Category: Blog

(Mt. Rainier at sunrise, from Black Diamond, WA)

If you love mountains, Washington state is the place to visit (or live) and if you love massive, snow-capped, glaciated peaks, then Mt. Rainier is the mountain for you.

The crown jewel of the Pacific Northwest, Mt. Rainier sits astride the Cascade Range like a colossus, towering over the surrounding terrain at 14,410 feet elevation, the second highest peak in the lower 48 states and boasting the largest U.S. glacier system outside of Alaska. Over 35 square miles of permanent ice and snow cover Mount Rainier. Of all the glaciers in the contiguous U.S., Mount Rainier’s Emmons Glacier has the largest surface area (4.3 square miles). Carbon Glacier is the longest (5.7 miles), thickest (700 feet), and has the lowest terminus elevation (3,500 feet) in the contiguous U.S.

(Mt. Rainier, north face)

(Along the Summerland trail)

(Mt. Rainier in autumn)

Sometimes we are all guilty of overlooking the great things that are literally right in our own back yard. Since I’m lucky enough to live in one of the most geographically diverse and scenically spectacular states in the Union, I thought it high time I devoted some space here on the website to Washington – the state, not the city, the Space Needle, not the White House, the evergreens, not the cherry blossoms. Well, okay, Washington state also has cherry blossoms galore (and cherries) east of the Cascade Mountains in one of the nation’s most productive fruit basket regions, along with just about every other non-tropical fruit you can name, including those famous  apples. But that’s getting ahead of ourselves.

(Downtown Seattle from Space Needle)

(Vineyards in Yakima Valley of Eastern Washington)

Continue reading “Washington – The Evergreen State” →

(Sunburst on Napali Coast)

Next day we were down to our final day on Kauai and had reserved a spot for two on one of the Napali coast boat tours. It left from Waimea at 7 a.m. which meant an extra early get-up for us driving an hour and twenty minutes south from Princeville. We hit a few sprinkles on the way (an ominous sign we should have heeded) and Irina didn’t feel all that well, so that by the time we arrived in Waimea we were seriously considering abandoning the whole idea, which only proves you should always go with your gut instinct. The clincher was realizing we would still be charged full price for the missed tour due to their 24 hour cancellation policy, and not wanting to blow a couple hundred bucks for nothing, we climbed on board.

Big mistake.

(Along the Napali Coast)

Continue reading “Hawaii Part 3” →