshwater grasslands, marshes and wetlands, the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge located just north of Olympia, Washington is bird-lover’s and nature photographer’s haven. Established in 1974, the reserve offers natural protection for thousands of migratory birds along the southern bays of the Puget Sound.

Cross-Country Courage

Sliding and swishing through the snow like the polar bears in this year’s Coca Cola Super Bowl commercial, I cruised around Mount Catherine at the Snoqualmie Summit in Washington this past weekend. With blue skies, warm weather and hardly a cloud in sight, I strapped two skinny skies to my feet for a day in

Rattlesnake Ledge Hike

One of the first hot days of spring and the first evaluation gain hike after surgery, I conquered the Rattlesnake Ledge Trail to the East Peak with my parents. Located about 30 miles east on I-90 from Seattle, Washington, the Rattlesnake Ledge Trail is a popular, well maintain train that switch-backs up to a rocky