After the desert terrain of Eastern Washington, we traveled over the Cascades to the evergreens of Olympia Washington, where Brad's sister Vicki and brother Brian live.
Tumwater, Washington
Vicki and her husband Scott (empty-nester with two kids living in Utah) live in the beautiful town of Tumwater (with dog & two cats) just minuets from Olympia. We really enjoyed catching up with them, eating yummy Italian food (I ordered the Italian Flag), exploring capital hill (& all the homeless camps), and walking the scenic Tumwater Trail (with their dog) while viewing Tumwater Falls and historic Olympia Brewery.
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Graham, Washington
Brian & Shanalee and daughter Megan (their son Braxton is working in Texas for the summer) live in beautiful Graham, Washington. We enjoyed spending a couple days with them for the first time in the home they've lived in for five years now. They too did a lovely job landscaping their backyard which was the perfect backdrop to our barbecues with Vicki and Scott.
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Nisqually National Wildlife Preserve
While visiting the Olympia people, we walked five plus miles of boardwalk through the wet-lands of amazing Nisqually preserve while watching different kinds of birds including blue herons and other birds feeding their babies in nests lining the gazebo ceilings.
Mount Rainier, Washington
Also, while in the Olympia region we had the privilege of hiking Mount Rainier with Brian, Shanalee, and Megan. We took the trail starting at Paradise parking lot and hiked about a four-mile loop through snow, meadows of gorgeous wildflowers, and very tall pine trees. We also enjoyed the views of Jackson Visitor Center, Paradise Inn (erected in 1917), Paradise River, and Narada Falls a little further down the road.
