We arrived at the Nisqually gate at 6:30 AM and already there was a small line of cars waiting to get in. Even with two windows open checking people in. It was going to be a busy day up there.

We skipped Paradise and headed straight for Reflection Lake. Early morning and late evening are the times When the wind tends to be calmer, and therefor most likely to find a great reflection of the mountain on the lake. We didn’t want to miss it, so we headed there first.

Labor Day Weekend – the Unofficial End of Summer

Welcome to the last weekend of summer - unofficially. I hope you have found your summer to be satisfying in the way you needed it to be. If not – I hope you are giving yourself grace knowing that circumstances are often out of our control.

The highlights of my summer include a couple of sleep overs with my  granddaughters, camping on the beach, a day at the lake where I got to spend an entire day with a book outside of cell phone range, listening to baseball games as I work in my garden, picking fresh produce from my garden when I return from a morning run, and hiking  to an awesome viewpoint.

It was a gorgeous sunny day. A perfect day to be at the beach. Scott and I strapped on our packs – made extra heavy with all the camera gear – and headed down the beach. We hoped to find a camping spot near Hole in the Wall, but we weren’t sure what we’d find. Camping spots aren’t reserved. You just find a place that looks good once you’re beyond a certain point.

The spot we found was perfect! Up away and away under trees just enough to feel protected but it still felt like we were right on the beach. Near the sea stacks, which is where we wanted to be to view the stars at night.

The view at the top was AMAZING! And it is appropriately named as you are walking around high up on a rock formation. The rock was grippy though, so I didn’t feel insecure moving about while we were up there.

We explored the rocks, checking out the various viewpoints of Mount Rainier and the surrounding hills. It was just breathtaking!

Are you looking for some views inside Mount Rainier National Park that don’t require a view of the mountain? Sometimes you plan a trip up to Mount Rainier and the weather just doesn’t cooperate. The clouds have come in and the mountain is nowhere to be seen. This might be a great day to look at the waterfalls instead.

Comet Falls and Silver Falls are great options if you don’t mind a bit of hiking. There are a few waterfalls though that require very little effort for the great views they offer. I often add these onto our trip even when we can see the mountain.

Sometimes we don’t have time for a day trip. Life happens. We can’t play ALL of the time. But we still like to get out and enjoy the outdoors. Even if it’s close to home. This was one of those times.

The weather ap on my phone said the clouds were going to clear. Maybe they would. Maybe they wouldn’t. Either way Scott and I needed to get out of the house for a while, so we decided to head out for the park. We spied a little clearing toward the westside and headed for Titlow Park.

Titlow Park is a great park on the west side of Tacoma. It has views of the Puget Sound and the Narrows Bridges, trails wandering through the woods, a large playground for kids, and even a splash park in the summer. It’s an awesome place to watch the sunset.

I’ll never forget the first time I did the Skyline Loop Trail at Mount Rainier.

It was the last weekend in July, and when we got up in the morning, we saw that the mountain was out. So, Scott suggested we head to the mountain for a hike. We packed a lunch and went.

The snow was already melted around Paradise when we arrived. In fact, the snow had melted off rather early that year. There were wildflowers everywhere!

The lupin and paintbrush were both in full bloom. I had never seen anything like it. They were everywhere. Blue, red, pink, and white. A master gardener couldn’t have planned a more beautiful landscape. I was just in awe as we hiked the trail.

We love Takhlakh Lake. It’s a pristine alpine lake that on a calm day perfectly reflects Mount Adams, which towers above. It can only be accessed by a dirt forest road and offers only a pit toilet for amenities. It’s become one of our favorite places.

We were coming off a very busy week and decided to camp a few nights at Takhlakh Lake to relax and unwind. The camp wasn’t taking reservations yet, but we knew the snow had melted, and thought we had a good shot at finding an open spot in the middle of the week.

It took an extra hour to get there as we pulled our trailer slowly over the many potholes and bumps in the road. There were indeed many spots available when we arrived, and after parking the trailer, we got out ready to set up camp.

It didn’t take long for us to discover that we were not alone at our camp site.

One of the things I MUST do each summer is look at the stars. Since we live in Tacoma with lots of light pollution, this also means finding a dark and hopefully picturesque location.

Fortunately, we don’t have to travel too far to find good spots. There are a few national parks and wildernesses nearby with little to no light pollution and provide great options. I also like to have a location that offers a good experience along with great shots of the stars.

One year Scott and I went up to the Sunrise Visitor Center at Mount Rainier National Park to see the stars. I came back with some of my favorite star pics. The mountain is so close and the stars at the right time come right out of the mountain.

The Best Beach in the Northwest

There are a ton of beaches in Washington and Oregon. Which one is the best? Well, it depends on where you live and what you’re looking for in a beach.

How far do you want to travel?

Do you like tide pools?

Do you like wide sandy beaches?

Do you want a mix of the two?

Are you willing to hike to get to the beach?

Do you like to go to beach shops?

Do you want to surf?

Do you want to lay in the sun?