5 MUST SEE PLACES IN WA

Yeah, I didn’t think I’d ever be reading those six words on my own blog either. But here we are!

After so many messages asking about my favorite places to hike, drive to or areas to explore. I was like okay what the heck LET’S DO THIS.

Before we get started though some things I want to remind you:

These places are my HOME - I live within 3 hours of all these. Making them basically my backyard
Bringing me to my next point PACK OUT WHAT YOU PACK IN - This is a huge reason as to why I don’t share my spots with people because of how much trash has been built up in just even a months difference. If you can pack it in, why aren’t you carrying it out?
Be polite and respectful to others enjoying the moment around you - Please don’t be that person who comes in blasting music and yelling when others are clearly enjoying a moment in peace
Don’t fly drones in places they shouldn’t be - Most of these beautiful places are in National Parks which means please be following rules
HAVE SO MUCH FUN, TAKE A MILLION PHOTOS, WRITE IN YOUR JOURNAL AND KEEP EXPLORING!

ALRIGHT HERE WE GO GUYS:

Number one on the list:

Artist Point in Mount Baker

I’m sure you’ve heard about this place a million times throughout Instagram, Google, Facebook, Twitter you name it. But I guarantee you there’s a reason why, it’s worth seeing! The whole area up here you could get lost in for days, there’s so many different trails to lakes and beautiful mountain views. Plan for a whole day up here and don’t miss sunset!

Number two:

Diablo Lake Overlook in North cascades

Okay I won’t even lie when I first saw this place my jaw literally dropped. It’s about 2 hours from my house but I couldn’t even believe it because the water color is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Turquoise green all year round with mountain views every which way you look. Why wouldn’t you want to go?

Number three:

Washington Pass Overlook in north cascades

I don’t even know why I’m telling you guys this place honestly, this is my runaway spot. Whenever I’m in need of a beautiful drive I’ll stop at Diablo Lake first and then continue another hour to Washington Pass. You can literally drive right on top of this mountain and watch cars pass below you. It’s really an incredible place to make you feel insignificant. This place is never packed with people so please please please respect this one a lot.
- Check out my vlog from my trip up here if you want to see more of it before hand

One of my favorite places close to home here in Washington.. Once I decided to start creating for myself and purely for my own purposes/enjoyment that's when I really felt myself back in the moment again. Hope I can inspire you to get out and explore!

Number four:

Franklin Falls/Snoqualmie Falls in North Bend

So these falls are more down south towards Seattle area but definitely worth a day trip! Franklin Falls is a sight worth seeing in winter if you have a trusty car to get you there, it freezes over and feels like you’re in Narnia. Snoqualmie Falls is a tourist attraction but if you hike down to the bottom of the falls where the viewing point is, not many people are usually there. And if you’re really feeling risky you can hop the fence and trespass at your own risk to get right up to the falls. (Again, do this at your own risk as it is trespassing and the flood gates below the waterfall can open anytime)

-First two photos of Franklin Falls

-Third photo of Snoqualmie Falls

Number five:

Paradise, WA - in Mount Rainier National Park

It is exactly how it sounds.. I could have wrote Mount Rainier National Park but that’s not as eye catching lol

All of Mount Rainier is gorgeous but Paradise area is like no other.. Seriously my favorite thing is just driving up to the top and exploring all the trails up there and stopping off at Reflection Lake. They have an overnight parking lot so I usually just plan for a couple day trip and sleep there. If you have the chance to stay overnight, definitely do because the stars on a clear night are like no other. I swear last summer Cierra and I could see the Milky Way with our naked eye.

There’s so many places I could mention in WA that you must see, I mean 20 years of living here. 5 of which I’ve explored really in depth, but that takes away from the adventure. I hope if you can get anything more out of this post than just a few beautiful places to see, it’s that you get out and explore near your hometown. You research Google Maps until your eyes feel like they’re going to fall out, you find the name of that beautiful place on Pinterest, you grab a map and stumble upon a place you’ve never heard of. I just really hope that you go the extra mile to find a beautiful place because it makes it feel like it’s yours that much more, even if it’s just for one day.

Again thank you so much for following along on my journeys and I hope that you get to explore my beautiful home sometime!

Like or comment if you plan to see any of these places in the near future- Would love to see who ends up going where <3

Lots of love always,

Niki

Travel GuidesNiki HerringJanuary 2, 2019Comment

Life

LIKE WE WERE YOUNG AGAIN.

I’ve felt like more childlike wonder these past 2 months than I did all of my last year total. You see, I always have a young spirit and I love spontaneity, adventure, always being on the go, you name it. But with that, also comes an old soul in me; the worrying and figuring out of the future. I sometimes forget the slow down period. The period of looking around and taking in everything that this moment offers. I forget to scream to the world just how happy I am when I feel like it, to laugh out loud to the point someone could mistake it for a dying seal, to cry when I feel something. Sometimes I just forget to really live. Like how we did when we were young.

A YEAR OF LESSONS

Here we are again. End of December looking back at everything that happened throughout this whole year, that bittersweet reflection of everything you’ve done throughout the past 365 days. That sort of painful sit down of looking back knowing it’s about to be nothing but memories in the past. Knowing all those moments were literally once in a lifetime. It’s so bittersweet.

WINTERTIME BLUES.

Some days are better than others.. I’m sure if you suffer with depression or anxiety like I do, you know that sometimes you’re on top of the world and it feels like you could scream to it just how happy you are and how great life is.. Sometimes the world feels like it’s crushing down on you instead. To a point you just want it to suffocate you, to take away the uninvited thoughts and feelings. Right now it feels a lot like being suffocated.