Friday, August 1, 2014
Thursday, July 31, 2014
San Juan Island National Historic Park
It isn't a vacation for Brian and me if it doesn't involve a National Park. I take my National Parks very seriously, (stop laughing),and right now the count is at 51. Fortunately for us, the San Juan Islands, (a brand new designated National Monument), are just a quick hop, skip, and a jump from Whidbey. Really they are about an hour drive and an hour ferry ride, but - close enough. You might think that with San Juan Island being so small and so close to Canada, it wouldn't be worth the trip. Well, you are wrong. I loved it so much I even became a Junior Ranger, (No, I am not kidding, I have the badge to prove it.) For me, this is exciting stuff! (No, really. I'm serious). And of course, it is beautiful. Hello. It's Washington.
Whidbey Island & The San Juans - #islandlife
This is our second summer making the pilgrimage to Washington State for some sea and sun. My parents have a flat in Langley, a quaint little sea town on Whidbey Island - about an hour-ish ride from Seattle, via ferry. As usual, our crammed itinerary was full of lighthouses, camping, clamming, and boats. We extended this year's trip by two days, and probably could have stayed even two more. Until next time....
Friday, June 20, 2014
Rocky Mountain National Park
Over 30% of Rocky Mountain National Park's wilderness is Alpine Tundra. This was, by far, the highlight for us. Other than that, besides catching a glimpse at a Big Horn Sheep nursery in the hills and some pretty awesome pictures of elk, (and a quick sighting of a moose!), there was little "wildlife" or "wilderness" felt here. It is what I'm calling a "backyard" park. With Boulder, Ft. Collins, and the Denver metropolis so close, this is a Colorado park for Colorado families, and it feels that way. Wolves and Grizzlies are long gone. The elk population is managed by yearly ranger kills, and fences are up all through the park to restore riparian areas damaged by overgrazing and overpopulation. Black bears are more an annoyance than an actual resident. The views were gorgeous but in the end, we packed up and headed out a day early. Then again, we were just coming from Yellowstone. So perhaps in never even got a fair shot.
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