Sipsworth is a lovely, but also heartbreaking tale about an aging widow and end of life issues. Short and sweet, here is my book review Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy.
Loneliness
Helen Cartwright has spent thirty years living in Australia. But after the death of her husband and son, she returns to her childhood village in England to live out her days. Helen doesn’t know anyone in the village any longer, and spends her days alone contemplating when the end will happen. That is until the strangest friend becomes her companion.
Sipsworth
Through a series of small events, Helen befriends a mouse she calls Sipsworth. As she cares for the mouse daily, her needs for supplies and advice on mouse health, creates an opportunity for her to interact with people in her community. Helen has avoided getting to know or reaching out to anyone, but now Sipsworth brings her in contact with a shopkeeper, a cardiac doctor, a veterinarian, a librarian and a small boy, and her neighbors.
Community
Through this new community Helen finds a family and a reason to live, all because of a chance encounter with a tiny mouse.
Book Review Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy
This lovely story explores the topics of aging, loneliness and grief, while also touching on the goodwill compassion and kindness of strangers. A world where many people live out their days alone and in solitude, Sipsworth creates a story of finding a way to move forward and live fully when all seemed to be lost.
Even after all the flights I have taken, I still don’t enjoy it. And our flight to Shanghai is 13 hours – one of the longest we have had. We will fly from Seattle to Shanghai non-stop on Delta Airlines. How to prepare for a long flight? With all the flights I’ve taken, I have a system.
I don’t like taking sleeping pills, because I am just too drowsy throughout the following days, so I have developed a a long-flight preparation plan. Even when the flight is not 13 hours (most of our flights are 3-6 hours) I practice the following flight preparation plan:
Two-Three days before;
No alcohol and no spicy foods. Eat healthy, low sodium and easy to digest foods.
Drink lots of water
Exercise
Moisturize my skin
One day before;
Make sure my carry-on is well organized and includes the following; passport, earplugs, headphones, eyemask, water bottle, Ibuprofen, motion sickness medicine, chapstick, moisturizer, neck support, wet wipes, toothbrush and toothpaste
Exercise
Get a good night’s sleep – limit late day screen time
Do all of the above from two-days before
Day of Flight;
All of the above
Get up as early as I can but limit caffeine
Drink a lot of water in the hours before boarding
Moisturize
Set my watch to the destination time
Dress in non-binding clothes including shoes and socks or be sure to pack a pair of socks. Wear a sweater that can be easily put on and off and used as a blanket.
I never wear my contacts on the flight. I always wear my glasses.
Greet my flight attendant and be kind to them. Not only do they deserve it they might be more inclined to help if I need something during the flight.
After I board;
Organize my space before take off so I know where my things are including earplugs, water, headphones, neck pillow etc. I also use wet wipes or sanitizer and wipe down my tray table and armrests as soon as I sit down.
I like to support my feet and either do that with an inflatable foot rest or my backpack.
Take two ibuprofen with water
Look at my watch and visualize the place I’m going and the time of day it is there…see myself there.
Find a meditation station on the in-flight audio or iTunes and begin listening to the calming voice and music.
If I want to eat before sleeping, I choose a light, non-spicy meal and have a non-caffeinated non-alcoholic drink. I never drink wine because it dries me out.
After the meal I go to the toilet, moisturize in the bathroom, brush my teeth and use my chapstick too.
Back at my seat I settle in. Get cozy and warm. Check my watch and think about what time it is where I’m going. Find my meditation music and sit back. Clear my mind of everything or think about fun things I want to do when I arrive. Think about my breathing – like in yoga breath deep from the belly. Relax my jaw. Relax my shoulders. Think about restful sleep.
If I wake up, I drink water. I take a walk to stretch. I take more ibuprofen. I moisturize and use chapstick. Then I settle back in again with the restful music.
This is my best advice for long haul flights. Sometimes I watch a movie if I’m having trouble falling asleep. I never sleep soundly, but I do arrive relaxed and not too disheveled. On arrival I always try to stay awake until a normal bedtime for my destination. Luckily for us, we arrive in Shanghai in the early evening. We should be able to go to bed and hopefully wake up ready to go on our first full-day in China.
I have purchased some compression socks to try this flight. This is the first time I have done that but I know many people swear by them. So I’ll give it a try.
I welcome your suggestions for making a long flight tolerable. Please comment below. If you like our blog, please pin and share. Thanks!
After a fabulously full and fun summer in Washington State it’s time for us to begin year nine of the Grand Adventure. Can you believe it? Never thought we would still be doing this nine years later, but here we are. Following year eight, we did come to the agreement however, we wanted to create shorter itineraries. So in the year ahead we have two itineraries, one is seven weeks and one is four months. We will come back to the USA for the winter holidays and leave again in January. So, it’s time to tackle the first itinerary and my travel wardrobe – seven weeks & nine countries.
Azerbaijan (Canva)
Seven Weeks & Nine Countries
Preparing for this trip has been very different from any of our trips in the past. We are excited to be visiting nine countries, eight of these are new to us. Eight are also countries few people visit – but we have had these on our radar for a long time. Next Friday I will have a post with itinerary details. But for today here is where we are headed; Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan – we will travel for three weeks on our own. Next, with Intrepid Travel Group Tour, we will visit Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. We will finish this seven week itinerary with a few relaxing days in Dubai where we have been once before.
Turkmenistan (Canva)
Luggage
Packing for this itinerary is unique. We will be leaving at home several of our creature comforts we usually carry including THE MUG and the French Press, as well as my yoga mat, bathroom scale, scrabble game, collapsible cooler and kitchen spices and gear. I am bringing no jewelry, no makeup and very minimal beauty care products. This is all in an effort to check only one medium bag, and carry on our backpacks.
Early this summer we replaced our trusty workhorse luggage from REI with two new REI bags. Those old REI bags have traveled approximately 400,000 miles for the past 8 and half years. We would have purchased the exact same bags, but REI no longer makes these same bags. So instead we purchased the new version.
The day we left on year one in 2016 our REI luggage -we have learned a lot about packing over the miles and years.
My luggage does not need to make a fashion statement. I do, however, need it to be functional, durable, reliable, comfortable and expandable. Our two new mustard yellow bags (won’t get those confused with other bags on the baggage carousel!) will hopefully fill these needs. The medium one (capacity 87 liters) is coming with us on this trip, the large one (capacity 109 liters) on the next trip in January.
Bright and shiny new REI bags
Weather
Our seven week trip will see temperatures ranging from lower 80’s Fahrenheit to possible overnight lows in the higher elevations of 20’s Fahrenheit. This kind of temperature fluctuation creates a challenge for packing. I am packing everything from gauzy lightweight dresses to long underwear. It’s all gotta fit in one checked bag and two carry on backpacks.
What to Expect
Most of these countries are Muslim countries while a few are Orthodox Christian. Each culture has a varying degree of modesty expectations. I do not need to cover my head anywhere, however dressing modestly is a courtesy I am glad to oblige as a guest.
Women in Uzbekistan (Canva)
We will be in large beautiful cities, as well as tiny rural villages. We will visit UNESCO sites, mosques, parks, theaters, mountains and lakes. Our accommodations will include beautiful hotels, Airbnb’s, tents, yurts and home stays. What a variety!
Travel Wardrobe – Seven Weeks & Nine Countries
So finally, my wardrobe choices. As always I pack a variety of mix and match pieces to hopefully cover all scenarios. Let’s have a look.
Khaki Heavy Hiking Pants
These pants are from Zorali and new this year. They are fairly heavy so will be good in cooler temperatures. I can wear them both on the trail and in a city paired with multiple different tops and sweaters as shown here.
Paired with a cozy hoody
City option
For cooler days
Navy Lightweight Hiking Pants
This is the second year for these lighter weight summer hiking pants from REI. I like the color for both wilderness or city use. I can mix and match with multiple tops and layers for whatever I need.
Summer weight hiking pants
Great for a rainy day
Cold Weather Gear
I have my fleece lined leggings from Baleaf I bought for our trip to Iceland several years ago. I love these things. If it’s really cold, these leggings with my silk long underwear are toasty and also make great pajamas if needed.
Paired with fleece shirt and cozy hat
Super comfortable option
Linen Pants
I love these linen pants I bought last spring in Greece. I have worn them a lot over the summer. They are great for warm weather.
I love linen for travel – it breaths!
Silk cover is a perfect match and cool too
Chinos
I have been traveling with pink chinos from Talbot’s for many years, and this summer I purchased a new khaki pair. Though similar to both the linen and khaki hiking pants, the weight of these are a perfect in-between option. This will be my airplane outfit for the very long flight out of Seattle.
All purpose Chinos. Gotta love ’em
Something Pretty
Although I suspect pants will be my choice for active travel, I have also packed two dresses and two skirts – all four purchased new this summer.
Long Blue Dress
This dress I can wear as a sun dress or use multiple cover-ups for more modesty. I know this dress will also come with me on the next itinerary to tropical places. I purchased this from Appleseeds.
Blue is a good color for my skin tone
That silk cover up shows up again!
Gauzy Dress
Wow, this is so comfortable especially in humid climate. Soft and flowy material in a beautiful color, this piece from Chico’s covers both my shoulders and knees.
Light and comfy and pack-able
Two Skirts
This colorful long skirt is linen; it’s cool and comfortable. I have several tops I can mix and match with this, which is new from Talbots.
I call this a sherbet skirt
I’ll wear this a lot
This second skirt I have worn a lot this summer and I love it. From a company called Pact, I bought it online. It is so carefree and comfortable and easy wash and wear. An absolute perfect travel piece.
This is a quick dry skirt too
I might wear this everyday
What Else
From these photos you can see I have several t-shirts, two tank tops, one long sleeve t-shirt, one long sleeve linen tunic, one button down shirt and one fleece button down shirt. I will bring my raincoat and my fleece puffy coat as well as three pairs of shoes and three hats. I have one scarf and one silk cover up, both I have had in my closet for years. It’s unclear if I will have access to laundry facilities, but I can hand wash most of this wardrobe when needed.
In addition I have two sweaters. The short sleeve lime green sweater is from Talbot’s and I have been wearing this for several years now. But I wanted to point out the olive green sweater with hood, new from Paka. This is an alpaca knit pullover hoodie sweater. So warm and I am hopeful it will be useful for hiking, walking and even sleeping.
Alpaca hoodie sweater from Paka
Let’s Go
I’m ready to go, and ready to test drive this new and reduced travel wardrobe. Also reduced packing in general in our brand new luggage. I hope you will come back next Friday to see the full itinerary of our upcoming trip. I’m ready to share this exciting adventure. Let’s Go.
Thanks for reading my post Travel Wardrobe Seven Weeks & Nine Countries. We appreciate it when you comment, share and pin our blog posts. Thank you.
Breathtaking and poetic writing captured me from page one in Kaveh Akbar’s novel Martyr. My dream is to write like this…in sentences that pull the reader in, take your breath away, make your heart flutter. Here is my book review Martyr by Kaveh Akbar.
The Art of Language
There are thousands of really good writers. And then there are the masters. Akbar’s first novel, Martyr is a mastering of the art of language. Akbar has previously been an award winning poet, and that comes through in his masterful novel Martyr. I listened to this book on Audible and was mesmerized. It’s not a happy story. But it is beautiful. I have no doubt it would be just as beautiful for a reader as it was for a listener.
Welcome to America
Cyrus Shams, an Iranian young man, moved to America as a child with his father. He has struggled through his life with the tragic knowledge that his mother died on commercial plane, shot down by Americans over the Persian Gulf. Cyrus’ father struggles to provide as a single father, but gets Cyrus into college before his life ends too.
Cyrus finds himself depressed, addicted and drifting, searching for something he doesn’t understand. With a handful of friends Cyrus get’s sober, but can’t stop thinking about suicide and what it means to be a Martyr. Though his story is full of troubles and trials, Akbar in turn writes with humor and hope, passion and reflection.
A Writer Himself
Our protagonist Cyrus is a poet himself, much like the author. His obsession to write a book about martyrdom leads him to the Brooklyn Museum to meet a terminally ill artist who is spending her final days holding audience with museum guests. This encounter for Cyrus affirms in him many ideas about things he has been conflicted with all his life; war, poetry, addiction, love, gender, family and martyrdom. The four short days Cyrus has with the artist will change his life and create affirmation for him like nothing else before.
Stunning
I found this book stunning. I want to read it again, and that never happens. Destined to be highly awarded novel of 2024, I can’t wait to see how many awards this masterpiece takes.
My favorite book so far this year. ***** Five stars and more. Thank you for reading my book review Martyr by Kaveh Akbar.
Since I was born and raised in the great Puget Sound area, and I spend my summer in our home on the Kitsap Peninsula, the Pike Place Market has always been part of my life. As I child, we used to ride the ferry from Bremerton alone, (as young as ten years old) and spend the day wandering around the market, the Seattle Center and the Seattle waterfront. Seems crazy to think of allowing a ten-year old to do that now, but a visit to Seattle’s Pike Place Market was common – and we did!
That’s me at the iconic Public Market sign
Back in the Day
Back in the 1970’s when I was a kid, the market wasn’t so crowded, and not so many tourists as today. Did you know the Pike Place Market was founded in 1907, and is one of the oldest and largest continuously operating public markets in the United States? For generations farmers from far and wide brought their goods to sell at the market. Seattle loves this market and has fought to preserve it over the decades.
Drop some coins in the “piggy” bank to help the Pike Place Market Foundation
In 1971, Seattle citizens voted to create a Pike Place Market Historic District and the Market Historical Commission to preserve the Market’s physical and unique social character.
In the 1980’s the Pike Place Market Foundation was created to help fund and preserve the market. It was during this period that the popular Pike Place Market tiles were sold. Today as you walk the market thousands of these tiles showcase the names of market supporters.
Famous market tiles
Despite my lifelong love of a visit to Seattle’s Pike Place Market, it must be said that the market feels more of a tourist destination today than the market of my youth. And yet, there is something about this eclectic space in the middle of a bustling city that continues to draw locals alongside cruise visitors, day-trippers and tourists. A Visit to Seattle’s Pike Place Market is a must.
Fabulous produce options
The Finest Produce
I can’t begin to say how many times I have wandered around the market. In a previous life I had a catering business and I would get all my produce at the market the morning of a catering job. Today I still love to pick up produce from one of the market’s longest operating vendors Sosio’s Fruit and Produce. Socio’s opened in 1943 and the current owners took over in 1990. It has been my go-to produce vendor for 48 years.
Socio’s is compact but the produce and the service are top notich
The Freshest Seafood
Although it’s lots of fun to visit Pike Place Fish Company and watch them throw the salmon with all the tourists, it’s a little too crowded for my tastes. So for decades my favorite place to buy any seafood at the market has been Pure Food Fish Market, established in 1911. Here I can find beautiful fresh fish, Dungeness crab, steamer clams and on my last visit they had the most beautiful fresh squid.
My favorite fish monger is Pure Food Fish
Perfecto Italian Specialty Foods
One of my preferred places to visit at the market is DeLaurenti’s…I never miss going in there. The history of DeLaurenti’s is a wonderful story so read about it here and be sure to visit. I love their cheese counter, always buy a couple of dolmades to pop in my mouth, and usually come home with olive oil, gnocchi and chocolate. Whatever you do don’t miss the upstairs wine room.
Ordering fresh burrata at DeLaurenti’s
Fresh Baked
When my kids were still living at home, I always would stop at Pike Place Bakery and bring home a GIANT donut for each of them. These delicious treats are the size of a plate! Back in the day I paid $2 each. Today, like everything else, they are much more expensive ($8) but still worth it. They usually sell out so get there early.
Giant “Texas” Glazed Donut
Crafts and More
In addition to the wonderful food stuff at the market, you will also find a large selection of craft items, most locally made in the Pacific Northwest. When I was getting married, I went to the Pike Place Market and visited all the craft vendors. It was here I purchased gifts for each of my bridesmaids.
Craft area is very crowded when I visited recently on a Sunday
Restaurants
Two of my all time favorite restaurants in all of the world call The Pike Place Market home. You can find both The Pink Door and Cafe Campagne in Post Alley. Both of these delicious and unique eateries have been providing diners delicious and fresh foods for decades; The Pink Door since 1981 and Cafe Campagne since 1994. They are Seattle icons both.
Bastille Day Celebration at Cafe Campagne
Recently I had a meal at Half Shell, a Tom Douglas restaurant in the market formerly called Ettas’s. It was excellent and I will be back. A small but fresh and seasonal menu with the best oysters I have had in a really long time.
Oyster perfection at Half Shell
Pike Place Brewing is a great place to stop and have a cold one, or also a meal. We usually kill some time here, sitting at the bar for a beer or cocktail whenever we make a visit to Seattle’s Pike Place Market.
Pike Brewing
There are so many places to get great food both in and near the market. See a larger list here.
First Timer?
If you are visiting Seattle’s Pike Place Market for the first time, I recommend trying to come on a week day. But in the summer it will be crowded on any day. Tours are available of the market by verified third party vendors. Food tours, history tours and even ghost tours are some of the options. Check out Get Your Guide and Viator.
Be sure and head down to the lower level of the market
If you don’t have the time for a tour, just be sure to make your way to the lower level of the market, known as the Shops Down Under. This is a part of the market so many people miss. Eclectic shops with hidden treasures and it will be much less crowded.
If I need a coffee when I am at the market I like to hit up Pike Street Coffee. It is really one of the best cups of coffee in Seattle. And, considering the coffee culture in Seattle that is saying a lot.
As of this writing, Starbucks has closed their shop in the market, which was popular with tourists for it’s historic value. No news as to when it might reopen. But, since you are in Seattle there is a Starbucks on nearly every corner, including the corner of First and Pine.
Gum Wall
So what is up with this gum wall? Yeah it’s kinda disgusting, but everybody loves it too. The Gum Wall started in the 1990s when local patrons and performers at Unexpected Productions stuck their used gum on the wall. Since those days, the wall has grown piece by piece to cover an enormous expanse of brick and continues to expand down Post Alley. In 2019 the wall was stripped of all gum and cleaned by the Pike Place Preservation Society. But of course, all the gum is back – in fact even more. Once a gum wall, always a gum wall.
A Visit to Seattle’s Pike Place Market
Seattle is undergoing a bit of a renaissance, particularly from the waterfront area to the Pike Place Market. After years of construction the new and improved waterfront is nearly complete. It includes a brand new ferry terminal and aquarium. The main thoroughfare, Alaska Way, was moved to accommodate the new aquarium which will include a pedestrian walkway flyover to the Pike Place Market. In addition to this new access pedestrians can also go between the market and the waterfront on the Harbor Steps, the Pike Street Hill Climb and the elevator from the Pike Market parking Garage.
If you haven’t been to Seattle lately, it’s time to see all the changes
The historic Pike Place Market holds a very special place in my heart as a life long resident of the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Whether you are a local or a first time visitor, it’s a must when in Seattle, any time of year.
Thanks for reading my post A Visit to Seattle’s Pike Place Market. We are grateful when you pin, share and comment on our blog posts. Thank you! See you at the market.
My husband and I are many things; happily married, parents to great kids, active outdoors people, travel gurus and do-it-yourselfers. To name a few. And each summer we tackle some kind of do-it-yourself project around our house when we are home from our travels. This year we did a magical transformation of my laundry room.
Magical Transformation of my Laundry Room
We purchased a small home five years ago (sight unseen), after not owning a home for a little more than three years. We absolutely love this house, and it is a perfect place to come home to and enjoy our summers in the Pacific Northwest. It’s also easy to lock and walk away when we do our extended long term travel. Our first year we did aesthetic updates to the 1990’s space in the kitchen, living, dining, and master bedroom. See our blog post about that project here. Year two we gutted and did a beautiful new master bathroom See our blog post about that amazing transformation here. Year three we spent most the summer working in the yard. Last year we painted all the interior doors, added some accent wall color and some chair rail. And this summer we did a magical transformation of my laundry room, adding significant storage and fabulous color!
A Magical Transformation of my Laundry Room
Hubs and I have a great system when it comes to both travel planning AND house projects. I’m the vision and he is the braun. That’s not to say I don’t do any labor, but on this small laundry room, it was hard to have two people in the room at one time, so he did the majority of the labor.
Here is what the space looked like before we started. It was definitely functional, but the weird tiny closet was a waste, the cabinets were not what I like and I knew we could do better.
Old laundry room bland
Old laundry room could be better
Before…
No drawers anywhere…
Here are a few of the images I had saved to Pinterest. These were my inspiration and helped me build my vision for this space. When you see the after photos, you can tell me how you think I did on achieving my vision.
I like this countertop and colored cabinets
I like a stackable washer and dryer and love the rug
Color inspiration
Love the wall treatment
Let’s Make It Happen
This project took three months because we had lots of other fun stuff going on this summer, and we made sure fun was our priority. It also took six weeks to get the cabinets. While we waited on the cabinets (which are by KraftMaid and we ordered from Home Depot), we did all the prep – starting with tear out, including removing the tiny closet which opened the space up and created lots more options.
Getting old cabinets out and doing wall repair
Removing old closet
Paint
Next we painted a sunny yellow on the walls and then added a ship-lap ceiling and wall detail with a ledge for a decorative look. The ledge includes hooks which we will use for lots of things as we come in and out of our garage into the laundry room. The white ceiling and crown molding helps make the space seem bigger and taller!
Painting day
Painting the shiplap
That turned out perfect
Washer Dryer
Next step was moving the dryer vent and then installing the new stack able washer and dryer. This was a big job and my husband knocked it out of the park. It wasn’t easy though and involved cutting a hole in the floor and crawling around in the crawl space under our house. He removed the vinyl woodlook floor we installed five years ago while doing this work…but was able to reinstall it all when he was done.
Moving the dryer vent
Placing W/D up on the platform
Cabinets
FINALLY the cabinets arrived and holy cow they were heavy. We managed – but barely. Sheesh. They turned out great. I love the color, which looks more gray in these photos than it actually is . The color is called Serenity and it is a blue green. Adding the toe kick, trim and baseboards finishes everything nicely.
Somehow we managed to get the cabinets in the two of us
Many important details I wanted like this
Perfect pull out pantry
Solid and ready for heavy appliances
Finishes
We chose a butcher block counter top because I love the look. We added a light taupe stain and sealed it with polyurethane before installing this beautiful Kohler and VERY heavy cast iron sink and tall faucet. Unfortunately the first sink arrived with a big chip, but Home Depot got us another one very quickly. While we waited Arne added another outlet on the wall near the sink…I think that will be useful.
Oops
Cutting sink hole in butcher block
Stencil time
It’s coming together
I did this little silhouette stencil on this big wall to soften the bright yellow a bit before Arne added the tile back splash. Truthfully I don’t love the stencil…but gonna leave it for now. I might paint over it down the road. We used just simple subway tile with a grout color that ties in the the butcher block, floor and door color. Added the drawer pulls – we were able to reuse the ones we had on the old cabinets but had to purchase a few more to finish it off.
Back splash and new outlet
Time for the Final Touches
Let me get at it! My favorite part. Hanging art, adding some plants and lots of eye candy. Love this new rug that ties all the colors together. It’s gonna take some time to figure out where everything is gonna live in this huge space, but I’m excited to bring things in that I have been storing in the garage and move other things in that are too tightly packed into my kitchen. This added storage is a real game changer for a small house and I am absolutely thrilled with how it has turned out.
Just things I love
This is perfect. I ordered it on Etsy from www.mrwatsondesign.etsy.com I love it.
Home
Remember?
Here is the before;
Before
Before
And here is the after;
Functional
Functional
and pretty too!
Things that make me happy
I’ve had this painting for 30 years…
Sunny touches
All of this used to live in the garage
A place for everything
My step stool is accessible both from the kitchen and the laundry room
Success
Another successful do-it-yourself project complete – a magical transformation of my laundry room. What’s our next project? Well other than cleaning and reorganizing the garage, I think we might be done. At least for a few years.
I’m in love
I hope we have inspired you to tackle a do-it- yourself project. Not only does it save lots of money, it also can be very rewarding with a great sense of accomplishment. We spent about $ 15,000 on this project – $12,000 on the cabinets. We could have spent less on the cabinets, but chose to invest in high quality to fulfill our storage needs. This transformation would have cost about $40,000 or more if we had not done it on our own. Thanks for reading my post A Magical Transformation of my Laundry Room. See last week’s post My Favorite Hike in Washington State.
I’m always grateful for your comments and shares. Thank you.
I’m doubly blessed to be able to travel around the world, and yet spend my summers in the glorious Pacific Northwest. There is no place like it in the summer. Born and raised here, I took it for granted for most of my life. Only with maturity have I embraced and celebrated it’s unique beauty. My husband and I started hiking regularly during Covid…after setting it aside for years. Once we got started again we set out to discover and rediscover the best hikes in the region. And thanks to my friend Julie, I found my favorite hike in Washington State – Tolmie Peak in Mount Rainier National Park.
What. A. View
Mount Rainier National Park
We did a lot of hiking when I was a child, most of it in the Olympic National Park area close to our home on the Kitsap Peninsula. I still have a home on the Kitsap Peninsula, and we hike often in the Olympic Peninsula. But Mount Rainier is only a couple of hours away, and the Tolmie Peak hike is entered via the Carbon River entrance, so you don’t need to worry about the new reservation system at Paradise or Sunrise.
Eunice Lake below and Rainier to the South
Mount Rainier National Park has an abundance of hikes for the novice to the expert. From day hikes to multi-day treks whatever you desire it’s here. Tolmie is perfect for anyone with a little bit of hiking experience looking for a spectacular view. Round trip its about 5.5 miles with a 1500 foot elevation gain. The trail is well cared for and you’ll be accompanied by lots of other nature lovers. Weekdays are generally not too busy so try not to go on a weekend in the summer. The trail usually opens shortly after the 4th of July and stays open until late September.
Why I Love Tolmie
This is a hike I feel confident doing solo. I feel safe and I know it’s within my skill level. It’s easy to decide to stop at Eunice Lake, especially when you look up to the peak. It can look daunting. But in reality, the portion of the hike that puts you out at Eunice Lake is much more difficult than the next mile up to the peak. Whatever you do, don’t give up at Eunice Lake. Finish the trek and you will not regret it when you see the view. The last time I hiked to Tolmie it was a crystal clear day and not only did I enjoy the Rainier view but I had the clearest view of Mount Saint Helens I have ever seen from the peak. It’s also easy to see Mount Baker to the north.
Hail to the Queen
There She Is!
What You Need to Know
To get to Tolmie drive towards Enumclaw through Bonney Lake. Just before reaching Buckley, go right on Mundy Loss Road. Follow Highway 165 to the historic coal mining villages of Wilkeson and Carbonado. From Carbonado it’s 4 miles to where the pavement ends. Here you will follow a gravel road another 11 miles. It usually takes 35-45 minutes depending on the traffic. Don’t bother washing your car the day before this drive.
Eunice Lake
When you reach Mowich Lake, you can park near the campground or on the gravel road. Access the trail either at the campground or off the gravel road where a sign marks the trail. The first part of the trail runs along the beautiful blue Mowich Lake before heading off into the wilderness for two miles to Eunice Lake. Another mile up to the peak.
There is another hike out of the Mowich Campground called Spray Park. Also very beautiful especially when the wildflowers are peaking.
What to Bring
Be sure to bring sunscreen, mosquito repellent, a hat and lots of water. I always eat my lunch at the top before meandering back down to the car. Take your time; there is spectacular bird watching along the trail. Last summer I saw a bear eating berries about 50 yards off the trail in a meadow.
Along the trail
Mid to Late Summer is wildflower season
Be sure to pack out everything you bring in. There are no public facilities on the trail.
You will need a National Park Pass. If you don’t have an annual pass you can get a pass in a self-pay station at Paul’s Peak shortly before arriving at Mowich Lake.
My Happy Place
My Favorite Hike in Washington State
We have hiked a lot over the decades and there is just something about this hike that makes my heart sing. There is no better view in the world – and I have seen a lot of the world. Mount Rainier is my Queen, my Church, my Goddess. She is inspiring. I hope you will do this hike on a sunny day and see why I love it so very much.
Thanks for reading my post My Favorite Hike in Washington State – Tolmie Peak Mount Rainier National Park. We love it when you pin, share and comment on our blog posts. Thank you.
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