Dash Point State Park

Hey-Oh! We're back! Sean and I broke in the new year with a quiet trip to Dash Point on a foggy Saturday morning. We were running errands in Federal Way and made a spontaneous decision to pop down to Dash Point for a walk. I only had my phone on me (the best camera you can have is the one you have with you :P) and had no plans for making this an "official" visit, which I think is what made it perfect. We walked along the beach in the dense fog and then sat on a picnic table together to watch the fog slowly creep off the calm, gray waters. There was a family gathered on the shore with white roses and a small box. As they scattered the ashes of their loved one on the ripples, we wandered away down the sand and allowed them to grieve in privacy. 

The freshwater creek flowing into the Sound. Can you spot the giant Flounder Rock?

Sean made the observation that this joining of the fresh and salt water is similar to The Columbia Bar where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean on the Washington and Oregon border. I, having the quick wit that I do, said that it's a miniature version...a mini bar! That's me: Queen of Corny Jokes. 

The fog beginning to lift from the shore. 

Peaceful beauty. 

(This photo isn't actually in black and white - the fog was just that glorious)

We found a cute little Jelly on the sand as we walked back down the beach. 

We think it may have been an Aequorea Victoria, which closely matches the physical

 characteristics we observed in this little guy. 

The jelly was such a beautiful subject, I love how it distorted the background and reflected the sky. 

We had a relaxing and peaceful visit here; relishing in the opportunity to spend time together and enjoy watching the sun finally break through the morning fog. We weren't planning on making this an "official" visit, but I realized later that this was a silly thought. Our goal is not to perfectly capture or document each park we visit, but rather to soak up the beauty each park has to offer and share our journey with you, in whatever form that may be! 

Happy Adventuring!

-Rachel and Sean

For more information on Dash Point State Park, please visit: Dash Point State Park (parks.wa.gov)

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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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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