Maybe I’m biased, but I like the simplicity of theme parks. Seems out of sync with my nature loving self but as a weekend getaway theme parks are easy entertainment. You’ve got dining, food and fun all at your fingertips and since Orlando is less than three hours from home we typically buy annual passes. As we’ve been so many times I will be doing this blog post in a slightly different format to my usual weekend away formula.

Let’s talk hotels first….

Really you have so many choices but if you’re flying in you can rent a car or uber. If you are staying on site uber is probably the easiest, least expensive option. Once you’re at an on site hotel you won’t have to leave until it’s time to go back to the airport.

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I’ve only had the pleasure of staying at two of universal’s many on site hotels. The first is Cabana Bay. You have the choice of a motor court style motel feel or rooms that have a door in an inner corridor. I adore this hotel for a few reasons. Firstly, if you’re spending a day or weekend at Volcano bay waterpark this hotel has walking access and it’s own security gate allowing you to enter the park before nearly everyone and getting your choice of seats. It also makes for an easy walk back to your room without having to ride or wait for a shuttle dripping wet. Secondly, the vibe is akin to being transported back in time. Everything is brand new but has the feeling of being in the 1960’s right down to the V05 shampoo in the bathroom. This hotel offers really fabulous quick service dining options that are filling and a good value. There are several stations with different food options and each of them offers kids meals. There is an on site bowling alley, a Starbucks, a lazy river/ pool and a fire pit for roasting s’mores. As a more moderately priced hotel option I don’t feel like you can go wrong. Even if you’re doing the other two theme parks the shuttle is quick and convenient.

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The deluxe hotel we have stayed in is the Lowe’s Royal Pacific hotel. I love this Polynesian themed hotel. The rooms have queen beds, some with pool views. Frankly, for the price I do feel like these rooms are on the smaller side but the benefits that accompany the room make it a decent value. If you like to start your day at Islands of Adventure park this is the fastest hotel to walk there. It takes roughly 15 min to walk from the lobby, through security, to the front turnstiles. They offer a water taxi option as well. This is nice when you’ve had a long day at the park and don’t feel like walking back. This hotel has Tuk tuk quick service offering a few breakfast, lunch and dinner options. It has a bar side grill with American food, a sushi restaurant, a luau dinner show and the islands dining room with breakfast, lunch and dinner options. The breakfast buffet is delicious. For $26 it includes drinks, an omelette station, cereals, pastries and typical American breakfast fare like eggs and sausage. Children are $15. It makes for a great, filling start to the day. You can make reservations on open table.

Ok. So the self parking here is $28 a night. That’s the least expensive of the deluxe hotel options. Staying at this resort gives you the option to resort pool hoo. That’s right… you can use the pools at hard rock or Portofino bay or the lazy river at cabana bay if you want. Your room key allows access to the neighborhood hotels pools and parking lots. This is nice because if you plan to end your day at Universal studios you can park at the Hard rock and walk over shortening your walk back if you drive a car. The other thing your room key here gets you is the unlimited express passes for the entire length of your stay for every member of your party. If you arrive Friday afternoon you can hit the parks and you can go even after you check out on Sunday. 3 days of express passes for 2 hotel nights stays. During peak dates these can be a value of $170 per person per day. So with a family of 4 staying two nights you’ve essentially paid for your hotel costs just by using the express passes. You can also charge to your room key eliminating the need to carry a wallet to the parks. One card for hotel, charging and express passes. Your theme park tickets, unfortunately, are not available on this. You can upload them to the app digitally though. This is a great convenience for passholders.

Now if you choose to stay off site and have a car you can park in the main parking garage, pay an outrageous sum and work your way through thousands of other tourists trying to move through security. Then you can take your tickets to will call, wait through that line and then go through another line at the turnstiles to enter the park. Or… you can book a dinner reservation at one of the resorts, park your car there for the day. Take your ticket voucher to the ticket counter inside the air conditioned hotel lobby where there is generally no line, exchange it for your park tickets, walk from the hotel through their security, which typically also has no line, and right up to the turnstiles. This will save you maybe an hour of time and frustration and make getting to the park faster. When you’ve finished for the day, go to your dinner reservation and enjoy. We love eating at the kitchen at hard rock, but sal’s Italian market at portofino bay is an easy dinner place as well. Really, there are numerous options at all of the deluxe resorts. Now before you leave ask them to validate your parking. Yep, they will cover the entire parking fee (at hard rock this is $42) for the day. Now you’ve parked for the cost of a dinner, you’ve eliminated nearly all of the time wasting lines and you’ve shortened the distance to your exit at the end of a long day. Does it work? Yes, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with doing this, but it’s not advertised.

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You finally made it to the parks. Which will you choose? There’s Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure or Volcano bay waterpark. Typically when we stay for the weekend we choose whichever park is open latest and do that park the evening we arrive, we do the waterpark the day will be able to wake up early and back to the room to shower, and we choose the other park to spend Sunday morning through afternoon enjoying. You can choose any combination you’d like. Find some time to wander though city walk as well.

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One of the treats you’ll find there is Voodoo donuts. You can either wait in a long line or do a mobile order. Hint hint. The mobile order is easy and even offers some donut choices you can get when you stand in line. The blueberry lemonade we got was fantastic! Take a photos with the iconic donut chair while you’re there.

There are nightclubs, fast food, movie theaters, tattoo shops and restaurants all within city walk. We love a good dinner at Cowfish which offers up something for everyone from sushi to burgers. There’s also the Hard Rock restaurant which is separate from the hard rock resort.

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If you’re craving a milkshake there’s Toothsome Chocolate Emporium, personally haven’t eaten here but it didn’t seem to have a lot of options, however the building is fantastical. We usually do the Kitchen at Hard rock resort because my kids love the food and the outrageous dessert. My husband and I inevitably split the burger and fries, the hilarious kids menu makes it easy to choose whether your kids say “ I don’t know”, “I want McDonald’s” or “I don’t care”… it’s all on the menu!

The showstopper here is the 3 pound, 7 layer cake for $45. You can do the challenge that includes a burger and fries and get it for free but even with 4 of us only having dessert we’ve never finished this cake. It’s rich and it’s massive but if you’re splitting a huge dessert several ways it’s worth the splurge.

Ok, back to the parks. Islands of Adventure has the majority of roller coasters from Hulk to the brand new Velocicoaster, which for my money, is the best coaster I’ve ever ridden.

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There is also Seuss landing for younger kids with gentler rides that can still be fun for all ages. The carousel is under construction right now but it’s a neat way to dive into the class books.

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There is a land of Greek mythology. Where Poseidon’s adventure, Mythos restaurant and an interactive water feature reside. This is also where you can grab some great shots across the pond of the park.

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There is a cartoon land with a few very wet water rides and a Marvel comic themed land with characters and rides both indoor and out.

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Then there’s one half of the iconic Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The other half lying at the Studios. On this side lies Hogsmeade and Hogwarts castle. You can attend a wand ceremony, drink gillyweed, enjoy a hot butterbeer at Three Broomsticks, and avoid moaning Myrtle in the bathrooms.

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You can use your wand to produce “magical” spells throughout both lands by looking for bronze plates in the street and waving your wand accordingly. From turning on lights to making it rain; everyone has a good time with these spells.

Next up in Universal Studios. This area is based on popular movies from ET to TV shows like the Simpsons. This also has Diagon Alley and the London based parts of Harry Potter. You can walk over via city walk or you can take the Hogwarts express train. This train has a different show depending which direction you take.

The best part, in my opinion, is taking it from Kings Cross station and going through the 9 3/4 platform. Make sure to pay attention when the party in front of you walks through so you don’t miss the magic!

Of course in london you can see the night bus, dial the ministry of magic from a red phone booth or knock on the townhouse door on Grimauld place. Don’t forget to pick up a chocolate frog!

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Of course there are planets of other rides to choose from like Transformers, Men in Black, and the Rip Rode Rocket coaster that covers a large portion of the park, let’s you choose your ride music and takes you over numerous twists and turns.

Of course, throughout the year Universal studios has several wonderful themed nights that take advantage of the season from Mardi Gras in the spring to Halloween horror nights in the fall. If you can attend during one of these times it’s a whole extra experience.

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Finally, we have Volcano Bay. This is the newest park offering and I feel like they’ve done a great job. They offer lockers, lounge seats, several dining options that have mobile ordering, cabanas for an extra fee, and great rides. One stand out here is the tapu tapu system. When lines are long and it’s hot the last thing you want to do is and in the blazing sun waiting for hours for a ride. Here they’ve come up with a virtual line. Tap your watch and it gives you a return time while you go enjoy the pool or rovers or wait for another ride. We always take advantage of early admission that comes with our on site hotel and can get several of the popular rides done in the first hour. Then we spend the day enjoying the wave pool or the wild river. They do have a lazy river but the wild one includes a much faster moving current and waves while you float using a life vest instead of a raft. I feel like the rides here are longer than at other parks and run the gamut from drops to rafts to slides so there’s something for everyone. They’ve done a great job. Make sure to go inside the interactive water park inside the volcano.

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Volcano bay has plenty of its own eating choices. I really like the eclectic offerings here. You can do pizza and an icee, Corn dogs or chicken curry! They even has a choice of alcoholic drinks.

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One thing that isn’t offered anywhere else and I think should be a must try is the Waturi fusion. A waffle cone featuring a rainbow swirl of banana, blue raspberry, strawberry and orange ice cream. It’s a beautiful, refreshing treat on a hot day.

If you’re considering a trip to one of Orlando’s many great theme parks I hope a few days at Universal Studios Orlando make it on your itinerary.

Known as the crown jewel of Oregon state parks, silver parks has over 9000 acres to explore. The number one trail is the 8.7 mile Trail of Ten Falls. As the name implies, it passes by, under or around 10 different waterfalls. The largest of which is south falls standing at 270 feet. The smallest, just 35 feet. The trail is well marked and easy with only a little elevation and a few lose rocks here and there. It’s a delightful way to spend a few hours. I opted to spend the night at the campground in a tent.

For $30 you get a very nice, fairly private tent space along with fire pit and picnic table. The main road is paved, the spots are level and the bathrooms plentiful. The nice thing is that each shower is a private lockable room to itself to. They also offer cabins around $60 and RV sites with full hook ups. By campground standards there are loads of trees for shade and privacy and it feels very well maintained. It’s easy to book both online ahead of time and in person on the day of via a kiosk. The rangers will come around and put a tag on your car which acts as your pass to visit the day use hiking area. If you don’t have a state parks pass this will save you $5. The best part is how close you are to the hike. You can walk the extra mile to the trailhead or simply drive. I arrived in the later afternoon snd took advantage of a warm day to explore Abiqua falls just 30 minutes up the road.

This waterfall is not considered part of the park and doesn’t charge a fee either. It is, however, more difficult to find and I thank the comments section on AllTrails for directing me. You will see a sign that states pavement ending and see a large brown sign, turn right onto this lumber road and when you come to a Y turn right again, and again at the next Y. If you don’t have a 4 wheel drive with higher clearance consider stopping at the second parking area you see and walk a few extra miles from there. If you have higher clearance drove until you don’t feel like your car will continue or, if you’re lucky, to the trailhead. I have an SUV and felt ok driving to within a mile or so of the trailhead. The trail begins to the left and you’ll see a sign stating private property but ok for recreational use. You again have choices to go left or right on this trail and I went left. There were two sections with ropes. The second I had to make use of the ropes to prevent going down on my butt and I noticed others not as fortunate. Once you reach the river you will be scrambling a semblance of a trail that is mostly walking either in the river or over numerous rocks. It’s worth it because the end of this 0.7 mile trail is a beautiful basalt column amphitheater with a bountiful fall. The rest of the trail is beautiful as well.

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Once I’d taken a bunch of photographs I made my way back up. I definitely needed the ropes and a little time to make my heart stop beating out of my chest for the ascent. It’s very steep and involves climbing over fallen trees. This trail is not for the weak. After the initial climb the trail back to the car is a fairly gradual uphill that’s mostly shaded. This one is worth a detour from the state park.

I made it to my campsite before sunset, set up my tent, ate and showered. I woke just after sunrise to get to the south falls trailhead early on a Friday morning. I was the fourth car in the lot. Three hours later the lot was completely full including several school buses. There are plenty of picnic tables in both sun and shade, several bathrooms, a lodge serving hot food and a nature store. I had a little picnic in the shade before driving home. The trail is pretty well marked and you can just wander around staying in either the south or north loops. I began with the south and explored these astounding waterfalls from many angles. There were times I was able to climb some rocks to step into the river and just listen to the babbling brook and taking in the peaceful morning days of sun.

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Despite it being such a popular hike I never really heard or saw many other hikers until much later in the day. So definitely go early for the peace and quiet.

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It really is amazing behind able to walk behind these behemoth falls and in photos it is hard to get an idea of how truly massive the caves behind them really are.

The green is vibrant and every nook and cranny of this beautiful space is bubbling with life.

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The water here runs cold and crystal clear. At one spot where I chose to dip my toes into the water I did find a crayfish walking about, although I didn’t see any fish or frogs. This place is truly an adult (and family) playground in the Pacific Northwest. The same basalt columns can be found in the rocks in this park as well.

If you’re in the area, near Eugene or Salem, you really should add this half day trip to your must see list.

Starting in Brookings; Oregon coast’s southernmost city I worked my way up most of the coast in two days. August is a perfect time to explore the coast. Compared to the inland areas, the coast has mild, beautiful weather.

Secret beach is a few miles north of Brookings. There are no signs, just a pull out with, hopefully, only a few cars. Head down a steep dirt path towards the water and you’ll arrive on a hill overlooking some of the clearest water you’ll ever see. If you can navigate your way down the rocky slope you can put your feet into the dark sand and wander around the sea stacks for a while. Look around, there’s even a waterfall at the beach. Once you’ve gotten your full, head back up the rocks and follow a trail into the woods for as long as you’d like to go. You can hear the ocean lapping the shores while being surrounded by trees. It’s peaceful out here.

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Heading north, Gold Beach is a very small town. It’s best known for fishing or Rogue river jet tours. The Cannery houses Fisherman’s Direct Seafood if you’d like to bring home fresh, frozen or canned local seafood. From spending a day combing the beach for agates to taking a fishing charter out, there are a couple of great choices to spend a half day out here.

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A little bit further north you’ll come to Sister rock. This is a quiet hike that, at low tide you can explore sea caves or just enjoy walking through blackberry and flower ensconced trails. The views from the top are spectacular and the tide pools are fun to explore.

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Oregon has nature’s bounty wrapped up tight. If you can manage; bring a cooler packed with ice. You’ll want to bring some treat home for later- or for a snack. Just after Sisters rock is the prehistoric gardens. A dinosaur themed walking tour that’s great for kids, or for stretching your legs.

Now back to food. In the town of Langois I found Jensen’s blueberry farm. An honor system farm that takes cash, a 2 pound bucket of u-pick blueberries was $5.

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Not too much of a drive later I found myself in the Old Town of Bandon. What a neat place, from the tourist shopping stores full of fudge to the artsy shops to the neat murals this town is a great long stop to stretch your legs and take your time.

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If you’re craving chowder, stop into any of the fish and chips places along the pier. I chose the blue fish & chips chowder house and their cup of chowder was creamy goodness served piping hot.

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I stopped into the Stillwagon Distillery to samples some rums and walked out with a nice, mildly peaty whisky for my husband. They are produced in Charleston, Oregon just up the road. I also stopped into Coastal Mist Chocolatier for dessert. Let me tell you now, if you go nowhere else along the Oregon coast for food; make this a priority. Bring friends, order multiple items. I ordered a pain de chocolate to go, affogato with their house made creme brulee gelato and a dark chocolate ganache bombe to sample in store. Everything was mind blowing. The worst part was having to limit my choices to 3 things.

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There is an art museum that uses trash found from the ocean. It’s a neat place that also teaches responsibility for our refuse.

Before heading out of town be sure to plan a nice pit stop at Rock face creamery. They offer Umqua brand ice cream, three different kinds of cheese including curds. You can watch these being made on site. They also have very nice restrooms.

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The best part is that in a nice day you can sit outside and run next door for a locally brewed cider beverage from Bandon Rain and basks in the sunshine enjoying your cider and fresh cheese snacks.

Hours later, I continued north to meet a friend for dinner in Coos Bay. We stopped into Shark Bites for fish and chips and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality. Hand cut fries have never been a favorite but, here they were perfectly done. The fish was cooked to perfection as well. While I didn’t enjoy the coleslaw or tarter sauce, the main meal was delicious.

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We walked off our large portions of food by strolling the numerous antique shops.

As well as looking around at the Prefontain loving art around town. He was a phenomenal runner who once called Coos Bay home.

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With more time left in the day, we opted to drive further north to catch Thor’s well. This short, paved hike ends in an ocean sprayed bed of volcanic rocks that beg exploration. Make sure to pack decent hiking shoes because sandals won’t cut it once you leave the trail.

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Aside from the tide pools, there’s also a soft sand beach that’s ripe for a stroll if you go during low tide.

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Just up the road from here in Florence are sea lion caves, but they were closed by the time we made it this far. There are also dunes with a few places to rent ATVs or take tours. Maybe next time.

The most had settled in Yachats when I drove through so I took in the cute shops by car. Then I topped for the night in Newport. This is a cute town with a historic bay front, the Oregon aquarium and village and is full of dining choices.

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After enough seafood, I was craving pizza and I’d passed by a few Abby’s to make an easy, but late night dinner choice. They close at 9pm and I just snuck in, in time. I was able to order a small half & half specialty pizza. I like Hawaiian but also wanted something pretty traditional and landed on the Abby’s special.

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Another early morning on the road crossed the massive bridge and drove into the Yaquina Head lighthouse national monument area. Your America the beautiful pass is accepted here. While tours of the lighthouse don’t happen until 10am, you can still enjoy the surrounding area including a huge tide pool area and rocky pebble beach.

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Going early means easy parking. My stop stopover was devils punchbowl state park. There’s a great viewpoint of the punchbowl from the top and a huge staircase leading to the beach below.

In low tide you can explore both. The beach is massive and a must see.

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Wishing I had more time to explore this serene beach, I just had to keep moving on.

Still early in the morning I arrived to Depoe Bay; whale watching capital of Oregon before stores opened up. This gave me the opportunity to stroll the Main Street without too many people around.

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I’ll have to come back during the fall migration. For now, heading north I drove past the vast Lincoln City beaches with skies full of colorful kites and shops starting to fill with people. There seems to be quite a bit to spend a solid day here enjoying.

I kept driving to my final destination. The Tillamook creamery. The scenery changes from the coastline views to farmlands filled with cattle and rolling hills. It’s beautiful in a different way. The temps also tend to sneak up as you no longer have the coastline cooking things down. It was still a pleasant 80 degrees and sunny.

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The Creamery is a very popular destination. Luckily the tours are free and self guided meaning no lines. An in depth tour is offered only on Thursday’s for $20 and it was a Wednesday. The shop is fun to find souvenirs or bring home cheesy delights. I picked up an 11 year aged cheddar, some curds and a few other things.

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The line outside for ice cream was intense. I waited for about 15 min with the smells of cattle wafting over the area and decided I didn’t feel like waiting another 30 min for a cone. Wednesday afternoon, I wasn’t expecting this level of crowds. So I drove south a few minutes to the much less busy, but still cool Blue Heron French cheese factory. If you have children they may prefer this place. They offer a petting zoo, ice cream (yes, Tillamook), a deli and both indoor and outdoor tables. As it was lunchtime I skipped the ice cream and took advantage of the days special.

The $8.50 bacon beer Mac n cheese was fantastic! Very filling, very tasty. If you go and it’s offered; it’s a no brainer. I had a brochure from my hotel that gave me either a free wine or 21oz soda. With a 6 hour drive ahead of me, I chose the fountain soda. I sat inside and enjoyed my meal. Then I grabbed an adorable farm themed truffle to take home.

I took my time getting home. It’s only 245 miles to this point but with average road speeds being posted at 55mph and most times real traffic meaning less speed, especially through so many towns, it’s a long winding drive back home. I’ll save the last few northern coast cities for another trip. There are so many things to do along the way, I had to make the decision to cut out some things. For instance, the dunes, the sea lion caves and a few state parks. Thank goodness I have more time to explore this amazing state.

Created as the 6th National Park in America, once a religious site for native Americans, and the deepest lake in North America at just under 2000 feet; Crater Lake is Oregon’s only national park and 100% worth a visit!

I’ll be the first to admit, if it’s a national park it’s on my bucket list. Not everyone would prefer to spend their adventures in the great outdoors, but Crater Lake is one of those parks that allows visitors to choose their own adventure. One can opt to drive the 33 mile rim loop and stop at various points along the way and take in the wonder that is this sapphire gem. Or they can choose to do a deep dive, literally. Cleetwood cove is the only spot on the lake you can hike down to the water and take a 35 foot plunge from a cliff. The average water temperature is 60 degrees during the summer and there are changing rooms located at the bottom of the trail, but no restrooms. This hike is not for the faint of heart. Going down a maintained dirt trail with several benches for rest is fine, a little steep, but manageable. Hiking back up the 700 feet of elevation gain over the course of 1.1 miles does take a little more effort. Especially if you’re not from somewhere with a higher altitude as it sits around 7000’. But the views at the bottom whether you opt to try your hand at cliff diving or simply dip your feet in are worth the effort. The water is a mesmerizing, clear blue.

There are no rivers that feed into this lake, all the water is created by snow melt or rain making it one of the cleanest bodies of natural water. I’ve heard stories you can drink straight from it, but I’d still prefer not to test that theory. Typically, they offer boat tours to wizard island during the summer but during Covid they have been halted. Cleetwood cove is the location to take those tours, but on the bright side it means a completely empty lake save for the visitors hanging out on the edge of the cove.

I started on the north entrance and made a left a few miles to the cove, did that hike, then proceeded to keep driving and continually hopping out of my car along the way. There is something absolutely mesmerizing about this crater turned lake.

The lake measures 6 miles by roughly 4 miles and you have a hard time taking it all in. My suggestion is to arrive early because in the summer the smoke from wildfires tends to move in by late afternoon and in winter the storm clouds roll in and they both tend to obscure views. As you can see in the photo taken a few hours later when I’d made it to the visitors center, you couldn’t even see the lake.

As I was saying earlier; you can also choose to get dirty and put some effort into visiting all the nooks and crannies surrounding this lake. There are numerous trails labeled as easy , moderate or strenuous and each of them offers something new. If you can spend a night or two here it makes it much easier to explore before the inevitable lack of visibility takes it’s toll. On the first night I accepted I might not see much, but still waited for sunset. I spent my first night in a cabin. The matanzas campground has quite a few RV & tent spaces as well as several quad formation style cabins. All of the cabins have been renovated. They feature two Queen beds, a separate bathroom area with shower, a keurig coffee maker, and a bistro style table and chairs, as well as heat (no AC or fan). They have been upgraded with USB charging stations as well as your typical outlets. I found them to be fairly spacious and private. At around $170 a night I think they’re a better deal for the money than the lodge. There is a restaurant located at the campground that serves pizza, burgers, wraps and soup. The menu is fairly limited and it’s not cheap but it does fill the void. I brought some bananas and oatmeal cups with me and used the hot water from the keurig for breakfast. I ordered the vegetable pizza for dinner. It was ok. The crust was over cooked and hard, the dough too much and the veggies were chopped so small you could hardly taste them and the base was pesto. I’m picky about pizza and maybe if I’d have just had a pepperoni it would’ve been better. The dining area is one of those order up front and they bring it to you type of deals and the staff are friendly and the fireplace is a welcomed feature. By nightfall the temps get pretty chilly even in August. My luggage unpacked, my belly full and with enough time to explore I headed out to watchman tower to see the sunset. Undeterred by the smoke I found two trails, the rim trail was fun and difficult. A lot of deep soft sand, steep up hills and rocks to scramble. Not for the faint of heart.

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After spending about 45 minutes here I only had about 20 to get to the top of the watchman trail located to the opposite side of the same parking lot. This trail is much, much easier. It’s rated as moderate due to some incline but it’s well maintained and if you take more time than I did, it’s a lovely hike. I managed to sprint the just shy of 1 mile trail in 15 minutes. I was rewarded with a beautiful view of a smoky sunset that appeared to dip below the edge of the world.

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The wind around the rim is intense. Even standing a few feet back reduces the breeze allowing you to warm but once the sun sets it gets chilly fast. It was a very easy walk back to my car and about a 7 mile drive to the campground. I changed and snuggled into my bed. I woke in time to throw on some clothes and drive out to discovery point for a beautiful view of the sun rising over the lake.

I have heard that Cloudcap point is a stellar spot for sunrise but it was a 30 min drive from the campground on a road that has a steep drop off and broken pavement and I wasn’t feeling like dealing with that in the dark. Besides, I think I had a wonderful view all the same.

It was still early and I wanted to see Pinnacle point before the construction work closed the road for the majority of the day so I drove that potholed, crooked road in daylight and took a 6 mile spur road to the end for a very easy short hike to see the pumice stone jagged formations.

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I got the middle of road shot I’ve never felt safe doing, but always wanted. This was the very end of a dead end road at 6am without a single person out on the road.

Afterwards I was able to stop at Vidae falls on my way back to the cabin. I was underwhelmed. Very little water was trickling at this point of summer. When I got back to the cabin I showered, packed and ate. Then I left my key card behind as instructed and set out for a day of hiking. First on the list was Garfield peak trail before the sun got too hot. This is labeled as strenuous and begins to the far side of the lodge. It is a 3.6 mile round trip with 1000’ of gain in the first 1.8 miles. It reaches over 8000’ elevation making the strong effort to climb even stronger. At some points it does get a little more technical with a bunch of rocks littered on the ground. There are so many great places to enjoy the view it’s easy to rest along the way.

I was rewarded with some of the most amazing views for my journey. The top offers a 180 degree view of nearly the entirety of the lake.

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I started in sweats and was ready to strip to a tank by the time I got back to the car. I enjoyed taking photos, enjoying my hard fought view and rested for a bit.

Back at the lodge I basked in the sunlight and pointed the way to this hike. From the lodge it’s not marked, it’s not until you’re almost on the trail that you see the marker. Most of the trails were labeled this same way.

After being disappointed by one fall I was reticent to take the time to hike the 2 mile roundtrip to Plaikni falls. This is an old growth forest with a waterfall ending. Turns out I needn’t have worried. I enjoyed the hike. I was the easiest so far (except pinnacle) through massive trees.

One behemoth fell across the path and a detour was created to go around it, but I couldn’t resist jumping in for a picture with this mighty tree.

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Pushing on, the road elevates a small amount and then you begin to hear water. This flowing waterfall is impressive. Created by snow melt it still runs full and cold in the middle of summer. I relished taking off my shoes and dipping my toes in the pool of water near the bottom.

Next up was sun notch trail. Every spot worth stopping has ample parking even at the height of tourist season. One thing I definitely appreciate. There was never a point I couldn’t park at any of the sights. Sun notch was the same. This is a short easy loop that leads to views of the phantom ship formation.

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I especially loved how the still, glasslike lake cast a reflection of the stone formations around and within itself.

Following along the road back towards the campground I picked one last trail I hadn’t had time for before leaving in the morning. The Annie creek canyon trail is a roughly 2 mile loop that winds its way through a forest and down into a canyon with pumice formations and a crystal clear stream surrounded by lush grasses.

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This trail begins at the amphitheater in the back of loop D & E in the campground. There ain’t much parking but it’s not too far from the huge camp store parking lot. If you follow it all the way around make sure to go the same direction you left because it doesn’t end at the same place it begins. I added some bonus miles in that didn’t need to be there.

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Finally I arrived to the lodge for one overnight. I always look forward to staying in these 1920s era buildings. This one had rooms that were straight 1940s decor. From the hexagonal bathroom tiles to the mini flower print wallpaper. It was as if I’d been transported in time. These rooms are very small, they do come with a fan and a bathtub which is nice after a day of hiking. They don’t use electronic keys so you do have to check out when you leave. They have a keurig and a desk with a chair in the room, but also provide complimentary coffee at the front desk. For $100 more a night I didn’t feel it was worth the splurge for any reason except I would’ve been left wondering what these rooms would look like. Next time I’ll camp or get a cabin. Dinner is one of three buffet choice. During Covid no part of the lodge is accessible to anyone other than registered guests.I day nights dinner was bbq. Coming from the south I was preparing for disappointment. At $48 per person that doesn’t include more than coffee, tea or water for a drink and a buffet service that included standing in a long line I was partially correct. Dinner, however was pretty good and the waitstaff, again, so friendly. The brisket was a little over cooked but tasty, the soup yummy, the salmon was my favorite, bbq chicken thighs turn my stomach so didn’t really get into that. They did include some things like tofu apple white cheddar grits. I was hoping for better but it had a mushy peas consistency and the flavor was odd. I’ll say it… grits are better in the south. The item that tied with the salmon was their white cheddar mac n cheese. They even have chicken tenders and fries for children. The roll served with dinner was cold and dry. I was so sad because o love a good dinner roll and even soup didn’t make it edible. Dessert was a choice of Marion every cheesecake, cobbler or a chocolate cake. Given the experience with the dry roll I wasn’t taking a chance on a dry cake and opted for the marionberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream. It was tasty but again, not a typical cobbler I’d expect from the south. Overall I definitely didn’t feel like this was a good value for the price. In general, food was mediocre if plentiful. It was, however, the only option available at the lodge. Bring your money to dinner too because they do not offer room charges despite putting a hold fee on the card you check in the room using. The bar is open until 9pm and dinner is offered by reservations only when checking in from 5-8pm. Thursday through Monday they have a $18 breakfast buffet that I suspect is done in the same manner as dinner and the rest of the week are grab and go options. I was glad I’d brought my own breakfast. Leaving the park, there are two options. The north gate, or the South Gate. This time I left via the South Gate and passed numerous state park campgrounds. In this area I took a detour to upper rouge river natural bridge and used the restroom facilities and walked to the bridge. It was a paved walk I was able to complete on easily in sandals. I passed a woodpecker hunting for breakfast and heard the fish of water before I saw it.

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This detour took me all of 5 min off of the main road and was stunning. It was so much better than I anticipated. From bunking white waters to a cave to the hauntingly beautiful trees. This is a campground area as well and probably the one I’d choose to return to as it’s only an hour outside of the main visitors center.

All in all this one is a must see. It’s much less busy than many national parks with a great amount of fun to fill a couple of days. Like most parks it is remote so come prepared and enjoy life outdoors!

I’m staying on the Oregon coast just a few miles from the California border so I drove an hour south. Right now the highway south of Crescent City is closed for 4 hours at a time for construction so what would normally be a 2 hour drive to the national park can be up to 6. That said, did you know there are two other places to hike the Redwoods? One is the Oregon redwood trail, the northernmost limit of the redwoods; and Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park in Ca. This is the one I chose, specifically the fern trail to the Boy Scout tree. Both of these are state parks.

Crossing into California you stop at the border crossing station, this involves barely saying hello to a guard before being waved on. I imagine it’s a bigger deal in a camper as they ask about fruits and animals. Making a turn from the 101 to the 199 and then onto a very small, windy dirt road for a few hours you will wonder if you’re lost. Especially if you’re an early bird. I was the only car on the graded dirt road at 9am. However, the trailhead has bathrooms and designated parking spaces and all but one of the parking spots were full. There is ample parking dotted along the roads as well. This was evidenced by the number of cars parked in every nook and crevice by the time I finished a few hours later.

Using the aforementioned bathrooms, grabbing my hydration pack and heading out into the trail; I was instantly awed. Right off the bat, you’re walking in giants. The soft dirt path is easy to navigate.

You can raise your eyes and look around while walking. This lasts for about a mile or two before the trail narrows a bit and becomes entangled with roots.

There are massive fallen trees whose stumps dwarf a person. At six feet tall, I’m not a small, but should give an idea of scale.

There are trees just crying out for a fun insta worthy shot.

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There are bridges, and stairs to traverse.

Until eventually you come to a poorly marked intersection. There are a few offshoots along the entire path. I assume most are dead ends. I checked a handful and they were, but I’ve also got a terrible sense of direction and don’t tend to stray too far from the main road. At this point, however, I saw a path leading straight up and something made me curious. Looking a bit harder I did notice a hand carved sign near the ground that had a barely discernible “Tree” carved into it. So I made the decision to go up. Easily a 60 degree angle, but only for about 15 feet.

This tree is a wonder! It’s massive. Photos just don’t do it justice.

Crawling back to the main road it wasn’t long before I came to the end. The waterfall. As it was August and I’d read reviews I wasn’t surprised that it was not more than a trickle. I’d imagine in spring it’s a great sight. Better than most of what I’ve found on the trails in Florida any time of year.

I hope you enjoyed this sunrise hike in the redwood park with me. Let’s go explore another trail again soon.

Oh where do I start? Seattle has so many options, so many must see spots that it’s overwhelming. My first suggestion is get a Citypass. It’s $108 per pass and includes entry to many of the top tourist sights. And the food? Oh boy don’t get me started, but don’t worry. You won’t gain weight because you’ll be walking serious hills here. Most of the downtown sights are within walking distance of each other, especially if you plan properly.

We started our trip with a a morning visit to see waterfalls beginning with Snoqualamie Falls. It’s less than an hour outside of town and perfect if you have a vehicle, although Seattle proper is definitely doable without a car. In fact, it’s probably easier and cheaper without one. This first waterfall is 268 feet and it has a very easy paved walkway to view the falls from the top and a steeper dirt path to get to the bottom. It’s worth it to go to the bottom. There’s a great view of the falls, but the river is beautiful too.

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After that hiking it was time to hit up North Bend Bakery for a delightful apple fritter in this quaint small town.

The next set of waterfall are another solid 30 minute drive, but near each other. The Pacific Crest Trail and Franklin falls are each worthy of several hours on their own, but I had an hour at each. Franklin falls is moderate and you can do the whole thing in an hour if you hustle. The PCT I imagine could be days. There are great views on the PCT and the Franklin falls are pretty impressive on their own. If you want to feel small just look around. The trees are tall and the plants oversized.

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Coming back into the Seattle airport we dropped off the rental car and took an Uber to our hotel downtown. The Sheraton Grand downtown has been newly renovated and has two towers. We had two queen beds and our 26th floor room had great city views and even a peek of the bay. There’s a fantastic gym and indoor pool on the 35th floor. I’d highly suggest this hotel. Everything was clean and updated and it’s a great central location.

We didn’t have too much time to take in the views because we had timed tickets to the Museum of Pop Culture. This was roughly a 20 min walk taking us past the Amazon spheres which were closed due to Covid, but usually they take reservations for the weekends. These glass domes are filled with lush landscapes and fish.

The Museum of Pop Culture isn’t large but they do have some neat displays of guitars and movie props. Right now they have clothing from various Disney movies. This was one attraction included in the CityPass.

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After another hour walking around the museum our legs were done, but we wanted to see the Olympic sculpture park so we headed towards the bay.

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Exhausted, feet tired we needed to get the mile back to our hotel to get ready for dinner, but the idea of walking wasn’t going to get us there. We downloaded the Lime app and hoped on some electronic scooters. We used them to run another couple miles down the bike path along the bay down from the sculpture park and then back to our hotel. It was maybe $30 for both scooters and made it super fun. I know you’ve seen these in big cities and I’m here to tell you they’re really stable, really easy and really fun. The app is very easy to use even for multiple scooters as a group. Just check the battery life and go. It stays on until you shut it off on the app. We ended up using this transportation several times. All to great effect. Especially since Seattle has bike/scooter lanes specifically designed for them.

After a shower and a few minutes to rest our feet we headed out to Japonessa Sushi. Seattle sushi was high on my son’s list of things to try with everything coming in fresh from the bay daily. We were not disappointed. In fact, I think we ordered way too much. We started with the seafood tower (it was really small; not a tower), a roll for each of us, and udon soup for the kid, while I ordered vegetable soba. Everything was fresh, relatively fast and delicious. We were left satiated and ready for bed.

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But not before taking advantage of no crowds at the famous Gum wall located a few blocks away. A perfect chance to walk off all that yummy food. Luckily, I planned ahead and brought our own gum. Freshened our breath and gave us the real experience. Two birds, one stone. We had the whole area all to ourselves. This is located in an alley directly below the main Pike Market entrance. Gum covers so much more than you could imagine. At least 20 feet are dotted top to bottom in gum of every color. Blessedly, very little ends up on the ground and I’m happy to say we came out without any on our shoes. It’s a marvel, it’s free and you should put it on your list.

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This is a great time for that iconic glowing neon Public Market Center photo op. In the summer it stays light until after 9:30pm, but since most of the market is closed by 6pm you’ll have the place to yourself.

This is also home to the first Starbucks established in 1971. If there’s a line here don’t worry. There’s a Starbucks on nearly every corner and honestly we felt like the Roastery reserve in the capital hill area was a better experience. Not only is it beautiful, it’s an experience.

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We got there right after it opened at 7am and practically had the place to ourselves. It’s a gorgeous building where all of the roasting equipment is on full display. They have a large unisex bathroom. It was odd going into the same bathroom as my adult son, but the shocker was when washing your hands you notice a large mirror with views of the bagging area. You can order sandwiches from the food counter, cocktails at the bar or desserts made in house from the bakery. You can pick up Starbucks themed merchandise and clothing. The coffee here is unique. Sure, you can get your regular but why not branch out? My son chose the dark chocolate Mexican iced latte. I got a flight of cold brews. One of which was a whisky barrel aged served in a whisky glass with an old fashioned ice cube. I could’ve been drinking at a cocktail lounge as sophisticated as it looked. It had a rich, amazing flavor and it was the first time I’ve ever enjoyed straight black coffee. I ordered cream on the side but didn’t need that or sweetener. This will be my go to from now on if it’s available. It was that good. We skipped the food here in favor of a climb further up the hill and stumbled upon a donut shop that has no Internet accolades, but deserves them all the same.

When I say this is the best old fashioned donut I’ve ever tasted, keep in mind, that a favorite hobby of mine is finding donut shops on all of my travels and I always try an old fashioned if I can. So this is high praise. It’s a seasonal flavor but the Pomegranate old fashioned at half and half doughnut co. is a sweet, tart, perfect citrusy donut. It was a tough call when we picked one because the cronuts and other choices were all calling to me as well. It’s a small shop and I’d imagine they sell out pretty quickly. Riding the high of caffeine and sugar we walked a very pleasant couple of miles downhill to the waterfront for our 10:45am timed cruise ticket with Argosy harbor tours. Yet another CityPass option. We arrived 30 min early and waited for our entrance. We loaded up on the top both for views and because we had great weather. In colder temps or rain they have two indoor levels with plenty of comfortable seating and large windows. We had a great time, but I’d choose the right side of the upper deck next time. Considering we rode along Elliott bay with that side of the boat cruising the coastline; we could’ve had better views. Not that any of them were bad. The tour guide gave lots of information about Seattle while we took in the sights of the bay. You have the option to buy drinks and snacks if you want while on board.

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Hopping off the one hour cruise we headed to lunch in Pike Market. This was to be a hodge podge of all the things I wanted to try. From Ellanos Greek yogurt (key lime pie), Rachel’s ginger beer (caramelized pineapple anyone?), la panier bakery (the croissants were amazing), piroshky piroshky, to cinnamon works (monster cookie), beechers handmade cheese (salmon Mac n cheese- omg I’ll still dream about this), the famous pike place chowder. So much food. So little time. Glad I had brought a backpack; we loaded what we didn’t eat immediately into the bag and walked to our next destinations.

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Here’s a helpful hint. Unless you have lots of time and don’t mind waiting in line for popular foods (I’m talking 45 minutes) there are some places you can order ahead and skip the line. I online ordered a few treats from La Panier and Piroshky piroshky, including the pike place chowder. We walked right past the throngs of people standing in line and walked out with our goodies in under 2 minutes. Which left time for the lines at Beecher’s and Ellanos. Which, compared to the others, was very quick. Less than 5 minutes each. Not sure how we managed that because every other time the lines were around the block. This was right at noon on a weekday. I digress, we took our food and ate while heading toward our timed entry at the Space Needle.

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The Space Needle was built for the 1962 world’s fair and has all of the retro chic vibes of that era. The line here was the longest. They offer 2 hours to store items in a locker for free and it took nearly the entire time to do this attraction. Between the 30 min wait to ride an elevator up & 20 min to ride it down. You do get a free group photo before you go up. Obviously the views from the top are incredible. 360 degrees both outdoors and indoors, but with recent renovations the rotating glass floor is a showstopper. At first I was hesitant, but you quickly get over that. They have a beautiful purple velvet VIP bar that would be neat to hang out in. It was closed during the day. The tickets are good both during the day and a return trip that same night for both views so take advantage go twice. Unfortunately we were way to tired to walk back that way. The gift shop has a massive lego Space needle and when you get to an upper ramp that goes by the top try to see which characters are taking in the view. We saw Santa, darth Vader and Spider-Man to name a few! We picked up a few souvenirs, grabbed the backpack from our locker and had a snack in the shade of the little park on site.

There’s an indoor market that has bathrooms and a water fountain. We kept bottles in our backpack to refill as needed. It was super convenient and saved us a bunch of money. Next up was the Chihuly gardens. Both the Needle and Gardens were included in our CityPass. I wasn’t expecting much from this, but I was pleasantly surprised. While not a large museum it filled to the brim with color. It’s a feast for the eyes and worth every penny.

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From indoor displays to the outdoor gardens you’ll find yourself in wonder over these creations.

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Take your time, get your photos. When we finished up in this area of the park we headed to back to take another shower and get ready for dinner. Tonight was Asian dumplings. Near to our hotel we dined at Din Tai Fung. They have multiple locations around Seattle. This was located in a mall on the 4th floor. Once you enter you’d never guess you’re in a mall. While you wait to be seated you can watch while the chefs prepare all the dumplings.

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We vowed to not over order so we held back and it worked out perfectly, although at a friends recommendation we would’ve added the green beans. I hear they’re a wonder. We did choose steamed buns- the best I’ve ever eaten. Shu Mai- also awesome. We came specifically to try the soup dumplings and while they were good I wasn’t blown away. The chocolate mochi dumplings, however, will forever live in my dreams. If you are a dessert person then save room for these gems! No kidding. I wish we had ordered more. You get 5 and we had to share, but we left full, but not stuffed.

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One last expedition to the waterfront. We couldn’t waste a minute of our trip so we squeezed in a trip to Ye Olde Curiosity shop. I know it had been mentioned in other posts, but it sure is worth it. It’s not just a shop. It’s part shop, part museum. From shrunken heads to mummies to taxidermy. Explore every nook and cranny.

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Bright and early the next morning we walked a block to a Monorail coffee and enjoyed a cuppa joe at an outdoor table. The barista was friendly and burnt sugar latte was delicious.

While the shops in Pike Place were just setting up for the day we took our time exploring each stall. The flowers smelled heavenly; the fish not so much. I was disappointed we never got to see any fish throwing but there is so much TJ take in we weren’t disappointed for long. If you’ve ever wondered what massive salmon or crab legs as big as your arm look like you, my friend, are in luck.

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There’s not just food and flowers here. Even the walls are a sight. Just look around at the murals and statues.

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We spent a little time here each day. If you just want to take the time to soak it all in or have a little free time each day this is an area with several blocks and multiple levels. You need to walk it all to get a good feel.

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Time for breakfast. A few blocks up from the market is Biscuit Bitch. If you like a buttery biscuit for breakfast this is the place. I went with a simple biscuit and jelly, but you can get a sandwich or bowl or even biscuits in gravy. These palm sized flaky biscuits are sure to please. It is outdoor dining only and you order online.

We had 9:30am tickets to the last attraction on our CityPass, the Seattle aquarium. Back to the waterfront we walked. We got in line, there’s one for buying tickets and another of you already have them. I had made reservations for nearly everything we did ahead of time so we could get the most out of our days. Promptly at 9:30 we were let in, they scanned our tickets and we headed straight to the tide pools. These interactive little pools were so fun. All the sea creatures are smooth, spiky, rough and any other thing. Wash before and after and then go see the rest.

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Moving forward there’s a tank with jellyfish.

There are sea lions, fish and river otters as well. It’s not a large aquarium but kids would love it. There’s a nice place to do a Titanic style photo of you at the bay as well.

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At the pier next door is a great place to grab a loaf of fresh sourdough bread, take a ride on a carousel and take some photos with a bunch of life sized wooden figures. This is where you can take a ride on the great wheel as well.

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With the aquarium being a short 1 hour tour we headed south towards Pioneer Square. This area of town seems a little sketchier but early in the morning we didn’t run into much. This is the original start to Seattle proper and houses the free National Park Klondike gold rush museum. The gold rush was launched from Seattle. It’s a nice air conditioned area that not only tells the story of how Seattle was affected during the gold rush to Alaska, but also provides bathrooms and water refills.

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Walking a little further on we made it to the international district, Chinatown. From the gate to the dragons hanging from lampposts, you’re immersed in the beauty of it all.

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As an early lunch we made it to Chungchun rice hot dogs to try their now famous treats. We picked the squid ink half cheese, half hot dog and the ramen hot dog. Both are coated and fried then a shake of sugar and your choice of 15 sauces can be used. Unbelievably, my son hadn’t ever tried boba tea and Seattle’s best tea was next door.

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We walked back to Pioneer square to enjoy some quiet at the birthplace of the UPS and their waterfall park while waiting for our Uber.

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Starting from the south side of town the Fremont troll is just too far to walk and it’s a $15 uber across town. We hopped out at the Troll, took a few pictures and made our way down the street.

It was a nice walk to the Theo chocolate flagship store. The factory was not giving tours but we picked up a couple locally made chocolate bars and headed to the river. So many people were enjoying picnics by the water and riding bikes along the trail. We saw the Google offices and a dinosaur shrub as well as the Fremont mural.

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From here we made our way across the bridge to Scandinavian bakery, Bayen Bakeri, for a Viking cookie and some lemon lavender cake. After a long walk we were ready to sit for spell.

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Now the real work begins. On the map, Kerry park seems close. In reality, it’s straight uphill. We hugged and puffed our way up Queen Anne St. then began heading down just as we arrived to the park. It’s tiny, there are benches but no shade. What this park does have are iconic skyline views! If you’re into Grey’s anatomy you can see Meredith Grey’s house, but you come here for the view of Mt. Rainer set behind the sky scrapers and space needle. This is the shot!

Again, we called for an Uber and headed back to the hotel shower. The weather was sunny and comfortable but you tend to sweat a lot if you’re climbing miles of hills each day.

A few hours later, we found ourselves near Pike Market in Post Alley peering into a nondescript pink door. No name above it, just a piece of paper on the wall with a QR code and some stairs leading to a cute indoor dining area.

Walking in for our reservations we were led to an outdoor patio with a pergola for shade and views of the bay. We ordered grilled garlic bread to start. I had the fish of the day, a sockeye salmon grilled over tomatoes and artichokes. Heaven! My son chose the chioppino filled with broth, clams, mussels, and shrimp. We split the side of grilled broccolini. To be honest, I could’ve eaten an entire meal of the broccolini and been happy.

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We saved room for dessert and ended back to the market. There was one last stop I’d been wanting to try and we saved room just for this. Shug’s soda fountain.

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Here you can dine indoors or out. I wanted some AC so we stayed inside. My son got a Prosecco float with lemon sorbet. I went alcohol free but splurged on the s’mores sundae. It come with vanilla ice cream, but being that I’m extra I asked to substitute it with the oatmeal chips. Holy smokes. This was a very good choice. The sundae itself is covered in chocolate syrup and they torch the homemade marshmallows and cover it in graham crumbles.

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I couldn’t finish the whole thing and my son was happy to polish off the leftovers. Our time in Seattle was at an end. We saw as many highlights as we could squeeze into a few days and I would call this Mother-Son vacation a success. We got lucky with the weather that allowed us to walk everywhere, enjoy the beautiful summer days outside and take in Seattle in all its glory. We were warned by a few people not to go. Everything was open, we were never accosted, but there are plenty of homeless wandering the streets. The sanitation department clearly works very hard to keep the streets clean. We saw them out there in the early morning cleaning every single day. We also saw a lot of tents along boarded up downtown windows. We never felt unsafe, but we also never walked around after dark. Now that everything is 100% open it’s a great time to make your way to the PNW.