by The Zesty Traveler | Aug 17, 2013 | Cities, Food and Drink
During our stay on the Olympic Peninsula, we enjoyed dinner at Michael’s Seafood and Steakhouse. Our server, Susanne was a saint for putting up with the “interesting” elderly couple at the next table. Their comments ranged from “if I want a 2X4, I want it to be 2 inches by 4 inches!” to “well sweetie, we understand you were busy earlier in the evening but you aren’t now so the cook should be well caught up by now” …they had maybe been waiting 10 minutes for their food at that point. (more…)
by The Zesty Traveler | Aug 14, 2013 | Cities, Lodging
We stayed in Port Angeles for our visit to the Olympic Peninsula. I highly recommend staying in town here if you are going to want to dine out and do any shopping. You can also hop the ferry to Victoria, Canada for a plethora of other activities to explore. Don’t forget your passport or National ID card! (more…)
by The Zesty Traveler | Aug 10, 2013 | Parks and Recreation
Impressive. Awe inspiring. Simply massive. What I find most perplexing about Mt. Rainier is how close you can be without seeing it and yet how far away you can see it from. It’s a simple matter of topography but it still blows my mind. (more…)
by The Zesty Traveler | Aug 9, 2013 | Nature and Conservation, Parks and Recreation
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Mount St. Helens is an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington. The faint appearance of clouds on the right of the volcano is actually smoke from the crater.
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The land surrounding Mount St. Helens has gradually been rebuilding. In the foreground is what is left of a car that was smashed by the ash and debris during the last large scale eruption in 1980.
Mt. St. Helens is designated as a National Volcanic Monument rather than a National Park. Notorious for her catastrophic eruption in 1980, Mt. St. Helens is still an active volcano. From most distances and angles it is hard to see any evidence of the destruction but when you round the bend on the main road leading to her, the enormity slaps you in the face. The closer you get, the more you see old dead trees, young vegetation, and the gaping hole left in the crater itself. (more…)
by The Zesty Traveler | Aug 5, 2013 | Parks and Recreation
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Mount Hood and the Sandy River on the way to Ramona Falls.
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The shaded and more scenic side of the Ramona Falls Trail Loop.
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Ramona Falls Trail in the Mount Hood Wilderness.
I almost turned back. What a shame that would have been! I generally don’t sweat enough to properly regulate my body temperature (TMI?) and consequently tend to get heat exhaustion easily. It was a hot, dry day but ultimately I pushed through to complete the 7.1 mile trail. Aside from that issue, the trail really isn’t that difficult. The trail to Ramona Falls is a loop with the first roughly 3.6 miles to the falls gently climbing 1000′ in elevation. (more…)
