Summer 2015 Update in photos

We've spent the summer trying to beat the heat with water and park adventures in Raleigh, a week long trip to the beach in Rhode Island, and a couple of weekends in the Virginia mountains. June was insanely hot, with quite a number of days in the 100's and July has been typical with lots of temperatures in the 90s. Here's hoping August isn't too bad.  The heat, plus an old HVAC system that just didn't want to make it through the summer made for some uncomfortable days. And anyone who has been pregnant in the summer knows environmental discomfort, especially in the 8th month of pregnancy, can make a lady miserable.

Thankfully, we've made it through what is typically the worst of the summer heat in Raleigh. I survived the A/C dying a complete death and the installation of a new unit, and have been fortunate enough to have a neighborhood pool where I can swim 3-4 days/evenings a week. As I enter the 9th and final month of pregnancy, I know the weeks of physical discomfort will end soon and it will all be worth it when I hold a baby in my arms.

Here's a photo recap of some of our summer adventures...stay tuned for Rose's 18 month update!

Rose playing at the Waverly Place playground in Cary in June

Trying to drink the water at the Waverly Place splashpad

Enjoying live music while cooling off at Waverly Place

Modeling her cousin's actions and outfit at the beach in RI in July

32 weeks (~July 16)

Hiking Sharp Top Mountain, in the Peaks of Otter area
of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia in July

Surviving the 1.5 mile strenuous hike up the top and
rewarded with some wonderful views

Enjoying her new favorite food - crackers!

Checking out the different animal furs at Sharp Top Mountain

34 weeks (~July 30)

Saying "cheese" for the camera on the way to school

Touring Olympic National Park in Washington

From Seattle, we made our way south, west, and back north along the Puget Sound to Olympic National Park.  Since we did not leave too early, we arrived on the west side of the Sound around lunchtime and relied on our go-to phone app, yelp, for a place to eat.  Being adventurous, we opted for Pho T & N, a Vietnamese restaurant with wonderful reviews.  We ordered two suggested menu items, the vegetarian pho and the short ribs, shrimp and rice.  They were tasty, and we received huge portion sizes, but we were out of our element in the restaurant. We had to ask what to do with all the sides!  Colin talked to the manager for a bit and learned about the Vietnamese traditions of adding fresh ingredients to the pho (soup dish) just before eating.  By this time we had eaten most of the ribs/shrimp/rice since the soup had been too hot.  We ended up taking most of the pho with us and wished we had done the reverse.  We ended up eating the pho for another day and a half and by that time the powerful smell was getting repulsive.

Vietnamese short ribs, shrimp, rice, salad, and veggie roll

Traditional Vegetarian Pho

As we made our way to Olympic National Park, we drove off the main road in Sequim, WA to see the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge.  We wanted to explore the park and get on the sand peninsula, but didn't have cash for the park entrance fee.  There was a park volunteer stationed at the entrance to the path, and we tried to get change for a $20. Not being able to see what the park offered, we were not willing to pay that much at the entrance, but probably would have donated it if our experience was enjoyable.  

From the recreation area road, we were able to see Victoria, BC across the water and enjoy another glorious day.

Beyond the ship is Victoria, British Columbia

Our next stop was the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center in Olympic National Park.  On the drive up the mountain, we has some wonderful views to the Dungeness Peninsula, the town of Sequim, and a better view of Vancouver Island in British Columbia.  We were also approached by some wildlife, who wanted to get a tad bit too close for my comfort!  

Looking down on Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge

Bambi and her calf seemed too comfortable near the cars and people

View from Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park

Enjoying a short, 1 mile (ish) hike at Hurricane Ridge

Since it was the Friday of Labor Day weekend, we assumed it would be difficult to find lodging closer to Seattle, so we continued farther into the park to try and camp on the western edge.  Unfortunately, there were no airbnb rentals, and non-camping lodging was sparse.  I would have loved to camp at the Sol Duc Hot Springs, not far from Hurricane Ridge, but we were warned that the popular campground would likely be full.  It would have been too far out of our way if we did not find a site, and our drive the next day would have been very long.  Thankfully, we managed to get one of the last 4 campsites available in Hoh Rain Forest.  Our backup plan would have been to pull of on the side of a National Forest Service Road to sleep.  We found out that was allowed at one of the park visitor centers.

As we passed Forks, WA, I was tempted to drive into town to see where the Twilight Series was based, but I know Colin would not have enjoyed the detour.  In addition, the sun was getting very low in the sky and we were nervous about arriving too late at the campground.  I did manage to see some stores with posters of the cast along the main road.  

During our drive into the Hoh Rain Forest, we very briefly saw an Elk as it made its way across the road and into the woods.  I didn't even have time to grab my camera!

Our dinner spot on Lake Crescent as we make our 

way across the northern portion of Olympic National Park

The river adjacent to the campground in the Hoh Rain Forest

Our campsite at the Hoh Rain Forest Campground

We arrived at the campsite around 10pm and decided it wasn't worth setting up the tent, so we inflated the air mattress in the back of the Subaru and slept in the car. The queen mattress was a little big for the SUV, so we couldn't inflate it all the way, but it still served the purpose.  It's not like I can sleep in a tent anyway!  I bet a full size mattress would have fit.

Just like in the Redwoods and Crater Lake, it got very cold overnight.  Our experience at the Hoh Rain Forest was similar to the Redwoods because everything was also very damp in the morning.  We tried going for a 3 mile hike to warm up, but that didn't work so well. The best way I warmed up was to blast the hot air on my hands and feet and get the seat warmer going in the car!

Vivid greens in the rain forest

The 3 mile hiking trail at the Hoh Rain Forest

I would have more thoroughly enjoyed 

the beautiful views if I wasn't so cold!

By 9am, we were warmed up (thank you Subaru Forester!) and back on Highway 101 heading south along the coast (yes, we get up VERY early when camping!).  Our next destination was the mouth of the Columbia River, where we hoped to secure another camping spot for the evening after our 3-4 hour drive.  Again, we knew it would be risky because of the holiday weekend, but we took our chances and drove without having a reservation anywhere in the area.  Unfortunately, none of the campgrounds accepted reservations anyway.

Stopping at a beach near Kalaloch to stretch and enjoy the view

A slight detour around Lake Quinault

We made just the two stops along Highway 101 in Olympic National Park Saturday morning to experience all the beauty the diversity within the park has to offer.  It was impressive to see the snow-capped peaks of the tallest mountains at Hurricane Ridge, and then experience a rain forest on the western side of the park.  If you haven't already noticed, we are also drawn to the water.  We can't get enough of beaches and lakes.

Stay tuned for the last two posts about the trip to the Pacific Northwest.  If you are a Goonies fan, you'll definitely want to read the next one!

What should we have ordered from a Vietnamese Restaurant?  Or did we made the best decision?

Was there anything we missed in Olympic National Park that you've experienced? 

Exploring Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier on a Beautiful Summer Day

After our packed day of exploration in Portland, we were ready to see more natural beauty in the Pacific Northwest, so we decided to take the scenic route to Seattle by way of Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier.

Our first stop, however, was to exchange our San Jose-to-Portland rental car for a Portland-to-Portland rental.  If you have ever rented a car, you probably are aware that one-way rentals cost more than roundtrip rentals.  We ended up getting a Subaru Forester for 11 days out of Portland for less than the Chevy Sonic we had for the first 7 days from San Jose to Portland.  We had planned for a compact car, and when Budget didn't have one we lucked out with the Subaru Forester upgrade (and thankfully were not stuck keeping the Chevy Sonic).

From the Portland airport, it was a quick ride up to the main visitor center at Mt. St. Helens.  Thinking we would be better off driving to the visitor center on the back side of the volcano, we ended up driving almost 2 hours for a view we could have seen in about 30 minutes.  It was the only real mistake we made on our journey, and the day still turned out just fine, even though we would have preferred more time on our hiking expedition later in the day.

If you ever go to Mt. St. Helens, I recommend driving the main route to the Johnston Ridge Observatory on route 504 and not going to the entrance on route 99, unless you don't mind driving a long time on very curvy roads.  We actually got so sick of driving (and thankfully did not get motion sickness), that we didn't even go all the way to the end of the road.  We still managed to get a good look at the volcano and the damage it caused back in 1980.  There are many trees that have fallen or remain barren from the damaging lava and ash the volcano emitted more than 30 years ago.

Mt. St. Helens from the northwest (rt 99)

Tree damage visible on the right side of the picture

After our long detour to Mt. St. Helens, we were anxious to get to Mt. Rainier so we could get out of the car and enjoy some hiking.  We were rewarded with beautiful views of the mountain all the way up to the hiking point.  The road climbed to 6,000 feet, where many hiking trails started from the Sunrise visitor center.  From there, we were able to hike the moderate 1.5 mile trail to Mt. Freemont with plenty of time to explore other trails on our way back down.

View of Mt. Rainer as we drove to 6,000 feet

The starting point for many trails in the area at Sunrise Visitor Center

Looking back down on glacial water and mountains
from almost 7,000 feet after climbing 1 mile

We literally felt like Mt. Rainier was at our fingertips

Look closely - can you see the little cabin that is our destination

at the top of the second peak on the right side of the picture.

The rocky trail as we approach the ranger's cabin

The former ranger station and stunning views north of Rainier

A nice view of Rainier through the ranger station on a nice day

Mt. Rainier from Mt. Freemont

Looking out to the Northern Cascades

As it approached evening, we decided to take a different route down the mountain and had some fun with photography.  People told us about several photography contests going on, so we kept trying to get photos that would be contest-worthy.  It was actually a lot of fun until we came upon a group hiking into the woods that told us that a family had been scared away from their dinner by a bear not long before.  Once we heard that, we continued photographing, but maintained a heightened sense of awareness of our surroundings.  I had a whistle in one of my first aid kits that I kept close at hand just in case.  Thankfully, we did not see any bears, and made it safely back to our car with a tad bit of daylight left.

Some of the many wildflowers at Mt. Rainier National Park

Sun setting on our path back down from our hike

As we exited the park, we caught a glimpse 

of the last bit of daylight on Mt. Rainier

The full day of driving and hiking left us tired as we approached Seattle, but since we are not ones to rest much while on a sight-seeing vacation, we managed to get downtown for a bite to eat after checking in to our airbnb room rental.  

Stay tuned to hear all about our fun adventures in Seattle, the non-rainy city during our trip!

If you've ever been to Mt. St. Helens, where did you see the best view?

If you've been to Mt. Rainier, what hike did you do?

The 14,000 ft high Mt. Rainier still towered above us at 7,000 feet. What's the highest you've ever hiked or climbed?

A weekend recap - grilling, hiking and doggie swimming

We had some AMAZING weather this weekend.  Sunny, dry and in the upper 60-mid 70s.  Taking full advantage of it, we hosted some friends on Saturday for a BBQ.  Colin, my Italian husband, in a serious effort to be a good host while avoiding "scum-ba-di" (phonetic: "skoom buh 'dee"; verb: create a socially unacceptable and embarrassing condition of not having enough food for guests) cooked up A LOT of food. I think we all had to unbutton our pants after eating a hearty portion of appetizers, entrees, and desserts.  Some of the highlights included bacon wrapped grilled asparagus, pizza burgers, 7 layer bars, sopapilla, and chicken/vegetable kabobs.

Thankfully, Sunday's weather allowed us to enjoy some outdoor activity - providing us an opportunity to work off some of Saturday's meal.  We made the 15 minute drive out to Umstead State Park to enjoy some of the trails out there, and work on Darwin's swimming.  I got a little nervous when it looked like he was stuck in the water, but he did make it to shore.

As you can see, he needs to keep practicing!  Last summer he swam much better than he did this past weekend - and he even has webbed feet which make him really fast!  I think the downward motion from being tossed in the water threw him off.  We'll have to keep trying.

After his near death experience, and our 4 mile hike, we all enjoyed a quiet afternoon sunbathing, reading, and listening to pandora on the deck.  It was a lovely, relaxing Easter Sunday.

Fall in North Carolina - a little late

Last thing I remember we were getting back from Aruba and now here we are a week before Christmas. Wow, time does fly!!  

In the spirit of the fall weather we are experiencing today, I'd like to share some photos of how we enjoyed beautiful North Carolina weather during the month of November.

1. Hiking in the mountains - Hanging Rock State Park

2. Walking along the trails and parks around our neighborhood.

 

3. Raking leaves - sorry we don't have a picture of this one! 

 We were too exhausted to even capture the moment.

No one does exhausted better than Darwin!

How did you enjoy fall weather?

Day trip to Raven Rock State Park, NC (July 9)

With temperatures reaching into the 90s and 100's during July in the Triangle, the best way to beat the heat has been at the pool, lake, beach or mountains.  

A trip to our neighborhood pool on July 4th allowed us to enjoy the teeny-bopper party with a DJ blasting Justin Bieber.  For a moment, I thought Glee was filming in Cary, NC.  To get away from the crowds, we have been searching for a local lake where we could swim.  

We live right by a lake, but like many of the other small lakes in the area, swimming is not allowed.  The two larger lakes in the area, Falls Lake and Jordan Lake boast recreational areas that allow you to swim.  We have yet to enjoy Jordan Lake, but we did visit Falls Lake last August.  The swimming area was a very warm 80 degrees, which did not feel refreshing compared to the 100 degree air temperature.

Through the Triangle Hiking and Outdoors Group (THOG) on meetup.com, I learned about a good swimming area on the Cape Fear River in Raven Rock State Park.  The park is about an hour south of Cary in Harnett County.  On July 9, we made the voyage down there by car and hiked the 2.5 miles to the area called Lanier Falls.  The hike was not strenuous, but we were anxious to swim.  Thankfully, our first view of the river came a mile and a half into the hike.

 Cape Fear River in Raven Rock State Park

A family had clearly been enjoying an all day adventure at the "falls" when we arrived, occupying the section with the largest drop in the falls.  I would guess the drop was a total of 2-3 feet.  Their inflatable mattress made a very fun looking slide!!  To enjoy the area in solitude, we were able to get Darwin across the rushing water and beyond the family of 6.  It felt amazing to take a dip in the cool (but not cold) water!

"Our" area of the river where small rapids exist

Darwin quickly learned that he could swim in the river with us, but I can't say he seemed to completely enjoy it.  For the most part, he would swim to me or Colin and try to climb on us so he wouldn't have to keep swimming.  He is terrified of getting his face wet.  It's hilarious to see him take great pains to keep his head above water.

Darwin swimming out to meet Colin 

On a few occasions, he would leap off the rocks to join us in the water.  And he has proven himself to be a fast swimmer.  We'll just have to keep taking him out so he builds up his stamina!!

 Darwin sits so well to receive a treat!

We had a great time at the lake where the temperature was cooler than in the city.  We were needing another swimming hole by the time we finished the 2.5 mile hike back to the car! 

Where do you take your pet to cool off in the summer?