August 25th 2016 marked a very special date: the 100th birthday of the US National Parks Service. While national parks had existed for years prior – Yellowstone was the first national park in the world in 1872 – it wasn’t until 1916 that the National Parks Service was created to protect America’s most beautiful, fragile […]
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Best sights and hikes in Deception Pass State Park

Home to rugged coastal headlands and dense forest, peaceful coves and picture-perfect panoramas of the Olympic Mountains, Deception Pass State Park offers gorgeous surrounds for hiking and sight-seeing. Its immense reputation is matched by its proportions. By numbers, Deception Pass State Park has 4,134 acres of ancient forest, 15 miles of saltwater shoreline, four freshwater […]
West Coast road trip: a nature lover’s journey

The mighty west coast road trip. It’s a rite of passage for both Americans and those visiting the USA. A trip to the United States isn’t truly complete without it. If you’re a nature lover with a fondness for sweeping coastal landscapes, ruggedly mountainous national parks, vibrant cities and laid-back seaside towns, I’d definitely add this to your […]
Snowshoeing in Olympic National Park: the art of trying new things

Learning to snowshoe in Olympic National Park was the perfect winter adventure – snowy vistas, a little sweat, and a lot of fun. …… I have no talent, I’m just passionately curious. Great words from Albert Einstein. While the guy clearly had talent up the wazoo, I totally appreciate the sentiment. From a young age, we’re taught […]
9 reasons why you should visit Monterey on your California road trip

No west coast road trip is complete without a pit stop (or weekend) in Monterey, California. Driving down the iconic Pacific Coast Highway is a bucket-list item for many travellers to the USA. It’s got sunshine, epic ocean views and awesome clifftop stops along the way. The most common route is between San Francisco and […]
Hiking the Oyster Dome

They say that the journey is better than the destination. They lied. Reaching the peak of the Oyster Dome and peering out across vast blue Samish Bay, I can say with absolute confidence that exact moment was infinitely more thrilling than the preceding journey I’d experienced – 90 minutes of uphill torture hiking. Welcome to […]