Western Wanderlust // Luana at Crater Lake

Not only is Luana one of my first blogging friends, she also runs the sweetest Etsy shop, la petite lulu, where you'll find whimsical handmade items for little ones -- most made using upcycled fabrics. Be sure to visit her shop, as well as her blog! (And the photos in this post are particularly stunning.)

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Crater Lake, Oregon: a destination I had never heard of until my husband and I decided we needed a last minute mini summer road trip and started researching places that sounded interesting on a map. After falling in love with Lake Tahoe last summer, I had high hopes for other lakes on the western side of this beautiful country and Crater Lake certainly didn’t disappoint.

Crater Lake is known for its water being a ridiculously deep shade of blue, a colour that is made even more spectacular when contrasted with its snow capped, caldera rim. Being the middle of summer, I certainly didn’t expect to come across snow in this region but as soon as we entered the national park, the temperature dropped significantly. Given that most of the west was in the midst of a major heat wave, this was a huge shock and I only wish I had been more prepared and brought a decent jumper with me!

As the shoreline isn’t easily accessed - there’s only one steep trail that is open a short time of the year, the best way to see Crater Lake is by taking the scenic rim drive. The drive has many scenic viewpoints where you can park and enjoy the view and if you start early enough in the morning, you might even have the drive to yourself, like we did. Even with stops, the rim drive can easily be done in half a day which makes Crater Lake an easy day trip from neighbouring Oregon destinations. Had we been more organised, I would have loved to spent the night at the Crater Lake Lodge - right at the top of the caldera, it offered stunning views of the lake, but it’s one of those places that seems to book out a year in advance.

There is more to Crater Lake however than just the rim drive. Although we didn’t have time to do it ourselves, hiking trails were plentiful and offered both gentle walks and more intense all day hikes. The valley just inland of the lake was lush and green, the landscape dotted with waterfalls and the volcanic pinnacles were spectacular.

It’s hard to imagine how a visit to Crater Lake could ever be disappointing; the scenery here truly is postcard perfect. If you’re thinking about traveling to southern Oregon, Crater Lake is a must!

My top 3 tips for visiting Crater Lake:

1. Be prepared for cool weather. Even in the middle of summer, the temperature maxed out around 65 degrees and was even cooler in the wind.

2. Bring insect repellant - and plenty of it! The mozzies were out in full force on one side of the lake, making getting out of the car slightly unappealing at times.

3. Pack a lunch. The lodge has a cafeteria but to be blunt, the food is pretty awful and extremely overpriced. The lodge does have outdoor picnic tables for use or there are plenty of viewpoints where you could pack a picnic rug and enjoy your own lunch in the great outdoors.

Western Wanderlust // Lisa in South Dakota

Oh, how do I introduce Lisa, except to say that she's an angel? 

I was so miserable being pregnant (don't get me wrong, I wanted Maile, but I hated pregnancy) that I didn't even want to have maternity portraits done. I didn't feel like my body was doing something beautiful, I just wanted to meet my baby girl! My mom, and Tim, somehow managed to convince me that I'd regret not having pictures of myself pregnant. "If not for yourself, do them for Maile," my mom said. So, I started searching. I searched, and searched, and searched some more -- and I didn't like any of the local photographers I came across. I'd almost given up on finding someone, when I saw one of Lisa's Facebook ads. I spent over an hour pouring over each and every picture. "Yes," I thought. And that's how we found our official family photographer.

We've now done three sessions with Lisa ... all different, and all amazing ... and will be shooting our 2013 family photos in just a few weeks! Eek! I also took an introductory photography class, taught by Lisa, which was basically life-changing, for me. She definitely deserves some credit for all those photos y'all love! 

Without further ado, a heart-warming post from Lisa about creating new families, and her gorgeous trip to South Dakota.

For many years now I have had this dream to go to South Dakota.  I felt it was just wrong, that we had lived in Colorado for 15 years, and had never even crossed the Wyoming border. Sad, but true.  My ex-husband was so-not-a-driver and so road trips were just not something we did.  Fast forward one divorce, a new husband, a new life and I thought this summer would be just perfect to make my South Dakota dreams come true.

So of course I will tell you about all the stuff we did, that everyone should check out while in South Dakota:

- Mount Rushmore (duh)

- Cosmos Mystery Area-kind of weird and kooky and will give you vertigo, but fun!

- Bear Country - the girls' favorite stop on this trip -a drive-thru animal park where you see all sorts of wildlife, not just bears!

- Camping in Custer State Park - my kinda camping - showers, toilets, and a restaurant that serves Starbucks

- Needles Highway

- Deadwood - fun, old western town

But what I did not anticipate was how great this trip was for us as a family.  Bringing a new parent into the mix is not easy, I ain't gonna lie.  When you are dating someone, it's all rainbows and unicorns, but then you bring your children into the mix, and they might not be seeing all those hearts and flowers.  They may not be so keen on this new person in their lives and their home.  Having a happy step-family doesn't just magically happen.  It takes work, and it takes time.  So after our first tenuous 9 months together, this trip came at the perfect time. We realized that we are, indeed, a family. We realized that hey, we like each other and we have fun together. We laughed a lot.  And we didn't even hate the driving.  So much so, that we decided to drive 12 hours to see my sister & her family for Thanksgiving this year, instead of flying.  We are road trippers!  And we like it.

Hope you enjoyed this sampling of pictures from our trip.  Some are from the "big camera" and yes, some are just the old iPhone.  Even as a professional, sometimes it's just easier! 

And thanks to Katie for allowing me to share this story here.

Western Wanderlust // Eden in Garden of the Gods

Please help me extend a warm Colorado welcome to my friend Eden. I can't quite remember how Eden and I happened upon one another online, but oddly enough, the fact that she's a Vikings fan, and I'm a Packers fan seemed to make us like each other more, not less! Real women football fans have to stick together, I think. ;) 

Eden's blog, junk drawer, is wonderful, carefully curated space I know you'll enjoy. Her pretty photos, and way with words almost make me miss the East Coast. Almost ...

Hello, all! I'm so excited to be writing a post for Katie's Western Wanderlust series. I'm not native to the west, nor have I ever lived in the west, but the summer after I graduated from high school in Minnesota, my mom, dad, and sister packed up their things and moved out to Colorado. Ever since, it has become my home away from home (even after moving half way across the country in the other direction...all the way to West Virginia). The funny thing is that Colorado has always been a vacation destination for my family because my grandpa, uncle, and cousins all lived there, so I've been familiar with Colorado for years.

Colorado is truly one of the most incredible places in the United States. There is something for everyone, and every time my husband and I visit my parents we try something new. It's a miracle I was even able to narrow topics down for this post! I decided to write about one of my favorite places in Colorado, and one of the most beautiful. Garden of the Gods is a stunning park in Colorado Springs, that just barely escaped the destructive path of the Waldo Canyon Fire last year. I went with my dad, sister, and then boyfriend (now husband) to do some hiking. We were blown away by the views. It's one of those places where you take a million photos and when you look at them at home they don't near capture the beauty of seeing it in person. 

We did some hiking, as well as spent some time watching some climbers scaling the steep cliff surfaces. If you are ever around Colorado Springs, you absolutely must visit the park! It is still one of my favorite places to visit, though an hour and a half south of where my parents live (near Boulder).

Thank you so much for having me, Katie! Next time I'm in Colorado, we must have a real life lunch. :)

Western Wanderlust // Colorado's Great Sand Dunes

Our camping weekend, we enjoyed trying not to wake Maile (also, an orange koala), while lunging up sand dunes,

pretending we were in Saudi Arabia (yes, that is an untouched Colorado blue sky),

a photo op with friends (my high socks are to try to keep the sand out -- ha -- and Tim would like me to note that he is not, in fact, a redneck),

lots of pictures in sand (I'm still trying to get it out of everything!),

and many magical moments with the most adorable little ones.

We should have slept hard, but

we were on the edge of monsoon rains,

so we stayed awake listening to the hard, steady rain.

And wind.

Lots of wind, whipping around our tent.

Have you been camping this summer?

America's National Parks are so beautiful.

Full of inspiration, and life, and peace.

Hope your weekend was wonderful!

Happy Monday, friends.

Western Wanderlust // "In a Tent!"

I used to think that camping wasn't for me. (Glamping is whole different story ...) It makes me sad to reminisce over this -- the fact that I was actually much less open to new experiences before Maile came along. Then again, doing different things, and getting to also see these activities through Maile's eyes, is something kind of wonderful. (Also, slightly more terrifying, as there are about a million ways for a curious toddler to injure herself while camping.)

So thankful for this family of mine, and for lovely friends who invite us to places we've never been. I don't doubt for a moment that Maile will remember "going camping! In a TENT!" I can't wait to go camping in a tent again.

Western Wanderlust // Liz on San Juan Island

This Monday morning, I have the honor of introducing you to Liz, of Yellow Finch. Liz is a rare soul who's just that -- soul. She threads words together with grace and imagination, and takes her readers to other worlds with her photography ...

Traveling is a part of my life. It's a part of who I am. I've seen Canada, I've seen parts of Mexico, I fell in love with Paris and I've been fortunate enough to travel through many parts of Eastern Europe. My husband and I are drawn to wine country, we could visit Colorado yearly, we love spending time with family in Maine and North Carolina, and Vermont, well, I'll take your outdoor country scenery any day of the week. But let me tell you about a piece of land that takes the breath away, that touches the soul, that leaves a mark on your heart. 

Let's go back in time to when my husband was in college. A  poor student working just to get by, enjoying the life around him, friends and music. Always music. On a whim, he decided to move out to Harbor for a summer with a friend who had family on the island. I like to think that this was the summer that changed him. This was a time when his breath was taken away, his soul was touched and his heart opened. The San Juan Island will do that to you, or at least to this Ohio girl.  

How do I describe the sound of ocean waves that softly lull over forgotten drift wood? Or what about the moment when you watch an orca emerge from water with such strength and grace. In that small moment  you realize you are witnessing the power of nature. The strength and beauty. The grace. There are no words for the sunrise that slowly makes it's way over still tree tops, over open waters and into vast skies. And in the distance, you can see an endless mountain ridge quietly painted into the background. Olympic, Victoria, and on a clear day Mt. Rainer. 

We played our guitars, we wrote our stories. 

And all around the island songs surrounded us. The scuttle of fox feet running in the distant wood, midnight waves slapping against rough rocks, the silent hum of boats traveling through the Strait of Juan de Fuca. 

At one point during our trip, I sat silently upon the drift wood in Eagle Cove. I had a moment to observe the world around me and I found such peace in my scenery. My children dancing along a rocky beach that was dusted with hints of sand. Rays of sunlight that fell into our hair quickly soaked into our skin. Into our hearts. 

I couldn't help think, Did Jon realize what he found years ago during that college summer? Did he know that he would visit this special place years later with a wife and three children? There was something unique he found here, something he just couldn't part with, something that brought him back. 

These lands, these islands, in the Pacific Northwest hold a sense of magic. An unforeseen beauty that quickly unfolds before your eyes. A pure inspiration to the creative soul. Every direction you turn a new sight of nature faces you like a remarkable painting that hangs in quaint gallery. Your breath is taken away and your heart is opened. 

If you ever have the opportunity to visit San Juan Island I say go, jump on that ferry and don't look back. Embrace every moment and every space on the island. Make sure to visit each and every little beach and cove, strike up a conversation with the locals at Lime Kiln. Become knowledgeable about the orcas, if you get a chance watch them, because one day they may not be on this earth. Put a couple rocks in your pocket and take them home to treasure. Go on a hike in search of a bald eagle's nest. Capture every memory that you can and hold on to them forever. You will not be disappointed, I promise!  

Western Wanderlust // Michaela in Seattle

Today, I'm ecstatic to introduce you to Michaela, of Michaela Noelle Designs. Michaela is one of the very first bloggers I started following (before I even had a blog of my own). Her passion for pretty things is only surpassed by her passion for her faith -- a truly beautiful soul.

Michaela has lived on the Western seaboard her whole life, so I knew she'd be the perfect girl to kick off our new series, Western Wanderlust, featuring fellow bloggers who live or travel in this great country's beautiful West, which we are so blessed to call home.

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Hello! I'm so thrilled to be at See You There today sharing some of my favorite places in Seattle. I simply adore Katie's heart for people, her family and beauty. If we haven't met, I'm Michaela. A designer, lavender-obsessed, puppy-loving, girly girl who loves houses, people, fashion and entertaining.  

Although I was born and raised in the Bay Area of California, I received my bachelor's degree in interior design from Seattle Pacific University, so I had the chance to live in good 'ole rainy Seattle for a few years.  While there, I found a few places I truly adored going and couldn't help but share them with you today. I've broken them up into three categories: Shop, Eat & Do!

SHOP:

Downtown Seattle is a great place to start! Favorite stores: Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, H&M, Victoria Secret, Francesca's, J.Crew, Coach, Kate Spade and of course, the very first Nordstrom.  My typical weekend while in college comprised of a little shopping and my favorite tomato soup at the Nordstrom Cafe. {$5 off the kids menu = college student's dream come true!}

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Next up is Pike Market, also downtown. This iconic market is stuffed full of fruits, veggies, flowers for miles, and the famous fish-throwing attraction!

  

I may be biased because I worked here, but my favorite boutique on Queen Anne Hill is Meadow Boutique, and my time in Seattle wouldn't be the same without it ... {neither would my closet, let's face it!}

EAT:

My very favorite place to eat is Serious Pie, located in down town Seattle.  It's the best pizza I've ever tasted and the atmosphere is even better.

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Next is Cupcake Royale. I'm a picky cupcake girl, but these cupcakes are to.die.for.

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DO: 

90% of the time, it's raining in Seattle, but I learned that can't stop you from getting out and seeing some of the most beautiful places the city has to offer.

In the Spring, the tulip fields are blooming like crazy and it's flowers galore at the Tulip Festival!

Gas Works Park has one of the best views of water and city:

And my favorite lookout, Kerry Park, has the best view of the Space Needle in town. Here I am sitting on the bench, looking at the Space Needle. You'll have to go to the city to see for yourself!

If you've never been, going up in the Space Needle is also a must. Even if you don't go for dinner, the view is worth it...especially on a clear evening. We had brunch for my birthday up there one year, and boy was it delicious!

I hope this has inspired you to visit Seattle! Despite the rain, it's a beautiful city with so many wonderful things to do. I am forever grateful I was able to spend 3 years of my life there while in school. I can't wait to visit every once and a while. I will never forget all the good food and sudden downpours. :)

Thanks for having me today, Katie!
xo