Author: Jennie Flaming

The Snoqualmie Tunnel is an interesting and weird phenomenon to visit! I want to make sure it’s clear that riding a bike is NOT necessary to check it out. However, even though I’m not that big of a cyclist, I find biking to be the most enjoyable way to...

Imagine the best views around of Mt Rainier, two alpine lakes and incredible wildflowers and you’ve got the Tolmie Peak Lookout hike. At close to 8 miles round trip and 1100 feet of elevation gain, it’s a moderate day hike. A long gravel road and being located on the...

Juneau is a delightful port in Alaska’s capital city, the only state capital in the US you can’t drive to. It is a stunning location in Southeast Alaska along mountains that are home to a massive sheet of ice separating it from British Columbia. Juneau has a lively downtown,...

By now you likely know that I don’t normally write about hard hikes, since I like to keep things low key. I do enjoy a super hard hike now and then, (check out my Mt St Helens summit climb guide here) I like to include them in case you’d...

This post is all about what to pack for a hike in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. As I talked about in my post about hiking for absolute beginners, you don’t need a lot of gear to get started with hiking. You may not bring the exact same things...

Deception Pass State Park is the most popular state park in Washington and it’s easy to see why. Close to our major populations center (about two hours from Seattle) and with ocean beaches, lakes and forest, spectacular sunsets, an iconic historic bridge and endless recreation opportunities, it’s a wonderful...

The very popular Talapus lake hike is a 4 mile round trip with a bit under 1000 feet of elevation gain mellow hike to a lake within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, which is awesome for summer! You have the option of adding another mile and a bit more uphill...

Are you spending a day in Ketchikan on a cruise ship and want to explore the town on your own? Or are you looking for the quickest way to get to Alaska and start exploring? Did you know that Ketchikan is just a 90 minute flight from Seattle? Ketchikan...

The Naches Peak Loop hike is one of my favorite hikes in Mt Rainier National Park and even in all of Washington State! I’ve written about it before, including in my post about Mt Rainier wildflower hikes and my post for a day trip to Mt Rainier. This hike...

I’ve written before about reasons NOT to hike the Mt Si trail, but recently I set out to explore a few of the other trails from that same trailhead, now that the trailhead direct bus service serves it. The Talus loop hike is a terrific alternative to Mt Si,...