Create Your Own Adventure - Free National Park Days

Mount Rainier National Park, Olympic National Park, Fort Vancouver National Historical Site, and Lewis & Clark National Historical park are all have free entry (along with all other National Parks) on Monday for MLK Day.
So go outside!

If you can't make it on Monday, National Parks will have free entry on the following dates in 2017:
February 20: President’s Day

April 15-16 and 22-23: Weekends of National Park Week
August 25: National Park Service Birthday
September 30: National Public Lands Day
November 11-12: Veterans Day Weekend

Armchair Traveler - Atlas Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders

I am definitely more of a get out and go type traveler. (to the chagrin of my family!)  On vacation, and in my daily life, I am in constant motion. I want to see everything, taste the local food and take all of the pictures (we are especially fond of tourist traps and odd locations)...to the point that I need a vacation to recover from my vacation.  However, there are some limitations to my explorations: Money and time.  That's why I love Atlas Obscura.  Not only have I gotten new travel locales for future trips, but i have learned about hidden, unique places that are in far flung places that maybe hard for me to visit.  Which is why I was so excited to see that they have compiled a book with amazing, crazy, strange places and activities from around the world.  Broken into regions, the book reads like an encyclopedia of wonders and curiosities that makes you want to go and explore the world.  So sit back, open the book and explore!

Sleep Under The Stars – Olympic National Park, Kalaloch Beach and Ruby Beach

One of the best things about the Pacific Northwest is the wide spectrum of outdoor locales that will take your breath away.   While some of these places are in and around urban areas, some of them require a bit more effort to enjoy them…But the travel is well worth it.  The Olympic National Park falls squarely in this category.   The Park encompasses a major part of the Olympic Peninsula and consists of a variety of locales from old-growth forest to driftwood strewn beaches.   Nestled along the coast amidst the massive trees is Kalaloch Campground.  The campground is reflective of the National Park itself with the deepest campsites surrounded by massive, majestic trees which slowly transitions to sites on beachside cliffs with spectacular views of the ocean.  A short walk from any of the sites takes you down to the long, smooth, sands of Kalaloch Beach.   For a more rugged beach experience we drove a few miles north to explore the ever changing expanse of Ruby Beach.   A visit to Ruby beach requires a check of the tide charts to get the full experience; luckily we found it posted at the beginning of the trail to the beach.   Ruby Beach is beautiful regardless of when you visit, but low tide gives you a chance to explore areas that are normally unreachable.   As the tide goes out, the rocks that were previously jutting out of the surf are slowly transformed into an exploratory playground of tide pools and secluded coves.   After devoting a few hours to exploring, the rest of the afternoon is best spent watching the tide roll in as the sun goes down.  http://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/exploring-the-coast.htm 

 

Drive up to the past – Dick’s Drive-in

Nothing is as ubiquitous to American cuisine as burgers, fries and shakes.   Since the 1940’s, billions of people have dined on this trifecta of goodness.  In Seattle you can get great burgers and shakes all over the city, but there is only one place where they are still serving it up the way they did when they opened in 1954: Dick’s Drive-In.  Dick’s has been a favorite of Seattleites for over 50 years for good reason.  Every item on the menu is handmade everyday: that’s right, the patties are hand-pressed, the fries are fresh-cut, and the shakes are from real ice cream.  This is one of the myriad reasons that people will go out of their way to visit one of the five (soon to be six) Dick’s locations scattered around the city. Another is the seldom changing menu.  Dick’s menu has only changed twice since it was first printed and the prices reflect the simplicity…in fact there isn’t an item on the menu over $2.50!   A trip to Dick’s is like a trip to a different era: handmade, fresh and affordable…the perfect mix for a quick bite to eat. http://www.dicksdrivein.com/

Never Say Die – Astoria to Cannon Beach

 If you can instantly identify the Truffle Shuffle and have an urge for Baby Ruths, a trip to the Oregon coast is a must.  At the end of a 3 hour drive south of Seattle lies the city of Astoria, Oregon.  Astoria is probably best known as the filming location for the cult film Goonies.   The city has embraced its film locales by turning the jailhouse from the beginning of Goonies into the Oregon Film Museum. 

Scattered throughout the rest of the city are various other film locales such as the bowling alley where Chunk smeared the window and  the Captain George Flavel House Museum where Mikey’s dad supposedly worked, but the pinnacle of locations to visit is definitely the Goonies House itself.  The Victorian Style house sits at the top of a short gravel driveway with a sign that not only lets you know you’ve found the right place, but that Goonies are welcome to walk up but not drive.  The house hasn’t changed much since the movie, but then again that’s the beauty of it. 

From the Goonies locations we headed up to the Astoria Column which was built in 1926 and was refurbished in 1995 and 2004.  The Column rises up 125 feet above the hilltop and, after climbing to the observation platform at the top, it has the most amazing views of the ocean, Columbia River and the surrounding hills and valleys. 

The final location to cap off the Goonies theme to our trip was a stop at Cannon Beach to take in Haystack Rock.  The large stone monolith juts out the ocean leaving no doubt that you have found what you were looking for.  The only thing missing is a galleon sailing out to sea.  http://www.thegoonies.org/