Flowers, Berries, and More

When hiking or walking in the woods, it's fun to slow down and look at what's blooming on the side of the trail. Here's what I saw at Federation Forest State Park, Washington State, this past week. Sorry I can't identify all the plants. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

The trails were wide and easy for the
walking group to traverse.

These tiny white flowers brightened the path.

Foxgloves bloomed near the visitors' center and all along the highway

These unusual plants go by several names:
Indian pipe, ghost plant, or corpse plant.
They were between 4 and 6 inches tall.

These berries glowed like rubies in the shade
beneath the tall trees.

We saw quite a few mushrooms and toadstools.

Thistle

Cedar (left) and Douglas fir (right)

View from our picnic spot along the White River.
The river gets its milky color from glacial run-off from Mt. Rainier.

I'm linked with:

Jo's Monday Walk -  Johanna at Restless Jo - Link HERE

Our World Tuesday - Link HERE

Saturday Snapshot - Melinda at A Web of Stories - Link HERE 

Carbon River Ramble - #MountRainier

Recently, a group of walkers from the Auburn Senior Activity Center bravely crossed a high one-lane bridge to explore the Carbon River Trail.
(Click on photos to enlarge.)

Our walk (only three miles, round trip) took us along a wide, gentle path that had been a road until the river washed it out and forced the forest service to close it to vehicles. Along the way we walked beneath towering old-growth trees, listened to bird serenades, and sampled red huckleberries. Tart and not quite ready for pies.

Huge old-growth trees provided shade. Some would make nice shelters.

Nurse logs provide the perfect habitat for nurturing young seedlings. This photo shows the roots of the "baby" tree growing out of the rotting nurse log.

After a beautiful and relaxing walk, we stopped at this wash and headed back.

If you continue farther on, the way becomes more rugged and leads to the base of the Carbon Glacier, which feeds the Carbon River. At 17.5 miles round trip from the parking lot, that's too long for me to cover in one day!

Lunch at Wally's in Buckley, our reward for all that walking.

An editorial comment: We have noticed that some of the national park facilities are not maintained as well as they have been in the past. We've seen restroom facilities where most of the toilets are out of order, structures that need refurbishing, etc. This must surely be due to lack of funding from the federal government. How sad it would be if our treasured national parks were not maintained for our children and grandchildren to enjoy. More info HERE.

For more information about this walk and the extended hike to the glacier, look HERE
For more of my photos from an earlier walk along this same path, look HERE

I'm linked with:

Jo's Monday Walk -  Johanna at Restless Jo - Link HERE

Our World Tuesday - Link HERE

Saturday Snapshot - Melinda at A Web of Stories - Link HERE 

#Alki Beach, #Seattle - Saturday Snapshot and Jo's Monday Walk

Some of the sights on a rainy day at Seattle's Alki Beach. 
Trivia: Alki (ælkaɪ) is a Chinook word meaning "by and by," the unofficial state motto of Washington.
(Click on photos for a closer look.)

Luna Park

In 1907 a saltwater natatorium was built for the Luna Park Seaside pleasure resort. (Known as the "Coney Island of the West.") Housed in a large airy building the swimming pool remained in operation until it was burned down in 1931. In the 1950s its cement walls were filled. Deemed unsafe, in 2004 the seawalls that once enclosed the swimming pool were demolished. 

Here's Luna Park today. Bike-share bicycles are parked all over the Seattle area.

View of the Seattle skyline across Elliot Bay (from Luna Park)

Shoreline

Condos have replaced many (but not all) of the bungalows that once lined the shore.  

Statue of Liberty

According to Wikipedia: The Statue of Liberty or Lady Liberty (at Alki Beach) is a replica of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. A gift from the Boy Scouts of America, it was installed at Seattle's Alki Beach Park in 1952 and has since been recast in bronze to repair damage from vandalism.
(Note: She's not the same lady as the original, but the idea is the same.)

Whales are still sighted in Puget Sound off Alki Beach's shores.

A lighthouse, built in 1913, still guides mariners safely through Puget Sound.

The paved walkway along the water is a great place to walk or bike. With a separate lane for bikers and a wide paved path for pedestrians and runners, it's a popular place to be, especially on weekends.

More pictures from Alki Beach can be found in earlier posts: 
HERE and HERE.
Luna Park's colorful history can be found at HistoryLink.org

PS: Need inspiration to start exercising? This article says it's not too late to start: Older Adults Start Exercising

I'm linked with:
Saturday Snapshot - Melinda at A Web of Stories - Link HERE 
Jo's Monday Walk -  Johanna at Restless Jo - Link HERE

Our World Tuesday - Link HERE

#IceCream and #Hiking - #SaturdaySnapshot

If you've visited my blog before, you know I go on walks and hikes with the Auburn (Washington) Senior Activity Center. However, I probably haven't mentioned our reward for all that physical activity. After each outing we stop for ice cream! 

Here are photos of a few of the ice cream parlors we've visited recently. We've all agreed that while McDonald's or Dairy Queen would be acceptable in a pinch, high-end ice cream is our preference. We gladly detour miles out of our way to enjoy first-class treats.
(Click on photos for a closer look.)

At C. C. Espresso and Creamery, on Main Street, Duvall, Washington, I had espresso flavored ice cream. A kid-sized portion was plenty big!

Every time we hike in (or near) Mount Rainier National Park, a stop at Wapiti Woolies is a must. Their ice cream menu includes huckleberry scoops and sundaes, as well as marionberry sorbet. I've tried both flavors, and they're equally delicious. (They have a fantastic selection of hats, gloves, t-shirts, and other necessities, too.)

The most recent addition to our list of ice cream possibilities is Bliss Creamery, located in University Park, Tacoma. They have unusual flavors that I haven't seen anywhere else. After tastes of the lemon ginger poppyseed and pistachio nut flavors, I settled on cardamom apple pear. Delicious!

As we near the senior center after a long day on the trails, we know we can always stop at Gosanko Chocolate in downtown Auburn. Their primary business is chocolates, but they have a pretty good selection of ice cream, too. I love their butter pecan.

Yummy!

With all the ice cream I've had with the walking/hiking group, it's a good thing we get plenty of exercise to offset some of the calories, isn't it?

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. 

To join in or to view photos from around the world: 

Post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky on West Metro Mommy Read's website (link: HERE) Photos can be old or new and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.

West Metro Mommy Reads

Sculpture - #SaturdaySnapshot

Some of the walks I take with the Auburn Senior Activity Center are in urban areas--alongside lakes, in parks, on city sidewalks. Here are a few photos of sculptures I've seen along the way.

In Olympia, Washington:

"From the Sea"

Artist: Hugh Bucholz

Medium: Silicon Bronze

"Pendant Mandala"

Artist: Kenneth Hall

Medium: Welded Steel and Fused Glass 

(Glass by Kathleen Heidenreich)

 

"Diver"

Artist: Kevin Au

Medium: Stainless Steel

"Motherhood"
Artist: Simon Kogan
Medium: Cast Bronze
Date Acquired: 10/1/1999
Location: Percival Landing at Thurston Avenue

Near the Kirkland, Washington, waterfront (Lake Washington): 

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any information about the artist who created this sculpture.

Leap Frog
Bronze
Artist: Prince Monyo Mihailescu-Nasturel
Location: Marsh Park, 6605 Lake Washington Blvd NE
Gift from the Danz family, 1991

Centennial Fountain
Bronze
Artist: James Fitzgerald
Location: Marina Park, 25 Lakeshore Plaza
Gift funded by the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA), King County Arts Commission,
Community Friends, and International Rotary

Links to more information about these sculptures and others in these areas:

Olympia, WA, Percival Plinth Project

Kirkland, WA, Public Art

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. 

To join in or to view photos from around the world: 

Post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky on West Metro Mommy Read's website (link: HERE) Photos can be old or new and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.

West Metro Mommy Reads

Mount St. Helens - Odds & Ends - #SaturdaySnapshot

These random photos, taken during my three-day hiking adventure at Mount St. Helens, don't fit into a specific category. I've labeled them "Odds and Ends." 
(Click on photos to enlarge.)

We followed this logging truck for quite a ways. I thought the juxtaposition of the logs on the truck and the clear-cut hillside to the left of the road, along with the stand of trees up ahead, made an interesting picture.

I always wonder what caused huge rock outcroppings like the one below. It's not far from Mount St. Helens. Was it the result of the volcano's eruption?

The view of Spirit Lake (Mount St. Helens) from Windy Ridge. The white mass on the lake is made up of logs.

I decided NOT to climb to the top of the observation area at Windy Ridge.

A casualty of the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980. The car's owners perished in a nearby cabin during the eruption. More info about this story and the area HERE.

The trip to Mount St. Helens was a lot of fun, and I'm already looking forward to next summer's adventure. I wonder where the senior center will take me!

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. 

To join in or to view photos from around the world: 

Post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky on West Metro Mommy Read's website (link: HERE) Photos can be old or new and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.

West Metro Mommy Reads