Let’s travel west where we’ll lose ourselves in the Pacific Northwest wilderness and venture deep into the North American Alps, the lesser-known North Cascades National Park.  This hidden gem of a National Park reveals a rugged beauty expressed as jagged peaks, deep forested valleys, cascading waterfalls and over 300 glaciers – more than any other U.S. Park outside of Alaska.  We’ll experience all this stunning nature along twisting, winding roads leading through the conifer clad mountains and take to the trails leading to brilliantly clear, glacier fed turquoise lakes, past rushing rivers with waterfall cascades and so much spectacular scenery and views along the way.  If Mother Nature allows, we’ll be entranced by a deep dark sky glittering with millions of stars, more than you’ve ever seen.

We’ll feel the history as thousands of voices from the past crackle to life in this alpine landscape, from Native Americans to early European and American fur traders and explorers to homesteaders and miners, all of which called this land home.  Mountains aren’t the only thing we’ll encounter, we’ll also set our minds to island time as we visit Orcas Island, part of the San Juan Islands serenely set in the heart of the Salish Sea.  Horseshoe shaped Orcas Island is not only rural and hilly green paradise but is also home to magnificent orca whales who we’ll try to spot on our cruise around the islands.

So grab your sense of adventure along with some comfy clothes and join us on an exploration of Washington’s wondrous wilderness!