Take a Hike, Part 1

If you follow me at all on my Insta account or elsewhere you will know that my husband & I love to travel. Our destination is usually based around visiting a National Park.

We have fallen in love with visiting the parks!

The pristine beauty they have to offer is unlike any other experience!

There are many places to take a nice hike but,

 at the parks we have found some of our favorite ones (with the BEST views!)!!!

The U.S. has 61 National Parks you can visit. 

Here is a complete list you can check out to find which one fits you best:

National Parks USA.

The last four parks that we visited in 2019: Cuyahoga Valley, Isle Royale, Crater Lake, Acadia

Here are my SIX tips on making your visit to a N.P. successful:

1- Find your park. Explore what they have to offer and which match your interests. Is it hiking? Or does location maybe play a factor? 

2- Plan your trip. I would highly recommend staying inside the park (there are often a handful or less of N.P. lodges available) BUT the kicker is that these fill up FAST! Like a whole year in advance! Staying inside the park will cut down on drive time at the beginning and end of your day in the park. Be prepared to rent a car if you decide to get there by plane versus road trip. A lot of parks are off the beaten path and you will need to drive to from the airport. I recommend Enterprise for car rental. They have been the best for us! Check out what is recommended as the best time to travel to the park you choose. I would say try to avoid very busy or high peak times if you can. We have found the best time to travel to most is to usually late Spring or early/middle Fall. Large crowds really take away from the experience! Here is a Lonely Planet article with suggestions on when to visit the parks:

When should we go?

3- Use the All Trails app!  If you plan on doing any hiking, this is a definite must to download on your phone! I am pretty sure it is free to download. You can search by the area you will be in or the park itself and it will give you a list of trail routes with descriptions, people's photos they have submitted, and their reviews of the trail! It is great!! It also has a GPS feature that will help you stay on the trail and not get lost while you do the hike! A lot of the parks have limited (if any!) cell service. 

4- Know what the climate is going to be like and plan accordingly. Keep in mind that altitude does make a difference! Speaking of which-- remember to adjust for altitude-- it can sneak up on you! Drink plenty of water!!! Plan for layers, the climate can quickly change at different altitudes and while hiking you will get warm! But you will definitely want to have some warmer options too just in case! A "What to pack for a hiking trip" post is coming soon! Stay tuned!!!

5- Know what kind of animals may be present (IN THE WILD!!!! THEY ARE WILD ANIMALS!!! So please treat them as so!) and how to plan for that as well. If there are known grizzlies or black bear, pick up a bear bell and shout/clap every so often as you hike. It is better if you do not come around a corner on a trail and surprise a bear! Be smart and be aware of your surroundings. And PLEASE respect the wildlife!!!!!

6- Consider buying a year pass! If you plan a trip around hitting several parks I would highly suggest purchasing the year pass! This will get you in to any of the 61 parks for the entire year. A definite cost savings if you even plan to visit 2-3 (or more!) within a years time! It is also transferrable to one other person if you want to pass it along to a friend too!!

I hope that you find your next vacation destination at one of the National Parks. 

I know you will fall in love just like we did!

Let me know if you have any other questions! 

Olive Vest

If there is ONE Fall must have item to get I would say it is an Olive Vest.
It's the perfect transitional piece to layer up with as temps get cooler.
I've styled mine eight different ways...

Mine here is a few years old from Old Navy but I did find a similar one from Target, here.
If you're looking for heavier layering you can definitely sub in a green army/military type jacket.
Which look is your favorite??
Do you have an olive vest? What is your favorite way to style it?!

Jackets to Fall For!

As Fall starts to show it's true colors, don't break the bank buying a whole new wardrobe for the new season! Take your current favorites with you by adding on a few easy layers. Today I am showing how I took my favorite, comfy jumpsuit from this Summer & got it ready for Fall!

These are a mix of old loves and new faves that I grabbed from my closet!
Which look is your favorite?!

Here are six options that you can shop today!! Check them out!
1. Leopard (& Black-- it's reversible!) Stella & Dot bomber jacket!
Shop here

2. This Camo jean jacket is SO cute!

Shop here

3. A suede moto jacket are what dreams are made of!

Shop here

4. Faux leather jacket must have!

Shop here

5. Distressed Jean Jacket (Everyone NEEDS a jean jacket!!!!!)

Shop here

6. This corduroy jacket is super cute!

Shop here

Tell me which jacket you love!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Seattle, WA: What to Do/Where to Eat!

The Pacific Northwest is definitely a MUST do on your travel bucket list. 

It has the mountains.

It has the ocean.

It has the green/forestry.

It really was the complete package!

And, despite the bad rap of it being dreary & rainy all the time, we experienced gorgeous weather!

We took our trip in the early part of September 2017 and started the first half of the week exploring all things Seattle.

Things to Do:

• Explore Pike Place Market: I loved the Market and could have went back every day! The flowers are gorgeous, the fruit is delicious, and the atmosphere is so fun! Watch them throw fish (when someone purchases one), sample fresh fruits, browse the shops, and people watch!  There are places to stop and have lunch (especially clam chowder!) within the Market (more on this in a little bit!)
• Visit the first Starbucks: We just took our picture by the outside because the line was crazy long!
• Make a stop by the famous gum wall: An iconic spot just outside the market to grab a photo!
• Grab a beer at Seattle Beer Company!
• Check out the Seattle Aquarium: Down & across the rode from the Market. Makes for a great activity if it is rainy! 
• Ride the Ferris Wheel by the Aquarium!

• Explore the Upper Queen Anne area: Rumor has it that Meredith Gray's house on Gray's Anatomy is in this district! Make sure to stop by Kerry Park which has amazing views of the city and the Space Needle!
• Speaking of, visit the Space Needle!
• Explore the Fremont area: just across from Queen Anne is the Fremont area and it has cool places to eat, shop and hang out! Be sure to check out Gas Works Park. Fun vibes & another cool view of the city!
• Take a sea plane tour of the city: This was a surprise activity to the guys & it was so cool!!The weather was great that we got to see an awesome view of Mount Rainier and we flew super close to the Space Needle!

• Visit the Starbucks Roastery: This place was so cool we went back a couple different times! Like the Willy Wonka of coffee! 

Where to Eat/Drink:

• Beecher's: There is one near Pike Place Market, you can see them making all the delicious gooey mac-n-cheese right there! YUM!!
• The Crumpet Shop: Delicious pastries!
• Caffe Fiore: A cute, local coffee shop in the Queen Anne area
• Top Pot Doughnuts: You can't go wrong with these!
• Morsel: This is a serious MUST!! Biscuits out of this world!
• Fremont Brewery: Cool vibes, good beer, & pub food!
• Cask & Trotter: A great place for pub style BBQ food that was delicious & reasonably priced!

This was the first part of our week vacation.

Stay tuned for our adventure in Olympic National Park!!