Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest I feel most alive surrounded by trees and breathing in the fresh mountain air.
When I am not working you will most likely find me spending time outdoors, volunteering with my church and exploring this beautiful planet with my family.
This is my place to share my passion for life and to encourage you to take time to find the extraordinary in your life.
All tagged adventures
In my opinion, each day should consist of six things: fresh air, inspiration, exercise, creativity, meaning and play. When a day feels off it is usually because it is lacking in one of these categories. It had been a long time since we last visited the Olympic Sculpture Park and during our couple hour visit I was reminded why it is such a fantastic place- especially for children. At the Olympic Sculpture Park you will find large scale art pieces to interact with, sweeping vistas of the city, mountains and water and most importantly, for this little two year old hills to run up and plenty of space to run free. The train tracks which run parallel to the park and the constant air traffic overhead provide additional entertainment.
Most days when I take Jasper on an adventure I have a series of events planned out in mind. There are certain elements of the day I am certain will excite him and then I leave all the rest to chance. However, most days the memorable moments typically happen during the in between periods, the pit stop at the park before nap time where we are almost mauled with kisses from an adorable new puppy or on the walk to the car when we encounter a road construction crew. Time and time again I am shown there is wonder and awe in the mundane as much as the majestic. So when we took Jasper to Northwest Trek this Fall I thought he would be really excited about the tram ride, but in actuality he was equally pumped about the information signs on the walking paths, pine needles and being a rebel by not walking on the pavement. Kids these days, they are just so easy to please!
Up until our most recent trip to San Francisco I had spent very little time in Golden Gate Park. Now, it is pretty much the one place I want to spend all my time when I visit San Francisco. There is so much to see and do in Golden Gate Park from the De Young Museum, to the Japanese Garden, California Academy of Sciences, Stow Lake and the Old Dutch windmill to name just a few. Golden Garden Park reminds me a little bit of Central Park largely in part because they both feel like a refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city. As you walk throughout the park there is so much to look at and enjoy from gardens, to fountains, pathways and even an ice cream truck here or there.
When traveling with children it is important to do three things: lower your expectations for the amount of ground you can cover in one day (one big activity per day is the goal), make the earliest dinner reservations you can (usually right when they open for dinner ie. 5pm) so you can eat at trendy/fun/popular/nice places without feeling like you are crashing the party. This way you never have to wait for a meal or worse yet roam around the streets looking for a place to eat. Lastly, make certain to give your children plenty of time to run around and be free. Once you have realistic expectations for traveling as a family and they have the freedom to be kids your trip will go almost as smoothly as those pre children vacation days.
When you live in Seattle it is not very often that it snows. Last week, we were blessed to wake up to not only one, but two snow days. It was so exciting it felt like Christmas had come early. It was the perfect day to cut the tags off of Jasper's new snow bibs and break them in. Once we were bundled up we headed out for our snowy adventure. Sadly, on both days the snow quickly turned to rain and like most wonderful moments in life, it was a bit short lived.
If you have not heard, Iceland has been gaining tremendous popularity over the last several years. And if I am being completely honest about it, I am a little sad. Iceland is such a fantastic place I really hoped it would stay a secret for as long as possible. However, I will have to admit I am partly to blame for the explosion of tourists. Ever since our first visit in 2010, I have been singing the praises of this beautiful country. From its rugged beauty to its colorful little city, it really is a country bursting with both charm and diversity.
Although we have done a fair amount of traveling I always feel like we have just scratched the surface. There is so much to see and do in our neck of the woods there really is no need to venture too far unless we are in the mood for a change of scenery. On our way back from Pemberton last month, we stopped at the Sea to Sky Gondola. We rode the gondola up, ate lunch and then walked along a few of their trails and rode it back down. Next time, we plan to hike up and then ride the gondola down. Had we not been pressed for time we would have done so this time.
Some times you eat and other times you feast. Our recent anniversary dinner at Wolf in the Fog in Tofino was definitely the latter. Aside from the jaw dropping scenery from the top deck, the friendly and attentive staff and innovative dishes being pumped out of the kitchen Wolf in the Fog is a place whose food lingers in your mind. From the Potato Crusted Oyster to the Bamfield Seaweed Salad to the Moroccan Spiced Octopus to the Shellfish and Chicken Laksa each dish was a delight to all senses.
On a cloudy, overcast day we met Captain Ron on the shore of Lake Union to take part in our very first sailing lesson. Many companies start their sailing lessons in the classroom, but Lake Union Charters and Adventures likes to get you out on the water and operating the boat immediately. I was little intimidated at the thought of sailing my own boat, but Captain Ron was patient, relaxed and fostered a non judgmental environment for learning.
When traveling with a toddler the first thing you might try to avoid is taking a city vacation. However, Oslo proved to be the perfect blend of natural beauty, history, and intrigue for the whole family. Both my husband and I love being close to the water and love to make it a point to learn a little bit about the history of the places we visit. My son, Jasper, is currently obsessed with boats, so spending time down at the harbor, the Fram museum and the Viking museum were definite high points for him. 72 hours might not seem like a ton of time to explore a new city, but with the Olso Pass we were quickly able to create a game plan for our stay which involved museums, taking as much local transportation as possible, a few boat rides and a ton of walking.
Although we have only taken Jasper on one big trip so far in his short life we learned A LOT throughout the process. I have come up with a few pointers for those of you who are contemplating doing the same thing.
While visiting the San Juan Islands earlier this month we went on a whale watching tour with San Juan Safaris. Whenever we visit the San Juan Islands we like to get out on the water as much as possible and San Juan Safaris is one of our favorite outfitters to partner with. Their guides and naturalists are professional and possess an enthusiasm for their jobs that is unmatched. Whenever I go on a whale watching tour or a kayaking trip with San Juan Safaris I always leave inspired by the scenery, but more importantly the people. In addition to fantastic staff you won't find nicer boats or kayaking equipment than through them.
Doing anything with a toddler is an adventure, but trying to adventure with a toddler is a whole new level.
I have always wanted to visit Glacier National Park in the Winter and a couple weeks ago we finally made it happen. One of my favorite things to do is hike the same trails over and over again, but during different seasons. I had heard the Going to the Sun road was closed during the Winter, but being able to walk along it instead of drive was a thrill. In general, the park was quiet, and beautiful, but it was also a good reminder how traveling during the off season will always have its benefits.
Since our son arrived we have spent the majority of our vacations exploring closer to home. The thought of several days cramped in a small hotel room has lost its appeal. With a busy toddler who loves to explore we are constantly searching for experiences which spark his imagination and capture his creativity. Over the past year, we have started to explore alternate types of places to stay, so when the opportunity to partner with Glamping Hub popped up I was happy to try out their services. Glamping Hubhas a variety of unique places to stay from tree houses and railroad cars to log cabins, yurts, canvas tents and teepees. The exciting part is many of these places you can stay for less than the price of a standard hotel room. Washington is such a diverse and beautiful state, even though I have lived here almost my entire life there are so many places to explore and beautiful gems to discover. Check back in to see the adventures we had with Glamping Hub.
Ever since Jasper has been born we have changed the way we travel. Over the past year we have predominately visited places we have been before and have kept our trips to either three or four days. Between this season of life being extra busy and adjusting to our new family we have made a conscious decision to keep things simple. I am certain as Jasper gets a tad older it will be easier to meet his needs and have big adventures, but for the time being we have stayed close to home and enjoyed low key adventures. Some of our favorite trips have included:
I don't think it was a coincidence one of the best days of my life preceded one of the worst days of my life. It was not that we did anything lavish, but the weather was spectacular and we spent the day hiking to Cutthroat Pass via Cutthroat Lake (one of the prettiest trails I have ever been on). The sky was blue, the larch were golden and my happy little family was doing what we do best- enjoying nature and each other. I was confident after seeing the heartbeat of our child, that this tiny human growing inside of me was happy and healthy. We were eagerly anticipating breaking the news to friends and were feeling blessed beyond measure to be adding again to our family so soon.
