Travel

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Hoh Rainforest Trees

How the Hoh Rainforest is an Olympic Peninsula Dream

The Pacific Northwest is wet, so it shouldn’t have surprised me that it contains the Hoh Rainforest, but it’s just not something I expected in the USA. The Hoh Rain Forest is one of four rain forests on the Olympic Peninsula. But it is the only World Heritage Site and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It’s also one of the most incredible places you can visit in the Pacific Northwest – a place where there are many unique places. I drove there...

Forks, Washington

A Twilight Fan Visits Forks, Washington

I’m a total book nerd and “Twilight” fan, so when I was traveling within a few hours drive of Forks, Washington, I made a detour to visit. I love going to places my favorite authors have lived or written about and this was a spot I’d been thinking of since I first read Twilight many, many years ago. When I first read Twilight in 2007, I knew nothing about Washington, but by the end of the series, I was eager...

Mount Rainier with pink flowers

Visiting a Live Volcano in Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier National Park is the only park in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest with a large active stratovolcano. That it’s on the “Decade Volcano List” because of the high probability of an eruption soon makes it an especially exciting park to visit. One of my favorite things about national parks is the area around them. The drive to Mount Rainier took me mainly through small towns and two-lane highways. I passed through industrial seaport areas and many...

Seattle, Washington Skyline

Seattle Whale Watching Around San Juan Islands

Outside the boat window on my Seattle whale watching trip, dolphin after dolphin jumped from the water. Their smooth grey backs arched and lept as they raced the boats around them. I was as delighted as a child, and this was just the beginning. The San Juan Clipper Whale Watching tour Early in the morning, I headed toward Seattle from my Airbnb in Gig Harbor and arrived at Pier 69. There I caught the boat out to the San Juan...

Helena Fire Tower

10 Old-Timey Things to do in Helena, Montana

Walking around Helena, Montana, I couldn’t help but think about the small town it was 100 years ago. Though, technically it’s not that small, not anymore. In my mind, as I strolled down Park Street, looking up at the historic fire tower, I envisioned it as it was when it was founded. Not much has changed, not really. The town perfectly captures the spirit of the west—the love of horses, the hilly streets, old alleys, and community gathering spots. In...

Rene on Yellowstone Safari

10 Yellowstone Animals Spotted on a Safari

If you want to see Yellowstone animals, you should book a safari. That’s my best advice. Seeing animals in Yellowstone National Park either happens by accident or intention or otherwise not at all. Since I didn’t see any by accident, I took matters into my own hands and booked a safari. Most of us assume that you will see animals in Yellowstone, but the truth is the park is big, probably much bigger than you think. Many people stay on...

Yellowstone Hot springs
Jackson Hole

Visiting Capitol Reef National Park

I’d decided to skip Capitol Reef National Park during my five-week visit to Utah. But it was all the things I didn’t like about the other parks that made me go. I’m so glad I did. It ended up being my 2nd favorite Utah National Park. Why? The number one reason Capitol Reef National Park is worth visiting is the crowds. This park doesn’t have any. My other reason is history. Oh, and the pie. Who am I kidding? It’s...

Antelope Island Buffalo

Visiting Antelope Island, Utah, Where the Buffalo Roam, For Now

On Antelope Island, the buffalo roam. And it’s a beautiful miracle where once they were nearly extinct.   Not so many years ago, the American Bison, or buffalo as they’re commonly called, were decimated. They say that once in the late 18th century, these glorious beasts numbered over 60 million. There were so many buffalo in this country that a buffalo crossing could last up to six days. If your path crossed theirs, you’d have to wait as they lumbered and rumbled past, like waiting at a passing train. But we hunted...