Julie and I recently got back from a trip to the Pacific Northwest. We had a great time traveling throughout Seattle, Vancouver, and the Olympic National Park. The cities each had a unique but familiar feel to them, maybe it's just a West Coast vibe, but I was really digging the areas. Vancouver as a whole was a beautiful place... except when we accidentally wandered into the Downtown Eastside area... but that doesn't detract from our great time there. While we were in Seattle, I couldn't get over thinking it was just a oddly located San Francisco. The crowds around Pikes Place, the quiet neighborhood and homes in the hills of Queen Anne, endless options of coffee shops and great food, and the general hipster/casual vibe throughout mirrors a lot from the great city by the bay. One thing they didn't have was the love for the Golden State Warriors, but that didn't stop me from celebrating the championship win! Aside from that, the length (5am-10pm) of summer days is kind of ridiculous.
Olympic National Park was a whole nother beast in the land of national parks. Despite it being a drier year for the area, it was so incredibly verdant with it's never ending masses of ferns and mosses. The park was unique to others since it wasn't so much about crazy vistas after hours of hiking, but more about just the diversity of the landscape as well as the history behind it. Unfortunately, even a rainforest isn't immune to drought as there is currently a wildfire burning in ONP, but doesn't appear to be an immediate threat to the area (thanks to the great firefighters and the relatively reliable coastal climate).
In short, we drove a lot, ate a lot, walked a lot, and drank a lot of coffee. Anyway, enough of my musings, I'm sure this is why you're all here, to see some photos. Here are a handful of photos from our trip, enjoy! (For chronological reference, we went Seattle > Vancouver > around the coastline to various parts of ONP > Seattle)
