You’ve seen this decade volcano from the plane, or from a high rise in Seattle on a clear day, or driving down I-5, and you’ve always wondered to yourself, “What is it like on the ground standing the foot of this gorgeous behemoth?” Well, let me tell you. A Jewel of a Mountain If one…
Looking for a great Washington State road trip? Sandwiched between the Cascade Mountain Range and the secluded forests of the Nez-Pierce in Idaho, lies the deserts of central Washington. The land of fragrant sagebrush and towering rock formations carved out by ancient ice ages. Some have called this the high desert, and that assumption can…
Smith Rock has held a mysterious fascination for me for many years. I worked for an outdoor travel clothing company that sold Smith Rock Tee Shirts before I ever knew that there was an actual Smith Rock in Oregon that inspired the name. It took me this long to finally visit one of the most…
Deep in the high desert of central Oregon, past the tumbling tumble weeds and hovering hawks seeking out their prey…past the fragrant sagebrush and long forgotten ghost towns…lies fossils and vibrantly painted hillsides ancient and unique to Oregon. Digging for Fossils You heard me right. Fossils…to be found in the tiny town of Fossil. No…
A Groovy Place to Unwind Every summer, sometime in July, thousands of glorious hippies descend upon the tiny town of Veneta in west-central Oregon to pay their respects to all things groovy. The Oregon Country Fair is a 3-day festival where there is music, crafts, activities for the kids, camping, and so much more. This…
The best hike of my life so far? Definitely! Certainly, the longest hike I’ve done yet, and one of the most challenging. Not so much as difficult in terms of elevation, but in the uniqueness of terrain and stamina. Much of it is wading in water, negotiating smooth rocks. As I was preparing for this…
There’s nothing…I mean nothing more spiritually fulfilling than getting up at the crack of dawn on a summer’s day, getting in your car with a full tank of gas, and a grocery bag full of snacks. Grab a friend (or two, or three…) and hit the open road. A Pacific Northwest drive is the perfect…
Allow me to dispel a misconception. The city of Vancouver, British Columbia is actually NOT on Vancouver Island. Weird, huh? Yeah, I think so too. No, the city of Vancouver is actually on mainland B.C., just to the east of Vancouver Island. It’s about a six-hour drive from the southern point of Victoria up to…
