wildlife Archives - Pacific Northwest Explorer

Everglades National Park

A few years ago my wife and I had the privilege of exploring Key West, the rest of the Keys, and Everglades National Park on a winter getaway.

The Florida Everglades are about as far from our home in the Pacific Northwest as you can get without leaving the continent. I always envisioned the Everglades as swamp and marshland and nothing else, but it’s actually a quite diverse ecosystem. Wetlands make up much of the park, to be sure, but grassland covers a lot of it, too, with islands (called “hammocks”) of hardwoods scattered throughout. Pines dominate the higher ridges. Cypress swamps are found mainly in the northern part of the park and the adjacent Big Cypress National Preserve. And the coastal areas have both mangrove swamps and coastal prairie ecosystems.

The park was created in 1947 to preserve what remained of the Everglades after nearly half of century of damming, diverting, and draining the waters of the “river of grass” that had once flowed unimpeded from Lake Okeechobee to Biscayne Bay, Florida Bay, and the Ten thousand Islands area on the Gulf Coast.

Today, the Everglades are still one of the most endangered ecosystems in the country. Diversion of water upstream of the park for use by the agricultural industry and the ever growing population of southern Florida has greatly reduced the volume of water flowing through the park, which in turn has had a significant impact on the flora and fauna of the park. Nutrient pollution and residual pesticides from agricultural runoff have also had a significant impact on the park’s ecosystem. Introduced species, such as the Burmese python, have also put stress on the system. And, since much of the Everglades is less than three feet above sea level, global warming and sea level rise threaten the very existence of the Everglades.

There are two main accesses to Everglades National Park. The Tamiami Trail (US Hwy 41) cuts across the northern part of park and southern part of the Big Cypress National Preserve, and gives access to the Shark Valley Visitor Center in the northern part of the park and the Gulf Coast Visitor Center in Everglades City. The southern part of the park is accessed from the Homestead and Florida City area via Florida Hwy 9336, which crosses the park and ends at the town of Flamingo on Florida Bay.

The Shark Valley and Gulf Coast parts of the park are well worth visiting, but if you only have a day to spend at the park, the southern section is more diverse and has more things to see and do than the other areas. Stop at the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, just inside the park boundary, to get maps and information on the park and park activities, but don’t spend a lot of time there. Instead, head to the Royal Palm Visitor Center.

The guide books didn’t even come close to preparing us for what we found at Royal Palm. The first thing we noticed was that blue tarps covered many of the cars in the parking lot. It seems that the local Black Vultures, for some unexplained reason, are known to eat the weather stripping around car windshields. We dutifully covered our rental car with one of the park-provided tarps, though there were none of the car-eating vultures present. The visitor center is pretty much a standard issue national park center, but what’s outside will amaze you. Just outside the back door of the center is a large pond. The first thing we saw there was a large alligator, apparently asleep, only a few feet from the walkway. Yikes!

Sitting on a railing post next to the pond, a Double-crested Cormorant ignored the people walking within feet of it. Four or five Black Vultures stood a few feet off the trail looking more bored than threatening. Along the Anhinga Trail more alligators lounged within feet of the trail. One was actually laying part way onto the paved trail. We got close up views and photos of Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Little Blue Herons, Anhingas, White Ibis, Purple Gallinules, and many other birds along the trail. And in one water hole next to the trail, twenty or more alligators lazed together, maybe waiting for warmer weather (this was in February and it was unusually cold for south Florida). For a wildlife photographer, this place is paradise.

The other trail from the visitor center, the Gumbo Limbo Trail, takes you into a hardwood hammock. It’s less peopled and has fewer birds and other wildlife, but it is a nice, quiet walk and only takes a few minutes to do.

The sheer volume of birds and other wildlife at Royal Palm was astonishing, as was their total disregard for the people in their midst. No need for a long telephoto lens here.

Farther along the road to Flamingo, the Long Pine Key, Pahayokey Overlook, and Mahogany Hammock stops offer short hiking trails. Canoeing and kayaking opportunities are found at Nine Mile Pond and West Lake. You’ll also find a nice picnic area at Nine Mile Pond, and another at Paroutis Pond.

At Flamingo, get information on local area bird watching opportunities and check for ranger-led activities at the Flamingo Visitor Center. The center also has a small cafe where you can get sandwiches or a pizza. You can stock up on supplies at the Flamingo Marina Store next door. Manatees can often be found hanging out in the marina. A pair of Ospreys had built a nest on top of a pole at the marina when we were there, also. And you might catch a glimpse of the rare American Crocodile there. Ask at the visitor center if there have been an recent sightings and how to tell a crocodile from an alligator. The marina offers boat, canoe, and kayak rentals, and a 50 minute tour of the coastal area aboard a 30 passenger boat.

We had planned to take an air boat tour the next day in the Shark Valley area along the Tamiami Trail, but there was rain in the forecast for that day, and the air boats apparently don’t run in the rain. So, it was on to Plan B. That took us to the Shark Valley Visitor Center and a naturalist led tram ride to an observation tower about seven miles to the south. You can also rent bicycles at the visitor center, and we probably would have done that if the weather had been less threatening. But the two hour tram tour was informative and entertaining, and the ranger stopped at every available photo op.

Alligators at the Shark Valley observatory

We saw many more alligators at Shark Valley, specially around the observation tower, and many, many birds, including Wood Storks, Roseate Spoonbills, and Red-shouldered Hawks. No sharks, though. The name Shark Valley comes from the Shark River Slough that flows through the valley. Some sharks do come upstream to give birth in the slough, but not in the area of the visitor center.

We continued west from Shark Valley to Everglades City and the Gulf Coast Visitor Center. This is the jumping off point for exploring the Ten Thousand Islands section of the gulf coast, and for paddling the 99 mile long Wilderness Waterway Trail. Naturalist-led boat tours can be arranged at the visitor center, and rangers lead bike and canoe tours between Christmas and Easter.

Anyone who has read Peter Matthiessen’s historical novel Killing Mister Watson will probably want to continue on past Everglades City to Chokoloskee. The book tells the story of Edgar J. Watson, a notorious, and probably murderous, real life character. Watson had never been convicted, but was suspected in many disappearances, and greatly feared. In 1910, on the beach next to the Smallwood Store in Chokoloskee, more than twenty men from the local area gunned him down, claiming self defense. None of the men involved were ever charged with his killing. The Smallwood Store still stands, though it is a museum now.

If you’re a birder, wildlife photographer, nature lover, or just someone that likes to see places that are different from where you live, the Everglades will thrill you.

For more information about the park and the Everglades, go to the park website. And if you plan to visit Everglades National Park, no visit to south Florida is complete without paying the Florida Keys and Key West a visit.

Originally posted December 4, 2018 by Alan K. Lee. Most recently updated February 27, 2024.

All photos © Alan K. Lee

Beaver Creek

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people visit the Oregon coast, lured by the spectacular scenery, the many miles of beaches, and the dozens of often charming and sometimes quirky small towns. The more popular places are crowded, often overcrowded, in the summer and fall, but if you know where to look you can find uncrowded, sometimes deserted, beaches, trails, and other attractions, even in the high season. Sometimes all you have to do is look east of Hwy 101. Beaver Creek is a prime example. It flows into the ocean at Ona Beach, located between Newport and Waldport on the central coast. Ona Beach is often crowded, but if you turn east off Hwy 101 at the Ono Beach access instead of west, you come immediately to a boat launch area on Beaver Creek. When I was last there, the boat launch parking lot was almost empty. The beach parking lot was full.

Before it reaches the ocean, Beaver Creek flows through a freshwater marsh that teems with wildlife. The marsh is critical habitat for Coho salmon, winter steelhead, and cutthroat trout. The creek and marsh are also home to beaver and river otter. Elk, deer, coyotes, black bears, and the occasional cougar also roam the marsh and adjacent upland areas. Beaver Creek is also prime birding territory. More than 75 species waterfowl and other birds inhabit the area. So, bring your binoculars and camera, and keep your eyes open.

Beaver Creek State Natural Area can be explored both by boat and by foot. Launch your canoe or kayak at the boat ramp adjacent to Hwy 101, or drive a mile east on North Beaver Creek Road to access the hiking trails. Even in mid-summer you’re likely to encounter few other people (they’re all at the beach). I have not paddled Beaver Creek, so I’ll leave a description of that for a future post, but I have hiked the area. There is a nice view from the top of Snaggy Point, but the main attraction here is the peaceful and quietly beautiful area that is largely unknown to the general populace and almost completely unknown to the hoards of out of state tourists.

The Beaver Creek visitor center, 1.2 miles east of Hwy 101 on North Beaver Creek Road, would normally be a good first stop to acquaint yourself with the area. If it’s open, you can pick up an informational brochure and map of the trail system there. The map and brochure can also be downloaded from the Beaver Creek State Natural Area website (linked above). There is also a small parking area a few hundred yards east of the visitor center that may have the map and brochure if the visitor center is closed. You can also find a checklist of the birds found at Beaver Creek on the website.

The Beaver Creek Loop Trail is an easy, mostly flat trail that circles the upland area across the marsh from the visitor center. There are also connecting trails that take you to high points with some open views. The loop trail is about three miles long and takes you through a mixed forest of second growth conifer and alder forest. You can hike the loop in an hour, but give yourself 2-3 hours (or more) to linger and enjoy the peace and quiet. Click on the link above for a detailed description of the loop trail hike.

There are many reasons to visit the central Oregon coast. Beaver Creek by itself might not be a destination that warrants the trip, but if you’re a hiker, kayaker, or birder, or just want some peace and quiet away from other tourists, it makes for a pleasant side trip. And you might find that it’s a place you return to whenever you’re in the area. I know I’ll be back soon.

There are plenty of other places on the central Oregon coast to visit that can easily be paired with a trip to Beaver Creek to make for a pleasant day trip or weekend outing. Even if it’s crowded, Ona Beach is worth exploring. And a couple miles south, Seal Rock State Park is one of the more beautiful spots on the central coast. To the north, the Newport area has an abundance of places to find good food and drink. And Newport also has a couple of the premier attractions on the central coast.

Tufted Puffin. Photo from the Oregon Coast Aquarium website.

In the South Beach area, just across the Yaquina bay Bridge from downtown Newport, you’ll find both the Oregon Coast Aquarium, one of the Pacific Coast’s premier aquariums, and Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center, home to one of the world’s foremost marine education and research programs. Both are well worth a visit. The Oregon Coast Aquarium is open 10:00-5:00 daily. Ticket prices range from $15 for children 3-12 to $25 for adults. Admission for seniors (65+) and teens (3-17) is $20. Infants and toddlers get in free. Tickets can be purchased online or at the gate. The visitor center at the Hatfield Center is open 10:00-4:00 Thu-Mon. Admission is $5 (ages five and up). Tickets need to be purchased online on the center’s website.

Next time you’re in the Newport area, give Beaver Creek a look. I think you might be pleasantly surprised.

Posted February 25, 2024 by Alan K. Lee

All photos © Alan K. lee, except as noted

Zylstra Lake Preserve, San Juan Island

Zylstra Lake Trail

Where: San Juan Island, Washington

Distance: 2.2 miles

Type: Loop

Elevation gain: Minimal

Difficulty: Easy

Map:

Online map: San Juan County Land Bank website

Overview:

Zylstra Lake is the centerpiece of a 284 acre preserve owned by the San Juan County Land Bank and managed under a conservation easement by the San Juan Preservation Trust. Zylstra Lake is home to over 100 species of birds and is an important component of the False Bay watershed.

The property was formerly a privately owned farm that was the site of a proposed housing development. Instead, the property was sold to the land bank in 2015 and the trust obtained the conservation easement. Thirty acres of the property, including the farmhouse and agricultural buildings, were sold by the land bank to Island Haven, a non-profit animal sanctuary, with a conservation easement to protect the land.

Currently, there is no public access to the lakeshore, and the eastern and southern portions of the trail around the lake are closed from October through March. The northern and western portions of the loop are open year-round and can be hiked as a lollipop loop during the winter.

Getting there:

Zylstra Lake is 3.5 miles west of downtown Friday Harbor. Take Spring Street west from downtown. Outside of Friday Harbor, Spring Street becomes San Juan Valley Road. Continue west on San Juan Valley Road and look for the Zylstra Lake Preserve parking lot on your left, just before the road makes a 90⁰ turn to the north.

For information on getting to San Juan Island, see my San Juan Island post or the San Juan Islands Visitor Bureau “getting there” web page.

Trailhead:

The trailhead has ten parking spaces. There is a portable toilet, but no water available. No parking permit is required.

The hike:

From the parking lot, take the trail to the west. This is an old farm road running along the edge of the preserve through a mixed woodland with occasional views of the lake to the south.

At 0.3 miles the trail turns south and runs along the western boundary of the preserve for another 0.4 miles. The trail then turns southeast and follows the edge of an open field with good views of the lake.

At the 0.85-mile mark, turn right onto a trail that leads through a mix of open fields and partially logged woodland.

At the 1.25-mile mark, the trail returns to the open field. In winter, the trail ahead is closed, so you need to turn left and retrace your route back to the trailhead parking area.

In summer, you can continue straight. The trail then turns right and crosses a bridge over the creek that flows from the lake. Beyond the bridge, the trail runs along the top of the dam that forms the lake, then passes through a small grove of trees.

From there, the trail runs between fields to the old farmhouse site that is now home to the Island Haven animal sanctuary. The trail turns left there and follows a gravel farm road back to the trailhead.

Other area attractions and activities:

There are too many other attractions to see and things to do on San Juan Island to list them all here. See my post on San Juan Island (linked above) or visit the San Juan Island web page of the San Juan Islands Visitor Bureau website (linked above) for more information.

Posted October 12, 2023 by Alan K. Lee

All photos ©Alan K. Lee

San Juan Island, Washington

Introduction

It had been a long time since my wife and I had been to the San Juans Islands, so a trip to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island seemed like the ideal early fall getaway that we were looking for. The San Juan Islands lie in the Salish Sea north of Puget Sound in Washington, and east of British Columbia’s Vancouver Island. There are four main islands that are served by ferry – Orcas, Shaw, Lopez, and San Juan. San Juan Island is the largest and most populous of the islands.

We drove to Anacortes, Washington from our home in the Portland area and spent some time that afternoon exploring the town and the nearby town of La Conner, one of my favorite small towns in the Pacific Northwest. We boarded our ferry the next morning for the hour and a half trip through the islands to Friday Harbor. We spent the next four days getting reacquainted with the many charms of the town and the island.

Getting There

Most visitors to the island come via the Washington State Ferry System. There are interisland ferries that depart from Anacortes and stop at all four of the main islands, and an express ferry that runs between Anacortes and Friday Harbor, bypassing the other islands. Check the ferry website for schedules and to make reservations. Reservations aren’t absolutely required – a few spots are left for people without reservations – but reserving a ticket in advance is the only way to guarantee that you’ll get on. Even then, ferries are sometimes cancelled due to weather or other causes. Our ferry to Friday Harbor was delayed for an hour and earlier sailings that day were cancelled due to the lack of a full crew.

The other ways of getting to San Juan Island are by private boat, water taxi (passengers only), or airplane. There are several water taxi services that operate from various mainland ports to Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor (and to other islands, including those not served by the ferry system). And Kenmore Air has a limited schedule of flights from Boeing Field in Seattle to Friday Harbor Airport. Kenmore Air and others also operate seaplane flights to Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor.

Getting Around

If you’re just interested in exploring Friday Harbor, you don’t need a vehicle. It’s a small and very walkable community, and there is plenty there to keep you occupied for at least a couple of days. So, you can save some money by leaving your car behind in Anacortes and buying a passenger only ticket on the ferry. Water taxis will cost as much, or more, as taking your car on the ferry. I didn’t check into flight costs, but they are almost certainly much more expensive than the ferry.

Even without a vehicle, you can still get around the island via the San Juan Transit bus system that stops at Roche Harbor, English Camp, American Camp, Lime Kiln Point State Park, and several resorts, wineries, and other attractions on the island. Uber and Lyft also operate on the island.

Another way to get around is by bicycle. Bring your own or rent from one of several rental shops in Friday Harbor. Roche Harbor, on the north end of the island, is less than ten miles from downtown Friday Harbor. Other destinations are even closer. The easiest way to get around is by car, of course. We brought ours. The cost for the round-trip ferry ride from Anacortes was about $75.

Friday Harbor

Friday Harbor is the commercial center of the San Juan Islands and the only town of any size. Although small in size and population, Friday Harbor is chocked full of interesting places to visit and things to do, regardless of your particular interests. There are several interesting museums, dozens of cafes and restaurants, small shops of all kinds, and many places to take in the views of the harbor and the surrounding islands. A number of companies offer whale watching cruises. Others offer scenic flights on floatplanes. And kayak tours, both day and multi-day trips, can be booked through several companies in Friday Harbor.

There is no shortage of places to eat in Friday Harbor. For breakfast and lunch, I can personally recommend both Rocky Bay Café and Tina’s Place. For dining with a view, go to Downriggers on the bayfront. Classic Italian food can be found at Vinny’s Ristorante. Vegetarian and vegan food can be had at Mike’s Café and Wine Bar. For quality craft beers and upscale pub food, try San Juan Brewing. For seafood in a casual dining space, check out Friday’s Crab House. We ate at all of those, and all were good. But that’s just a sampling of what Friday Harbor offers. I wish we had had a few more days to sample more of the town’s eateries. What’s a vacation for, after all.

If you an art lover, The San Juan Islands Museum of Art features visual artworks from local and regional artists. On a slightly different note, The Whale Museum has exhibits featuring native arts and the marine environment with a focus on education and environmental protection. You might also want to visit the Arctic Raven Gallery.

We stayed in a vacation rental about a five minute walk from downtown Friday Harbor, but there are many other lodging options in Friday Harbor and around the island, from luxury hotels to budget friendly cabins and cottages. A full list of available accommodations of all types can be found on the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau website, as well as a comprehensive list of things to do and sights to see.

Roche Harbor

Roche Harbor, located on the north end of the island, was once the site of the largest lime deposit in the Pacific Northwest, and a large lime plant. Since the closing of the lime plant, Roche Harbor has morphed into an upscale resort community that is one of the most visited sites on the island.

The resort consists of a hotel (the historic Hotel De Haro, built in 1886), a large marina, three restaurants, a grocery store, several shops featuring local artisans, tennis courts, a heated outdoor swimming pool, and nicely landscaped grounds. Besides the hotel, resort accommodations also include historic cottages and modern luxury houses.

San Juan Islands Sculpture Park

Near Roche Harbor (I think it’s actually part of the resort), the San Juan Islands Sculpture Park is a must see if you’re at all interested in sculpture. There are over 100 works of art (it seemed like many more) spread out over the twenty acres of the garden. Plan to spend at least an hour here. We spent more than that and still didn’t see it all. Admission is free, but donations are requested.

The Pig War

The 1846 Treaty that set the boundary between Canada and the United States didn’t specify whether the boundary was meant to be Haro Strait, west of San Juan Island, or Rosario Strait, east of Lopez and Orcas Islands. Both England and the U.S. claimed the islands and both British and American settlers resided on San Juan Island, mostly in peace. But in 1859 an American settler shot and killed a pig that had strayed onto his land. The pig belonged to an English company. That act almost started a war.

Tensions between the American and British contingents led both England and the U.S. to send military forces to the island. From 1859 to 1872, when the boundary dispute was finally settled in favor of the United States, the island was jointly occupied by both forces. No actual combat occurred, and no one was injured in the Pig War. The sites of the two country’s military installations are now part of San Juan Island National Historical Park.

English Camp

The British military outpost was located on Garrison Bay, on the northwest corner of the island not far from Roche Harbor. Only a few of the original structures remain. One of the barracks now houses the English Camp Visitor Center. Lots of interesting history there in a beautiful setting. I highly recommend stopping in.

American Camp

The American forces were located on the south end of the island about five miles south of Friday Harbor. Like at English Camp, few of the original structures remain, and only one of the structures is in its original location. Unlike English Camp, American Camp is located away from the water, on an open ridge top overlooking the water on both sides of the island. The visitor center here is much larger than the one at English Camp and is in a modern structure. More interesting history here, in a different but equally beautiful setting.

My wife and I did a short (1.7-mile) hike here. Starting at the visitor center, we first hiked east to the Parade Grounds and Picket’s Redoubt, then south to the edge of the bluff overlooking the shore. The trail then took us west along the bluff with nice views of Eagle Point and across Haro Strait to Vancouver Island. We took a short side trip down to the water at Grandma’s Cove before returning to the visitor center.

South Beach and Cattle Point

South Beach, just southeast of American Camp, is also part of San Juan Island National Historical Park. Cattle Point, just outside the park boundary, is the southernmost point of land on the island. Neither are particularly remarkable, and Cattle Point Lighthouse (our destination after visiting American Camp) isn’t as attractive or iconic as Lime Kiln Point Lighthouse (pictured below). But the views of nearby Lopez Island and some of the smaller islands between San Juan and Lopez are nice, and there are some good trails in the area. In fact, if you’re looking for a little longer hike than the one we did at American Camp, it’s possible to hike from the American Camp Visitor Center to Cattle Point. The out and back hike is about seven miles. A slightly shorter hike (4.3 miles) to Cattle Point begins and ends at the Jake’s Beach Lagoon parking area.

San Juan County Park and Lime Kiln Point

The west coast of San Juan Island is prime whale watching territory, and the island’s west coast is rugged and wildly beautiful. San Juan County Park has a small campground and a boat ramp on Smallpox Bay.

Lime Kiln Point State Park has a scenic lighthouse, trails along the shore, and is one of the prime whale watching sites on the island. Both offer views across Haro Strait to Vancouver Island and the northeast suburbs of Victoria. Unfortunately, there were no whales in the area when we visited.

Zylstra Lake

Until 2015 Zylstra Lake was privately owned and surrounded by farmland, and it has only recently been opened to the public. It is now owned by San Juan County Land Bank and managed under a conservation easement by the San Juan Preservation Trust. We thought it might be an interesting place to explore, and the trail around the lake looked like it might be a good hike. Both of those proved to be true. For more information and a description of the hike, click here to view my hike-of-the-week post.

Conclusion

On our final evening on the island, we drove to the Westside Preserve, just south of Lime Kiln Point, to watch the sunset. We didn’t see any whales there either, but the sunset was beautiful and a nice way to end our stay.

The next morning, we caught our ferry back to the mainland, fought our way through Seattle area traffic, and returned home, refreshed and ready for our next adventure.

Posted October 12, 2023 by Alan K. Lee

All photos © Alan K. Lee

Key West and the Florida Keys

We all need to get away from home on occasion, sometimes far away, and the Florida Keys are about as far from the Pacific Northwest as you can get and still be in one of the fifty U.S. states – Honolulu is closer to Seattle than Key West is. And the Keys make for a great winter getaway. My wife and I had a great time in Key West on our only visit and I would love to return to someday.

The following was originally posted on this site a couple of years ago. I checked all of the links, but things can change, so check the Keys News website for current information if you’re contemplating a visit in the near future.

If you are thinking about a visit to Key West, the first thing you should do is track down a copy of Jon Breakfield’s book “Key West: Tequila, a Pinch of Salt and a Quirky Slice of America.” Breakfield and his wife were living in Scotland and took a winter vacation to Key West one year. Two days into their visit they decided not to go back to Scotland. Breakfield’s book is an absolutely hilarious account of their first year in Key West. It’s also a good introduction to the Key West culture and works as a weird sort of travel guide. After reading the book, you’ll probably want to visit The Bull, a bar on Duval Street, and the Whistle Bar, which occupies the floor above. The Whistle Bar has a wrap around veranda that is one of the best people watching perches in Key West. Both figure prominently in the book. And if you’re really adventurous, you might even want to venture up one more flight to the clothing optional rooftop bar called The Garden of Eden.

Key West is a quirky place, and nothing exemplifies that better than the city’s tongue in check secession from the United States in 1982. After the Border Patrol set up a roadblock on the highway between Key Largo and Miami (to stem the flow of drugs into the country via the Keys), creating huge traffic backups and inhibiting island residents from commuting to jobs on the mainland, the mayor and city council of Key West decided that if the Border Patrol was going to treat them like they were a foreign country by setting up a de facto border crossing station, they would become one. Thus was born the Conch Republic. The move was pure political theater (the mayor “surrendered” to the commander of the naval air station at Key West the day after declaring the Conch Republic’s independence), but it resonated with the anti-establishment sentiment common among island residents, and the spirit of the Conch Republic persists to this day.

Duval Street is the main drag in Key West. It’s lined with bars and restaurants, galleries, gift shops, and much more. You can eat your way down one side of the street and drink your way back up the other, if you’re so inclined. You’ll probably meet fifty other tourists for every local, but everyone will be having a good time and you won’t care that it’s not the real Key West.

Besides Duval Street, another major tourist draw is Mallory Square and the daily Sunset Celebration. Key West is known for its sunsets and didn’t disappoint on our visit. And every evening about two hours before sunset dozens of artists, crafters, food vendors, and street performers of every stripe congregate at Mallory Square to hawk whatever it is they’re selling to the tourists gathered there to watch the sunset. It’s weird, wild, and enormously entertaining. And then there’s a beautiful sunset to cap it all off.

Key West has plenty of places of interest beyond Duval Street and Mallory Square, too. The Hemingway House is another major tourist draw. Get there early if you’re going or buy your tickets online. The line was around the block both times we thought about taking a look. The Audubon House, Key West Lighthouse Museum, Eco-Discovery Center , Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park , the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, and the Key West Aquarium are all worth a visit.

If you just want to hang out at the beach, Fort Zach Park has a nice swimming beach (with an adjacent bar). South Beach at the end of Duval Street also has a beach bar and grill. Higgs Beach is four or five blocks east and has a nice beach for sunbathing and swimming. And across the street, Astro City Playground is a fun place for kids to play. To the east of Higgs Beach are C.B. Harvey Memorial Rest Beach (no bar or other amenities) and Smathers Beach. Dog Beach, a couple of blocks east of South Beach, is literally for the dogs – a dog friendly, off leash park.

Key West has dozens of fine restaurants. All of the places we dined at were excellent. We had a couple of great breakfasts at a place called Camille’s Cafe, but it appears to be closed. Blue Heaven, Cafe Sole, and a Cuban restaurant called El Siboney all had excellent food. We also lunched at a couple of Duval Street eateries (whose names I’ve forgotten) that were very good. The Lobster Shack, The Flaming Bouy, Louie’s Backyard, Sarabeth’s Kitchen, Santiago’s Bodega (tapas), Cafe Marquesa, The Cafe (vegetarian), Ambrosia (Japanese), and B.O.’s Fish Wagon (fresh and very affordable seafood) are all highly rated, also.

Nature lovers will want to check out Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservancy, Indigenous Park, Key West Nature Preserve, and Key West Wildlife Center.

If you’re interested in fishing, Trip Advisor lists more than two dozen fishing charters and tours. If scuba diving is your thing, Finz Dive Center, Captain’s Corner Dive Center, and Lost Reef Adventures all offer diving tours and are highly rated.

Tourism drives Key West’s economy and there is no shortage of available accommodations , from luxury resorts to whole house rentals to budget motels and inexpensive Airbnb rentals. We went the Airbnb route and found a reasonably affordable room in Old Town. But the closer to the historic district and Duval Street, the more expensive the accommodations become, and the longer ahead that you will need to make reservations. It’s an advantage to stay within walking distance of Old Town, as parking is limited, but if you have a car and don’t mind spending some time looking for a place to park, staying in the New Town section or on Stock Island can save you some money. Key West is bicycle friendly, has a public transit system, and taxis are readily available (some with bicycle racks), so driving into Old Town is not strictly necessary, even if you are not staying close by. Uber and Lyft are also options.

The bottom line is there are as many reasons to visit Key West as there are tourists visiting. It’s a great party town and a great place to lounge on the beach and soak up the sunshine, but it’s much more than just that. Key West is soaked in history, has a great food scene, has great fishing and diving, and is located in an incredibly beautiful natural setting.

The other Florida Keys have their own attractions, too, and the drive from Miami to Key West is an attraction on its own.

Key Largo is the closest of the keys to the mainland and many of the residents commute to the mainland, but it has many attractions that draw travelers, too. It’s the self-proclaimed “dive capital of the world” and home to the world’s largest artificial reef, among other attractions. If fishing is your thing, Islamorada bills itself as the “sport-fishing capital of the world.”

There were a number of other interesting places in the Keys that we stopped at on our way to and from Key West. One of those was the National Key Deer Refuge on Sugarloaf Key. Key deer are tiny – not much bigger than a German shepherd. Another stop we made was Bahia Honda State Park, which has a nice swimming beach and clear waters in multiple hues of blue.

The Overseas Highway through the Keys is an engineering marvel and driving it is an amazing journey, even if you don’t stop at any of the Keys along the way. The Seven Mile Bridge itself is one of the main attractions in the Keys.

If you’re contemplating a visit, flying to Key West is an option, but I’d do as we did – fly to Miami or Fort Lauderdale, rent a car, and drive the Overseas Highway. Visit the other Keys and go diving, snorkeling, fishing, or just find an uncrowded beach and soak up the sunshine away from the crowds. And, of course, take in Key West and all it has to offer. You won’t regret it. And while you’re in Florida, the Everglades are only a short drive from Miami.

Originally posted by Alan K. Lee on August 10, 2018. Updated with Covid-19 info December 14, 2020. Updated and expanded September 15, 2023.

All photos © Alan K. Lee

Skyline Trail, Mount Rainier

Skyline Trail Loop

Where: Mount Rainier National Park

Distance: 4.4 to 5.9 miles

Type: Loop

Elevation gain: 1700 feet

Difficulty: Moderate to Hard (for distance and elevation gain)

Map:

Paradise area trail map and description (from the Mount Rainier National Park website).

Overview:

The Skyline Trail loop is one of the Pacific Northwest’s iconic hikes. Beginning at the Visitor Center in the Paradise section of the park, the trail takes you up the mountain with great views of the summit, awesome views of the Nisqually Glacier, and panoramic views south to the Tatoosh Range and Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams in the distance. The high point of the trail is just over 7000 feet in elevation (and still 7400 feet below the summit). The lower portions of the trail take you through alpine forest and mountain meadows. The upper part is all above timberline with open views in all directions.

The Paradise area is famous for its spectacular wildflower displays that carpet the meadows, including the alpine meadows above timberline. Look for deer and elk in the lower meadows and forested areas. Look, and listen, for hoary marmots and pikas along the trail. Gray Jays and Clark’s Nutcrackers are common (and tame) below timberline, and you might see White-tailed Ptarmigans in the higher reaches.

The Skyline Trail is a very popular hike for many reasons, and you will have plenty of company on it. But the views are incredible, the mountain is utterly massive, and wildlife and wildflowers are abundant, all of which make putting up with the crowds well worth it.

Getting there:

From Portland, take Interstate-5 north to US Hwy 12 (Exit 68). Follow US12 east to Morton, then Washington Hwy 7 north to Elbe. Turn east on Hwy 706 and proceed to the Longmire Entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park. In the park, follow the signs to Paradise.

From Seattle, take I-5 south through Tacoma to Exit 127 (Hwy 512). Go east on Hwy 512 to Hwy 7, then south to Elbe. From Elbe, proceed as described above.

The park entrance fee is $30 if you don’t have one of the various national park passes and is good for seven days. The park no longer accepts cash payments.

Best Times to Go:

The hiking season is limited in the Paradise area and even more so for the upper part of the Skyline Loop. Paradise is also the most visited part of the park and is always crowded on summer weekends, so your best bet is to come on a weekday morning, or anytime after Labor Day. Even then, you may have trouble finding a parking spot. There are plenty of other worthwhile hikes in the Longmire and Paradise areas, so come prepared with a Plan B hike just in case.

Another option, if you can afford it, is to book a room at Paradise Inn, which allows you to park in the inn’s parking lot. But even that doesn’t guarantee you a parking spot, as we found out one afternoon after returning from a day hike lower on the mountain. The inn’s lot was full, as was the visitor center lot. We had to park in the lower lot and walk to the inn. The National Park Inn in Longmire is another lodging option to consider.

Trailheads:

The trail begins and ends near the Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center. Restrooms and drinking water are available in the visitor center. You can also start the hike from Paradise Inn, just uphill from the visitor center. Parking at the visitor center is limited and fills up early in the day. Parking at Paradise Inn is restricted to visitors staying at the inn. An alternative trailhead starts at the lower parking lot. (There is a trail to the visitor center, or you can take the Deadhorse Creek Trail up the mountain and join the Skyline Trail just below Glacier Vista. Starting at the lower trailhead adds only about two tenths of a mile to the hike.)

The hike:

From the trailhead at the visitor center, the trail heads straight up the mountain on a moderately steep grade. There are a myriad of trails crisscrossing the Paradise area above the visitor center, but most of the trail intersections are well signed. If in doubt, just head uphill. But bring a trail map, just in case.

At the 0.2-mile mark, you’ll come to a junction with the Alta Vista Trail, a side trail that takes you to a good viewpoint before rejoining the Skyline Trail. The Alta Vista Trail adds a little to the elevation gain of this hike, but doesn’t add any distance.

Stay on the main trail at the junction with the Deadhorse Creek Trail. The next trail junction, at the one-mile mark, is with the Glacier View Trail. Like the Alta Vista Trail, the Glacier View Trail parallels the Skyline Trail and doesn’t add any distance to the hike, but does provide a good view of the massive Nisqually Glacier.

Above Glacier View, the Skyline Trail switchbacks up a steeper section of the mountain above timberline. At the 1.6-mile mark you come to the junction with the Upper Skyline Trail (which may be signed as the Pebble Creek Trail). Staying on the main trail will take you to the well-named and very popular Panorama Point, with sweeping views down to Paradise Inn and the visitor center, across to the Tatoosh Range, and beyond to Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams. The Upper Skyline Trail is a three tenths of a mile shortcut and bypasses the often crowded Panorama Point. If you take the shortcut, stay right at the next junction to rejoin the main trail above Panorama Point.

Just above Panorama Point is a restroom open during the summer (it may be closed after Labor Day). Follow the trail going straight up the mountain where you will come to the eastern junction with the Upper Skyline Trail. Older maps show the Skyline Trail descending from Panorama Point across a snow field to the east and rejoining the Upper Skyline Trail on the ridge beyond. That is no longer the official route and is not maintained, although I saw a group of people taking it the last time I was there. Google Maps also still shows that trail.

Just past the junction with the Upper Skyline Trail, you’ll reach the high point of the hike at 7040 feet. From there, the trail traverses the rocky southeastern slopes of the mountain, then descends to the junction with the Golden Gate Trail at the 3.3-mile mark of the hike. Taking the Golden Gate Trail, which switchbacks down a steep slope before rejoining the Skyline Trail, cuts about a mile off the total distance of the hike.

Past the Golden Gate Trail junction, the Skyline Trail follows the crest of a ridge, then descends to a beautiful alpine meadow near the headwaters of the Paradise River. After crossing the river, which is still a small creek at that point, you will come to the junction with the Paradise Glacier Trail at the 3.9-mile mark of the hike, which once led to the famous Paradise Ice Caves. The caves no longer exist, however. Beyond the junction, look for the Stevens-Van Trump Historical Marker, commemorating the first ascent of the mountain in 1870.

Beyond the monument, the trail parallels the edge of a 1000-foot drop off to Stevens Creek to the east before turning west. Stay right at the junction with the Lakes Trail and follow the Skyline Trail as it switchbacks down to meet the Paradise River again. Stay right again at the 4th Crossing Trail junction. The trail then traverses the slope above the river and crosses over a ridge. Just past the lower junction with the Golden Gate Trail, you come to Myrtle Falls at the 5.2-mile mark. Myrtle Falls is one of the most photographed spots in the park, and one of the most crowded. Welcome back to civilization. From Myrtle Falls it’s a short half-mile jaunt back to the trailhead.

Other area attractions and activities:

Mount Rainier National Park offers innumerable attractions other than this hike. The Longmire area has an interesting history and a number of interesting hikes. Between Longmire and Paradise there are several waterfall hikes. The Reflection Lakes area below Paradise has several other nice hikes, as do the Stevens Canyon and Ohanapecosh areas. And the Sunrise area on the east side of the mountain has spectacular views of the mountain and many trails. And, as its name suggests, it offers especially gorgeous views of the mountain at sunrise.

Conclusion:

The Skyline Trail, even if you hike only a portion of the loop, should be on every hikers bucket list of destinations. There simply is no other high altitude trail that is as accessible and as scenic in the Pacific Northwest.

Posted September 8, 2023 by Alan K. Lee

All photos ©Alan K. Lee

Sitka, Alaska

by Alan K. Lee

Sitka, Alaska is located on a protected harbor on the western shore of stunningly beautiful Baranof Island in Southeast Alaska. To the west of the city many small islands dot Sitka Sound, and Mt. Edgecumbe, a dormant volcanic cone, rises 3200′ above the sound on Kruzof Island. To the north and east, Harbor Mountain and Mount Verstovia tower over the city, forming a dramatic backdrop.

My most recent visit to Sitka came in 2018 when my wife and I flew there to visit a friend of hers who had recently moved back to Sitka after having lived in Portland for many years. It had been more than twenty years since we had last visited, but not a lot had changed in those two decades. The town was a little bigger, maybe a little more touristy, but still a low key, relaxed place where people don’t lock their car, and usually leave the keys in it without fear of it being stolen.

Southeast Alaska is not traditionally considered part of the Pacific Northwest, but they are close geographically, are similar ecologically, and have closely linked cultures and histories, so I’m going to stretch the definition of the Pacific Northwest a little and include Sitka in the Northwest Destinations category here.

The weather in Southeast Alaska is always chancy. On our first visit, there were low clouds blocking views of the surrounding mountains the whole time we were in Sitka, and the only sunshine we saw on our two week trip was in Ketchikan on the day we flew in and again on the day we flew out. But this time we had sunshine and blue skies for most of our four days in Sitka.

Sitka is an interesting and unique blend of Native American, Russian, and American cultures. The Tlingit people have inhabited the area for thousands of years. The name Sitka derives from the Tlingit name for the area, Shee Atika. In the 1740s Russians began exploring the area, and in 1799 Fort St. Michael was established at the present site of Sitka. The Tlingits burned down the fort in 1802, but the Russians returned two years later and forced the Tlingits out of the area. The Russian community of New Archangel, which became Sitka when the United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867, was founded in 1804 on the site of the destroyed Fort St. Michael. In the early 1820s some of the Tlingit people returned to the area, and there is still a Tlingit community in Sitka today. The Russian influence is also still present in modern Sitka. St. Michael’s Cathedral is an active Russian Orthodox church.

In town, the Sitka National Historical Park (locally known as Totem Park) is a must see, as are the Alaska Raptor Center, St. Michael’s Cathedral (built between 1844 and 1848), the Russian Bishop’s House (1842), and the Sitka Historic Museum. The Sheldon Jackson Museum, the Sitka Sound Science Center, the Lutheran Cemetery, and the Russian Cemetery are also definitely worth visiting. Sitka is a very walkable city, and all of the above are within easy walking distance of the city center. It’s also a very bike friendly city, and renting a bicycle is a good way to get around town. A few miles outside of town, the Fortress of the Bear, a non-profit refuge for orphaned cubs, offers close up views of brown bears, if you are so inclined.

If you’re a fisherman, Sitka offers world class salmon and halibut fishing in the offshore waters. The Sitka Salmon Derby is held every May and June. The inland streams and lakes also offer quality fly fishing opportunities. For hikers, there are several trails that begin in Sitka, from the relatively flat Indian River Trail to the much steeper Verstovia Mountain Trail and Gavin Hill/Harbor Mountain Trail. Other hiking trails begin north and south of the city. Kayaks and boats can be rented in the city, and Sitka Sound looks to be a kayaker’s paradise.

Flightseeing, ATV tours, hiking tours, city walking tours, car tours, kayak tours, and wildlife boat tours are all available in Sitka. On our trip, we took a sightseeing tour of Sitka Sound that was nothing short of incredible. I would highly encourage anyone who is planning a visit to find the time to do the same. We saw dozens of sea otters up close, probably fifty or more bald eagles, many other seabirds, seals, dolphins, humpback whales, and a pod of orcas, all within the space of about three hours.

Sitka is also a very arts oriented town. In addition to numerous galleries in the city, the Sitka Jazz Festival is held every February, the Sitka Summer Music Festival is held in June or July, and the Sitka Fine Arts Camp and Arts & Science Festival for young artists is also held every summer. Other festivals include the Sitka Seafood Festival in August, The Alaska Day Festival (celebrating the transfer of Alaska from Russia to the United States) in October and the Sitka Whalefest in November.

Sitka, despite its remote location, is relatively easy to get to. Alaska Air has non-stop flights daily from both Portland and Seattle, making it possible to visit Sitka on a long weekend. If you have more time, Sitka is a stop on most Alaska cruises. And Sitka can also be reached by ferry, which is how my wife and I traveled there on our first visit. Check the Alaska Marine Highway website for schedules, fares, and other information. Other useful websites include Visit Sitka , Travel Alaska , Welcome To Sitka , and Trip Advisor.

On our 2018 trip to Sitka we also visited Ketchikan and Juneau. The weather was so bad in Ketchikan that I took few photos and didn’t post anything from there. The weather was better in Juneau. Click here to view my post from Juneau.

Originally posted July 30, 2018. Most recently updated May 30, 2023.

All photos © Alan K. Lee

British Columbia’s Gulf Islands

by Alan K. Lee

My wife and I love to explore new places, and most of our travels are to places that we have never been to before. But there are a few places that have drawn us back again and again. One of those is British Columbia’s Gulf Islands. The Covid-19 pandemic interrupted our plans to revisit the islands in 2021, but we will be back again in the near future.

The Gulf Islands are located off the southeast coast of Vancouver Island. There are six main islands in the Southern Gulf Islands: Salt Spring, Mayne, North Pender, South Pender, Saturna, and Galiano. The Northern Gulf Islands consist of Thetis, Penelakut, Valdes, and Gabriola Islands. Each island has its own particular charms, and all are well worth exploring.

The Gulf Islands Guide has a description of each island and good information on events and accommodations in the Islands. Other useful websites include Gulf Islands Tourism, and Salt Spring Island.org.

The largest, most populated, and most accessible of the Southern Gulf Islands is Salt Spring. Ganges, on Salt Spring, is the commercial and cultural heart of the Islands. It is the largest (and really the only) town in the Southern Gulf Islands. One of the charms of the Gulf Islands is that they are largely untrammeled by commercial development. There are no big resorts, no malls, nothing to draw in the masses except the natural beauty that surrounds you everywhere in the Islands. But once there, many people are captivated not only by the scenery and wildlife, but also by the people and the islands’ culture and lifestyle.

Salt Spring has an active arts community, with numerous galleries and studios in Ganges and scattered across the island. A Farmer’s Market is held in Ganges every Saturday during the summer, where you can sample artisanal cheeses and locally grown produce. Arts, crafts, and home and garden products are also available.

Salt Spring and the other Gulf Islands also offer an abundance of outdoor activities, from hiking and mountain biking to sailing and kayaking, camping, fishing, whale watching, and more.

There are no commercial airports in the Gulf Islands, but there are float plane companies that will take you to the islands. And the Victoria airport is only a few miles from the Schwartz Bay ferry terminal, so flying to Victoria and renting a car is a good option for people from outside the Northwest that want to visit the Southern Gulf Islands.

Most visitors to the Gulf Islands arrive via one of the BC Ferries. Passenger and car ferries travel from Tsawwassen on the B.C. mainland south of Vancouver to Long Harbor near Ganges, and from Schwartz Bay on Vancouver Island north of Victoria to Fulford Harbor near the southern tip of Salt Spring. There is also a smaller ferry from Crofton on Vancouver Island to Vesuvius on the northwest side of Salt Spring. The other Southern Gulf Islands are serviced by ferries departing the Long Harbor terminal.

The Northern Gulf Islands are reached by ferries from Chemainus and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. Be sure to check the ferry schedules on the BC Ferries website. Reservations may be required, especially on summer weekends, and the ferry system is designed to serve island residents, not tourists, so island hopping can be difficult.

I’ve found that a good way to explore the Southern Gulf Islands by car is to base yourself on Salt Spring and pick an island to explore each day. North and South Pender Islands are connected by a bridge, so they can be explored in a day. Take another three days to explore Mayne, Saturna, and Galiano. That still leaves you several days to see all Salt Spring has to offer, even if you have only a week.

There is a bus system on Salt Spring Island, but public transportation is limited or nonexistent on the other islands. You can get around without a car, though. There is a unique Car Stop system, sort of an organized hitchhiking system, on all of the Southern Islands. Look for the Car Stop signs and stick out your thumb. Someone will stop to give you a ride. Drivers can be selective about who they pick up, and of course hitchhikers can be equally selective about whose car they get into. But it’s generally safe, and it’s free. It also a unique way to get to know some of the locals.

If you or one of your fellow travelers is an experience boater or sailor, you can charter a sailboat or power boat and explore the islands by sea. Full-service marinas are located at Sidney on Vancouver Island, and on Saltspring, Pender, Galiano, and Thetis Islands, and there are public docks on most of the islands. Winds and currents can be tricky and changeable in the narrow channels between the islands, so experience is essential and charter companies require proof of competence. But if you have the necessary qualifications, this is an excellent way to explore the Islands. We have done this, and I can personally recommend it.

There are a wide variety of accommodations available on the islands, from full-service resorts and hotels to traditional B&Bs to single rooms available through Airbnb. One place that I can personally recommend is Spindrift Oceanfront Cottages on Salt Spring Island near Ganges. Spindrift is located at the end of a peninsula in Ganges Harbor in a park-like setting. It has two sand beaches perfect for launching kayaks. If you’re a kayaker, this is a perfect jumping off point. Ganges Harbor and its numerous islands are well worth exploring. Prevost Island, a short paddle to the southeast of Ganges Harbor is also worth a visit. A portion of Prevost is set aside as part of the Gulf Islands National Park.

There are a number of Provincial Parks in the Islands that are worth exploring. Mount Maxwell Provincial Park on the west side of Salt Spring Island provides spectacular views of Salt Spring Island and across Saanich Inlet to Vancouver Island to the west. You can drive to the summit, but there are also hiking and mountain bike trails for the more adventurous. Ruckle Provincial Park on the southeast coast of Salt Spring has hiking trails that take you along the shore of Swanson Channel, as well as a campground with eight RV sites (no hookups) and 78 walk in tent sites. There are also good hiking trails at Mt. Erskine Provincial Park, just west of Ganges. Galiano Island also has several provincial parks, and portions of both Pender Islands and Saturna Island are set aside as part of the Gulf Islands National Park.

If you are a cheese lover, you’ll want to visit Salt Spring Island Cheese. Their farm is located on Reynolds Road, just off of the road leading to Ruckle Park. There you can not only sample and purchase their artisanal cheeses, but also see the whole cheese making operation. You can also find their cheeses at the Farmer’s Market in Ganges and in many grocery stores in B.C. and as far away as Toronto. If you are a wine lover, stop at Salt Spring Vineyards and Tasting Room, and Garry Oaks Estate Winery, both located south of Ganges on Fulford-Ganges Road.

You can’t see everything British Columbia’s Gulf Islands have to offer in a week, or even two, but it’s time enough to fall in love with them, which happens to a lot of first-time visitors. It happened to us. It’s brought us back numerous times, and we will visit again in the near future. And the proximity of the Gulf Islands to Victoria and the rest of Vancouver Island makes for a wide variety of possible itineraries on an extended vacation.

Originally posted July 2, 2018. Updated and re-posted February 17, 2021, and April 21, 2023.

All photos © Alan K. Lee

Sunriver Resort

by Alan K. Lee

Sunriver Resort in Central Oregon has become a favorite destination for my wife and I over the years. Even during the first year of the corona virus pandemic we spent the 4th of July holiday at Sunriver with my step-daughter and her family. That year was a little different – we cooked all of our meals at the house we rented instead of dining out as we usually do, for example. But the nature center was open (with restrictions), as was the marina and the stables. And there are miles of bike paths winding through the resort and residential areas, which we took full advantage of.

Sunriver Resort is located about 15 miles south of Bend on the site of the former Camp Abbot, a WWII era Army training facility for combat engineers. After the end of WWII, Camp Abbot was abandoned. Most of the buildings were demolished and the land was sold to private developers. The only remaining Camp Abbot structure is the former officer’s club, now the resort’s Great Hall. Of Camp Abbot’s 5500 acres, 2200 were added to the Deschutes National Forest and the remaining 3300 acres eventually became what is now Sunriver.

Sunriver is more than just a destination resort. It is also a planned community of more than 4000 homes and condominium units. Most of the residences are second homes, many of them available as short-term rentals. Sunriver also has about 1500 full time residents, a fire department, several parks, community water and wastewater treatment systems, a public works facility that maintains the roads, bike paths and parks, and an airport.

Recreational facilities at the resort include two public golf courses, two private courses open to resort guests, tennis and pickleball courts, several swimming pools, parks, and the large Sunriver Homeowners Aquatic and Recreation Center (SHARC). Sunriver Marina offers canoe and kayak rentals and guided rafting trips. And the Sunriver Stables offer horseback and pony rides.

In the winter, snow sports take center stage. Snowshoe and cross country ski trails are close by. Alpine skiers and snowboarders make up a large portion of Sunriver’s winter visitors, as Mount Bachelor, one of the Northwest’s premier ski areas, is only about a 30 minute drive from the resort. Mount Bachelor also has a Nordic center with more than 30 miles of cross country ski trails.

With 300 days of sunshine a year, Sunriver has much to offer the outdoor enthusiast. Hiking, biking, fishing, and river rafting and paddling are all popular summer activities. The Deschutes River forms the western boundary of the resort, and the river is wide and placid in that stretch, perfect for a leisurely float. And floating the river is a very popular activity in the summer. The river is often crowded with people enjoying the river in canoes, kayaks, rafts, and inner tubes.

Downstream of the resort, the river changes drastically, becoming narrow and raging as it cuts through an ancient lava flow. Scenic Benham Falls is only a few miles from the resort. A relatively flat paved bike path makes cycling from Sunriver to Benham Falls quick and easy. You can also drive there, but the bike path is shorter and probably faster. And there is a somewhat longer and more challenging mountain bike trail from Sunriver to the falls for the more adventurous.

The bike path continues on to Lava Butte and the Lava Lands Visitor Center, part of Newberry National Volcanic Monument. Also part of the National Monument, Newberry Crater (actually a caldera) contains two lakes, East and Paulina, and a large and fascinating obsidian flow. You can also drive to the summit of Paulina Peak on the caldera rim where you’ll look down into the caldera and take in the panoramic views of the Cascade Range peaks to the west, the ponderosa and lodgepole pine forests surrounding the caldera, and the sage and juniper lands of the high desert to the east. Newberry Crater is about 25 miles by road from Sunriver. (Look for a future post on this site with more information and photos of Newberry Crater).

Sunriver Resort makes an ideal base for exploring all that Central Oregon offers. Besides Newberry Crater and Lava Butte, other attractions in Newberry National Volcanic Monument include the Lava Cast Forest , and Lava River Cave.

West of Sunriver, the Cascade Lakes Highway runs parallel to the crest of the Cascade Range and passes close to Todd, Sparks, and Elk Lakes. Hosmer Lake, just off the highway, is a fly fishing only lake where motor boats are prohibited, making it ideal for paddlers. The highway also passes close by Big and Little Lava Lakes, Davis Lake, Cultus Lake, Crane Prairie Reservoir, and Wickiup Reservoir. For those seeking to get deeper into nature, numerous hiking trails lead from the highway into the adjacent Three Sisters Wilderness Area to the west.

While you’re in the area, I highly recommend that you visit the High Desert Museum, on Hwy 97 about ten miles north of Sunriver. The museum offers visitors a chance to see native wildlife up close, and to learn about both the pioneering history of the area and the culture and lifestyles of the Native American tribes that lived in the area for thousands of years prior to the arrival of white settlers. The High Desert Museum consistently rates as one of the top attractions in Central Oregon.

For those wanting a more urban experience, Bend is only about a 20 minute drive north of Sunriver. Once a small lumber town, Bend is now a fast growing city with a population of about 90,000. Besides being one of the West’s premier outdoor recreation centers, Bend also has many fine dining establishments, brew pubs, wine bars, boutique hotels, art galleries, and numerous specialty shops. I’ll cover Bend in more detail in a future post.

Sunriver itself has a variety of restaurants, a nice brew pub (Sunriver Brewing), a number of small shops, and many fun things for kids to do (think bumper cars and climbing walls). Most of that is concentrated in The Village, located near the main entry to the resort. The Lodge also has several restaurants, and there is a Mexican restaurant (Hola!) on the river next to Sunriver Marina.

Sunriver Resort offers a variety of rooms and suites in the Lodge and adjacent Lodge Village and River Lodges. More than 300 homes and condos in Sunriver can also be booked through the resort. Check the resort website for more information. Many other vacation rentals are available through VRBO, Vacasa, Airbnb, and Sunriver Vacation Rentals.

We’ve visited Sunriver Resort many times, and we will return again many more times, I’m sure. It’s a great place for the whole family, and Central Oregon is a paradise for people who love the outdoors.

Originally posted December 20, 2020. Updated and re-posted January 21, 2023.

All photos © Alan K. Lee

Jasper National Park

by Alan K. Lee

In August 2019, on a long road trip from our home near Portland, Oregon, my wife and I travelled to both Banff and Jasper in the Canadian Rockies. We had been to Banff before, but had never visited Jasper National Park.

We spent a few days exploring Canmore, just outside of Banff National Park, and the town of Banff, then visited Moraine Lake, Johnston Canyon, and Lake Louise before heading north into Jasper National Park on the Icefields Parkway. (Click here to read about our time in Banff).

The Icefields Parkway parallels the Continental Divide from just north of Lake Louise to the town of Jasper. It is without question one of the most scenic drives I’ve ever taken. Jagged peaks, glaciers, pristine lakes, spectacular waterfalls – it has it all.

From the beginning of the Icefield Parkway, just north of Lake Louise, the country felt wilder, more remote, and more removed from civilization. While Banff and Lake Louise seem relatively civilized because of the facilities, and the crowds, Jasper National Park is another animal. You won’t completely leave the crowds behind, of course, but you don’t have to venture very far off the road to find places with little or no trace of civilization.

Although it is only 143 miles (230 km) long and can be driven in less than three hours, you’ll want to spend a full day or more exploring the many scenic viewpoints, hiking trails, lakes, rivers, glaciers, waterfalls, and wildlife viewing opportunities that the Parkway offers.

We didn’t have enough time to stop at every viewpoint along the parkway, much less do any serious hiking or exploring. (If we go back, we’ll budget our time more wisely because there is so much that we missed on this trip). Our first stop after leaving Banff and entering Jasper came at the Icefield Centre, where the Athabasca Glacier drops down from the Columbia Icefield that straddles the Continental Divide.

From the Icefield Centre, visitors can take tour busses up to the Athabasca Glacier, then onto the glacier itself in special sno-coaches equipped to deal with the unique terrain presented by the surface of the glacier. You can also take a guided hiking tour onto the surface of the glacier.

We opted instead to hike to the terminal moraine of the glacier, where we could get a good view of the entire glacier as it descends from the massive Columbia Icefield. We then drove to nearby Sunwapta Lake, fed by runoff from the glacier. The whole area is beautiful, a bit unworldly, and truly magnificent.

From the Icefield Centre, the parkway follows the Sunwapta River north. We stopped for a short time at Tangle Falls, a beautiful series of small falls, which is immediately adjacent to the highway, no hiking required.

Then it was on to Sunwapta Falls. A short walk of a few hundred feet brings you to the top of the falls, where the Sunwapta River drops into a narrow canyon. The Sunwapta is a sizable tributary of the Athabasca River and the volume of water funneling into such a narrow passage is very impressive to see, and hear. The best view is from a pedestrian bridge that crosses the riverjust below the main falls. There is also a much less traveled 1¼ mile trail to Lower Sunwapta Falls, where the gorge empties out into the broad Athabasca Valley.

Our next stop was Athabasca Falls. Here Hwy 93A splits off from the Icefields Parkway. Like at Sunwapta Falls, the river here also drops into a narrow gorge, and a pedestrian bridge above the gorge gives a fantastic view of the falls. Before we left on our trip I saw a video of a black bear crossing that same bridge, full of tourists. Some of the people froze in place and some ran for their lives. The bear passed within inches of some of the people, paying them no mind, and went on its way.

If Sunwapta Falls was impressive, and it was, the Athabasca River here is bigger, the volume of water is greater, and the noise of the falls is deafening. Awesome is the only word for it. Athabasca Falls is world famous for a reason. Many highly hyped tourist attractions turn out to be less than advertised, but Athabasca Falls is not one of them.

After leaving Athabasca Falls, we continued north on Hwy 93A instead of returning to the Icefields Parkway and followed it about ten miles north to the junction of the road leading to the Mount Edith Cavell Day Use Area. The road up has a half dozen very sharp switchbacks, and trailers and RVs over 25′ are not allowed. (There is a parking area at the base of the road where you can leave your trailer, if you want to unhitch.) The road is paved, though, and fine for passenger vehicles and smaller RVs. The day use area is at the end of the road, directly below the summit of Mount Edith Cavell.

Meltwater from the Cavell Glacier, Mount Edith Cavell

The mountain is named for a British nurse who helped hundreds of British, French, and Belgian soldiers escape German-occupied Belgium in World War I. She was arrested, tried, and executed by the Germans in 1915.

From the day use area, a short but steep trail leads to a viewpoint that looks down to Cavell Pond and up nearly 5000 vertical feet to the 11,047′ summit. The lake was still partially ice covered when we were there in the middle of August.

The Icefields Parkway ends at the town of Jasper, a smaller, less crowded, and lower key version of Banff. There are abundant restaurants, pubs, galleries, and shops there, but accommodations are limited, and hotels and motels are expensive. Book your stay well in advance. We opted for staying in a travel trailer at an RV park 30 miles (48 km) from Jasper, just outside the park boundary, because that was the only thing available through Airbnb when we were planning our trip. It was a little inconvenient, but in the end it worked fine.

No visit to Jasper National Park should go without a stop at Maligne Canyon, just a few miles northeast of town. Here the Maligne River flows through a narrow slot canyon. In some places the canyon is more than 150 feet deep and only 10 feet wide. It’s an amazingly place, not to be missed.

To get to Maligne Canyon from Jasper, take Hwy 16 toward Edmonton. Just outside of town, turn right onto Maligne Lake Road and cross the Athabasca River. A few miles down the road you will first come to Maligne Canyon Viewpoint, then the Maligne Canyon Trailhead parking area.

From the trailhead parking area, look to the southeast and you’ll see, strangely enough, a restaurant (Maligne Canyon Wilderness Kitchen). The trail begins there. A short ways down the trail you will come to First Bridge. It spans the canyon immediately downstream of an impressive waterfall.

There are a total of five foot bridges that cross the Maligne River. The first four all give incredible views down into the canyon. The trail along the rim of the canyon also offers numerous viewpoints. Words simply cannot describe this place.

Because it is so spectacularly beautiful, Maligne Canyon can also be spectacularly crowded. Come early in the day (before 9:00) if possible to beat the tour bus crowd. The crowds thin out, though, below Second Bridge. Below Fourth Bridge the canyon opens up and becomes less spectacular, but still scenic. One way of avoiding some of the crowds, though a longer hike, is to start at the lower trailhead at Fifth Bridge and hike up the canyon.

After spending most of the morning at Maligne Canyon, we drove the 25 miles south to Maligne Lake. There we did a short hike along the east shore of the lake. The north end of the lake is less scenic than the fjord-like southern end, but there are no roads beyond the north end of the lake. Tour boats take visitors part way down the lake, but we weren’t there at the right time of day to get good photos, so we opted to skip the boat ride this time, one of the many things we left for our next visit to Jasper.

If you’re contemplating a visit to Jasper National Park, plan to spend at least five days. And you could easily spend longer. There’s a lot to see, as Jasper is a big place, larger than Yellowstone National Park. The two and a half days we had were not close to enough. If you want to see the Canadian Rockies and time is a constraint, my advice would be to skip Banff and focus on Jasper. Banff has it’s attractions, but Jasper is much less crowded and even more scenic. The Icefields Parkway website is a good starting point for planning your trip. Another good reference is the Jasper National Park website.

Originally posted September 19, 2019 as The Icefields Parkway. Edited, updated, and re-posted December 26, 2022.

All photos © Alan K. Lee

Lake Crescent and Vicinity

by Alan K. Lee

Lake Crescent, the nearby the Sol Duc Valley, and Hurricane Ridge are three of the prime attractions of Olympic National Park. My wife and I had the pleasure of visiting Lake Crescent and vicinity on an “escape from the pandemic” tour of the Olympic Peninsula in September 2020.

After spending three days in the magnificent Quinault Rain Forest, we made stops at Ruby Beach and Rialto Beach before heading on to Lake Crescent.

After checking in at Lake Crescent Lodge, we did a short but scenic and relaxing loop hike along the lake shore and through the forest east of the lodge. Lake Crescent lies in a glacier carved valley in the northern portion of Olympic National Park. The lake’s depth (nearly 600 feet) and clarity give the lake a brilliant deep blue color. Lake Crescent and nearby Lake Sutherland were once a single body of water, but a huge landslide about 7000 years ago divided the original lake into the separate lakes found today.

Lake Crescent Lodge, like Lake Quinault Lodge where we stayed on the first part of our trip, is one of the iconic grand lodges of the American West. Built in 1915, Lake Crescent Lodge is perhaps a little less grand than the other grand lodges, but it is no less significant in terms of its history and its romantic appeal. The main lodge is smaller than Lake Quinault Lodge, and the lodge rooms do not have private bathrooms. But there are many individual one and two bedroom cabins on the lake shore – the Singer Tavern Cottages and the Roosevelt Fireplace Cabins – that Lake Quinault and the other comparable lodges lack. More modern additions – the Storm King Rooms, Marymere Rooms, and Pyramid Mountain Rooms – are tucked into the woods a ways back from the shore. Our Storm King Room still had a view of the lake, though, and a nice balcony. All of the cabins and modern additions have private bathrooms.

As at Lake Quinault Lodge, the restaurant at Lake Crescent Lodge served only take out meals when we were there because of the corona virus pandemic. The lodge dining room was open for seating, however, so after our hike that first afternoon we claimed a window table looking out over the lake. Our meals were both very good, but Joan’s salmon “catch of the day” was a small (maybe 4 oz.) portion, and probably not worth the $28 price tag. My fish and chips were cheaper and more substantial, but we chose to drive to nearby Port Angeles for dinner the next two nights.

The next morning we hiked from the lodge to Marymere Falls, a picturesque 90 foot waterfall on Falls Creek. The trail is an easy 1.5 mile hike through old growth forest with minimal elevation gain to the lower viewpoint. From there the trail climbs steeply to an upper viewpoint. Both viewpoints offer unobstructed views of the falls.

My wife took her kayak out for a paddle on the lake that afternoon while I relaxed on our room’s balcony with a good book (Graham Greene’s Travels With My Aunt).

That evening we drove into Port Angeles, about 20 miles to the east, and dined at Next Door Gastropub. They have a good selection of beers and the Cuban pork sandwich that I had was quite good. After dinner we wandered around a bit, searching out some of the many public artworks scattered around the downtown area, before returning to Lake Crescent.

The following morning, we drove to the Sol Duc Valley west of Lake Crescent and hiked to Sol Duc Falls. Originally called “Sole Duck,” the spelling was officially changed to Sol Duc in 1922 to more accurately reflect its derivation from a Quileute language word meaning sparkling waters. The family friendly trail (less than a mile long) takes you through a dense forest with minimal elevation gain to the 48 foot falls. There the Sol Duc River breaks into a number of channels before making a sideways drop into a deeper gorge. There are many bigger and more spectacular waterfalls in Olympic National Park, but certainly none more scenic.

The nearby Sol Duc Hot Springs was once the site of a five star hotel. Built in 1912, the hotel lasted only four years, though, before burning down in 1916. The resort was rebuilt on a less grand scale in the 1920s and operated for a half century before closing in the 1970s. After being vacant for a number of years, it was renovated and reopened in the 1980s. Today the resort includes a restaurant and a variety of cabins with private bathrooms and modern amenities. Those staying at the resort have free access to a swimming pool, soaking pools, and hot tubs, all heated by water from the hot springs. People not staying at the resort can also enjoy the hot springs for a small fee.

A 17 unit RV campground that will accommodate RVs up to 36 feet is located a quarter mile from the resort. The RV campground sites have water and electric hookups, and there is a sewer dump station. A separate 82 unit “dry” campground is located nearby. The campground has restrooms, but no showers. The camp sites will accommodate small RVs, but do not have water or electric hookups.

After our hike to Sol Duc Falls we drove to the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center to do some more hiking and sightseeing. The visitor center is located 17 miles south of Port Angeles at an elevation of 5242 feet above sea level. Hurricane Ridge is the only alpine area in Olympic National Park accessible by car, which makes it very popular and means it can be very crowded, especially on summer weekends. We were there in the middle of the week in late September, though, so crowds weren’t much of an issue.

The Hurricane Ridge Road is paved, but winding with poor sight lines and several tunnels. It is also a popular challenge for cyclists because of the elevation gain, so go slow and watch for bicycles on the road.

The visitor center’s gift shop and restrooms were open, but the main part of the center was closed due to the corona virus pandemic. The rangers were manning an information desk outside on the sidewalk, though, where they were giving out maps and answering questions.

Several short loop and out and back hikes ranging from a half mile to a mile and a half take you from the visitor center to viewpoints with great views in all directions. Look for wildlife when you’re there. We’ve seen mountain goats there in the past, and on this visit a doe was grazing only a few feet off one of the trails, almost within arms reach. Past the visitor center, at the end of the road, you’ll find the trailhead for a longer 3.2 mile round trip hike to Hurricane Hill with even more spectacular panoramic views.

The following morning we somewhat reluctantly checked out of the lodge. Our six days in the Olympics were a much needed getaway from both the pandemic and the wildfires that had threatened many of the populated areas of western Oregon. We in the Pacific Northwest are lucky to have such a magnificent place so close at hand. Olympic National Park is a jewel worth visiting, no matter how far you have to come to experience it.

From Crescent Lake, we headed on to Port Townsend for the final part of our trip. Look for an upcoming post on Port Townsend, one of my favorite places in the Northwest, and home of the annual Wooden Boat Festival.

Originally posted November 7, 2020. Updated and re-posted November 9, 2022.

Seattle Aquarium

by Alan K. Lee

The Seattle Aquarium is a fun-filled and educational experience for the whole family. The aquarium’s displays and exhibits focus on the marine life of Puget Sound. You’ll explore tide pools, see salmon, halibut, lingcod, and other fish living in Puget Sound, marine birds like the tufted puffin, black oystercatcher, and pigeon guillemot, and marine mammals, including sea otters, harbor seals, and fur seals.

The aquarium is managed and operated by the nonprofit Seattle Aquarium Society under a long-term agreement with the City of Seattle. The aquarium’s mission, Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment, guides the aquarium society’s activities, which extend beyond the aquarium.

The Seattle Aquarium Society runs a variety of public programs that give people the chance to explore and learn about beach ecosystems, salmon migration and life cycles, and other aspects of the local marine environment. And the society runs summer camps for kids and distance learning programs in addition to their hands on programs.

The Seattle Aquarium is located on the waterfront in downtown Seattle north of the ferry terminals. There are many other nearby attractions, such as the Seattle Great Wheel (two blocks to the south), and Pike Place Public Market, one of Seattle’s iconic institutions (two blocks to the east). After visiting Pike Place, continue on another quarter mile east and catch the Monorail (another iconic Seattle institution) at 5th and Pine for a quick ride to the Seattle Center and the Space Needle.

Other attractions near the aquarium include The Seattle Art Museum, just three blocks from the aquarium, and the Seattle Public Library, less than half a mile away. (Take the elevator or escalators to the 10th level of the library for some of the best views of downtown Seattle).

My wife and I spent the recent Fourth of July weekend exploring Seattle and vicinity with my step-daughter and her family. The grandkids had a great time at the aquarium, riding the Great Wheel and the Monorail, and seeing the sights from the top of the Space Needle. Seattle is truly a great place for the whole family. And the environment surrounding Seattle, both terrestrial and marine, is beautiful and often awe inspiring. Look for an upcoming post on this site on the Snoqualmie Valley, just a short drive east of Seattle. The abundance of close at hand natural areas perfectly balances the urban environment, making a visit to Seattle an even more attractive trip for everyone.

Posted August 27, 2022.

Exploring Southwest Idaho, Part 3: The Snake River Canyon and Birds of Prey

by Alan K. Lee

The roughly 100 mile (as the crow flies) stretch of the Snake River, from south of Boise to just west of Twin Falls, is a geologically interesting area, wildlife is abundant, the scenery is outstanding, and there’s plenty there for those interested in the history of the American West, as well. Thousand Springs, Balanced Rock, Bruneau Dunes, and the Snake River Canyon are all beautiful, unique, and well worth visiting.

Snake River Birds of Prey

People from all over the world come to the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area to view, photograph, and study the hawks, owls, eagles, and falcons that make the Snake River Canyon home. And Boise is home to the World Center For Birds of Prey, the home base of the Peregrine Fund, a non-profit environmental organization that played a key role in bringing the Peregrine Falcon back from the brink of extinction. The Peregrine Fund now runs raptor recovery and protection programs around the world. The canyon is not just for hardcore birders, though. It is spectacularly beautiful for one thing. And there are cultural and historic attractions as well.

There are two primary access points to the Snake River Canyon in the Birds Of Prey NCA – Swan Falls and Celebration Park. Our first stop was the Dedication Point Overlook on the rim of the canyon above the Swan Falls area. The canyon here is about 600 feet deep, with sheer vertical walls several hundred feet high below the rim. There was a group of photographers there attempting to get photos of raptors. We saw a few hawks soaring overhead, but too high to get decent photos. It’s a scenic spot, though, and we hung around for awhile, before heading down to Swan Falls.

The falls are long gone, flooded by construction of Swan Falls Dam in the early 1900s. Swan Falls was the first hydroelectric project on the Snake River. A fish ladder was constructed, but was largely ineffective, and the dam effectively blocked salmon and steelhead passage. That was a different era, and the fish ladder was never made functional. Newer dams were built both upstream and downstream with no fish ladders at all. Electricity was the point. The fish didn’t matter. But it’s a historically interesting and beautiful area, so it’s worth a visit even if, like me, you’d rather see the dam gone.

A new power generation facility was constructed at Swan Falls Dam in the 1990s. The dam’s original power plant is now open to the public, with some of the century-old generators and other equipment still in place. There are also displays depicting the history of the area, and the construction and operation of the dam. We walked across the dam after visiting the power house museum, then drove down the canyon a ways. The road was too rough for the car, though, and we turned around and drove back up to Dedication Point, and then on to Celebration Park.

Celebration Park is Idaho’s only archaeological park. Petroglyphs dating back as far as 10,000 years can be found there. Visitors can learn about the Native American “lifeways” at the visitor center, try their hand at throwing a spear with an atlatl, and explore the petroglyph area on a self-guided walk. There is a picnic ground, and a small tent campground. The visitor center is open from 10:00 to 2:00 daily, except holidays. Check the park website for more information and possible Covid-19 closures and restrictions.

A short ways downstream, the Guffey Railroad Bridge provides pedestrian and equestrian access to the south bank of the Snake River and the Guffey Butte area. The bridge was built in the late 19th century and carried rail traffic until the 1940s. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Guided tours of the area highlighting the area’s early mining and railroad history are conducted periodically.

Hikers will find trails on both sides of the river. On the north side a trail follows the river upstream for about five miles to the end of the road from Swan Falls Dam. A side trail leads to Halverson Lake, nestled against the cliffs of the canyon wall.

We didn’t have time to do any hiking at Celebration Park, but the trail to Swan Falls would be an interesting outing, and a good place to do some serious raptor watching, if you’re so inclined, away from most of the human influences in the Conservation Area.

Back in Boise, we toured the World Center For Birds of Prey the following morning. The staff there are friendly and knowledgeable, and dedicated to the mission of educating the public about birds of prey and protecting the vulnerable populations of raptors around the world. We sat in on a talk given by two of the staff that was fascinating, informative, and entertaining.

There are a number of raptors from around the world on display there, birds that for one reason or another could not be returned to the wild. Being able to see these magnificent birds up close was a highlight of our trip. The center is also home to a pair of California Condors, North America’s largest bird, that are part of the captive breeding program that has helped save the species from extinction.

For more on Boise, a lively, surprisingly cosmopolitan city that still has a small town vibe, look for my next post, coming soon.

Originally posted June 20, 2019. Updated and re-posted January xx, 2022

Point Defiance Park, Tacoma

by Alan K. Lee

Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, Washington is a 760 acre urban oasis located on a peninsula jutting into Puget Sound. The park has something for almost everyone – a variety of botanical gardens, old growth temperate rain forest areas, a large salt water beach, an off-leash dog park, 15 miles of hiking and biking trails, an ADA accessible waterfront path, a recreation of Fort Nisqually, a marina, and the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. All together, the park’s attractions draw more than three million visitors every year.

Near the main entrance to the park, there is a Visitor Center that would normally be a good place to begin your visit. But, unfortunately, it is currently closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Instead, our first stop on our most recent visit was the Rhododendron Garden. Resembling a natural old growth forest more than a formal garden, the trails through the garden are quiet and peaceful, and in the spring and early summer, when the rhodies are in full bloom, this is probably the most beautiful of the park’s gardens.

Owen Beach is currently closed for reconstruction, but it is normally a popular area of the park. And judging by the size of the parking lot, it’s likely to be a very popular spot on summer weekends. The beach is wide (at least at low tide) and extends for quite a ways along the shore, so it can probably absorb the crowds. On our visit in 2019 it was almost completely deserted, though.

There is a wide, paved, ADA accessible path (the Promenade) connecting the beach with the marina area of the park, and an on-going construction project will further connect the park’s trail system with the Point Ruston Waterwalk, giving unhindered pedestrian and bicycle access to the park from the Tacoma waterfront.

The outer loop of the Five Mile Drive provides numerous waterfront access points with views across Dalco Passage to Vashon Island and across The Narrows to the Gig Harbor area of the Kitsap Peninsula.

The outer loop is closed to vehicular traffic part of the day to give cyclists, runners, and pedestrians access to the northern half of the park free from conflicts with motor vehicles. On our most recent visit it was closed after 2:00 pm, but on our previous visit it was, I believe, closed in the morning. Check the Point Defiance Park website for the current schedule if you plan to visit the park.

Most of the outer loop section of the park is heavily forested. There are miles of trails winding through the forest. It’s beautiful, serene, and it’s not hard to forget that you’re only a few miles from the second largest city in Washington.

The Fort Nisqually reconstruction is a living history museum where volunteers and staff, dressed in period clothing, demonstrate the crafts of the 19th century. This Hudson’s Bay Company trading post was the first non-Native settlement on Puget Sound. The original fort was located in what is now DuPont, Washington. The recreation here was built in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration.

The Northwest Native Garden’s emphasis is, as the name suggests, on plants native to the Northwest’s temperate rain forest. There’s a small pond, small streams and waterfalls, a meadow, and rock formations. It’s a relatively small area, and the trails can be walked in fifteen minutes or so, but you’ll want to linger.

On both of our recent visits our final, and longest, stop was at the botanical gardens area near the entrance to the park. Here there is a large pond with a waterfall, an herb garden, a large rose garden, a dahlia garden, and a Japanese garden. We could easily have spent even more time here than we did on either visit. And if you visit the zoo and aquarium, you could spend most of the day just in this section of the park.

Point Defiance Park is one of the largest, and best, city parks in the Pacific Northwest. It is, without question, one of Tacoma’s top attractions.

Originally posted May 19, 2019. Updated and re-posted November 16, 2021

Juneau, Alaska

by Alan K. Lee

I’ve been to Juneau a couple of times, the latest being a few years ago. While it’s not my favorite destination in Alaska (that would be Sitka) or the culturally richest (Anchorage), it is a unique and very interesting place, and a well worth a visit.

Looking north across Auke Bay from Mount Roberts

Getting to Juneau can be a bit difficult. No roads lead to Juneau, so it’s either fly in or come by boat. On both of my trips to southeast Alaska I traveled to Juneau by way of Sitka. On the first trip, my wife and I traveled via the Alaska Ferry system from Ketchikan to Skagway and back, except for the segment from Sitka to Juneau. The ferry schedule and our itinerary didn’t match up, so we flew from Sitka to Juneau and resumed our journey by ferry from there. The ferry schedule didn’t work for us on our more recent visit, either, so we made the short flight from Sitka this time, also.

The Juneau airport is about 10 miles north of the city. You can get to the city by taxi, the municipal bus system, or rental car. Once downtown, you don’t really need a car to explore the city. The downtown is compact and easily walkable. The bus system is also free in the downtown area. But having a car makes getting to Mendenhall Glacier and other outlying areas much easier.

Mendenhall Glacier is a must see when visiting Juneau. It’s located near the airport and the ferry terminal dock. The Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center is a good place to start, but if you’re getting around by bus, the closest stop is a mile and a half away. You also have to buy a five dollar (per person) pass to enter. The pass is also required to access some of the area hiking trails. Check the visitor center website for more information. You can park and hike some of the trails, including the popular Nugget Falls Trail that takes you close to the glacier, without buying the pass, so many people skip the visitor center.

Nugget Falls is a short walk (less than a mile) from the parking area and visitor center. It’s more of a cascade down the steep slope of the mountain than a free fall, but the sheer volume and velocity of water crashing down into Mendenhall Lake is awesome. It’s one of my favorite waterfalls anywhere. It would be a great destination in itself, but being so close to the face of Mendenhall Glacier actually draws your attention away from the falls. There are a couple of other short interpretive trails starting from or near the visitor center, and the East Glacier Trail (3.5 mile loop rated moderate) offers great views of the glacier. Across the lake, the West Glacier Trail gets you closer to the glacier than the trails around the visitor center. It’s a four mile out and back hike rated moderate.

Another must see in the Juneau area is the view from Mount Roberts, just southeast of downtown Juneau. You can hike to the 3819 foot summit via a 4.5 mile trail, but a more practical alternative is to take the Mount Roberts Tramway to the 1800 foot level. The tram only takes you halfway to the summit, but the view from the top of the tram is still pretty spectacular. You’re looking down on the city directly below, the town of Douglas across Gastineau Channel, and across to the mountains of Douglas Island. You can also see for miles up and down Gastineau Channel.

But if that’s not good enough for you, you can access the Mount Roberts Trail from the top of the tram to get higher up the mountain. The top of the tramway is at about timberline, so the views from above are unimpeded. The tram is operated by a Native American corporation, and The Mountain House at the top of the tram features a 120 seat theater that shows a free 18 minute film depicting Tlingit history and culture. There is also a restaurant and gift store in the Mountain House. And Gastineau Guiding operates the Nature Store at the top of the tram where you can get information on area hiking trails and the mountain ecosystem. The tram costs $45 per person ($25 for kids), but it’s money well spent.

View across Fritz Cove from Douglas Island

Whale watching is another popular tourist activity in Juneau. A number of companies offer half and full day cruises in the waters around Juneau. Half day (3-4 hour) cruises run about $125 per person. Full day (6 hour) cruises with a salmon bake afterwards can be had for around $175. Humpback Whales are common and sightings are generally guaranteed. Orcas also frequent the area. Sea kayaking tours are also popular. Half day tours in Auke Bay run a little over $100 per person. Experienced kayakers can rent single kayaks for about $60 per day. Double kayaks run slightly higher. Canoe and kayak tours of Mendenhall Lake are also available and are a great way to see both the glacier and Nugget Falls.

On our first trip to southeast Alaska back in 1995 we took a day-long small boat cruise up Tracy Arm, a glacial fjord about 45 miles south of Juneau. It’s stunningly beautiful, with dozens of waterfalls, some as high as 1000 feet, cascading down the sometimes vertical walls of the fjord. You’ll almost certainly see seals, porpoises, bald eagles, and many other marine birds. Orcas and humpback whales frequent the area. You may see black bears along the shore and mountain goats on the cliffs. You’ll navigate between small icebergs.

Seals often haul out on the bergs to rest and sleep. At the head of the inlet you’ll get a close up view of South Sawyer Glacier. How close you get will depend on the boat that you’re on and the amount of ice in the water, but you will get a spectacular look at the face of the glacier and there’s a chance that you’ll witness large blocks of ice calving off the face and crashing into the water below. The cruise was one of the highlights of our trip. We didn’t have time to repeat the cruise on latest visit, but if you can fit it into your itinerary, I highly recommend that you do so. You won’t regret it, and the cost is reasonable (less than $200 per person) for what you get.

Another highly rated outing is a helicopter tour of the Juneau Icefield. I haven’t done this one, but several of the reviews I read called it “the adventure of a lifetime,” and the photos I’ve seen are pretty awesome. A 2-3 hour tour of the 1500 square mile icefield that lands and lets you set foot on the ice starts at around $325 per person. Salmon and halibut fishing charters are another popular activity in Juneau (although Ketchikan is probably a more popular fishing destination). Costs vary by operator, but figure roughly $175-$300 per person for a four hour trip and $250-$450 for an eight hour trip.

The area around Juneau is so wild, unspoiled, and spectacularly beautiful that it is the main draw, but the city has plenty of appeal in itself. The downtown area is compact and easily walkable, and most attractions are close by each other.

If you’re interested in local history, you’ll find the Alaska State Museum of interest. It houses an extensive collection of Native Alaskan artifacts, including fragments of three baskets that are more than 5000 years old. The museum also has a collection of artifacts from the Russian colonial period and early American presence, as well as works by contemporary Native artists. The Juneau-Douglas City Museum, might also be of interest. It’s located across the street from the State Capitol, in the Veteran’s Memorial Building, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Sealaska Heritage Institute, dedicated to the “study and sharing of Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures” is another place that you can learn more about the history and culture of the area. The St. Nicholas Orthodox Church will also be of interest. All four are within easy walking distance of each other in downtown Juneau.

Juneau also has a number of outstanding art galleries, including the Juneau Artists Gallery, the Louise Miller Fine Art Studio, and Annie Kaill’s Fine Crafts Gallery.

Juneau has no shortage of places to get top notch seafood. You won’t find fresher fish anywhere. Try Tracy’s King Crab Shack, Twisted Fish Company, The Hangar On the Wharf, or Deckhand Dave’s Fish Tacos. There are other good places to eat (and drink), as well. We found a cool local hangout, The Island Pub, in Douglas where our B&B was located, that had both good food and good beer. We also stumbled onto a little hole-in-the-wall brewery (more like a home brew operation than a commercial brewery) in downtown Juneau, and visited the Alaskan Brewing Company brewery tasting room (definitely not a hobby scale brewery) in Lemon Creek, near the airport.

There are a number of quality hotels in the downtown area. The Juneau Hotel has 72 suites, all with full kitchens and a washer and dryer. Summer rates start at around $200 per night. Off season rates begin at around $130/night. Silverbow Hotel and Suites and Four Points by Sheraton Juneau both get good reviews, but are significantly more expensive (north of $400/night on summer weekends). There are also many B&Bs and vacation rentals that are much more affordable. Our Airbnb rental in Douglas was more than adequate and was reasonably priced.

A note on the weather. Be prepared for rain and cold any time of the year. We were in Juneau the first week in June and saw the sun only briefly in the four days we spent there. High temperatures were in the mid 50s with some light rain. After leaving Juneau we spent three days in Ketchikan and it rained sideways for a good two days straight. Prior to arriving in Juneau, though, our stay in Sitka had been sunny and beautiful. On our 1995 trip, it was sunny in Ketchikan both on our arrival and our departure two weeks later, but those were the only times we saw the sun. The moral of the story is the weather you get is the weather you get. But regardless, Juneau and all of southeast Alaska is such an incredible place that experiencing bad weather there is almost inconsequential. Come prepared, but don’t worry about the weather. It’ll be worth it.

Posted Nov. 6, 2021

High Desert Museum, Bend, Oregon

By Alan K. Lee

The High Desert Museum, located about five miles south of Bend, Oregon, offers visitors a chance to see native wildlife up close and learn about both the pioneering history of the area and the culture and lifestyles of the Native American tribes that lived in the area for thousands of years prior to the arrival of white settlers. All told, the museum has 100,000 square feet of exhibit space on its 135 acre campus.

The High Desert Museum consistently rates as one of the top attractions of the Bend area, and it recently won the 2021 National Medal from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. My most recent trip to the museum came as part of a family vacation to the nearby Sunriver Resort, and everyone, especially the kids, thoroughly enjoyed the visit. It’s one of the most interesting museums that I’ve ever visited. There is something for everyone there.

“High desert” can be a bit of a misnomer, as the term is often generically applied to all of central and eastern Oregon. The Bend area actually straddles the boundary between the ponderosa and lodgepole pine forest of the eastern slope of the Cascade Range and the sagerush and juniper lands to the east that are more typical of true desert habitat. The High Desert Museum is located in an area of pine forest, so the museum has no true desert habitat. But that does not detract from its appeal.

There is a small stream that runs through the museum grounds and several small ponds, giving the museum riparian as well as forest habitats. You can explore the pine forest and riparian areas on the trails that wander through the 135 acres of the museum grounds.

The Miller Family Ranch, one of the museum’s permanent outdoor exhibits, is a historically accurate recreation of an early 20th century homestead. The exhibit includes a cabin, barn, bunkhouse, root cellar, woodshop, and sawmill. Volunteers give visitors hands-on experience of what life on the homestead was like. Mrs. Miller and her son James will put your kids to work doing chores – and the kids will like it! The kids can also play some of the games that the children of the pioneers played.

The Lazinka Sawmill is a working mill, originally located in Pilot Rock, Oregon. Originally driven by steam power, the mill is now powered by electricity. The lumber used to build the barn at the Miller homestead exhibit was cut at the Lazinka Mill. Museum staff fire up the mill once a month during the summer months, so check the museum’s schedule if you are interested in seeing it in operation.

Get an up close look at some of the raptors of the high desert and learn about desert carnivores, otters, and other desert dwellers at the Donald M. Kerr Birds of Prey Center. Check the museum website for current programs and schedule.

Three river otters live at the Autzen Otter Exhibit, although all three were apparently napping when we were there. I have seen them in the past visits, though, and when they’re out and about they are playful, funny, and very entertaining to watch. The exhibit includes both outdoor and indoor viewing areas, including viewing windows below the water level of their pool where you can watch them in their underwater habitat.

Tumbleweed (photo from the museum website)

The museum also is home to two porcupines, siblings Tumbleweed and Juniper. Tumbleweed stars in the museum’s summer Desert Dwellers program. Both were born in captivity, and like all of the animals at the High Desert Museum, cannot live in the wild. The museum also recently added a resident gray fox, Gert, to their family.

Throughout the grounds, you will find sculptures and other works of art. I particularly like the wire sculptured mare and foal, the bronze beavers, and the frozen-in-time bronze of a salmon in mid-leap.

Other features of the museum include a Forest Service ranger office built in 1933, vintage logging equipment, a forest service fire truck from the 1930s, and a WWII army motorcycle made by Harley-Davidson.

Inside the main building, the Desertarium Exhibit showcases some of the animals that make the High Desert home, including snakes, lizards, and desert tortoises. Other permanent indoor exhibits include Spirit of the West, which documents the history of the people of the region, and By Hand Through Memory, a look at the history and culture of the Plateau Indian Nations.

The museum also hosts changing exhibits. Current exhibits are Art in the West (ending October 16, 2021), Rethinking Fire (October 16, 2021 through January 9, 2022), and X-Ray Vision: Fish Inside Out (through May 8, 2022). And the museum offers a variety of virtual experiences, including Stories From the Desert, depicting an early 20th century Chinese mercantile, and Virtual Field Trip: Spring in the High Desert, a virtual trip to Fort Rock and the surrounding desert in southeastern Oregon.

In addition to enjoying all the museum’s exhibits, you can get made-to-order sandwiches and wraps, and a variety of beverages at the newly remodeled Rimrock Cafe inside the main building. The cafe features locally made food and drink from Big Ed’s Artisan Bread, Humm Kombucha, and Strictly Organic Coffee. And souvenirs of your visit and books and other educational materials are available at Silver Sage Trading, the museum store.

Plan on spending at least several hours at the museum, especially if you have kids in tow. There’s too much worth seeing to experience it all in less time. Check the museum website for hours and admission fees. Tickets are available for purchase on the website, but advance purchase is not required. Face masks are currently required both indoors and outdoors due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and some hands-on experiences may not be available.

Originally posted Sept. 9, 2019. Updated and re-posted October 6, 2021

Mount Rainier

By Alan K. Lee

One of the benefits of living in the Pacific Northwest is that you have incredible places like Mount Rainier National Park almost in your back yard. Mount Rainier is close enough to both Seattle and Portland that it’s possible to visit the mountain as a day trip, which many people do. But Rainier is so large, and there is so much to explore, that you can’t even begin to experience all it has to offer in a day, or even a week.

My wife and I have vacationed in Mount Rainier National Park a number of times over the years. Our favorite part of the park is the aptly named Paradise area, located on the south slope of the mountain at an elevation of 5400 feet, 9000 feet below the summit. The name Paradise was bestowed on the area by Martha Longmire, one of the early developers of tourist facilities in the area, more than a century ago. But appreciation for the beauty of this spot goes back much farther. Native Americans frequented the area long before it was discovered by white settlers, and they apparently appreciated its beauty just as much. Their name for the area, Saghalie Illahe, translates to Heavenly Place or Land of Peace.

Paradise is the most visited section of Mount Rainier National Park for good reason. Subalpine meadows abound with lupine, paintbrush, and dozens of other wildflowers. Small streams and waterfalls course down the mountain. There are many trails in the area that offer spectacular views of the Tatoosh Range to the south, and, of course, of Rainier itself.

Summer weekends are usually very, very crowded. There may be long lines at the Nisqually Entrance to the park, and you’re unlikely to find a parking spot anywhere close to the Jackson Visitor Center or Paradise Inn after mid-morning. Even if you get there early, you’ll still be elbow to elbow with other visitors. If you can visit during the week, I’d highly recommend doing so, and even then I would recommend getting there as early in the day as possible. But even if you can only visit on a summer weekend, Paradise is such an incredible place to see that it’s worth putting up with the crowds, provided that you can actually find a place to park. If you can’t, though, there are many other places in the park worth visiting.

The popularity of Paradise has certainly impacted the area. The meadows above Paradise Inn are crisscrossed with trails, many of them paved, and the sheer number of people using them can’t help but have a negative effect on the quality of the area in terms of wildlife habitat. But even close to Paradise Inn and the Jackson Memorial Visitor Center, you are almost certain to see wildlife such as hoary marmots and golden-mantled ground squirrels.

Yellow-pine chipmunks are also frequently seen in the meadows. Black-tailed deer are abundant in the area and may be seen even close to the visitor facilities. Gray Jays and Clark’s Nutcrackers are frequently seen in the area, and more than sixty other species of birds are known to inhabit the subalpine areas of Mount Rainier, almost fifty of which nest in the park.

On the trails above Paradise, you are likely to see other wildlife. Look for mountain goats on the slopes above you. Black bears, elk, coyotes, bobcats, and cougars also frequent the area. Look (and listen) for pikas on talus slopes.

Hiking opportunities are abundant in the Paradise area. The Falcon Guide, Hiking Mount Rainier National Park, is a good resource. On our most recent trip (in August 2021) we spent five days in Paradise and did at least one hike every day.

The highlights of the trip were the two hikes we did on the Skyline Trail. The first was the four mile out and back hike to Panorama Point. The second was the roughly four mile Skyline-Golden Gate loop. Both are listed as “moderate” hikes, but both have significant elevation gains (1700′ and 1400′ respectively). We did both hikes early in the day during the week, but we were far from the only ones on the trail, especially on the hike to Panorama Point. But the area above Paradise is so incredibly scenic that the crowds didn’t diminish the experience much.

There are also plenty of easy hikes in the Paradise area for people who don’t want to (or aren’t able to) hike to the higher areas on the mountain. Myrtle Falls, for example, is an easy one mile round trip hike from Paradise Inn.

On our last few visits, we have stayed at Paradise Inn. It is one of the grand lodges of the Northwest, on a par with Crater Lake Lodge, Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood, and Lake Quinault Lodge in Olympic National Park. It’s worth visiting, even if you’re not staying there. It’s an amazing structure.

Paradise Inn was constructed in 1915-16 opened July 1, 1917. The attached Annex was completed three years later. The combined structures are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Close to Paradise Inn, the Jackson Memorial Visitor Center, named after long-time U.S. Senator Henry M. Jackson, offers general information, exhibits, a park film, guided ranger programs, a book/gift store and a cafeteria. Unfortunately, all visitor centers in the park are currently closed due to the ongoing pandemic.

Accommodations in the area are somewhat limited. Paradise Inn has 121 rooms, 42 in the main lodge and 79 in the attached Annex. The National Park Inn in Longmire has 25 rooms. Reservations for both can be made through Mount Rainier Guest Services, 360-569-2275. Information on accommodations outside of the park can be obtained from the Mount Rainier Visitor Association . All reservations should be made well in advance.

There are two large campgrounds in the southern part of Mount Rainier National Park. Cougar Rock Campground, between Longmire and Paradise, has 173 individual sites and five group camp areas. Ohanapecosh Campground, in the southeast part of the park near the Stevens Canyon Entrance, has 188 individual sites and two group camp areas. Both have RV sites that can accommodate up to 27 foot trailers and 32 foot motor homes (35 foot at Cougar Rock), but there are no hookups. Both do have dump stations. Reservations can be made through the Mount Rainier National Park website.

Both Paradise Inn and the National Park Inn have full service restaurants, but both were operating on a reduced scale due to the pandemic when we were there in August. The National Park Inn dining room was closed, but take out meals could be ordered and picked up at the reception desk in the lobby. The dining room at Paradise Inn was open for dinner only for most of our visit, but closed (unexpectedly) for the season on our last day there. Paradise Inn also has a limited service cafe, and there is a cafeteria at the Jackson Memorial Visitor Center that is open daily during the summer season and on most weekends and holidays in the winter (depending on road conditions). The National Park Inn restaurant is open year round.

There is far more to Mount Rainier National Park than just the Paradise, of course. Below Paradise, the Reflection Lakes along the highway offer beautiful views of Mount Rainier.

The nearby Snow Lake Trail is an easy and worthwhile hike. To the east, the Stevens Canyon area has a number of interesting areas, including Box Canyon, a 180 foot deep slot canyon, and a number of roadside waterfalls.

The Longmire area has some interesting history, a museum, nice hiking trails, and the National Park Inn offers both lodging and dining options for the visitor. The road to Longmire is also plowed in the winter, so it’s a year round destination. (The road from Longmire to Paradise is open in winter when the weather allows.)

In the Ohanapecosh area in the southeastern corner of the park, the Grove of the Patriarchs Trail is a good family friendly outing. And the nearby Silver Falls Trail is a must for waterfall lovers. In the northeastern section of the park, the Sunrise area offers beautiful views of the eastern side of the mountain and has an abundance of hiking trails.

You could probably spend an entire summer in Mount Rainier National Park and not see it all.

Originally posted July 10, 2018. Updated and re-posted September 18, 2021.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

By Alan K. Lee

Not your typical museum, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum will surprise you. Equal parts zoo, botanical garden, natural history museum, and educational institution, this museum packs a lot into a single site.

Throw in an art gallery for good measure. And maybe most surprisingly, since it’s located in the middle of the Sonora Desert where water is scarce, an aquarium.

There’s also a (man made) underground cavern to explore, where you can learn about the geology of the area.

The zoological exhibits feature big cats (bobcats, an ocelot, and a mountain lion), desert bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, a gray fox, and other desert mammals and lizards. There is also a riparian area with beavers, a river otter, and fish and other aquatic creatures. And on the desert trail loop you might encounter coyotes or javalinas.

Don’t miss the aviary where you can get up close looks at free flying hummingbirds and other desert birds.

Take a walk through the botanical garden where you can learn about the flora and fauna of the Sonora Desert environment.

The museum also features a cafe, a casual food court, a coffee bar, and an ice cream parlor. You can even get a beer to go at the food court or coffee bar, and take it with you as you explore the exhibits and walk the paved trail through the botanical garden and the gravel desert trail loop.

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is one of the Tucson area’s must see attractions, especially for families. There are a lot of opportunities for kids (and adults) to both learn about the desert and its denizens and have fun in the process. There’s something for everyone there.

There is so much here that you probably can’t see it all in one visit. My wife and I have visited the museum on a couple of our Arizona excursions, and on our last visit I was surprised at how much I had missed on our earlier visit. Plan to spend at least two hours at the museum. Allow half a day to more fully explore what the museum has to offer, if you can.

The museum is located west of Tucson, adjacent to the west unit of Saguaro National Park . See the museum’s website for more detailed directions. Tucson Mountain Park and Old Tucson (currently closed) are also nearby.

General admission is $23.95 per person. Seniors get a $2.00 discount, children 3-12 get in for half price, and children under three are free. Winter hours (Oct-Feb) are 8:30-5:00. Spring and Fall (Mar-June and Sept) hours are 7:30-5:00. In July and August the museum closes at 2:00.

Posted June 29, 2021