{"id":5878,"date":"2014-07-11T23:01:50","date_gmt":"2014-07-11T13:01:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ourpangaea.net\/?p=5878"},"modified":"2014-07-14T09:47:27","modified_gmt":"2014-07-13T23:47:27","slug":"islands-mountains-weddings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ourpangaea.net\/?p=5878","title":{"rendered":"Islands, mountains, weddings"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Dazzling<\/a>

Dazzling views of Mt. Rainier, all part of another wedding holiday package<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

The American northwest state of Washington is known for its beautiful scenery, its pristine waterways, its rainy weather and its coffee.\u00a0 Most of that sounds perfect to us.\u00a0 But Washington is also home to one of our American nephews so when Ross announced his wedding date Julie and I packed our bags.\u00a0 Because we know from experience there\u2019s nothing better than combining a holiday to new places with a fantastic family wedding.\u00a0 And this one was a ripper!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Lenka<\/a>

Lenke and Ross, the happy couple chose a beaut place to tie the knot and everyone enjoyed the party<\/p><\/div>\n

The state of Washington is more than the corporate home to Starbucks, Microsoft, Amazon and Boeing.\u00a0 It has the spectacular Cascade mountain range, glacier-capped volcanoes, vast waterways dotted with forested islands and the beautiful city of Seattle which enjoys views of all these features. Ross and Lenke have been living in Washington for a number of years and chose a beautiful place in the Cascade Mountains to exchange their vows.<\/p>\n

For Julie and I their wedding was a great chance to catch up with family and friends, enjoy the festivities and explore a beautiful part of America.\u00a0 And we even snuck across the border to Canada for a quick glimpse there as well!<\/p>\n

\"Julie<\/a>

Julie and her girlfriends living the good life in Maui<\/p><\/div>\n

Julie doubled down on this trip by spending the first week in Hawaii with some of her really close friends, one of whom now lives in Maui part of the year (as you do!).\u00a0 She enjoyed some relaxing time sipping colourful drinks with umbrellas, practicing her hula dancing and snorkeling with turtles before joining me on the trip to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.<\/p>\n

\"Mt.<\/a>

Mt. Baker looms over the San Juan Islands as we ferry from island to island<\/p><\/div>\n

Our first stop was Orcas Island in the San Juan Island group.\u00a0 These islands are in the north Puget Sound, tucked up against the line on the map that marks the border between the US and Canada.\u00a0 We drove our hired car onto the first of five ferries and stood at the front rail as we weaved our way through these beautiful islands.<\/p>\n

\"Rain<\/a>

Rain forests, waterfalls and long mountain walks greeted us on Orcas Island<\/p><\/div>\n

Once on shore we headed for Moran State Park and did a 7 mile (11.5 km) walk around three hidden mountain lakes.\u00a0 These islands are frequently covered in snow in the winter due to their high latitude and their dense forests are thick with huge spruce and fir trees draped in green hairy moss that create an other-worldly experience as we walked amongst them.<\/p>\n

\"Great<\/a>

Great views form the top of Mt. Constitution<\/p><\/div>\n

We stood on the banks of one small lake marveling at its peaceful and hidden setting when a large bald eagle, distinct with its white head and long graceful wings, flew across the lake in front of us. \u00a0Later on we gazed down on the ocean below and saw a pod of Orca whales lazily swimming by. \u00a0We\u2019re not in Kansas any more.<\/p>\n

\"Julie<\/a>

Julie barely visible as she enjoys the evening light from the historic Orcas Hotel<\/p><\/div>\n

That night we stayed at the quaint and historic Orcas Hotel overlooking the dock and spent the late afternoon and early evening \u2013 it doesn’t get dark until around 10 pm here \u2013 watching the ferries come and go, connecting these isolated islands with the rest of society.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The long journey from Sydney Australia to Sidney Canada – well worth it<\/p><\/div>\n

Two ferries the next day took us to the port town of Sidney on Vancouver Island in Canada.\u00a0 The Immigration official, who checked our passports as we sat in our car after driving off the ferry, asked us where we were from and then had the rare chance to say \u201cSo you’ve travelled from Sydney to Sidney, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The impressive Legislative Assembly building in Victoria, British Colombia<\/p><\/div>\n

Right indeed, but not for long.\u00a0 We drove down the coast of this huge island, exploring some of its windy and rocky beaches (not like our Sydney!) until we arrived at the historic town of Victoria.\u00a0 Victoria is the capital of the Canadian province of British Colombia and hosts a number of distinct features, including the stately and imposing Legislative Assembly building that was built in the 1890\u2019s.\u00a0 We immediately liked the place but had a night time ferry to catch back over to Washington, USA.\u00a0 We\u2019ll be back, for sure.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>

A black tailed deer and his velvety antlers stalk us through the Olympic National Park<\/p><\/div>\n

Olympic National Park, and Mt. Olympus which dominates the park, make up the furthest northwest corner of continental United States. We followed the road through the park to the mountain\u2019s western slopes, regarded as the wettest place in the country.\u00a0 We spent most of the day walking up the Hoh Valley through the stunning Hoh Rain Forest, the largest temperate rain forest on the continent.<\/p>\n

\"If<\/a>

If there is a tree to hug, Julie’s right for the job – but this one was a bit too big<\/p><\/div>\n

This area gets 140 inches (355 cm) of rain a year and is home to some of the largest trees in America.\u00a0 One tree we saw, known as the Big Spruce, was a Sitka Spruce that was over 550 years old and had a diameter of 12 feet.\u00a0 What a beautiful monster!<\/p>\n

\"Spooky<\/a>

Spooky old tree – long hairy moss hangs from the branches of these huge trees<\/p><\/div>\n

We walked a total of 10 miles (over 16 km) through the Hoh Valley, following the fast moving glacier-fed Hoh River with its distinct cold milky appearance due to its high mineral content.\u00a0 This was a walk for the ages, striding amongst these giant trees, some of them over 300 feet high, their branches covered in long thick green moss, the forest floor covered in fern, lichens and dozens of different plants competing for space and nutrients.\u00a0 A surreal experience, one of the real highlights of our trip.<\/p>\n

\"When<\/a>

When a tree falls in the forest does it make a sound?<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Snow-capped<\/a>

Snow-capped mountains, thick monster forests and glacier-fed rivers, all in a day’s play<\/p><\/div>\n

\"The<\/a>

The fog-shrouded coastline near Cape Flattery – the northwestern most point of continental US<\/p><\/div>\n

After a night in the small town of Forks (home to the allegedly famous series of books and movies called Twilight, something about vampires\u2026.) we headed to the Makah Indian Reservation and Cape Flattery which marks the most northwestern point of continental US.\u00a0\u00a0 We drove through the Indian town of Neah Bay and walked out to the tip of Cape Flattery, the jagged coastline partly obscured by thick cloud.\u00a0 We also walked two miles down to Shi Shi Beach and strolled along the sand in this remote and inaccessible coastline.<\/p>\n

\"Glacier-carved<\/a>

Glacier-carved Lake Crescent, good for the soul<\/p><\/div>\n

That night we stayed at the historic Lake Crescent Lodge on the shores of this glacier carved lake with its steep forest-carpeted walls and tranquil blue waters.\u00a0 Sitting amongst giant fir and hemlock trees, the lodge was originally built in 1916 when dinner jackets, long dresses and rough dirt roads were the norm.\u00a0 Today the mood is much more casual but the setting as spectacular as ever.<\/p>\n

\"Standing<\/a>

Standing on the top of Seattle’s Space Needle – just like I did 52 years earlier<\/p><\/div>\n

The next day we were back in Seattle as the family started to accumulate for the approaching wedding day.\u00a0 We spent the day exploring Seattle, a beautiful city on the shores of Puget Sound.\u00a0 The highlight for me was catching the lift up to the top of the Space Needle, 600 feet (184m) high and the endearing symbol of Seattle.\u00a0 It was built for the 1962 World\u2019s Fair and on a family holiday to Seattle that year I enjoyed the views from the top as a young boy.\u00a0 And now 52 years later I\u2019m back to do it again.<\/p>\n

\"Our<\/a>

Our modest little comfy home for the wedding<\/p><\/div>\n

The wedding venue was nestled amongst the northern Cascade Mountains near the Bavarian-styled town of Leavenworth.\u00a0 We spent two days in this delightful setting, catching up with family and friends, enjoying the clear mountain air and celebrating the union of Ross and Lenke.<\/p>\n

\"Colourful<\/a>

Colourful attractions – aren’t weddings the best?<\/p><\/div>\n

What a grand day it was, a perfect setting, a beautiful bride, a personal and touching ceremony followed by copious amounts of eating, drinking and dancing.\u00a0 You can\u2019t beat weddings as a time for celebration and reunion, they bring out the best of everyone and stay frozen in people\u2019s memories.\u00a0 We are seriously hooked on weddings!<\/p>\n

\"Sadly,<\/a>

Sadly, the photographer was not up for a snowball fight<\/p><\/div>\n

But wait, there\u2019s more.\u00a0 With two more days in our holiday before the long journey home we headed south with my parents to Mt. Rainier National Park, the centerpiece of which is the glacier-capped active volcano of Mt. Rainier.\u00a0 Mt. Rainier is the fifth highest mountain in continental US at 14,417 feet (that\u2019s about 4,400 metres, twice the height of Mt. Kosciusko in Australia!) and on a clear day is visible for hundreds of miles.<\/p>\n

\"Mt.<\/a>

Mt. Rainier strikes a spectacular pose from any angle<\/p><\/div>\n

We stayed in the National Park Inn, originally built in 1917, and woke up to clear blue skies and Mt. Rainier dominating the views from our window.\u00a0 We explored the park that morning, taking countless photos of this massive snow covered mountain so close we could almost touch it.\u00a0 With a thick forest of huge trees, snow all around and Mt. Rainier looking down on us from all angles it was the ultimate in brief mountain experiences.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The quintessential small town American family home – ya gotta love it!<\/p><\/div>\n

All too soon we were at the airport and starting our 20 hour flights back to Australia.\u00a0 But we packed a punch over a short period of time \u2013 beautiful islands, stunning mountain walks, glaciers, volcanoes, ancient trees and most importantly \u2013 a glorious family wedding complete with all the hugging, toasting, dancing and celebrations that fit such an important occasion.\u00a0 We can\u2019t wait to do it again soon!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  The American northwest state of Washington is known for its beautiful scenery, its pristine waterways, its rainy weather and its coffee.\u00a0 Most of that sounds perfect to us.\u00a0 But Washington is also home to one of our American nephews so when Ross announced his wedding date Julie and I packed our bags.\u00a0 Because we know from experience there\u2019s nothing better than combining a holiday to new places with a …<\/span> Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5918,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5878","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-united-states"],"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ourpangaea.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/DSC_0385.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ourpangaea.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5878","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ourpangaea.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ourpangaea.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourpangaea.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourpangaea.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5878"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourpangaea.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5878\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5936,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourpangaea.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5878\/revisions\/5936"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourpangaea.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ourpangaea.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5878"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourpangaea.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5878"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourpangaea.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5878"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}