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  • Tag: National Park

    • Peak District National Park

      Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on December 12, 2019

      When driving through the Lake District, I was surprised to find the area had a good balance between isolation and population. I wouldn’t say it didn’t feel like a national park, but it had areas that felt like any other town. It was a similar first impression to when I visited the Black Forest in Germany.

      When I think of a national park I think long stretches of road with little to no civilization. I think of rocky terrain with pot holes that make my heart dip into my stomach wondering if I scratched the side of my vehicle. I think of endless rolling hills that will swallow me whole if I don’t respect the vastness of their proximity.

      I think of places like the Peak District. 

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      There is no one size fits all national park, the exact definition is an area of countryside, or occasionally sea or fresh water, protected by the state for the enjoyment of the general public or the preservation of wildlife. Definitions aside, I still have a specific vision in my head when I think of a national park.

      Perhaps my summer spent in Yellowstone, or growing up near Olympic National Park skewed this vision for me, but either way I tend to enjoy national parks that are a bit more isolated. The Peak District is a little over two house south of the Lake District, and the differences between the two were obvious right away.

      I absolutely loved the Lake District, but I equally loved the Peak District for different reasons. 

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      The Peak District felt more spread out when it came to civilization, there were cafe’s scattered throughout the roads we drove, but they didn’t sit in tiny towns. They were their own isolated building on top of a hill overlooking the wonder of the hills below. This park is so sporadic we had a hard time keeping a cell signal, which made it sightly difficult to find our Air B & B.

      After some time, we finally found our tiny house. 

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      We had quite a few laughs in regard to this place, it was a bit too small for three people, but we made it work. All three of us are flexible and chill people, so I slept on the tiny couch while the other girls slept on the tiny bed. We had no wifi, no reception, and no visibility for our first evening in the park.

      Before arriving in the Peak District we spent the morning walking the Lake District a bit more, and we arrived in the Peak District in the afternoon. I always like finding a new place in the daylight just to minimize stress. It would have been a nightmare trying to find this place in the dark.

      After finding our house, we decided to drive back to a cafe we saw when driving in to the park for a late lunch/early dinner. 

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      I had been in England for five days at this point, and had yet to eat fish and chips. It was an easy choice when looking over the Peak View menu. We enjoyed our meal and headed into the nearby town for breakfast supplies before heading back to the tiny house to unwind for the evening.

      The following morning I made us all coffee, eggs, and scones. When I say made us I mean I tried to do a makeshift pourover that turned out too weak, made scrambled eggs in a tiny microwave, and opened a package of scones from the grocery. It was a memorable and comical morning in the tiny house. We listened to 80’s music videos on the TV while we ate, and then we packed up our stuff and headed off for a morning in the park.

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      We drove until we saw an area that looked worthy of exploration, and then we parked and walked. We walked for a few hours – some on country roads and some in open fields with free roaming animals. We walked through fog, and mud, and thick open fields.

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      I fell deeper and deeper in love with the UK each step I took. The cold crisp air, the green hills, the roaming cows, the scones, the black pudding, the people, the accents, the language (I understand English!), everything about these countries continues to sweep me off my feet. The stone houses, the random castles, the history, the energy of a slow paced way of life.

      I’ve never felt more myself somewhere than I do in the UK the last six years. 

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      After our morning of exploration we drove to the Manchester airport where we flew back to Germany later that evening. I couldn’t have asked for a better trip to England, or a better group of girls. There are few people who I work with who I enjoy spending time with, but the few who I enjoy are good people.

      I don’t always enjoy solo travel, and sometimes it’s more fun experiencing the world with others. I’m thankful for the two girls who accompanied me to England, it was a trip I will never forget. Now if someone can find me a good scone in Germany, that’d be grand. 

      Q: What do you visualize when you think of a national park?

      brittany

      | 19 Comments Tagged Brittanys Life Abroad, England, National Park
    • Lake District National Park

      Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on December 9, 2019

      For someone who loves national parks, I’ve shamefully not visited many in Europe. I drove through one in Slovenia when a bus driver tried to avoid traffic, but I don’t think that really counts. I spent a day in Berchtesgaden shorty after Slovenia, but aside from those two instances I’ve not seen any European national parks since I visited Scotland last October.

      When my friends and I decided to visit England we all agreed we HAD to see one, if not two national parks. 

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      After a night in Highclere, we headed towards our next stop. The first area we visited was Lake District National Park, and we stayed here for two nights. Our Air B & B was adorable, and our host was a kind man that sounded Scottish. We stayed just outside of the park, because it was cheaper, and because the listing showed a sheep pasture in the backyard.

      I don’t know what it is about sheep, but I adore them.

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      You can see one sheep up top in the field.

      Our first day in the park I tried to find a hike for us to do, and we didn’t have a specific plan, but I knew I wanted to see one of the many fells. To maximize time we chose a location that was about an hour from our Air B & B, and while it wasn’t a large mountain, it was considered a “must see for first time visitors to the Lake District.”

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      We found the Loughrigg Fell Loop starting from the town of Grasmere, and spent a little over two hours walking the woods, and climbing hills to get an amazing view of Grasmere Lake down below. We sat at our self proclaimed summit for about 30 minutes before heading down to explore the town a bit.

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      After we made our way down, we walked the town a bit and I found my way to Lucia’s Coffee + Bakehouse. AKA where I had the best scone of the entire trip. I would go back to Grasmere just for this scone. And for the cinnamon roll I bought for the following morning to go with my cup of coffee. I never knew I was a scone person until I went to England.

      This scone was the perfect mix of dense and soft, sweet and savory, warm and cold, it was just…perfect. 

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      Grasmere is famous for their gingerbread and I bought one piece, but sadly I was not a fan. The shop is adorable, and the smells of sugar and ginger are intoxicating, but this was a hard piece of gingerbread. Almost like a chewy cracker. I like soft gingerbread, actual bread and not a cookie like bread. Does that make sense?

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      All was not lost on the gingerbread front, I had my cinnamon roll to look forward to and it was worth the wait. It’s been a while since I’ve had a sugary treat first thing in the morning. My blood sugar is extremely sensitive, and sugar paired with caffeine is no longer a good option for me, but thankfully I didn’t crash too hard with this.

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      Our Air B & B also had a creek out back, and while it was too cold to sit out there long term, it was nice to step outside with my coffee and hear the running water. Our second and last night at this Air B & B, we went to the only pub in the area called The Old Crown. It was a lovely place, with delicious food, and friendly staff.

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      Our trip to the Lake District was short and sweet, but I know I will be back someday. The weather was perfect for our trip, and the endless rolling hills had me daydreaming of a permanent lifestyle driving on the right side of the car. I could easily spend a week exploring this national park. I don’t want to work in a cafe again after I leave my current job, but I could see myself working at Lucia’s Coffee + Bakehouse.

      Anything for the scones and cinnamon rolls. 

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      We packed our bags and packed our car, and we headed towards Peak District National Park, our last leg of the trip and our second and drastically different national park in England. My idea of what it would be like to hike around England national parks ended up being a completely different reality, but it turned out to be a low key adventure I’ll never forget.

      Q: Cinnamon roll or scone? Why am I always asking questions about food….

      brittany

      | 10 Comments Tagged Brittanys Life Abroad, England, Hike, Lake District, National Park, Scones
    • Königssee, Berchtesgaden National Park

      Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on August 5, 2019

      One of my favorite things about blogging is getting to relive an adventure I went on. Writing this post allows me to relive the start of an awesome week with my dad and my stepmom. These two wonderful people blessed me with their presence for ten days in the middle of July, and I am so thankful for all the fun things we were able to do.

      The first day they arrived, I met them at the airport in Munich and we drove our rental car back to Garmisch. 

      The beauty of a rental car is the freedom it provides, and the day after they arrived we took a trip to Berchtesgaden National Park. The main goal was to visit the Eagles Nest, which I will share more of in my next post. After the Eagles Nest we went to Königssee, a lake I’d been dying to see located in Berchtesgaden National Park.

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      Berchtesgaden is an adorable town, with a boardwalk like area of shops and ice cream vendors located near the foothills of the German Alps. At the end of the shops, you’ll find the lake, and a kiosk where you can purchase tickets for a boat ride to one or two of the stops at the other end of the lake. According to the boat driver, this lake is the cleanest lake in all of Germany, so clean the water is drinkable.

      I didn’t test this water, but I did once drink from a stream in Alaska where my dad swore I’d get giardia. 

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      My first month in Germany I looked up things to do in Bavaria, and Königssee popped up as a must see lake. It’s not close to where I live, so I wasn’t sure when I would get to visit. When I realized the Eagles Nest was right next door to the lake, I was stoked. I didn’t realize the lake was in the national park, so this was an extra bonus.

      I was very excited my family was up for this adventure.

      We bought tickets for both of the stops on the boat, and my only regret was not having enough time for exploration. We spent most of our time at the Eagles Nest, which didn’t leave much time for getting off the boat and wandering the trails at the other end of the lake.

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      We went straight to the second stop, which dropped us off near a network of trails. I’ve daydreamed about hiking these paths since I left. We had only enough time to walk the 15 or so minutes to a man made lake called Obersee. The reflection on the lake of the mountains surrounding it were amazing, and there was a waterfall in the distance I would love to go back and hike to.

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      The last boat ran around 5:45p, which is why we had limited time. Because of this we weren’t able to stop at the first stop. The first stop has a cathedral that I really wanted to go into, alas time did not permit. This just means I need to go back! The good thing about Berchtesgaden is that it’s only a couple of hours away, so I can easily take a trip back for a weekend.

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      The boat ride itself was a bit long, it took an hour to get to the end of the lake and then another hour to get back, and after a long morning we were struggling to stay awake on the boat ride back. The drive back to Garmisch was equally eventful. My dad was struggling with some delayed jet lag, it was dark, and it was a long day.

      We ended up missing our exit (twice) adding an additional hour to our journey. We also stopped for late night coffee at Mcdonald’s in an attempt to perk up the driver. This was the second Mcdonald’s we’d gone to that day and BOTH of them had fresh flowers on the tables, and a fancy inside area.

      European Macd’s are bougie y’all.

      We finally made it back to Garmisch around midnight, and slept soundly that night. Our first family adventure was a success, and set the tone for a wonderful week in Europe!

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      Q: What do you do when you’re feeling tired while driving?

      brittany

      | 14 Comments Tagged Berchtesgaden, Brittanys Life Abroad, Garmisch, Germany, National Park
    • It’s Just So, Yellowstone

      Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on November 14, 2018

      Grab some coffee, this is a long one. 

      You know when you’ve been doing something for so long it becomes second nature, and whatever the activity is seems somewhat easy? How about when you stop doing this activity for a significant amount of time and then try to start again. It feels like walking through molasses with cinderblocks attached to your feet. That’s how I feel right now trying to write a blog post. It feels like trying to find the ground in a deep pool of water.

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      I’ve been home from my adventure in Yellowstone for over a month, but I’ve struggled to find the motivation to blog. Granted I took a trip to Scotland somewhere in between, but I felt overwhelmed by all that I had to share. When I get overwhelmed, instead of diving in and tackling things I tend to do the opposite. I shut down. Despite feeling overwhelmed, I still had a desire to write and to create.

      How could I possible share my experience in a single blog post?

      Simply put there is just too much to share from my time working in America’s first national park, but a few moments stick out as highlights. My job itself was nothing exciting, I was a server in the Grant Village dining room. I made a shitton of money, but that was not the goal. I worked my ass off (literally, but a month back home with access to almond butter has brought it right back) with long shifts, early mornings, endless “clopens”, and brutally annoying foreign customers.

      “I’d like the BEE-SON (bison) BOUR-GAIR (burger)”

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      I lived in one of these cabins, and my neighbor sometimes had visitors help with lawn work.

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      Despite the chaos that was my job, the people and adventures kept me lusting for the weekends. I made lifelong friendships, explored over 200 miles of backcountry trails, went on 32 (35 if you count repeats) hikes, met hundreds of bison and elk, but most importantly I discovered a piece of myself that I knew was missing. My desire to travel and explore was nurtured in a way I hadn’t been able to do before. Spending nearly five months living in a national park is truly life changing.

      I saw endless beautiful sun rises over Lake Yellowstone while working morning shifts at the restaurant. 

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      I hiked my tallest peak to date, with three of the best hiking partners I’ve ever met. 

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      I discovered another planet…over, and over, and over.

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      I made friends with people from all over the world.

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      I survived the biggest mind game while hiking 20 miles straight on Mary Mountain with my favorite person in Yellowstone. Getting lost over and over again, yet somehow managing to find our way out. Nothing was impossible after this, and there’s nothing quite like being 10 miles into the backcountry before heading towards civilization again.

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      I saw waterfalls a plenty, but none more magical than Union Falls, and suddenly any hike under 10 miles felt like child’s play.

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      Union Falls

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      Mystic Falls

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      Moose Falls

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      Fairy Falls

      I drove the Beartooth Highway, one of the most beautiful highways in America.

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      I fell deeper in love with the Teton Mountains the more I drove past them. Grand Teton National Park was my neighbor, and a common destination for my days off. 

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      I rode a horse through a valley and up steep hills, which was equal parts terrifying and painful. My horses name was Slim Jim, and he pooped a lot. 

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      I swam in the Firehole River, which isn’t actually on fire. Though my chest was from the adrenaline I felt after jumping into a raging rapid. 

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      I learned how to get lost, and not to panic. To trust my instincts and use a compass/map. 

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      I met a bison I named Biscuit, who became the mascot for my adventure. I was then gifted a bison stuffed animal on a very hard work day, which resulted in tears. Naturally I named him Biscuit (jr.) 

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      I white water rafted on the Yellowstone River…twice…for free. #employeeperks

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      I said a very hard goodbye to my closest friend, that I still miss everyday. Living with people for months, eating together, working together, playing together, and then suddenly leaving is quite an emotional ransack. I’m emotionally crippled, but I’m not as emotionally dead inside as I thought.

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      It’s not often we find ourselves surrounded by people that are so similar to us, but I found that those who seek out seasonal work have a similar mindset. Sure, we had plenty of differences (I don’t drink, smoke, or stay up late) but we all came to work, and play in Yellowstone for similar reasons. We’re all a little lost, ironically trying to find ourselves by getting lost in other ways.

      Leaving the woods and returning to society was hard. It was not only a physical shock, but I felt depressed without the comfort of isolation from society.

      I was able to turn my mind off for the first time in years, all I had to think about was “where are we going to hike this weekend?” It was incredibly freeing. I didn’t worry about “what am I doing with my life” or “where do I want to live,” I was given a place to live, and food to eat, and all I had to do was show up. Thanks to my parents instilling good financial habits, I was able to save so much money, still contribute to my retirement fund regularly, all while exploring the world.

      It’s more than possible to cultivate a future for yourself without a 9-5 job. It just comes down to preference. 

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      My adventure doesn’t stop here, I plan to do seasonal work until I feel ready to settle down. I found that I was a bit older than most of the people that I’ll likely find in this type of work, but that didn’t stop me from finding a great group of friends. All it takes is confidence in your own lifestyle and people will have no choice but to respect you. I would have never been able to experience Yellowstone the way I did had I not done this, and like any first time, Yellowstone will forever have a special place in my heart.

      We do this type of work because we want to live our lives right NOW, not tomorrow. Work and play can go hand in hand, you just have to know where to look. 

      Grant Village was small, and not a big tourist spot like Old Faithful or Mammoth Hot Springs, which made this the perfect spot for me. The feeling of being submerged in the wild would not have been possible staying anywhere else. I enjoyed walking outside, or walking to work and not running into hundreds of people. Visiting the bigger spots felt like visiting small towns. A smaller location meant the employees became like a family.

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      I became known as the girl who ordered chicken breasts at every meal. I couldn’t eat 95% of the food served unless I wanted to suffer (holla food sensitivities!), so I literally survived off of chicken breasts, cucumbers, steamed veggies, and hummus. All of the Taiwanese girls that worked in the employee dining room were super accommodating.

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      Not everyone was younger than me, here we celebrate Gail turning 70. Gail made my eating experience much less stressful by ensuring I had foods that I could eat. She will never know the blessing she was to me. Homegirl to my left is Katy, she was my roommate and we accidentally killed a mouse together while trying to intentionally kill it. We’re forever bonded, and I still feel guilty. RIP Marvin.

      This CliffsNotes post barely scratches the surface of my time in Yellowstone, there was obviously so much more. No amount of blog posts will ever capture the magical adventure that was my summer. However, like anything in life, for every moment of magic there was a moment of pain. Stressful nights of endless tables, managers and employees not showing up to work, foreigners that didn’t understand what it meant to tip (I’m still salty that I got $0 on a bill that was over $200.) Seasonal work is not for the weak, but once you know…you know. I now understand why people return year after year.

      In the words of a woman from a 1990’s documentary I watched in the Grant Village Visitor Center, “it’s just so, Yellowstone.”

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      brittany

      | 47 Comments Tagged National Park, Seasonal Work, Xanterra, Yellowstone National Park
    • Glacier Bay National Park

      Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on December 14, 2017

      I’ve been to a handful of National Parks in my existence, but never had I been to one only accessible by boat or plane. Glacier Bay National Park is a highlighted experience through the inside passage of Alaska with many of its visitors arriving by boat.

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      We obviously arrived by boat, and this full day of adventure was experienced from the comfort of our cruise ship. The ship sailed into this passage in the morning, and spent a large chunk of the day slowly moving throughout the park.

      A prime example of how life is often best when we slow down and enjoy the journey.

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      The history of this park stems back to the late 1700’s, where Captain George Vancouver first created a rough map of the bay. Next up was John Muir, a more familiar name to me, arriving by canoe to study the glaciers. Muir eventually changed America’s perspective of Alaska from a cold daunting place to one of enchanting beauty.

      I’d say his description was on point, the beauty was enough to give a Disney princess a run for her money. 

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      Muir arrived in Alaska attempting to prove that his beloved Yosemite Valley was indeed formed by ice many years prior. Today the park is home to a variety of plants and wildlife, with 11 sea reaching glaciers. The remote vastness of this land is one you must see for yourself to truly experience.

      While we stayed on the cruise ship, this park has the option to disembark and explore by foot as well. 

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      For our trip, a park ranger came aboard our ship (without our ship even stopping) to provide us with narrated history as we sailed along. The big ticket item of this adventure was spending an hour sitting in front of Margerie Glacier.

      The large walls of the surrounding mountains provided such a quiet environment that we could hear the ice calving off of Margerie from miles away.

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      This was probably the coldest day of the trip, and if you plan to visit in September like I did be sure to bring a warm jacket! You can view the park inside, but it’s not the same as standing on the bow of the ship and soaking it all in.

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      I did retreat indoors occasionally, spending some time sitting in my favorite area of the ship watching the cold world outside pass me by. I’d quickly make my way back outside once I was thawed to see the vibrant blue colors of the glacial meltwater.

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      My favorite area. Daily classical concerts.

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      The color of the water is such a deep arctic blue a photograph cannot convey the image quite like the memory burned into my brain. Pieces of floating ice bob like apples in a bucket of water on a sunny fall afternoon. Otters swim round and you wonder how anything could live in water so cold.

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      Many years ago people also lived at the bases of these glaciers. My poor blood circulation would surely kill me if I had to live on ice. Thankful for the indoor reprieve whenever I pleased, this sailing through Glacier Bay is one I’ll not soon forget. Perhaps someday I’ll return by plane in the warmer months and conquer a hike or two!

      Q: Would you rather visit in the heat or cold? 

      | 28 Comments Tagged Alaska, Cruise, Holland America, National Park, Vacation
    • Mount Rainier

      Posted at 7:46 AM by Brittany, on July 7, 2015

      Does anyone remember back in January when I had my first public, “I can’t even” moment? For those of you that don’t know what this means, (mom) it’s an abused phrase that I really can’t stand, yet found myself using…again.

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      A phrase used when something is so monumental that “I can’t even” think of words to describe how I feel. All that comes out is “I can’t even.”

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      I was so enraptured by the wonder that is Mount Rainier that I really had no words, just feelings. Lots of feelings. Like the kind you get when you are eating cake.

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      I’d been wanting to make my way to Mount Rainier National Park for quite some time now. On most of my hikes this volcanic mountain is what I search for off in the far distance as it’s the highest mountain in Washington.

      It was indescribable to be this close to it.

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      This park is so big that I was overwhelmed with where to start exploring. Thankfully I have adventurous friends that also like to explore, and when one of them asked if I wanted to go hike a specific trail I didn’t think twice before saying yes.

      Plus my dad appreciates when I take a buddy.

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      Burroughs mountain trail brought me to the view in most of the photos above. I felt almost close enough to touch the top, yet we were only halfway there. The peak of this active volcanic mountain is 14,410 ft above sea level, and we were merely at the 7400 ft mark. We were like ants in a sea of evergreen trees.

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      Because you gotta drink a Rainier while next to Rainier.

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      Unless you don’t drink beer, then eat a Larabar.

      The Burroughs trail brought us to this view, but I wanted more. The thing about Rainier National Park is there are trails..everywhere. Literally days of exploration.

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      A fire lookout sat atop an adjacent mountain, and I wanted to see the view from it.

      That was a great decision on my part.

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      A perfect shot to celebrate independence day.

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      This adventure filled my soul with 5 hours and 8.2 miles of mountain goodness. I can’t wait to get back and explore even more. Next time I want to camp.

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      I started a pin collection, because I’m too lazy to work with patches. Now I need to get my fanny to more national parks and get my bag some legit bling. I also bought a mug because coffee tastes better in a good mug, and because I fell prey to the tourist traps.

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      Yea, that coffee tasted like adventure.

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      Q: Have you been to a national park in or near your state?

      atterned-n

      | 69 Comments Tagged Explore, Hike, Hiking, Mount Rainier, National Park, Summer, Washington
    • BRITTANY- Self proclaimed minimalistic nomad striving to maintain a balanced, healthy life with good food, long bike rides, deep connections, exploration, and lots of cucumbers.
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