Category: pnw

Goals, hiking, pnw, travel

Franklin Falls Winter Hike

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The beauty of the Northwest in early spring 🏔️

Snow + Sunshine ☀️

The winter trail for Franklin Falls is so beautiful! From the drive to the beautiful snow covered path . We had planned to snowshoe the trail but we didn’t end up needing the snowshoes and were able to use our micro spikes . The trail is typically 2 miles but with the road closure in the winter it takes on another 5 mi so we did just over 7 miles with the winter route .

Road closure
Sun peeking over the mountains

Trail Head
Famous Red Cabin

The cabins along the trail with the creek was probably one of my favorite areas of the hike and so peaceful. I wanted to grab my hot cocoa from my pack and read a book right there .. it was such a beautiful spot!

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Perfect spot

Before you come to the falls, you descend stairs and then the whole beautiful area just captivates you as you climb down and see the awe of the rushing falls! It was so cool!!

Anyone else amazed that you can drive right over this beautiful area and never know it was there until you hike it ? I am learning to look beyond the trees and roads as we travel . There are so many beautiful adventures when we take the time to explore 🌲

Have you ever hiked this trail? What were your favs?

I also did a fun reel of our day .. check it out here ⬇️

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C41k3Y8PYCC/?igsh=N3VpbGtpODB3a3Jz

Hotel, pnw, Review, travel

Home2Suites by Hilton Review

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We had a girls trip recently and stayed at the Home 2Suites Hotel by Hilton . We have never stayed at this line of Hiltons before so we wanted to check it out.

Front desk Clerk was very attentive and kind
Love when hotels have this posted⭐️

The hotel was very welcoming when we walked in .The front desk agent was very kind and texted us to see if we needed anything once we made it to our room .

The room was clean and huge! It really is made for a family of 4/6 easily. There were two queen beds and a pullout couch. A fully stocked kitchen and full size refrigerator.

Our Stay included breakfast ..love that! It was a typical breakfast buffet . Eggs, meat ,toast , oatmeal and grits!! I was so excited for these!

Loved the seating

Our cost was for one night was $225, which we felt was a great price especially if we would have taken the whole family . We ended up using points from our Chase card so it was free !! Yay 🥳

Oh and they take dogs. We had quite the parade of dogs as we enjoyed breakfast in the am.

Mt.Rainier National Park, pnw, Review

BaseCamp Bar & Grill

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The Mountaineers Base Camp Bar & Grill was the perfect place to stop and grab dinner after finishing a hike near Mt. Rainier.
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The atmosphere was a mix of adventurerers and locals.
No one seemed to judge us being filthy from climbing so that was good:)



We wanted to try a drink but were unsure so they offered us tasters to taste which was a fun treat! We loved them so much we purchased both of the ones we tried so it worked! The food was ok and average price.



When we stopped they also had live music. I have to say it was pretty fantastic to eat a burger, enjoy a beer and listen to some music!


If you are planning a trip to the Mt. Rainer area then plan to stop on your way through 🏔️

family adventures, history, Mt.Rainier National Park, pnw

Stevens – Van Trump Historical Monument

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“Our Secret Rainier”by Mountaineers Gene Yore and Mickey Eisenberg refer to these harder to find memorials and plaques of those that have added to the history of Mt. Rainier.
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The Stevens – Van Trump Historical Monument is one of these. It is located on the Skyline Loop Trail by the Mazama Ridge. It is made in the form of a bench so that climbers can sit and reflect on the climbers of past summit push.

This was a welcome site as we descended the Skyline Loop Trail .

Family activity, family adventures, homeschooling, pnw, Review

Schilter Family Farm

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We took a day off from school to enjoy a new pumpkin patch , Schilter Family Farm 🎃
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It was so much fun! It is a beautiful location and well laid out. We were able to do the corn maze , which was Top Gun themed and the maze was cut into jets .. so cool! I really appreciated that they had a Q code of the maze so you could find your way out of there within a reasonable time . There are some mazes that I feel like we are in forever so this was a great option.
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We also enjoyed riding the tractor . It dropped us right in front of the pumpkin patch and we were able to pick a pumpkin.


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Another fun treat we enjoyed were some Apple cider doughnuts and a cup of yummy apple cider. Delicious! It was the perfect treat to end our time at the pumpkin patch .

You can visit them online ⬇️ https://schilterfamilyfarm.com

Hotel, pnw, Review, travel

McMenamins Elk Lodge

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Our stay at McMenamins in Tacoma was quite the adventure . Think Adult scavenger hunt mixed with college bar scene , throw on some steampunk decor and a history museum and that would give you some insight to what we experienced .

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First a bit of the history … 

The building itself is a 1916 Elks Temple that was designed by É. Frère Champney, a graduate of the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and has since been restored . There are 7 floors packed with history including a hidden 5th floor . There are 5 bars ,The Tasting Room & brewery, The Spanish Bar and Ballroom,Doc’s ,The Old Hangout, McMenamins Pub and a secret Speakeasy  bar if you can find it called ,The Vault. 

The 45 guest rooms are named after a person or group of people that had some connection to the building or to the Tacoma area.

The diversity of the rooms is amazing. There is so much history in just the names. 

We stayed in the Lea McMillan room 204 . In the room, there is posted his history with the Elks Lodge. We learned he loved handball and would sneak into the Lodge with his friends to play . He then served in the military and when he returned in 1961 He applied to be a member so he could play handball but leaving out his Native heritage. At that time , People of color were not allowed to join. That was corrected in 1976 . He may  have been the first member of color to be a member of the Elks Lodge. So fascinating ! 

There is also a hidden hallway with graffiti that was originally in the building when it was bought and restored .

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There is so much visually to take in as you explore the hotel. You can’t possibly see every detail the first time. 

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It is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

family adventures, pnw

Clamming Adventure

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We recently met up with friends who taught us how to do clamming.
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It’s pretty amazing that you can go out and use these suction rockets and find clams.
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We lasted maybe 10 minutes in the wind and rain before we were ready to head back but bucket list item crossed off! Yay!!

pnw, Review, travel

Blue Rooster ~Buckley, Wa

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You need to add the @blue_rooster_buckley to your must try list when passing through @explore_washington.state .

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It is family owned and has some of the best small plates and wine slushies in the area.

So good!
Look at that delicious guacamole

Our favorites were the Bbq Brisket Flatbread and the Avocado Toast ..seriously some of the best small bites in Washington State.
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We tried a little of everything and it was all amazing! The most unique item we tried was the watermelon fudge.It was a huge hit with our kids!

watermelon fudge..yum!

The cheesecake was well plated and sooo good! And the wine slushy was amazing and totally refreshing.


The owners have a love of Disney and you see it sprinkled throughout which is another reason we love @blue_rooster_buckley

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This is the perfect date spot or to share a lunch with some girlfriends.

family adventures, pnw, Review, travel

Seabrook Getaway

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Cedar Cove @seabrookwa did not disappoint! We absolutely loved where it was located, the fire pit , yard , hot tub and open floor plan. The lights outside were an extra bonus and welcomed us each evening as we returned to the home.
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Cedar Cove has 2 bedrooms , one with a set of bunk beds. There is also a full size sleeper sofa and to our surprise a twin pullout ottoman! We had no idea those even existed but now we want one for our own home.

We loved the open kitchen and island and the nook the table was in. One of our favorite things in this home was the huge windows downstairs..they were so beautiful and let so much light in. There is a beach theme in decor throughout the home.

A few things to note..
➡️this home is dog friendly and already had dog bowls waiting for us there.. loved that!
➡️the hot tub is on the side of the home and is wonderful!
➡️There is also a bbq grill and a sitting area there as well as around the home. Perfect for entertaining!
➡️fire pit is on the other side of home in front. There was already wood waiting for us upon arrival and covered in plastic to stay dry.

Everything in Seabrook is about 5-10 min walk to main town area. This is one of the reasons we love staying here! If your thinking about staying.. do it! You will love the overall community feeling, the beautiful homes, shops and having the ocean within walking distance⭐️