Olympic National Park | Part 1

When we stopped at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center, just inside the entrance near Port Angeles, we told the park ranger we had one goal for a hike that day: wildflowers! I had heard that this side of Olympic National Park is full of mountain range views and meadows filled with wildflowers. The park ranger told us to go hike the Hurricane Hill trail, as it was the only area with wildflowers during that time of year.

The drive over to Hurricane Hill was thrilling, with curvy roads and stunning outlooks of the mountain range. The hike itself was just as beautiful - we passed wildlife, wildflowers, and gorgeous viewpoints of Puget Sound and the Olympic Range while hiking up 700 feet over 1.6 miles to the summit. The only unfortunate part of the day was that I was sick, which made the hike a bit challenging for me... and, the worst part, I couldn't smell the wildflowers (don't worry, Taras did his part by making sure I knew just how beautiful the flowers smelt...).

-Amanda

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Glacier National Park, MT | Part 3

Probably our favorite time in Glacier was the hike to Hidden Lake.

We hiked across a completely snow-covered mountainside (snow hiking is a good workout, I tell ya!) and early into the hike we shed most of the extra clothing layers we were sure we needed. Soon, my vest was off and my long sleeves were rolled up, and Taras was hiking in shorts and a t-shirt - it was such a fun experience to be completely warm while hiking on snow in the beginning of July!

Skiers and snowboarders were particularly excited about this part of the Park - they would hike up with all their gear then ski on down the mountain. It was definitely a bizarre sight to see skiers and snowboarders in shorts.

We were excited to find a family of mountain goats right near Hidden Lake. They weren't at all phased by us onlookers taking photos and videos. They stuck around the area for quite a while, which was a treat for all the children and photography enthusiasts.

-Amanda

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Glacier National Park, MT | Part 2

The 50 mile long Going-to-the-Sun Road that runs all the way through Glacier National Park is a main sight-seeing attraction inside the Park. It's thrilling to drive the road while looking for wildlife and stopping at every other pull-out in an attempt to fully appreciate all the beautiful scenery. My favorite part of the drive? The farther up you drive in elevation, the more snow you find!

If the promise of wildlife and epic views are not enough to convince you, the act of driving (and being a passenger) is an adventure in its own right - driving through tunnels carved out of the mountains... the car tires splashing in the road puddles that have formed from mountainside waterfalls... holding your breath every now and then when the road has particularly sharp turns... making sure you don't veer into the cyclists peddling past you on their way downhill... and, finally, driving through some construction and lane closures for good measure. A serious adventure, friends!
 
If you don't want to attempt the drive on your own (or you just want to be able to photograph to your heart's content) the Park provides a free shuttle service. If you go, be sure to check online for vehicle restrictions - if your ride is too big, you can't drive it on Going-to-the-Sun Road.

-Amanda

We pulled over because we saw some other cars stopped and we realized everyone was trying to spot the bear. We stuck around for a while but Mr. Bear never showed us his pretty little face:

Can you see the waterfalls in the mountainside?:

I'm pretty sure this is a no-no:
 

Can you spot the waterfall in the middle?:

Outside the other entrance of the park we found Park Cafe and decided to treat ourselves to some lunch and homemade pies - a nice break from camp food:

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