0103, 2021

The 1910 Wellington Train Disaster

Washington Our Home
March 1, 2021
Disasters, Ghost Towns, Hikes, History, Railroad, Western Washington
0
558

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Just after one o’clock in the morning, on a frigid, starless night in March 1910, more than a hundred souls aboard Great Northern Railway’s Spokane Local No. 25, a passenger train, and Fast Mail Train No. 27 slept tightly bundled in their cars. They’d been stuck near Wellington in King County, Washington, for almost a week…waiting as railroad crews attempted to clear the tracks of snow, which had been accumulating

0707, 2017

Fort Cascades in Skamania County

Washington Our Home
July 7, 2017
Destinations, Family, Hikes, History, Military, Western Washington
0
1920

Nestled just a stone’s throw beneath the Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington lies an unassuming National Historic Site filled with stories worth telling. On a recent work trip to the south end of Skamania County, I stumbled upon this great heritage destination. If you’re looking to escape a bustling city without traveling too far into the void of central Washington, Skamania County is an excellent

2210, 2016

Old Alder: Visit before it vanishes

Washington Our Home
October 22, 2016
Ghost Towns, Hikes, History, Mt. Rainier, Western Washington
9
9744

The term “ghost town” in today’s time has evolved from its more literal interpretation to describe any small town that has been abandoned or vacated. Most of the time, however, towns devoid of inhabitants have nowhere to grow but older. Not so for old Alder.

0211, 2015

Hiking Olympia’s Watershed Park

Some could argue that “hiking” could be a bit of an exaggeration, given that Watershed Park is technically a city-owned property just a few blocks south of downtown Olympia. But do it on a day when the rain is coming down in lines and throw in eight soggy Cub Scouts and their parents along for the ride, and the challenge suddenly becomes more strenuous. I’m the Den Leader for a local bunch

1610, 2015

Marketing in the Methow Valley

Washington Our Home
October 16, 2015
Central Washington, Destinations, Hikes, History, Recreation
0
1447

Thanks to my work with Scenic Washington, I was invited to be a presenter at their annual retreat in Winthrop. Since I haven’t been to Winthrop since I was about seven, I jumped at the chance to not only see the Methow Valley again but to help some of Washington’s tourism partners recognize the value in history, heritage and culture. The drive from Lacey to Winthrop is a long one, but

2104, 2015

Normal people don’t pack this stuff

Washington Our Home
April 21, 2015
Camping, Gear, Hikes
2
1095

There are literally hundreds of camping pack lists you can find on the internet. I know, I’ve read dozens of them. Most of them have a lot of extra stuff you probably don’t need like cotton balls or earplugs, things I still can’t figure out why you would bring camping. But my wife sent me a list she found on National Geographic’s website, and it caught me totally by surprise. The reason

2302, 2013

Mud and muck around Millersylvania State Park

Washington Our Home
February 23, 2013
Family, Gear, Hikes, History, Recreation, State Parks, Western Washington
2
1704

Almost every year I pack up the family and head ten miles south of our Lacey home to go camping at Millersylvania State Park, and every time we make plans to take advantage of the miles of woodland trails skirting its edges. Unfortunately, for a multitude of reasons, we’ve never been able to actually hike those trails. But this weekend I was determined to spend some long-overdue and much-needed quality

1409, 2012

Ascending Saint Helens, Part 4 of 4: The gear that got me there

Washington Our Home
September 14, 2012
Family, Gear, Hikes, Mt. Saint Helens, Recreation, Western Washington
2
3660

I sincerely hope anyone reading this is inspired to climb a mountain of their own. I hope it’s one of the beloved mountains of Washington State, but any mountain that strikes a chord in your heart will suffice. It’s not just something other people talk about. You can do it too. Just make sure you have the right training, the right gear and the right attitude and you’d be surprised how high you can climb.

2708, 2012

Ascending Saint Helens, Part 3 of 4: More than a mountain

Washington Our Home
August 27, 2012
Family, Gear, Hikes, History, Mt. Saint Helens, Recreation, Western Washington
1
1966

I was almost five years old when I rode on my father’s back during a hike on Mt. Rainier one sunny Saturday afternoon. During that walk, he paused for a moment while viewing the distant, lofty, snow-capped peak to the southwest, speculating aloud on the possibility of one of the 18 volcanoes in the Cascade Mountain Range ever erupting. It was May 17th, 1980, and the next morning the world

2008, 2012

Ascending Saint Helens, Part 1 of 4: Gaining in elevation

Washington Our Home
August 20, 2012
Eastern Washington, Family, Gear, Hikes, Recreation
0
1497

It was early February of this year when I decided I was going to climb Washington State’s Mt. Saint Helens and peer into the mile-wide crater of the active volcano. As a native Washingtonian, summiting every snowcapped peak in the state had been on my bucket list for longer than I can remember. Years ago, I asked my father – another native Washingtonian with a love for the outdoors –