Flaming Geyser State Park

When Sean and I found ourselves with our first weekend off together in over a year and a half, we knew we had to do something awesome. Then when we woke up on Saturday morning and saw that the sun was shining for the first time weeks (or so it felt) we knew it had to be something EPIC. But then we decided to make breakfast...and coffee...and talk for a while...and before we knew it, it was already 11:00am and we were having people over for dinner later that night. Dang. We settled on Flaming Geyser State Park because it was close to us and it wasn't high on our list of exciting parks to visit. Boy, were we wrong! So far on our travels it's been one of our favorite experiences!

We decided to take the long way there and drove along the scenic and winding Green Valley Road, which has always been one of my favorites! While in the car, we saw hoards of fishermen on the river and I mentioned to Sean that someday I would love to see salmon spawning again. I had seen them on the Cedar River as a kid and didn't know whether to expect them on the Green River, so we decided that we'd go looking for them some other time.

(Welcome!)

We rolled into the park in a blaze of mint-green station wagon glory and after my ritualistic ISPR (Inspection of State Park Restrooms) we headed straight for the river to see what we could see. 

As soon as we arrived at the river bank, my left eye started twitching, a long buried memory surfaced and I found myself doing my "Salmon Call" that my dad and I had made up over 15 years ago. Sean looked at me like I'd lost my mind and then he did it too (what a guy). Not less than 20 seconds later, a GIANT. RED. SALMON. swam up to the shoreline, gave us a lingering stare, swished his tail at us and raced off into the shadows. I was beside myself, "Sean!!! It WORKED! My salmon call worked!" We continued to call the salmon until it was obvious that they were being capricious, so we went in search of them instead.  

(Sean crossing the creek to get a better view of the salmon)

We found an awesome little interpretive trail along the river where we found tons of salmon making their way upstream. The best little spot was at the end of the trail where there were stairs down to Cristy Creek and we were literally a foot away from the warring and struggling salmon! Sean was enthralled with two huge King salmon who were fighting over a beautiful damsel and even got splashed a few times during their battle. 

(Sean watching the salmon in Cristy Creek)

We couldn't get over how we weren't expecting to see any salmon and yet here were hundreds of them that we could almost reach out and touch! We lost track of time during this awesome experience and found ourselves watching them for over an hour and a half! 

(Two of the dueling salmon. You can just see the other one's dorsal fin in the background)

(These were the two I was watching fight their way upstream)

When our legs started falling asleep from crouching so long, we decided to head out in search of the famous "flaming geyser." I'd heard from many a friend that it wasn't all that awe inspiring, but we knew we had to check it out for ourselves anyway. I mean, come on...any amount of smelly gas coming up from the ground that you can light on fire is cool, no matter how you look at it. We found it within minutes and promptly blew out the flame so Sean could light it on fire again. Yay! This is what the "geyser" looks like. Take a good look. Now when you visit the park you can have an accurate expectation of what you'll find and everyone can quit complaining about how disappointed they are when they visit and enjoy themselves regardless! Pet peeve. Sorry. Moving on! 

(Sean lighting the gas on fire again)

Apparently this little flame used to be quite a bit bigger, a true testament to its name. In the early 1900s coal miners were drilling a test hole when they hit a layer of salt water and methane gas at 1000 feet of depth. Despite early beliefs that there was a giant dairy farm hidden beneath the ground, it is in fact a natural methane pocket that generated enough gas to fuel a flame that could reach heights of up to twenty-five feet! 

(Rachel dorking out over the flaming earth gas)

After we took obligatory photos with the small flame, we headed out on a gorgeous walk through the picnic area under the turning maple trees. We kicked up crunchy leaves, climbed trees, and laid on the grass and leaves in the warm, autumn sunshine. We've been to this park in other seasons before, but have never seen it as breathtaking as in the fall. The turning leaves combined with the salmon spawning make this an especially spectacular park to visit from September through November!

(a path leading through the fallen leaves)

(looking through the park from the geyser)

(the path along the creek where the salmon were spawning)

We walked along the river towards the play area, enjoying the scenery, when we saw this grand tree being lit from behind by the afternoon sun. I couldn't resist its allure and was pleased to find that its trunk made the perfect lounging spot for a peaceful rest. 

 (Rachel sunning in a majestic maple)

(Looking from the giant maple towards the river)

Sean and I hung out in the tree for a while intermittently chatting and listening the river run by until it was time to head home for dinner. In spite of the fact that we hadn't been expecting much of anything when we visited this park, we had one of the most joyful and fun trips so far on our tour. 

This park is known for its river rafting and tubing in the summer, salmon spawning in the fall, and has an RC Airplane field for year-round fun. The picnic area is expansive and there is a playground for the kiddos. There are trails on the hill adjacent to the river, though we didn't check them out, and there are numerous interpretive signs along the main loop. We saw many people at the park that day enjoying the salmon and the sun on this beautiful Saturday, which was really awesome! It made us happy to see people taking the time out of their weekend to come out and visit one of our wonderful state parks!

For more information please visit: Complete information for Flaming Geyser (parks.wa.gov)

                                                          Washington Trails Association: Flaming Geyser

Happy Adventuring!

-Rachel and Sean 

Location of Flaming Geyser State Park:

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Lake Easton State Park (Our First Anniversary Trip!)

To celebrate our first wedding anniversary, Sean and I decided to camp at Lake Easton State Park. Armed with a small food supply, a tent, and our cameras, we headed out on Labor Day and found the campground blessedly empty, as everyone had already left from their long weekend. It was gorgeously sunny and a perfect blend of hot and cool in the shade of the forest.

(Our campsite at Lake Easton state park)

There was a burn ban while we were there, so we picked up a small camp stove at REI (thanks to our sponsor Bill Collison!) and the first thing we did after setting up our tent was to boil water. We're easily entertained. Once the water produced bubbles that met our quality check for size and frequency, we deemed the camp stove a good investment. 

(Testing out our new camp stove)

After the excitement of watching water boil, we yearned for further entertainment so we headed down to the River Walk Trail that runs just below the tent campground. The short trail follows the Yakima River, which begins again at a dam coming from Lake Easton, and was roaring the day we were there. The trail here only runs from one end of the tent campground to the other, but the short walk had a few pretty views of the river that made it worth it. 

(The Yakima River from "River Walk Trail")

For years now, it has been a goal of mine to visit the mountains in the fall to see the Vine Maples (my favorite tree) change from green to brilliant red, but we've always been too busy to see them until this year. You can imagine how excited I was to see them changing so early! When you're used to seeing the Bigleaf Maple leaves in Seattle basically just turning brown from rain rot and falling off the tree before changing colors, this was amazing. 

(Vine Maples starting to change color)

After a delicious camp dinner, we drove down a little road to the main Lake Easton day-use park and RV campground. There were still many people swimming and eating at the picnic tables there, so we sat down the beach a ways and skipped rocks and watched the clouds float by. 

(Lake Easton looking out from the beach access)

I was determined to see the sunset, so we hung out for quite a while and then moved to the boat launch area so we could get a better view of the evening light show.  

(Sunset on Lake Easton through a life ring)

Once the sun dropped, it became cold really quickly and a wicked wind picked up, but it was still totally worth it! Once the colors went away, we headed back to our campsite and because of a lack of a campfire, we went to bed when it got dark. Oh, camping...where else can you get 11 hours of sleep?

(Sunset on Lake Easton from the boat launch dock)

We could hear the river from our tent site as well as trains that would pass by us just on the other side of the river bank. I also heard an Elk bugle for the first time! Not at ALL what I would have expected. I heard a squeaky, strained sound across the river and didn't really pay much attention until Sean told me that it was an Elk. It was really amazing to hear it echoing through the mountains. 

(This isn't my video, but the first 10 seconds is similar to what we heard!)

We woke up early in the morning and decided to make breakfast on the lake, since we had a portable stove! It was incredibly windy so Sean ended up cooking breakfast from inside a horseshoe pit to hide from the wind. I'm sure people thought we were crazy. It was a gorgeous morning, despite the wind, and we were the only ones at the park for most of the morning. The picture below was taken whilst sitting on the previously mentioned horseshoe pit where I was keeping Sean company. It's such a gorgeous park!

(Play area at Lake Easton)

After we broke down camp, we starting walking on the old Sunset Highway to see if we could find part of the John Wayne Pioneer Trail in Iron Horse State Park. The bridge we crossed was built in 1927 as part of the Sunset Highway, which connected Seattle to Ellensburg and followed an original Native American trail that was also later used for a wagon trail. The road was improved upon in the early 1900s when the automobile became popular and people wanted a convenient and beautiful way to reach the mountains. There are some cool old photos of the original Sunset Highway, along with an article, here. I was fascinated to learn about this scenic highway but couldn't help feeling a little sad as we heard semis roaring past us on I-90 just a few hundred yards away.

(On the bridge over where the Kachess River flows in to Lake Easton)

Sean and I walked along the old Sunset Highway into the woods until we saw signs pointing towards Iron Horse State Park. We found the John Wayne Pioneer Trail and enjoyed walking on it a short way to another view point of Lake Easton. 

(On the John Wayne Pioneer Trail directly behind Lake Easton)

(Our "sign shot" that we took before we left)

We enjoyed Lake Easton State Park and all it had to offer, but after a while the road noise from I-90 was starting to get to me so we packed up and left the park in search of solitude. Neither of us had ever been to Lake Kachess before, so we hopped on I-90 and headed a few exits down the road. I loved Lake Easton, but was yearning for the natural "silence" that you find when you are tucked away in the mountains away from busy roads. We drove down the small winding road to the National Forest Campground and spent the rest of the afternoon resting in the sun on the shores of the lake. 

 (On the shores of Lake Kachess within the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest)

We thought that Lake Easton State Park was beautiful, fun, and perfect for camping or day trips. The campground was clean, the ranger and volunteers very nice, and the scenery was gorgeous. It's conveniently located on exit 70 of I-90 and offers plenty of family fun in the way of a jungle-gym, easy walking trails, boat and beach access, a swimming area, and is close to even more walking/hiking trails, and all of the fun of Iron Horse State Park as well. The only downside was the road noise from I-90, which was very loud as the park is located just off the highway. 

We had a great time camping at Lake Easton State Park to celebrate our first anniversary and I am sure that we will be returning to explore even more of its beauty in the future!

For more information please visit: Complete Information for Lake Easton (parks.wa.gov)

For information about the former Sunset Highway, consider viewing:

• An in-depth article by King County on the former Sunset Highway.
• An article about the Lake Easton fishing bridge on the former Sunset Highway.
• The History Link article on the former Sunset Highway. 

Happy Adventuring!

-Rachel and Sean

(P.S. Happy 1st anniversary, Sean! I'm looking forward

 to a lifetime filled full of adventures with you!)

Location of Lake Easton State Park:

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Saint Edward State Park (Part 1)

(Little Z on the play structure at Saint Edward)

The play structure at this park is EPIC. Seriously, just take a moment and look at it. See the stairs and the slides, the turrets and bridges, the hidey holes and musical instruments! It's any kid's paradise! My parents used to take us to one like this on Steel Lake in Federal Way when we were kids and we could get lost for hours in the magical world that it offered us. Without even seeing the rest of the park, Sean and I knew that Saint Edward was going to be awesome! We were lucky enough to spend the afternoon exploring all that this beautiful park has to offer. 

(The epic play structure at Saint Edward)

(Such a champ! Look how high off the ground he is!)

The grounds at Saint Edward are very spacious and offer beautiful walking trails throughout. The property at Saint Edward was formerly a Seminary used by the Supplican Order of Catholic priests which was donated to them by Bishop O'dea in 1920. In 1977, the Seattle Diocese sold the property to the State of Washington for recreational purposes. (Sinotte, 1996)

(Flowers on the steps of the former seminary)

A short walk from the former seminary is this lovely place called "The Grotto." There was a sign that mentioned that it was built as an Eagle Scout project in 1996. It was pretty upon first sight but upon further examination (and the discovery of a stone angel) that we deemed this place "Just Plain Creepy."

(The Grotto)

(DON'T BLINK!)

The walking trails around the main grounds were level and easy walking for a kiddo, but we weren't feeling brave enough to venture on the trails that led down to Lake Washington with a two-year-old.

 (A beautiful mossy tree in the main area of the park)

 There were quite a few picnic tables and fun trees to scramble up, though, and Zach had a blast looking over the fence into the forest and stomping on dandelions. Sean and I will be returning to this park at some point to discover the 3,000 feet of shoreline on Lake Washington that are only accessible by somewhat steep trails.

Between the wonderful play structure, easy trails, and fun trees, we had a really great day at Saint Edward State Park. It's a great place for a picnic lunch, a little bit of history, and a fun day with kids! Sean and I are looking forward to the next time we visit!

Until next time!

Rachel and Sean

For more information please visit: Complete Information for Saint Edward (parks.wa.gov)

We have found a great resource for the history of Washington State Parks; a book entitled Oregon and Washington: A Guide to the State and National Parks by Barbara Sinotte 

Here's the link to the book on Amazon.

Location of Saint Edward State Park:

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Nolte State Park

(Photo of Deep Lake inside of Nolte State Park)

Earlier this summer, Sean and I had a rare day off together so we decided to head to Nolte State Park to check out Deep Lake. Our friend had been raving about for months and we were not disappointed! Hidden on a back road in Enumclaw/Cumberland, this secluded park offers peaceful relaxation even among crowds of people. 

 (Rachel and Sean were here! Photo by Rob Worl)

Sean and I brought snacks, books, a blanket and my camera (of course!) and settled in for a beautiful, sunny day by the lake. I love to people watch so I was happy to watch the families, kids, and dogs that were playing around and in the lake, while Sean unsuccessfully tried to take a nap (I kept bugging him).

(Part of the picnic area at Nolte, right up the hill from the sandy beach)

Later that afternoon, we discovered the most beautiful walking trail that circles around the lake. It's a 1.5 mile loop that has adjoining trails that lead down to small beaches and fishing areas. The light that day was phenomenal! It took Sean and I ages to walk the trail because we kept stopping to just stare at the light filtering through the canopy. The carpet of pine needles under our feet muffled our steps enough so that it was almost completely silent other than the birds chirping and the wind rustling the leaves above.

(Nolte's  beautifully forested trail)

Sean and I returned to Nolte for a church event this past week and were able to speak with one of the Park Rangers named Sebastian. He was incredibly friendly and eager to tell us about the history of Nolte. We found out that the park had been a private resort owned by the Nolte family, complete with cabins around the lake and a floating dance hall! Seriously, how cool is that! In 1972, the Nolte family gifted the land to the state with the express purpose that it be preserved for the rest of time for future generations. We're sure glad that they did!

(Sunlight filtering through the canopy)

Overall, we love this park. It is small and intimate and even when you're surrounded by people, it still feels peaceful. The main trail and side trails were great for discovering little spots on the water and increasingly gorgeous views of Deep Lake. It's an easy walk, perfect for kids or if you're looking for a short jaunt that's chock-full of nature. There is no camping here, but there is a swimming area, picnic area, bathrooms, and a modern playground.

(One of the adjoining trails that leads down to Deep Lake)

Keep your eyes out for wildlife! You never know who you may see if you walk quietly, respectfully, and observantly. We met a little squirrel who chirped at us and held still for a portrait. 

 (Our little squirrel friend)

 Here is the link to the official Nolte State Park page: Complete Information for Nolte (parks.wa.gov)

We hope you visit soon!

-Rachel and Sean

Location of Nolte State Park:

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Scenic Beach State Park (Our First Visit!)

(A view of the Olympics across Hood Canal from Scenic Beach State Park)

Sean and I deliberated over which park to choose to kick off our new adventure. Did we want trees or open space, ocean or river, east or west, long or short drive? We changed our minds a few times but we finally settled on Scenic Beach State Park on the Hood Canal. At the very least it had to be pretty, because otherwise it would have to have been a victim of terribly false advertising. (Thankfully, it lived up to its name!)

(Sean in his Captain Morgan pose)

Sean and I both dearly love the Washington State Ferries, so we decided to ride the one from West Seattle to Southworth, with a stop on Vashon Island. Fun fact: when Sean and I used to live in West Seattle, we would head down to Lincoln Park every chance we'd get and I'd always tell him that someday, I wanted to ride that ferry that took off from that dock. It was every bit as beautiful as I'd always hoped it would be! We stopped for lunch in Silverdale because we were both ridiculously cranky and then we headed out to the park in a much improved mood.

(The picnic space in the forest overlooking Hood Canal)

This park was so picturesque and peaceful. There was a picnic space sheltered by towering trees, another on a sprawling green lawn, and a sweet little beach absolutely covered with oyster shells. It also had hushed walking trails, a historic family house with a breathtaking view of Hood Canal, and secluded camping spots a short walk from the beach access point.

(The picnic area and volleyball net on the lawn of the Emel House)

(My favorite kind of walking trails; cut right through the undergrowth)

Sean and I got lost in the park (we apparently can't read maps), but we certainly got to see all of the park, parts of it even a few times over and over! We finally made our way down to the beach access and walked until we found a spot to ourselves and then just relaxed and stared at the amazingly close Olympic Mountains.

Overall, we liked this park a lot. We got both a lush forest and a wide open beach just a few yards away from each other (this is the number one thing I ADORE about Washington), and there was enough space in the park to be friendly with people but also find a secluded place when we wanted one. There was such an awesome variation of trees; Western Red Cedars, Western Hemlocks, Douglas Firs, Big Leaf Maples, Madronas, and White Pines, to name a few. The Rangers were very nice, but we didn't get a chance to really chat with them because the weekend camping crowds were coming in at the same time we did. I couldn't believe that we were so close to the Olympics and that they didn't have any snow on them! I kept asking Sean, "are you SURE those are the Olympics? They look so small!"

 (I couldn't resist the crystal clear water, so I took off my boots and waded in!)

 (Sean's favorite thing to do at the beach)

We're really looking forward to exploring the other parks in this region! We had an amazing time!

For more information please visit: Complete Scenic Beach Information (parks.wa.gov)

For camping information, please visit: Camping at Scenic Beach (parks.wa.gov)

Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!

-Rachel and Sean

Location of Scenic Beach State Park:

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Coming Soon!

Our first official State Parks visit (and post) will be on Friday, August 16th. Come back and see what adventures we encountered!

We're crazy excited!

Rachel and Sean