Category: Adventures

  • Hurricane Hill (Olympic National Park) [Hike 25/52]

    Hurricane Hill (Olympic National Park) [Hike 25/52]

    Distance: 3.2 miles, roundtrip Gain: 650 ft. Pass: National Parks Pass Hiked 7.1.18 Kelli came to visit, which was a perfect excuse to get out to the Olympic peninsula and do some hiking. We woke up too early, drove for a few hours, did 2 hikes (#25 and #26—halfway!!), visited the most NW point in the […]

  • Visiting Oeschinen Lake (Oeschinensee) [Kandersteg, Switzerland]

    Visiting Oeschinen Lake (Oeschinensee) [Kandersteg, Switzerland]

    For our last day in Switzerland, we wanted to get any last-minute adventures in as we headed back north to Zurich. After discussing a couple options with Martina, we chose Oeschinen Lake in Kandersteg, near Adelboden. The lake is well-known among the locals of the Bernese Oberland, but less known among tourists. It’s also part […]

  • Paragliding in Switzerland

    Paragliding in Switzerland

    When I think of Switzerland, I think of Swiss Alps, the Matterhorn, and adventure sports with fantastic views. One of the parts I was looking forward to was paragliding! While we were visiting, we saw many paragliders floating through the sky against the mountainous backdrop. We had planned on going paragliding while in the Jungfrau […]

  • Beckler Peak [Hike 24/52]

    Beckler Peak [Hike 24/52]

    Distance: 7.6 miles, roundtrip Gain: 2240 ft. Pass: None Hiked 6.24.18 I think my tagline should be “will hike for views” because the only reason I picked this hike was for the 360 degree views of the Cascades from the top. I mean, look at this view! So. Many. Mountains.  We got a late start from […]

  • Visiting the Matterhorn in Zermatt, Switzerland

    Visiting the Matterhorn in Zermatt, Switzerland

    The Matterhorn. The Mountain of all Mountains. This icon of the Swiss Alps straddles the Swiss & Italian borders, and it has been on my bucket list since the first time I saw a photo of this beauty. Is it possible to have a crush on a mountain? #MountainCrushMonday The Matterhorn name is German, and […]

  • Talapus and Olallie Lakes [Hike 23/52]

    Talapus and Olallie Lakes [Hike 23/52]

    Distance: 6.2 miles, roundtrip* Gain: 1220 feet Pass: Northwest Forest Pass Hiked: 6.17.18 *We only hiked to Talapus Lake, but you can continue to do the full hike to Olallie Lake This was a family friendly, easy weekend hike up in North Bend. We wanted something nearby, and Koda wanted to go swimming with the […]

  • Thunder Knob & Diablo Lake Overlook [Hike 22/52]

    Thunder Knob & Diablo Lake Overlook [Hike 22/52]

    Distance: 3.6 miles Elevation Gain: 600 feet Pass: None Hiked: 6.10.18 I’m sure you’ve seen photos on Pinterest of Diablo Lake. I knew that when Erica told me she was visiting, it was something we needed make a trip to go see. Diablo Lake is absolutely stunning. This was also my first time in North […]

  • May Valley Loop [Hike 21/52]

    May Valley Loop [Hike 21/52]

    Distance: 6 miles, roundtrip* Elevation: Unknown Pass: Discover Pass Hiked: 6.3.18 *Due to the encounter, we only did 2-3 miles of this trail. We weren’t in the mood for a challenging hike, but we wanted to get out into nature, so we chose this hike nearby in the Issaquah Alps. It was Sunday morning, and […]

  • Visiting the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces, UNESCO World Heritage Site

    Visiting the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces, UNESCO World Heritage Site

    After a quick trip to Germany, we left our hotel in Zurich to drive to Lake Geneva, the French part of Switzerland. We landed in Lausanne, Switzerland to check with the tourist information office for some maps of the UNESCO site nearby. 
What is UNESCO? UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural organization. […]

  • A Day in Locarno, Switzerland

    A Day in Locarno, Switzerland

    On our first full day in Switzerland, we decided to forego our city tour of Zurich (due to rain) and head south to the Italian part of Switzerland— a cute vacation destination of Locarno. Our kind hostess, Martina, said that the weather on the other side of the mountains is usually better. She also told […]