Breaking In Our New Bikes On Carbon River Road In Mount Rainier National Park

In the northwest corner of Mt. Rainier National Park is the Carbon River Road. It runs a little over five miles from the park's entrance, paralleling the Carbon River, to Ipsut Creek Campground. It is a popular destination for bikers since it is one of the few areas that bikes are allowed inside the park. The road is mostly clear of obstacles, vehicular traffic is prohibited, and it maintains a 2 percent grade throughout, which made it a perfect spot to break in our new trail bikes.

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A Trip Through History At Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park

The Ginkgo Petrified Forest is an intriguing, one of a kind forest. "Why", you ask? There is no visible forest as far as the eye can see. No trees are reaching to the blue sky. No shade is covering the sage-filled land. Moreover, the only natural water is the nearby mighty Columbia River. The forest is mostly beneath this desertscape, in petrified form. However, there are some million-year-old gems which have made their way to the surface. Petrified Ginkgo is just one of the many types of trees you will discover here. These, along with the ancient petroglyphs, make this a trip worth taking.

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The Ten Essentials

The Ten Essentials was first published in 1974 by the Seattle-based club The Mountaineers in the third edition of their book Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills. Since then, many hiking, climbing, backpacking, scouting, and more like-minded organizations recommend that all outdoor enthusiasts carry these items. In 2008, the 8th edition of the book was updated to take a "systems" approach to this list by grouping items together.

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A Hike And A Treasure Hunt On Glass Beach

Port Townsend boasts a multitude of interesting places to visit, stay and explore. Not our first trip to Port Townsend, but it was our first hike to Glass Beach. The beachfront below McCurdy Point Road is the stretch of sand known as Glass Beach. Glass Beach has gained this moniker, as it is a treasure trove of what we combers call sea glass. Sea glass is a polite term for discarded bottles, glass, and various pottery broken to bits, tumbled and polished by the to and fro of sand and wave. This narrow, rocky beach lies between the waters of the Strait of Juan De Fuca and a cliff of some 100 feet high.

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The Golden Hour At The Pacific Northwest's Magnificent Cape Flattery

A short hike through the woods of the Makah Reservation brought us to one of the furthest reaching points in the country. Cape Flattery Trail consists of boardwalks, educational signage, and short spur trails leading to cliff views. At the end of the trail, we were greeted with an observation deck which provided spectacular scenes of the Pacific Ocean, Tatoosh Island and its lighthouse, and the rocky shores directly below. Though the drive is long for most, Cape Flattery is a beautiful Pacific Northwest gem that everyone should visit at least once.

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A Weekend On The Olympic Coast Of The Pacific Northwest

We recently spent an extended weekend on Washington's Olympic Coast. Before heading out, we searched for overnight accommodations. After reading many of the positive reviews, 52 of them averaging out to 4.7 of 5 stars, we decided that the Miller Tree Inn Bed and Breakfast was going to be our home away from home for the next couple nights. The scenic coastline and forests of Forks and La Push certainly demanded more than one day of our attention!

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Hiking Bullitt Gorge Trail In Squak Mountain State Park

This 1,545-acre state park provides 13 miles of hiking trails and 6 miles of equestrian trails. All sides of the park contain winding trails which eventually meet up with others and lead to the 2,000' summit. The Bullitt family donated 590-acres of land to the state, with other parcels acquired over the years, and the park was opened in 1972. The old Bullitt fireplace near the top of the mountain is a popular destination and is all that remains of the old homestead.

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Fort Worden Historical State Park

Constructed between 1898 and 1917, Fort Worden was one of three posts collectively known as “The Triangle of Fire”. This triangle was strategically located to protect the Puget Sound and its surrounding cities from attacks by sea. The post never saw action and the state purchased the property in 1955 to turn it into Fort Worden Historical State Park. Hiking trails, historic lodging, a lighthouse, old batteries, and even a castle all make up the interesting parts of this 433-acre park. The location was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

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A Short Hike Through Schafer State Park

Those who settled this land were John and Anna Schafer in 1872. Their sons created the Schafer Bros. Logging Company, which was once the largest in the Pacific Northwest. In 1924 the sons donated this site, which was home to Schafer family picnics, to the state of Washington. They continued to use the park for their company picnics up until the 1940s. In 2010, due to the amount of historic structures inside the park, it was added to the Washington Heritage Register and National Register of Historic Places.

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Saltwater State Park

Saltwater State Park is located halfway between Seattle and Tacoma, in the city of Des Moines, Washington. When the park was dedicated in 1926 the two cities symbolically buried a hatchet within the park to end bad feelings between them. The majority of the park was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC). Throughout the park there are signs describing the CCC's work. Though air traffic from nearby SeaTac Airport is pretty constant, this remains one of the most popular parks within the Puget Sound region.

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Find Yourself: Everything You'll Need for Your Life-Changing Adventure to the Pacific Northwest

Do you ever get the feeling that you don't quite know who you are yet? Maybe you need a voyage of discovery. A journey like no other that will help you to find yourself. Many people like to get away from their regular lives for a time and do something completely different. Trying to figure out who you are on the road can be hard, and that's why you need a really specific kind of trip.

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Planning Your First Hike: Essential Items People Tend to Forget!

There are so many reasons why you will love hiking. Being surrounded by nature, feeling free, and enjoying the views of the area are just a few things we like about it. And there are so many great places to go for the ultimate trekking experience. You can find many on our blog which should be on your to-do list. But if you are new to hiking, you need to ensure you adequately prepare for the trip. After all, it’s so important to stay safe while on the hike. We've put together a few items people often forget to take on their adventure, but they are must-haves for a first hike!

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Hiking Suntop Lookout Trail

Ten miles north of Mt. Rainier, located in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Suntop Lookout sits at an elevation of 5,270' and overlooks the valleys of the White River and Huckleberry Creek. On a clear day, the views go on for miles, reaching all the way to the Olympic Mountains to the west and Mt. Baker to the north. Originally built in 1933 to watch for forest fires, the lookout is now open to the public. Hiking to the peak can either be challenging if you opt for the 16 mile route or easy if you choose the 0.5 mile option. Still not easy enough? You can also drive all the way to the top.

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Camping At Pacific Beach State Park

Some of our trips require well thought out plans. Sometimes though, we just need to get outdoors. The work week had been hectic and we miraculously ended up with a free evening. We seized the opportunity and found a campground with open spots. It's been awhile since we paid a visit to the Pacific Ocean, so over the weekend we made a drive west to Pacific Beach State Park. The park is adjacent to the beach and is surrounded by the town of Moclips. It's a 10-acre park with 2,300 feet of sandy shoreline, which makes great for beach combing.

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