Category: family adventures

cascade mountains, family adventures, hiking, pnw

Chasing the Golden Larches ~North Cascade Mountains

redeemingbeautyfamilyadventures

October in Washington State is one of the most beautiful seasons and the perfect time to visit .

Look at all the beautiful fall colors that are so vibrant and welcoming🍁

Heading up to Heather Pass

The Golden Larches were on full display and we were lucky enough to catch them..they turn the bright golden color for such a short time before they lose their needles .It was interesting to touch them .. they were so soft .

Look closely you will see a beautifully hidden lake (Lewis Lake ) just past the larches .. thanks to my friend who spotted it!
Viewpoint at Heather Pass

We also talked with another hiker .. Keith from Ohio who recommended a short trail off of the Maple Pass Loop …the Wing Lake Trail ..where he captured the most beautiful hike through the larches .

The weather in the North Cascades is a little of everything …sunshine,rain and even some snow and the mountains are basking in the final streams of sunshine as they prepare to welcome winter.

Heading to Maple Pass

We experienced all their weather including the snow and enjoyed all the beauty of fall. The pics look so unreal but the actual views were so much better! The camera never captures the full experience .So thankful to be able to experience all this beauty!
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“From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭113‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Descending Maple Pass is so beautiful! You see the path as it zigzags along the mountainside and everywhere you look you see mountains. If you look closely you will see other hikers who look like little specks .

Look to the left of the picture .. do you see the path through the trees? We hiked all the way around and could see the other side from where we were.. so cool!
That zigzag is our path down

Views of Rainy Lake as we were descending back to where we parked.

Here are our stats⬇️

📍Maple Pass Loop

🧭 Winthrop, Wa

🥾 6.5 miles RT ( we came in at 7.9 miles)

🏔️ 2162 ft elevation gain ( we gained 2254 )

⭐️ Stats based on AllTrails and Apple 

The Larches in all their beauty this past week at Maple Pass Loop in the North Cascade Mountains was such a blessing to experience. So thankful we were able to catch them during this magical transformation.

Maple Pass Loop also connects to Rainy Pass with the PCT Trail and we had the privilege of catching up with one of the PCT hikers,Daniel and his dad who was there to provide refueling snacks for those on the trail. Daniel started hiking in April from Mexico and had it had been 179 days since starting and he had just a few more to finish the PCT ! So impressive! He looked great and by the time we finished the hike he was already on the trail again but his dad was still there to cheer on the PCT hikers and us! What a nice guy! You can follow all his adventures on his YouTube channel I linked below ⬇️

https://youtube.com/@mountainhearthikes?si=bAXXtT3K2Q1OiBRi

Here is a reel of our full day and all the views! Enjoy and don’t forget to subscribe to see more of our adventures!

family adventures, pnw, travel

Jakob Two Trees ~Northwest Trolls : Way of the Bird King

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“A thousand circle suns, not old
Time will stretch and loop and fold
So stop, breathe out, breathe in, behold
The trees have sung a story told”
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Jakob is located in Issaquah and stands around 14-ft. tall, looking as future friends come to find him . You will find him paused between two trees as if to say peek a boo to all who pass by. He is fashioned entirely out of recycled materials, and wears a necklace of birdhouses.

One of the unique things about Jakob,is he is the first troll who has a ponytail with the ponytail holder and bracelet he is wearing made by the Snoqualmie Tribe.I love how this connects and weaves Coast Salish tribal communities with Danish and Scandinavian traditions, all through the beauty of environmental art.

Jakob Two Trees is one of the six trolls that are part of the Northwest Trolls: Way of the Bird King created by Thomas Dambo .The other trolls are on Bainbridge Island; Ballard, Seattle; Portland, Vashon Island and West Seattle. Check out our post below of the other trolls:)

Frankie Feetsplinters ~ Thomas Dambo Northwest Troll

Bruun Idun, One of Thomas Dambo’s Northwest Trolls ~West Seattle

And here is the link for the Troll Map to find them all ⬇️

https://trollmap.com/#/jakobtwotrees

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family adventures, hiking, pnw, travel

Kamiak Butte Trail

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Kamiak Butte Trail is a beautiful trail tucked into the rolling Palouse farmland and comes with some great view points that is near Pullman ,Wa.


It was the perfect trail to stretch our legs after a long drive and take in the beauty of the area. I love that the landscape is so differant there . It reminds me of parts of Texas with its rolling fields that look like a quilt of patched farmland everywhere you look.


There is also a beautiful park with playground by the parking lot if you are looking to have a picnic with views and want to skip the hike.


Here are the stats ⬇️
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
📍Kamiak Butte Trail
🧭 Palouse , Wa
🥾 2.5miles RT ( we came in at 2.57)
🏔️ 715ft elevation gain ( we gained 704)
⭐️ Stats based on AllTrails and Apple
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coffee, family adventures, hiking, Review, travel

Espresso Chalet

redeemingbeautyfamilyadventures

Espresso Chalet has one of the best views of Mount Index . It was the perfect stop to grab coffee after hiking Wallace Falls & Heybrook Lookout. Both hikes are within a few miles of each other with the Espresso Chalet between them. Look for the Bigfoot and you will know you are there.


We ordered our drinks and then went to soak in some more Mountain views… amazing! Perfect place to stretch your legs and grab some drinks or snacks before heading home .


A fun fact : this was an official location from the movie Harry and the Hendersons … anyone remember that movie?

Check out our reel below ⬇️

disney, Disneyland, family adventures, travel

Storybook Land Canal Boats~Disneyland

redeemingbeautyfamilyadventures

Storybook Land Canal boats is the perfect way to see some of the enchanting homes and villages from classic Disney movies that are hand- built in miniature model size using the scale of 1 inch to 1 foot.

Storybook canal boats
Dwarfs Cottage


You gently float through the whimsical landscaping with gentle music playing . Each 12 person boat has a tour guide that tells the tale behind each scene as you float by.

Frozen Castle
Cinderella’s Castle ..look close to see the pumpkin carriage


Just a few of the places you will see are :
✨The village of Arendelle and Elsa’s ice palace from Frozen
✨The straw, stick and brick houses from Three Little Pigs
✨The manicured London park from Peter Pan
✨The Alpine village from Pinocchio
✨The English village from Alice in Wonderland
✨The royal city of Agrabah and Cave of Wonders from Aladdin
✨Prince Eric’s palace and King Triton’s underwater castle from The Little Mermaid
✨The Cottage of the Dwarfs from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs..love the sign with all their names!
✨The French countryside village and mountaintop castle from Cinderella
✨Toad Hall from The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad… one of our favorite books!

The royal city of Agrabah
Prince Eric Ship


This is such a beautiful ride especially as it’s getting dark when it’s all lit up, but it does close for fireworks so make sure to watch your timing to not miss it.
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Toad Hall

Check out our reel below ⬇️

family adventures, pnw, Review, travel

White Pass Winter Castle Fun ❄️

redeemingbeautyfamilyadventures

Winter Castle at White Pass

A few weeks ago we were able to attend the Bantam Cup event @whitepass. It was such a fun day and we loved all the excitement on the slopes. We saw so many that were dressed up as chickens and all sorts of characters that it added to the fun of the day.

Winter Castle podium
White pass Snow Castle
Bantam Cup


One of our favorites was the life size Winter Castle from the Winter Carnival weekend . The Castle crew, artists and sculptors all did an amazing job on the art and sculptures creating a circus theme. It also made the perfect back drop to the awards podium plus it was fun for the littles to explore.

Snow Castle
Tigger and Eeyore on the slopes


Have you ever seen a life size Snow castle? Check out our reel below of the castle ⬇️

And check out our other post of White Pass ⬇️

Bringing in the New Year on the Slopes
family adventures, pnw, Review, travel

Frankie Feetsplinters ~ Thomas Dambo Northwest Troll

redeemingbeautyfamilyadventures

“Frankie don’t like slimy fish, cause fishes are all so dumb
And Frankie don’t like little humans, humans are so dumb
Frankie don’t even like trolls, cause trolls are also dumb
But Frankie’s mouth’s the only one that says the word of dumb”
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

  • Thomas Dambo


Frankie Feetsplinters,one of the Thomas Dambo’s Northwest Trolls, lives at the National Nordic Museum in Ballard.He is one of the six trolls that the Danish artist has made from recycled materials and has installed around the Northwest . Frankie is the youngest and most irresponsible of all the Trolls in Way of the Bird King.You see him stepping on a wood bench which is part of the art.
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He is also one of the few Trolls which has come out of the forest to an urban environment.Look for the birdhouses . They are a clue that you are in the right area .
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Pro tip- plan to go on the first Thursday …Admission to the Nordic Museum is free ⭐️

family adventures, hiking, Mt.Rainier National Park, Review

Family Review ~Copper Creek Hut ~ Mt. Rainier

redeemingbeautyfamilyadventures

We had the opportunity to stay at one of the Mt. Rainier Huts and jumped on it! We really had no idea on what to expect since it was our first time ever doing something like this but it was a great first time experience for our family and we can’t wait to go again!

The Hut was a welcome sight after the hike in with all our gear. Cabin on top of the mountain.. what’s not to love ! The Hut was clean and fully stocked and even had extra gear in case it was needed like poles or snowshoes. We were greeted with a banner of multi flags that reminded us of Everest basecamp , which we loved! It was a well appointed hut with a mudroom to leave your gear in like snowshoes, boots , poles and shoes . There was a kitchen , several tables to eat at or play games and a few couches by the fire. There was running water and electricity by solar . Upstairs hosted several sets of bunkbeds and some individual beds (twin) for sleeping.

The fully stocked kitchen
Fireplace
View from the outhouse
Playing a game

The stats for this trail are ⬇️

📍 CopperCreek Hut viaRainier Vista Trail

🧭  Ashford, Wa

🥾  10.9 miles RT ( we came in at 8 )

🏔️  1692 ft elevation gain ( we gained 800)

⭐️ Stats based on AllTrails and Apple 

The road was open for us so this changes the stats. If the road is closed then it would come in closer to AllTrails.

Coffee after the hike up

Watching the sun set was amazing! So beautiful!

The next morning , we headed out to explore some more . Look at this view we found!

We hiked to the Tenth Mountain viewpoint and it came in at 3 miles rt . We were able to just use our microspikes but we did post hole some. Overall we hiked about 11 miles and a 1000 elevation including the hut rt .

You do have to make reservations to stay. You can do that here ⬇️

https://skimtta.org/information-page-copper-creek/

The cost is $15 per person.

Here is some more info from Mount Tahoma Trails Association has on their website. 

Copper Creek is located in the North District and is only open during the winter. The maximum capacity of the hut is 14 people. Copper Creek Hut is located within the Mt. Rainier Gateway Forest, a wildlife preserve, so please leave your dog at home. Dogs are not allowed in the North District.

How far is it to Copper Creek?

The trek to Copper Creek Hut is:

  • 3.2 miles with 800’ of elevation gain from the upper sno-park.
  • 4.3 miles with 1,070’ of elevation gain from the middle sno-park (least frequently used).
  • 5.4 miles with 1,570’ of elevation gain from the lower sno-park.

What is in Copper Creek?

Sleeping Arrangements: Sleeps 14. 

Kitchen:

  • Cook stove and oven (Propane)
  • Pots, sauce pans, frying pans, bakeware, mixing bowls, measuring cups, cooking utensils, plates, bowls, cups, silverware, knives, and cutting boards
  • Cleaning supplies – dish soap, hand soap, Clorox, etc.
  • Toilet paper, paper towels

Water Filter System: Rain water is collected in the summer. In the winter, water comes from snow melt. There is a water filter system to provide clean drinking water.

Other Items: Some other amenities you will find:

  • Books/MagazinesRestrooms: An outhouse are located outside of the hut.
  • Propane fireplace
  • Solar powered lighting
  • First Aid Kit
  • Large dining table
  • Games (cards, board games, etc.)

Have you ever stayed at a hut on Mt. Rainier?

Check out our reel ⬇️

Disneyland, family adventures, travel

Toon Town at Disneyland

redeemingbeautyfamilyadventures

Toon Town Bliss ❤️

family adventures, pnw, travel

Bruun Idun, One of Thomas Dambo’s Northwest Trolls ~West Seattle

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“In the night, there was a storm, there at the beach
Where she was born
And Idun felt a feeling wrong, and so she walked there
In the dawn
And in a flute, the magic horn, a tune so passionate and Strong
She played for them an orca song to ask them where they all had gone”

– Thomas Dambo

Bruun Idun, one of the Thomas Dambo’s Northwest Trolls, lives at Lincoln Park in West Seattle. She is one of the six trolls that the Danish artist has made from recycled materials and has installed around the Northwest .

Look for the birdhouses . They are a clue that you are in the right area . Walk along the water until you see her near the Colman Pool, and from her spot hidden in the trees, she sings to the orcas of the Salish Sea❤️

Thomas Dambo has trolls all over the world so I attached the link below to see a map of where you can find them ⬇️

https://trollmap.com/