family adventures, pnw, Review, travel

Frankie Feetsplinters ~ Thomas Dambo Northwest Troll

“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.
.
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 .
.
Pro tip- plan to go on the first Thursday …Admission to the Nordic Museum is free ⭐️

Goals, hiking, pnw, travel

Hurricane Ridge Snowshoe

We were able to finally make it to Hurricane Ridge ✨The trail has eluded us for a few trips due to closures. The drive up was beautiful .The parking lot was quickly filling so once we parked , we geared up and set out on the trail . There were already several groups of snowshoers on the trail so plan to go early .


The trail was absolutely beautiful! Trees covered in snow and really perfect conditions when we started. After we let the more popular turnaround point to continue to the summit , the snow became softer and was harder to navigate with just spikes so we changed to snowshoes.The snow became less packed and even with snowshoes there was still some post holeing making it difficult to climb . The path was also getting hard to see because the snow was covering tracks and even with navigation it was difficult. With white out conditions, we turned around about 1/2 mile from summit . Sometimes knowing when to turn around is one of the hardest decisions when you are so close .



Trail Stats ⬇️
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
📍 Hurricane Ridge
🧭 Deming , Wa
🥾 3.4 miles RT ( we came in at 4.58 )
🏔️ 826 ft elevation gain ( we gained 758 )
⭐️ Stats based on AllTrails and Apple


Hurricane Ridge is in avalanche terrain, so it is best to check the NWAC avalanche forecast before venturing out (updated every night at 6pm).

Check out our Snowshoe at Artist Point ~ Mt. Baker ⬇️

Disneyland, family adventures, travel

Toon Town at Disneyland

Toon Town Bliss ❤️

hiking, pnw, travel

Wahclella Falls Trail

Wahclella Falls Trail is one of our top 10 hikes! I lost count of the waterfalls as we hiked in and out but everywhere I turned there was a waterfall . It is definitely the greatest Show in nature and it’s a perfect hike if you are wanting a quick hike with a great views.

It felt a little bit like we were in Jurassic World because of how beautiful and lush it was. Absolutely breathtaking! You get a little of everything with this hike .. rocky , inclines , bridges and so many waterfalls ❤️

Stats ⬇️

📍Wahclella Falls
🧭 Cascade Locks , Or
🥾 1.9miles RT ( we came in at 2.9)
🏔️ 308 ft elevation gain ( we gained 591)
⭐️ Stats based on AllTrails and Apple

Check out our reel ⬇️

hiking, travel

Artist Point Snowshow ~ Mt.Baker

Oh the beauty of Mt. Baker! Artist Point was our first snowshoe of the season and we couldn’t have picked a better place to go. You get endless views of the North Cascade peaks ,as well as stunning views of Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan.Two of the most beautiful mountains in Washington State.


It is also on the ski area boundary for Mt. Baker so as you climb up one of the steep sections you will see skiers and snowboarders a few feet from you .. this was actually pretty awesome!

Trail Stats ⬇️

📍 Heather Meadows and Artists Point Trail
🧭 Deming , Wa
🥾 3.2 miles RT ( we came in at 3.99)
🏔️ 872 ft elevation gain ( we gained 959)
⭐️ Stats based on AllTrails and Apple
.
Artist Point is in avalanche terrain, so it is best to check the NWAC avalanche forecast before venturing out (updated every night at 6pm).

Check out our reel below ⬇️

hiking, pnw, travel

Pnw Hike ~ Otter Falls

This was one of our wettest hikes of the 2024 Season. I almost had a mutiny to not do it when we pulled up and it was still dark and pouring rain outside . So thankful for the friends who wouldn’t let me mutiny and encouraged me to still do it .


It was so dark we had to have headlamps on to start so I had to include our pic of starting the hike. You start by walking through the forest for a few miles and navigate a few water crossings. Keep going until you come to the Otter Falls sign and then you go to the left . There is a bit of a hill to navigate over and then you come to a beautiful hidden rock face waterfall .

Heart Rock.. my sweet friend has a gift for finding them

It still amazes me that there are these hidden waterfalls in nature . And yes! It was totally worth it!

STATS
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
📍Otter and Big Creek Falls via Taylor River Trail
🧭 North Bend,Wa
🥾 9.5miles RT ( we came in at 9.06 )
🏔️ 902 ft elevation gain ( we gained 1000 )
⭐️ Stats based on AllTrails and Apple

Check out our reel of the hike ⬇️

family adventures, pnw, travel

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

“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/

pnw, Review, travel

Skamania Lodge Review

The husband and I were able to getaway for a few days to @skamanialodge for a romantic getaway right before Christmas which at first I thought was terrible timing but turned out to be just what we needed❤️
.
Skamania Lodge has so many things to offer not just for the two of us but for the whole family. There are two restaurants on property , coffee and tea service that is complimentary, Spa , game room set up with games ,adventures like zip lining , on property trails and their Holiday Walk during our stay.


We were able to hike on our way to the lodge and then enjoy the hot tub once we checked in , which was so nice! There is an indoor and outdoor one .. the outdoor was our favorite!


.
While we waited for our dinner reservations , we headed to the game room to play a game of chess. After dinner, we grabbed a complimentary umbrella and headed out for the Holiday Light Walk. It was an added treat and we enjoyed it . The best part was hearing an owl throughout the walk …so cool!


It’s no secret we love the Columbia Gorge area and Skamania Lodge is located in a great location to access so many different adventures . There are so many trails in this area to hike , so much history to immerse yourself in , and gorgeous views every where you look!

From our window


Have you ever visited the Columbia Gorge area? If so , what’s your favorite thing to do there?

Goals, hiking, travel

Columbia Gorge Hiking ~Shepperd’s Dell

View from the path ❤️

Shepperd’s Dell was one of the little stops on the Columbia Gorge that we literally could have driven right past and missed out on all this beauty!


I’m so thankful a friend told us about the trail from the road and that we stopped. It is a very short short hike down a beautiful path to the waterfall❤️ A bonus looking back up at the bridge and path .. I felt like we were in a whole different world

Check out our reel below and follow us for more adventures ❤️

coffee, Gathered thoughts, travel

Waking up to Beauty

I could wake up to this beauty every day ❤️ Even though you can’t see it , there was snow on the ground and the air was so crisp. I literally had to step carefully to not slip on ice on the deck.
.
So thankful to get to be in this moment .. hot coffee in hand at a beautiful home with the Columbia George in full view and laughter and chatting all around me.
.
Here’s to a year of many more memories like this❤️