Eagles in Alaska

Remember when it was very rare to see a bald eagle? It still isn’t common but just being out and about we see several every year now. I’ll never forget the first time I saw them up close in the wild.

Scott and I were visiting our friends, Mike and Jan, while vacationing in Alaska. We were planning to drive to Homer Alaska the next day, and they suggested that we stop at Anchor Point - the most westerly point you can drive to in the continental United States without getting on a boat or airplane.

It was a clear sunny day, and as we drove out onto the beach the first thing we noticed was the awesome view of Mount Redoubt. The gorgeous mountain rose above the Cook Inlet and reminded us a bit of home.

Where are we going to watch the moonrise this year?

Every year as summer approaches, I get excited about watching the moonrise. It probably sounds silly to people who have more sunshine than we do in western Washington, but since we have clouds 9-10 months out of the year, summer is the only time we can really plan on seeing the full moon rise.

I start by checking the dates and marking them on my calendar. There are 3 opportunities in each cycle to see the full moon. One night where it is officially a full moon, along with the night before and the night after when it is so close it may as well be a full moon. Summer is busy, but usually I can at least catch one of the three.

Walking in the Redwoods

Yes they really are giants.

When I was growing up I saw the redwoods every time my family drove to the beach.  We lived in the southwest corner of Oregon and driving to our favorite beach in Brookings meant a drive down the Redwood Highway through the Jedediah Smith Redwood Grove.

A couple of years ago Scott and I returned to the area with our cameras. We stayed in Crescent City with the plan of exploring a few of the trails in the area. There are several very easy hikes that will take you through the woods, and we were eager to try them out.

The first time I saw Silver Falls was in the spring of 2020 in the middle of the Covid shut down. Like most of the country, Scott and I were suffering from severe cabin fever and were looking for an outdoor place to enjoy.

We heard the National Parks were closed to cars, but open to foot and bike traffic and decided to walk into the Stevens Canyon entrance of Mount Rainier National Park. Grove of the Patriarchs is just a short distance from the entrance and we knew we could easily walk there.

I love early morning light on the mountain. That first hour or two following sunrise is my favorite. The lighting is beautiful, and really shows the mountain off in a very special way.

It was a beautiful morning. The sun was out and the mountain was glorious with fresh snow against clear bule skies. What a great day for a hike at the mountain!

We approached the lake in the early morning. It was quiet and not many were out and about yet. It was beautiful! Mount Adams was still surrounded by the morning haze, but the lake was clear and calm.

We discovered Takhlakh Lake last year and have been looking forward to returning ever since.

There’s this stellar view in Gig Harbor that somehow, I always forget about until I’m looking at it again. Each time I wonder to myself ‘why is it I don’t come here more often?’.

I love it when we are out exploring and stumble upon a hidden gem. This summer we’ve found a few. A new mountain view, a meadow of wildflowers, a new waterfall. It’s one of the things that keeps us going out there and exploring. You never know what you will find.

Have you ever been out in the middle of nowhere on a clear moonless night and looked up at the sky? It’s pretty amazing! We are very fortunate to have lots of dark places to choose from if we want to view the night sky. It’s something we try to do at least once every summer.