Exploring the North Cascades // SBL 2k17

Hello dear friends,

It's been awhile, hasn't it? August has been a crazy month, full of work, online school, random adventures with friends, and movie nights with the little bro. I've taken a break from blogging because I needed to spend the extra time surrounded by the people I love and having small summer adventures. If you want to stay updated on what's going on, feel free to follow my Instagram, I've been trying to stay fairly active over there. All that being said though, I've missed this small corner of my life and I'm glad to be sitting down and writing again.

If you read my last post, Camping in the Cascades, you would know my friend Demi and I took to one of Washington's beautiful national parks and attempted our first solo camping trip (I would say we quite succeeded too). Because we were so close to the North Cascades, we took a day to drive over the pass, explore places along the road, have a quick hike, and take lots of pictures. I truly believe the North Cascades are an underrated national park, so if you ever have the chance to come and visit, you must take it! It's absolutely gorgeous up their in the mountains, and it just has a way that makes you feel like you're at home, even if it's your first time visiting.

The pass that goes through the North Cascades is super gorgeous. Even without getting out of the car and putting on your hiking boots, there are so many amazing sights. Demi got a few pictures through the car window, and then we deiced to pull over along the road and check out a small waterfall that was right alongside the road. It was almost 90 degrees, so the mist coming off the water was very welcomed.

The North Cascades has many beautiful hikes to offer, but you can get a marvelous view of the mountains and deep blue water without climbing thousands of feet. Demi and I decided to walk/hike Rainy Lake, a hike of only 2 miles. Of course, us being us, we found another trail that strayed off the original path. Next thing we know it, we're climbing down a mountain side to get to this beautiful spot. It was absolutely gorgeous and we got quite a few pictures, but with the sun baking us and bugs buzzing around everywhere, we were quick to leave. Or at least, after being lost for about 15 minutes and trying to find the "trail," were we quick to leave. It was an adventure for sure.

After our little trek in the mountains, we continued down the pass into Eastern Washington and stopped at a cute little tourist town, Winthrop, for some swimming, shopping, and food. I've been road tripping to Winthrop with my family ever since I was a little girl. I have so many fond memories there, including put put golfing with my brothers, fishing in the creeks with my dad, window shopping with my mom, and the many family camping trips where we were all eaten alive by the bugs. Going again, but this time with Demi, was a lot of fun! We of course had to stop and get some ice-cream, which was quite the treat in the extreme heat. We also found a lake to take a dip in and a bookstore to treat ourselves with. All in all, it was a successful stop.

Finally, after a day full of adventure, we started the 2 hour car ride back to our campsite. Trying to beat the sun set, we only made one stop at this beautiful lookout. Sadly, the lighting was quite harsh and we weren't able to get a lot of good pictures. There were multiple lookouts, ones I didn't even know about, and ones we didn't have time to explore. This spot will definitely be revisited in the future.

What adventures have you been on lately? I know summer is coming to an end, but don't forget to take advantage of the rest of these beautiful days to explore the outdoors. And don't forget to check out my Summer Bucket List to stay informed on what I've been accomplishing (you know, besides just doing homework and cuddling with my dog). Stay tuned too, for there are some more adventure to come in September :D

Have a wonderful rest of your day,

Elizabeth