Around the World and Still Going!

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Home Leave 2015! Hiking Mount Townsend

One of the things Paul and I really wanted to do while in the Seattle area was hike one of the many beautiful trails in the mountains. After settling in for a couple of days we took our chance, left Piper with the grandparents, and headed toward the Olympic Mountains. We decided to hike Mt. Townsend since it was the most easily accessible of the mountains to where we were staying.

Starting around 3200 feet, we gained another 3000 feet over 4 miles to the summit. The hike started in a beautiful forest full of fir and hemlock trees. About halfway to the top the trees started thinning out and we started seeing numerous wildflowers and we began getting views of the surrounding mountains.

At the summit!

During our hike up we were racing a cloud that was slowly creeping up the ravines after us. We managed to have a sunny, yet windy and cold, lunch at the summit before the cloud overtook us. With the arrival of the cloud we started the four mile return trek back down the mountain. The mist from the cloud moving in and out of the ravines lent a surreal feel to the forest that is home to the sparkly vampires (twilight reference for those that may not read teenage girl books)!

It was an awesome hike in a beautiful area. Hope we get to come back sometime and explore more of it!

More Home Leave 2015 Pacific Northwest Posts:

- Bainbridge Island
- Seattle

Home Leave 2015 Whitewater, WI posts:

- Home Leave 2015! Whitewater, WI

- Milwaukee Children's Museum and Boating
- Whitewater, WI - Summer Fun!
- Milwaukee Zoo

- Fourth of July
- Summer! Summer!
- Chicago
- Sparklers

- Birds and Flowers of Summer

Friday, August 7, 2015

Home Leave 2015! Seattle

To get from Bainbridge Island to Seattle we had to take the ferry boat, which was pretty easy, convenient, and fun (as long as we were walking on and not driving). We got to know those ferry boats pretty well, traveling back and forth to Seattle many times during our 16 days in the PNW!

Once on the Seattle side, we could walk or take public transportation to many of the attractions. Again, we were so lucky with the weather, there was only one day of rain, the rest of the time it was sunny and warm for our adventures!

Piper and Papa on the ferry boat leaving Bainbridge

At the Seattle Aquarium

I loved this cute little skate. It looks like his face, but it is just his nose and mouth, his eyes are on the top of his body.

We all got a sea creature painted on our faces by the local high school volunteers at the aquarium. Piper got a crab, Gramma got a whale, and I got an Orca.

After the aquarium we had to go on the ferris wheel. It is exactly the same as the one in Cape Town on the V&A Waterfront!

View from the ferris wheel

After a fun morning in Seattle, we headed back to Bainbridge on the ferry

As we were pulling away from Seattle we were escorted by the Coast Guard, complete with machine guns at the ready. After about 10 minutes they turned around and headed back to Seattle. Turns out they were running drills, kind of exciting to see!

View of Seattle from the ferry

More Home Leave 2015 Pacific Northwest Posts:

- Bainbridge Island

Home Leave 2015 Whitewater, WI posts:

- Home Leave 2015! Whitewater, WI

- Milwaukee Children's Museum and Boating
- Whitewater, WI - Summer Fun!
- Milwaukee Zoo

- Fourth of July
- Summer! Summer!
- Chicago
- Sparklers

- Birds and Flowers of Summer

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Home Leave 2015! Seattle / Bainbridge Island

After our fun couple of weeks of home leave in Whitewater, WI (for those posts click HERE), we headed to the Pacific Northwest. We rented a cute little house on Bainbridge Island, right across the sound from Seattle. Paul had never been to the PNW, and I had been, but a long time ago, so I didn't remember too much.

Bainbridge was beautiful! Our little house was nestled in a grove of huge trees, walking distance from a park with a duck pond and a great playground. My parents stayed in an RV park about 10 minutes away, which was very convenient. Piper got to spend a lot of nights in Gramma and Papa's "bus", which she was very excited about!

Our first couple of days there we settled in and explored the island. For a small little island it had a lot of great things to do - beautiful parks, amazing coast lines, a children's museum, an small indoor water park, a distillery, and lots of good places to eat. And, we were amazingly lucky, we got beautiful weather almost the entire time we were there!

Piper and Gramma with one of the Bainbridge frogs at the harbor

Piper with one of the numerous rock people around the island

Feeding the ducks near our house

At the Bainbridge Children's Museum

A fawn that visited our house

At Fay Bainbridge Park on a beautiful sunny day!

Sunday, August 2, 2015

Home Leave 2015! Whitewater, WI - Birds and Flowers of Summer

Last post from the Whitewater, WI part of our home leave! What a fun midwest summer trip! We loved it! From here we go to Seattle, but before that, here are a few pictures of American birds and flowers!