Deception Pass State Park is one of the most used state parks in Washington. The park is on both sides of the narrow body of water between Fidalgo Island and Whidbey Island. It’s about an hour’s drive north of Seattle. Last week I shared about the north side of the park. Today we will look at Pass Island and the south side of the park. Let’s start with the bridges that cross over Deception Pass. The two bridges are high…
Continue Reading “Exploring the South Side of Deception Pass”
Deception Pass is the narrow strait between Fidalgo Island and Whidbey Island about an hour north of Seattle. It was named by George Vancouver after apparently neither he nor his crew noticed it on their first exploration to the area. Later, when they did discover it, they thought it had deceived them, thus the name. Today this strait is traversed by bridges. Between the two large islands is another small island, Pass Island, so there are actually two bridges. They…
Continue Reading “Exploring the North Side of Deception Pass”
The weather managed to sidetrack our trip to Lake Tahoe. Forecasts predicted snow on Friday after we had enjoyed a beautiful Thursday. With the steep mountain pass in mind, we decided to spend Friday east of the mountains and changed our reservation to Carson City, Nevada. It’s one of those things that can happen when one travels. We really didn’t know much about Carson City. In fact, I can’t say I could even tell you it was the state capitol.…
Continue Reading “Discovering Nevada’s Unique Comstock Country”
Lake Tahoe is one of those vacation spots that one frequently hears about. From winter skiing to summer boating and hiking, the area seems to offer something for most everyone. We have wanted to visit the lake for some time. We actually had planned to go over Memorial Day weekend this year, but that didn’t work out. However with a low air fare thanks to QB Russell Wilson’s three touchdown passes, we were able to visit around Veterans Day. November…
When I think of museums in smaller towns, I think of dusty shelves filled with relics of days gone by. However, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West is not like that at all. Although not in a major metropolitan region, it has the feel of a major museum. It provides a lot of information, and the exhibits are interesting and creative. Visiting the museum should be near the top of your activity list when visiting Cody, Wyoming. The Buffalo…
Continue Reading “Buffalo Bill Center of the West: A Review”
I didn’t expect to spend much time in Cody, Wyoming. When I was studying options for our Yellowstone trip, I had decided that Cody would be a good place to stay while we were visiting Yellowstone National Park. I was wrong in that regard. Nevertheless, upon our arrival I found Cody to be an interesting and worthwhile place to spend some time. It’s not a place just to pass through on the way to Yellowstone but is a worthy destination…
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Seattle is not considered a destination place for autumn colors. Leaf peeping is well known in the New England states, and some places in the Rockies have their fans. Sadly, the Pacific Northwest is rarely on lists of fall destinations for colors. However, if you know where to go, Seattle can offer some wonderful autumn color gems. One of the important things to note about the Seattle area is the influence of the Japanese gardens. It is within these gardens…
Yellowstone National Park is filled with many interesting experiences. I’ve shared with you the unique and interesting geothermal locations as well as the natural beauty of this part of the country. There is one more element to visiting Yellowstone, and that’s the animals. Yellowstone is the place to see some of the major wildlife in the United States including elk and bison. Set in the Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone is home to some of the large animals that are well known…
Continue Reading “Various Beastly Encounters in Yellowstone”
While Yellowstone National Park is most famous for its many geothermal sites and wonders, it’s hard to ignore its beauty. Within the park there are a number of locations with amazing landscapes and scenery to enjoy. With mountains as a backdrop, its rivers and lakes create some stunning vistas. When visiting in the autumn months, one has an opportunity to enjoy even more intense beauty from the fall colors. One of the most beautiful locations in the park no matter…
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While Old Faithful is the most famous geyser in Yellowstone, it is far from the only one. What makes Yellowstone such a unique place is its many geysers, mudpots, fumaroles, hot springs, and other unique geological features. A collapsed volcanic caldera forms the center of the park, and underneath the ground the heat creates the amazing features which Yellowstone is famous for. When we first arrived at Yellowstone through the western entrance, we were headed down to Grand Teton National…
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