July 2022

I have visited 104 NPS Units, including 33 National Parks.

July took me to Washington State. I had planned an epic adventure through the islands and the lake regions. Starting in Bainbridge, then to Whidbey, and landing on San Juan for the islands. Then it went a little crazy … but doable … with a mission over to Eastern Washington to visit many lakes on the list. However Bo had a mandatory event in Lake Oswego for his new job and Nona does not like me traveling alone (see more about that below), so I paid the cancellation fee to the hotel in Friday Harbor and we boogied back down to PDX early. We enjoyed the islands and missed the lakes. It is always an adventure visiting the parks!

We started at Mount Rainer National Park and we hiked along the Kautz Creek Nature Trail. I loved visiting Bainbridge Island, the birthplace of Pickleball, and paying tribute at Mindoka National Historical Site-Bainbridge Unit. We drove up to Port Townsend to catch the ferry to Whidbey Island. We stayed in Langley and highly recommend a visit. Our last day was an adventure to Ebby’s Landing National Historical Reserve, then over Deception Pass, and down to Seattle to tour the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park-Seattle Unit.

I would like to challenge myself and travel alone, but my 80 year-old mother is not a fan. She sent me a text saying “S0… we are not happy about the idea of you traveling alone… must you do it?” and I responded “No. I can cancel easy. I’ll do that this morning.” And then she texted “Thank you…I can never stop being a mom… “ Then I wrote “I so appreciate you!!!” So my solo missions will have to wait for now!

“It's not about the destination but the journey.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

I was hoping my next adventure would be next week with Sam, before my Mohs Basal Cell Carcinoma Surgery. We are expecting a heat wave to hit Portland (Climate Change is REAL!) with 100+ degree next week, and he has high school football starting on Monday, August 1st. So he just wants to hang at home, workout, and chill-out by the pool to get ready for the grind of daily football. My job is to always be a Mom first, which will keep me at home more this next year. It is Ryder’s Senior year and Sam’s Freshman year with football games each week this Fall. I have been so fortunate to get to so many beautiful places and will count my time until my window opens again.

Next, I am off to the Eastern Washington Lake region with Ryder in August to get to those parks I missed on my first swing.

And I love my summer hikes around Portland!