When I’d just moved to the Seattle area, I lived like an itinerant preacher--welp, minus the preachin’. I spent six weeks just north of the city in Edmonds and another week south of the city in the Georgetown neighborhood but I have to say my favorite stint was the five days I spent in Bremerton, west of Seattle and accessible by a 55-minute ferry. After five days walking and … [Read more...] about The Best of Bremerton, Washington
nature
Lone Cypress Letdown in Pebble Beach, California
If you want to see the famous Lone Cypress in Pebble Beach, you should know one thing: it's going to cost you. If you don't do your research and show up in search of the solitary Monterey Cypress standing sentinel on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Pacific Ocean, what sticks with you after your visit may not be the warm memories of a leisurely drive along a spectacular stretch … [Read more...] about Lone Cypress Letdown in Pebble Beach, California
Big Sur: Natural Beauty on the California Coast
Big Sur is a big deal. Think of it: rocky cliffs with long, luscious views of the Pacific Ocean, magnificent mountains cloaked in fog and covered in evergreens, and nature in perfect harmony with itself. I sincerely can't think of a more visually captivating place than this stunning stretch of the California coast between San Simeon and Carmel. A big part of Big Sur's … [Read more...] about Big Sur: Natural Beauty on the California Coast
Cairn Gorm: The Mountain That (Almost) Ate My Memories
Climbing Cairn Gorm wasn't part of the plan. To be frank, little of my time in Scotland had turned out the way I'd anticipated but after chickening out of a driving tour of the Scottish Highlands, I'd missed my chance at climbing Ben Nevis, Scotland's tallest peak. In Inverness on my last day in Scotland, I decided that the nearby Cairn Gorm would have to do. Topping out at … [Read more...] about Cairn Gorm: The Mountain That (Almost) Ate My Memories
Channeling My Inner Explorer on Santa Cruz Island
Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Grand Canyon. Yosemite. Yellowstone. Rocky Mountain. Olympic. Zion. Grand Teton. Acadia. These are only a few of the crown jewels of the United States’ National Park Service. They are among the most well-known, well-loved, and well-visited of the parks, their names alone conjuring visions of vast unspoiled natural beauty and their splendor … [Read more...] about Channeling My Inner Explorer on Santa Cruz Island