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Rose and sunshine make for a perfect summer evening
After weeks of hot, dry weather, we've finally had a few cool rainy days in Seattle. It feels like I finally have my home back! The cool, wet weather has reminded me that summer will be over before I know it, which made me think I should check in on my summer to-do list.
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One of my favorite reasons to hike in late spring and early summer, other than the typically cooler temperatures, is the abundance of wildflowers. I've known for years that some of the widest variety of wildflowers in the state are found in and around Mt Rainier National Park, but I've never made it during the brief time they're in bloom.
This year, I was determined to make it. When I started seeing reports of wildflowers on Mt Rainier, I had to go. I've got a busy month, with very few free weekends, but I was able to make it for a short hike to the Tipsoo Lake - Naches Peak loop trail.
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Once upon a time, Blanca Lake was my favorite trail. The glacier-fed lake is a stunning shade of blue, and the trail, while difficult, used to be very well maintained and only moderately crowded. Over the past two months, I've read about horrible crowds and lots of garbage making this hike a lot less enjoyable. However, when Andy and I had a Monday off work recently, we decided to use it as an opportunity to visit our favorite lake while avoiding the worst of the summer weekend crowds.
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Steep cliffs and warm blue waters at Stingray bay
New Zealand has been on my travel to-do list for a long time. My love of New Zealand started when I saw Fellowship of the Ring. Honestly, I don't know how anyone could watch those movies without wanting to hop on a plane to Auckland! I've been dreaming of travelling to New Zealand for such a long time that the list of things I want to do there is huge, so I'll only cover the North Island in this post and save the South Island for another day.
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Mt Stewart hiding behind a veil of cloud
Last fall, inspired by all the stunning photos being shared by other hikers, I dragged my husband up to Lake Ingalls. This turned out to be my absolute favorite hike of 2014. Not only because of the sapphire blue lake, or the constant, breathtaking views of mountains freshly dusted with snow, but mostly because of the magical golden larches.
We got an early start and it was just below freezing most of the day, but we quickly warmed up and started enjoying the rocky views from the trail below Ingalls Pass.
Read more590 Tahoe Keys Blvd, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150