Category Hiking
Waterfalls!
For this sunny Labor Day we joined (what felt like) literally everyone else in Seattle for a short hike to the Twin Falls. Despite the crowded trail, the trip was worth it. The falls were lovely and the late summer weather couldn’t have been more golden.
Ice caves!
When we booked this trip the offer of visiting an “ice cave” stood out as unusual among the tours we were considering. we didn’t know if it would be all that cool but decided to give it a try. So glad we did! It turns out to be one of the cooler things we saw. […]
Waterfalls!
Iceland is a land of wind and volcanoes and glaciers—and also waterfalls! They pour over the volcanic cliffs onto the flat coastland below. Highly dramatic and incredibly photogenic, they are sure crowd pleasers. The first one we visited was Seljalandsfoss, which was also the largest and busiest. Next, just a few hundred yards up the […]
Tongariro Alpine Crossing (or tramping past Mount Doom)
Aside from hanging out with the Hettingers and Kallmeyers, my only agenda item for New Zealand was to go “tramping” (as the locals call hiking) through the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Touted as one of the best day hikes in New Zealand, the 12-mile trail takes you through a nest of volcanic cones — including the […]
Okere Falls hike
What to do on New Year’s Day in Rotorua? Nature walks! We took our time getting up in the morning, enjoying the leisurely pace of holiday life (and in some cases recovering from jet lag). We had no concrete plans, but the weather was sunny and warm, and we saw no reason to stay indoors […]
Bloedel!
When I told Lady and Dad that Justin and I would be celebrating the 4th of July in Seattle, they decided to join us! They flew in on the afternoon of the 2nd just in time for the weather to turn cold and wet, which meant that instead of grilling steaks on the roof, we […]
Stirling!
On Saturday morning I checked out of the hotel early and picked a car from near the Glasgow train station. From there it was a quick, sunny drive to Stirling. Did I say it was sunny? This weekend is the best weather we’ve had all year! Anyway, Stirling is a pretty little town full of […]
North Head
New Year’s Eve Day was a bit of an odd one. It felt like a holiday but all the fun wouldn’t start until night-time. It was also our last full day in Sydney, and Amanda and I wanted to use it to do the last odds-and-ends that had caught our curiosity but not been done […]
Southern Highlands
On Sunday we rented a car for a day trip outside of Sydney. We considered going to the Blue Mountains (famed for their natural beauty) but ultimately settled on the Southern Highlands, since they offered both natural beauty (a waterfall!) and cute villages (shops!). All of the in-town car rental agencies were sold out, so […]
Three Peaks Challenge: Mount Snowdon
We drove through the night from the Lake District in northwestern England to Snowdownia in northern Wales. We were sweaty and sore from the two previous hikes, and I dearly wished to sleep. Alas, it was at best a night of fitful dozing. At 4am we arrived at the base of Mount Snowdon, the last […]
A More Gentlemanlike Manner 