Vashon Island and Island Center Forest

On Sunday Corey, Terrell, Gabby & I took the ferry from Pt. Defiance to Vashon Island to do a little hike at the Island Center Forest. It was a beautiful day to be on the water. We saw gorgeous views of Mt. Rainier.  We didn't see any seals from the ferry, which Corey was really hoping for, but did see some jelly fish.  The hike was very wooded which was great since it was so hot.  We walked over to Mukai Pond where the kids saw lots of frogs and tadpoles.  There were also ducks and other various birds. Afterwards we went into town to check out a few shops before heading back to the ferry for the return trip.  Vashon is a cute little town; I would like to return when we have more time to explore.

In line at the ferry dock. We were in first position!

Olaf's first ferry ride!

Roegner Park

We took the puppies on a long walk yesterday at Roegner Park in Auburn. I saw this park on the internet a while ago, but this was the first time we've been able to go.  The dogs have finally accepted that if they want to go to new places they will have to deal with riding in the car.  Rosie just lays there forlornly, and Harvey is not throwing up or whining any longer, so it makes the car rides much more pleasant. The park is pretty close to us; it's only about 10 miles away and takes about 25 minutes to get there.  We walked on the graveled and paved path that goes along the White River.  The river was running super high, and we also saw a river otter! So cool to see one in the wild!  The park wasn't too crowded, but we did run into a few folks. There is also a dog park there.  It was fun to do some exploring and I hope we can do more soon!

Lakewood Seward Park Stair Walk

Yesterday Gabby & Ethan completed another stair walk at Lakewood Seward Park. It was a gorgeous day and they had great views of Lake Washington. The walk had 381 steps (207 up and 174 down) and was around 1.8 miles long.  They saw three Northern Flickers (woodpeckers) and heard some bald eagle calls.  Afterwards they got yummy boba and bahn mi which makes me super jealous!

Stopping for photos is a good excuse to rest.

Golden Gardens Stair Walk

Gabby and Ethan completed another stair walk from the book we gave them at Christmas. This time they completed the walk at Golden Gardens Park which was a simple out and back route. They started at the top of a big hill and went down 272 steps to get to the beach. The tide was really low, so they walked out looking for things in the water.  They saw a great blue heron hunting for food and also a couple common terns, which are a kind of seabird. There were a lot of geoducks spitting water up in the air. They made their way back to the trail and then up another 272 stairs, giving them a total of 544 stairs and completed around 2 miles overall.