March 28, 2019

Seattle Area Spring Hiking: Squak Mountain State Park

Squak Mountain State Park holds a very special place in my heart. In the early spring of 2014, I ran a trail half marathon there. The very next day, I found out that I was pregnant with our youngest, now 4-year old, Georgia. Fun to say that I ran a trail half marathon while pregnant, right?

Tucked away from the other more popular Issaquah Alps, Squak Mountain is a little less known, and therefore a little less crowded. Admittedly I even overlooked the park initially when I was charged with finding a “moms only” hike this past weekend. Wanting to spend more time on the trail, than driving, we needed an option that wasn’t too terribly far from Seattle. Snow was also something we wanted to avoid. And of course crowds (or the hope of the lack there of) were a concern.

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July 26, 2018

Camping with Kids at Washington’s Scenic Beach State Park

If you’d asked me on the first evening of our 3-night camping trip at Scenic Beach State Park if I’d go camping with my children again, I would have answered with a definitive, NO. A couple of quick (and vulnerable) excerpts from my journal:

“I’m not that enthusiastic about camping. The kids drive me crazy. The absence of routine things makes me realize what I take for granted.”

“Everything makes me anxious—Georgia humming as I wait for her to fall asleep. Slaed breaking apart boxes and throwing pieces into the fire. He’s making noise and I fear it’ll keep the kids up.

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August 10, 2016

Ike Kinswa State Park in SW Washington State: Long Weekend Itinerary

For spring break this year, we added one more lovely cabin to our list of favorite Pacific Northwest Cabins & Yurts. Ike Kinswa State Park is located in Southwest Washington State, and is situated between Mount Rainier (to the north) and Mount St. Helens (to the south).

We chose it for it’s close proximity to our home in Seattle and it’s natural appeal of being set along the confluence of two rivers–so much to outdoor beauty to explore! Plus, we knew that even though we were visiting during spring break, we wouldn’t be dealing with the crowds that can tend to form in the busier summer months. One more benefit came along when we arrived–no cell phone coverage (and of course, no wifi)! It was delightfully refreshing to never have to worry about looking at my email or checking-in on social media. And one more benefit! Staying at state park cabins is very friendly on the budget!

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February 12, 2016

Hiking with Kids: Olallie State Park’s Cedar Butte Trail (North Bend, WA)

In order to feel less guilty about all the junk we’d consume at our Super Bowl extravaganza last weekend, I decided to take the kids on a good calorie burning, heart pumping hike. I don’t really need an excuse to go on a hike, but this was a great way to get the kids out of the house while Slaed (born and raised in Colorado & devoted Denver Broncos fan) prepared, stressed and prayed, for the big game ahead.

As you might have read from our Winter Bucket List post, I’m hoping that the three of us (Georgia, the 1-year old on my back in the carrier) can conquer Little Si this season. The mileage, at 4.7 miles round trip, isn’t something that I’m extremely concerned about, but more the mountain climb and elevation gain (1300 feet). So in preparation, we are training with hikes that are a bit easier, but have relatively similar distance and hill climbing.

Olallie State Park’s Cedar Butte trail definitely fit the bill as another good hike to get ready for the more difficult Little Si. It’s also less popular than it’s neighbor, Rattlesnake Ledge, which was bustling with folks and crammed with cars in the parking lot as we drove by.

To give you an idea of our hiking experience, I once again documented the journey with a video!

Olallie State Park’s Cedar Butte Trail

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January 15, 2016

Why We Love Our State Parks Pass Featuring Scenic Beach, WA

Slaed has received our state parks pass (called the Discover Pass) for Christmas from me for the past 4 years! Confession: This is embarrassing, but at one point in time we actually avoided a state park parking lot (we parked elsewhere and walked in) in order to avoid paying the park’s fee! We laugh now at how silly this was–if only I could talk to my old self. Here’s what I’d say: “Just pay the stinkin’ $30 to park (and visit parks throughout the entire state) all you want for an entire year!”

Back to the 4 years of responsible state park patronage: We love our state parks pass, and can’t believe we ever went without it. We visit a state park at least once a month, and when we’re not exploring our home state of Washington, we seek out other state parks in our travels. Always a wonderful experience full of nature, history, and just enjoyment of our great outdoors.

4 Reasons Why We Love our State Parks Pass

1. Easy Payment.

2. Access to the Outdoors!

3. We’re supporting the park system.

4. It’s Motivating!

Wondering exactly what I’m talking about with some of these reasons? I’ve put together a video for you explaining why we love our state parks pass. And if you don’t want to listen to me ramble on about how much we love the state parks pass, just fast forward to about the 5 minutes and 30 seconds mark, and you can see some of our adventure at Scenic Beach State Park near Silverdale, Washington. We visited the park on New Year’s day as part of a day trip to the Kitsap Peninsula.

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January 23, 2014

Washington’s State Park Accommodations: Inside our Bay View State Park Cabin

Yurts, cabins, and rustic accommodations of sorts always excite me. I guess the coziness, proximity to nature, and all around feeling that I am truly “away from it all” is appealing. And on top of all those romantic feelings, the practicality of having all that’s great about camping without actually have to do much work and setup (the downsides of pitching your own tent and hauling all the gear) for a parent makes the whole experience so worthwhile.

Setting up camp on the outside at our Bayview State Park cabin was simple, and even though I was worried about sharing such a tiny space (12×12 feet) with our toddler, we were able to set up an inside space with just as much ease.

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Seattle Area Spring Hiking: Squak Mountain State Park

Camping with Kids at Washington’s Scenic Beach State Park

Ike Kinswa State Park in SW Washington State: Long Weekend Itinerary

Hiking with Kids: Olallie State Park’s Cedar Butte Trail (North Bend, WA)

Olallie State Park’s Cedar Butte Trail

Why We Love Our State Parks Pass Featuring Scenic Beach, WA

4 Reasons Why We Love our State Parks Pass

1. Easy Payment.

2. Access to the Outdoors!

3. We’re supporting the park system.

4. It’s Motivating!

Washington’s State Park Accommodations: Inside our Bay View State Park Cabin

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