Tag: hiking

family adventures, hiking, pnw

Horsetail & Ponytail Falls Hike ~Columbia River Gorge

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Horsetail Falls is located in the “Waterfall Corridor “ of the Historic Columbia River Highway. It plunges a 176ft over a basalt cliff and is absolutely breathtaking. This waterfall is easily accessible for all . There is plenty of parking across the street but on sunny days come early because it fills up quickly.

If you want to add another short hike to Pony Tail Falls (Horsetail Falls #438) you will follow the trail to the left . It is a bit steep at first but it’s short so hang with it because when you come around a bend there is a beautiful waterfall that is in sight and feeds the Horsetail Falls. It cascades over a cliff and you can walk behind it . There is a beautiful pool that in the summer we have played in. It’s almost like a hidden pool…So beautiful!

📍Horsetail Falls and Ponytail Falls
🧭 Cascade Locks , Or
🥾 .8 miles RT ( we came in at 1.04)
🏔️ 301 ft elevation gain ( we gained 294)
⭐️ Stats based on AllTrails and Apple

Check out our reel with videos below ⬇️

family adventures, hiking, pnw

Pinnacle Peak Park via Cal Magnusson Trail Hike to Fire Lookout Tower

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Elevation Hike that makes you work for it! Mt Peak in Enumclaw has two routes .. Long and steady or short and steep . We took the short and steep on this trip .



Once we made it to the top , we enjoyed a break in the beautiful Fire Lookout and snapped some pics. It took us just about 2 hours round trip . Below are our stats⬇️

📍Pinnacle Peak Park via Cal Magnusson Trail
🧭 Enumclaw, WA
🥾 2.7miles RT ( we came in at 2.5)
🏔️ 1299 ft elevation gain ( we gained 1004)
⭐️ Stats based on AllTrails and Apple

DIY, Gift, Marriage

Valentine Love Tickets ~ Perfect Gift for Valentines

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Check out how cute these Valentine love tickets are❤️


They are the perfect gift and guess what? They are free! You just need to follow our blog or follow us on Instagram @redeemingbeautyfamilyadventures ,then like this post and comment ❤️ below and I will send your free printable to you. Super easy and your Valentines gift is already done! Yay!!


They are great to tuck into a card or a box of chocolates ❤️ You can use all of them or just a few.. My favorite is the outdoor adventure one… hmmm .. maybe I’ll print 12 of those and have one for each month? How fun would that be!



How will you use them?

family adventures, hiking, pnw

Gold Creek Pond Snowshoe

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Gold Creek Pond Snowshoe is a perfect beginner Snowshoe ✨

It’s located 1 hour from Seattle, and offers some of the best winter views . Check the trail conditions and snowfall before you head out. I always like to check WTA and AllTrails for recent reviews of the trail so I know more of what to expect.

Details of the Snowshoe
📍Gold Creek Pond
✅ Snow Park Permit required
🥾 Elevation Gain 45ft (we came in at 72ft)
⭐️ Distance 1.2 mile (we came in at 1.9 )
🏔️ Difficulty easy

Stats are based on AllTrails

One of the bridges we crossed

If you are planning to visit Gold Creek Pond, here are a few things you should know before you go:

It’s in Snoqualmie Pass, WA
You will take the Hyak exit
If the road is closed , add 1/2 mile to your distance.
Dog Friendly
Microspikes /Snowshoes are advised
Roads may be icy and may have snow so be prepared with chains in case they are needed.

Frozen Lake

Check out our Snowshoe Adventure at Whitepass if you want to add another Snowshoe to your list this winter

Bringing in the New Year on the Slopes

pnw, Review, travel

Skamania Lodge Review

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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❤️
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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.

Fireside w/view King


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!

Playing chess


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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?

Beautiful Lobby
Views❤️
Looking ahead to the New Year

Goals, hiking, travel

Columbia Gorge Hiking ~Shepperd’s Dell

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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!

Beautiful path to the bottom
Views from the bottom are priceless
View from road


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, Review, travel

Thirsty Coffee Bar Review

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Check out this hidden gem @thirsty_coffeebar in the Cascade locks area. It was such a sweet reward of coffee after we finished hiking the Colombia Gorge area.


We loved so much about this adorable coffee shop ,like the puzzle that was set out to build , chess boards throughout, photo ops with the joy wall and seating areas ,the adorable water station ,and ofcourse the coffee ❤️ We could have spent our whole day here.

Sign in book


One of the other special touches that we really loved was the Bible verse on the floor, such a sweet touch❤️

“When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭94‬:‭19‬ ‭ESV‬‬

They also have a punchcard to get a free drink ..yay! More coffee❤️
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If you are in the Colombia Gorge area, stop by and support this small business❤️❤️

Check out our reel below ⬇️

hiking, Review, travel

But First Coffee ☕️

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Randonnee Coffee Co @randonneecoffee was a great place to stop and grab coffee on our way back home from our hiking trip. It was super cute and the baristas were so nice! They even tried to help us plan lunch by recommending a stop ❤️

They offered a great selection of drinks including matcha tea , cappuccinos ,Cortado and so many flavors of lattes …yum! And the food smelled amazing! We could smell bacon just going in the store ❤️


Add this to your list of stops on your next adventure when you are in the Columbia River Gorge area…it’s a must see and offers great coffee❤️

Gathered thoughts, hiking

Mountain Goals

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So true ⭐️

Check out some of our hikes

  • The Ultimate Family Stop After Exploring the Gorge ~ Thunder Island Brewing Co
    Looking for the perfect post-hike stop in the Columbia River Gorge? Thunder Island Brewing Co in Cascade Locks offers Mountain View’s, craft beer brewed with adventure in mind, and a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere. Whether you’re coming off the trails near Bridge of the Gods or just exploring the Gorge with your kids, this spot is the ideal place to unwind, refuel, and take in those incredible river views.

Family activity, family adventures, Goals, pnw

Family Adventure ~ Little Si

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We were up early to try to beat the crowds and were so thankful when we pulled in a little after 8am and there was still parking! Yay! Praise God!

The trail starts steep but then levels out for a bit where you almost think ,”where is the elevation gain? “ Oh no worries .. the last part of the hike is all elevation.

Be on the lookout for rock climbers also. We saw several sets of them ascending the rock face which was very cool.

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As you get closer to the summit you will have some rock scrambling so trekking poles are super helpful especially coming down.

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When you come to the top clearing you are met on the left side with a stunning view( top picture on this post) ! In fact it may be our favorite view even more then the summit!

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Then you climb a little more and are on the summit of Little Si. Mt.Si is behind you and the whole Snoqualmie Valley is in front of you .

Such a fun family hike! It took us about 3 hours round trip and we logged just over 4.5 miles on our Apple Watch.