Marissa Pedersen

While Seattle gets all the glory, there are so many adorable small towns around Washington that are worth a visit! Some of my favorite ones include: 🚗 Leavenworth 🚗 Anacortes 🚗 Langley 🚗 Gig Harbor For a complete list of the best small towns in Washington, check out my profile for the link to my latest article! What's your favorite small town?

While we're not officially in winter yet, it sure feels like it lately! That doesn't mean you can't still get out and hike, though. One of the most common questions I get around this time of year is what hikes people can do, so here are some of my favorites: 🌲 Marymere Falls 🌲 Ebey's Landing 🌲 Franklin Falls Check out the link in my bio for my full article on the 21 best winter hikes in Washington!

Want to get out for a hike but aren't sure how to find which ones don't have snow? Here are some tips! 🥾 Check the trail reports on @alltrails - I spend so much time on this app researching hikes, saving them to my wishlist, and reading reports of recent users who have been on that specific trail. They'll give you tips such as if microspikes or snowshoes are necessary if there's snow. 🥾 Look at the weather for that area - You should always look at the weather forecast not just the day before the hike but right when you're about to leave as well. It can change last minute, and you want to make sure you're prepared if you have to drive through snow. 🥾 Pick lower elevation hikes - While I love a hike in the mountains more than anyone, most of them do have snow this time of year, so your best bet is one with lower elevation to avoid that.

Just a reminder to get offline this week and enjoy the outdoors! 🍁

I spent the weekend celebrating this little one’s birthday and I can’t believe he’s already 3! It’s been fun watching him grow up and develop his own interests, but it makes me so happy that he loves hiking. He’s always down to go outside and explore a new trail, and his excitement for the little things he sees along the way helps me slow down and appreciate the journey.

One of the parts I love most about hiking in Washington is how many waterfalls there are in the state! What’s your favorite one?

A moody fall morning at Lake Crescent

We decided to get away for my birthday weekend for our first vacation in two years (and first vacation with a family of 4) to the Olympic Peninsula! We were able to do multiple hikes this weekend to see waterfalls and even some snow. My toddler did great exploring on his own while the baby fell asleep for most of it, so I'd say it was pretty successful! I can never get enough of this area, as there are many beautiful places to see, so I can't wait to get back! You all know my love for hiking, and I hope to pass that on to my boys by exposing them to the outdoors while they're young.

Looking for a short waterfall hike that’s close to Seattle? Check out Snoqualmie Falls! While most people know about this waterfall, the best view of it is from the bottom. The hike is only 1.4 miles round trip and will take you to a boardwalk that goes along the river closer to the falls. There’s a 250 foot elevation gain on the way back so you’ll get a short but tough workout.

You’ve seen larch madness everywhere lately, but do you know what larches actually are? While larch season is just about over,  I’ve had a lot of people ask me lately what’s so special about larches, and aren’t there larches everywhere in the fall? While there are yellow trees and leaves all around, larches are a very specific type of tree. These deciduous conifers are green most of the year except when they turn a vibrant yellow for maybe 2-3 weeks before they turn brown. They’re mainly only found in select parts of the mountains of Washington, British Columbia, and Alberta, which is why people go crazy during larch madness trying to see them. While they’ve already turned in the north part of the state, I’ve heard there’s a few select places in the central Cascades you may still have a few days left to see them!

Introducing Baby Postcards #2! Life has been a little crazy around here the past few months, but if you’ve seen my stories you may have noticed a new little person hanging around. Now that we’re past the crazy first few months, I’m excited to start getting out more and I plan on taking him along with me. Today we went on our first solo adventure and he did great!

I got out for my first hike in months and the larches were in full force! Have you gotten a chance to go on any fall hikes this season?

🍂 Best Fall Activities to Do in and Around Seattle This Season 🍂 🌽 Head to a corn maze at @visitcravenfarm or @remlingerfarms 🎃 Visit a pumpkin patch at @swanstrailfarms or @bobscorn 🍁 Stroll through the Japanese gardens at @kubotagarden 🥾 Go hiking at one of the many places that have gorgeous fall colors right now 🛶 Take a boat out on Lake Washington on a sunny day Save this post for ideas, and check out my profile to see more ideas on my blog post! #visitseattle

The larches are here, the larches are here! This time of year is like Christmas for hikers in Washington - these beautiful golden trees only turn these colors for two, maybe three weeks out of the year if you're lucky. We always anxiously watch the trip reports to see when people start seeing them, and the time to see them is now! My favorite place to go see them is anywhere in the North Cascades, but you can also see them throughout the state. Check out my the post in my profile to see a full list of where to go. #hikingadventures #optoutside #northcascades #explorewashington #getoutside #pnwonderland #upperleftusa #larches #northcascadesnationalpark #hikerbabes #womenwhohike #girlswhohike #thatpnwlife #hikergirl #washingtonexplored #nationalparkgeek #womenwhoexplore #hikersofinstagram #hikinglife #pnwcollective #hikingculture #choosemountains #adventuretime #switchbackchics #pnwlife

Fall is officially here, which means it's one of the best times of the year to go hiking! 🍁 One of my favorite places to go hiking this time of year is in the North Cascades, but you'll want to go follow these tips if you're planning a trip out there: 🍁 Everyone wants to see the fall colors and especially the larches, so if possible take a weekday off to avoid the crowds. 🍁 If you can only go on the weekends, go early, as in getting to the parking lot around 6 or 7 am. 🍁 Don't push yourself on the harder hikes just to see the fall colors if you're not ready. There are plenty of easier hikes such as Blue Lake that you can do without putting yourself or others at risk. #northcascades