When one thinks state parks, usually what comes to mind are parks in the mountains or at the ocean beaches. Their distance away from urban centers can make them seem difficult to get to for a day trip. However, nestled in the suburbs on the east side of Lake Washington is St. Edward State Park. One can easily take a day trip to this park, and it recently got a unique upgrade. So grab your Discover Pass and find out…
Continue Reading “St. Edward State Park: A Lodge Opens in its Middle”
There are a number of great museums in the Seattle area. From the Seattle Art Museum to the Museum of History and Industry, the area is blessed with a wealth of interesting places to visit. One museum that is a little off the beaten trail is the Nordic Museum in the Ballard area. This museum celebrates the history and culture of the Nordic countries. The Nordic countries, or as some would say the Scandinavian countries, are located in northern Europe.…
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It was nearly fifty years ago that I stepped onto a plane for the first time. That particular trip turned into about 15 flights in the space of a month. I wrote about that in a previous blog series. As I reflect on the last fifty years, it is interesting how much flying has changed in that time. Strolling down memory lane can help us appreciate some changes while lamenting others. First one needs to realize how common flying has…
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Spring flowers brighten our day after the gloomy days of winter. In the Pacific Northwest one of the star garden plants is the rhododendron. Gardeners have planted these bushes with their bright and colorful flowers throughout the gardens of the Northwest. However, there is one place specifically one can go to get a look at these plants, the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden in Federal Way. This garden was created specifically to focus on rhododendrons. The founders brought plants from various…
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Friday dawned, and our week on Kauai was coming to an end. Friday was one of those difficult vacation days. We had to be out of our condo by 11:00 am, but our flight was not leaving until 10:00 pm, a red eye back to Seattle. We would have our luggage with us and not really be able to change clothes easily to prepare for our flight. How could we make the best of this final day? Of course the…
Continue Reading “Saying Good-bye to the Garden Island, Kauai”
Thursday we were ready to travel north again to Hanalei. After being thwarted on Tuesday, we now knew when the highway would be open. We had everything timed out, and we were ready to go. Our first stop of the day was the Na ‘Aina Kai Botanical Gardens (Lands by the Sea). Like many gardens, this one began as a private garden. Joyce and Ed Doty moved to Kauai in the late 1970’s and began to create a garden. As…
Continue Reading “Enjoying a Garden, a Lighthouse, and Hanalei Beach”
Tuesday we were ready for a new adventure. This was the first time we were going in the opposite direction around the island. The plan was to head over to a popular surfing town and stop and see some sights along the way. Everything seemed great until we encountered a literal roadblock. Just a few mile before we were to reach Hanalei, our destination, the road was closed. Apparently part of the road had collapsed in previous months’ storms, and…
After hiking along the Kauai coastline on Sunday, we were ready on Monday to visit two of Kauai’s state parks, Waimea Canyon and Kokee State Park. I had done some research on the parks, but apparently failed to understand what I had read. When my daughter pulled out of the parking lot, I was sure she was going in the wrong direction. Of course I was wrong. It’s a good thing she was driving. I also thought the two parks…
Continue Reading “Kauai’s Foggy Mountain High to Waimea Canyon Low”
We arrived in Kauai on a Saturday afternoon. We spent the rest of the day getting settled and checking out the resort we were staying in. The resort was right on the beach, but it also had a nice pool area with a lazy river and a number of hot tubs. It was a great place to relax. Surrounding the pool were a lot of hibiscus bushes, and they were putting on quite a show. The colors were really beautiful.…
Continue Reading “Kauai Travels: A Waterfall and Cliffs to Explore”
Where do you find travel inspiration? What makes you think, “I want to go there!”? Is it a picture in a magazine or hearing about your friend’s experience? Is it reading a travel blog or seeing some scenic location in a movie? Have you ever been inspired by a book or story? I have, and it’s a great way to gain inspiration for travel. If you think that people are not inspired to travel by such things consider the influence…
Continue Reading “Travel Inspiration: Movies, TV, and Books”
