Blanca Lake

June 28, 2015 Laura Norsen

Once upon a time, Blanca Lake was my favorite trail. The glacier-fed lake is a stunning shade of blue, and the trail, while difficult, used to be very well maintained and only moderately crowded. Over the past two months, I've read about horrible crowds and lots of garbage making this hike a lot less enjoyable. However, when Andy and I had a Monday off work recently, we decided to use it as an opportunity to visit our favorite lake while avoiding the worst of the summer weekend crowds.

Wanderlust: New Zealand - North Island

June 23, 2015 Laura Norsen

Steep cliffs and warm blue waters at Stingray bay

New Zealand has been on my travel to-do list for a long time. My love of New Zealand started when I saw Fellowship of the Ring. Honestly, I don't know how anyone could watch those movies without wanting to hop on a plane to Auckland! I've been dreaming of travelling to New Zealand for such a long time that the list of things I want to do there is huge, so I'll only cover the North Island in this post and save the South Island for another day.

Larch magic

June 18, 2015 Laura Norsen

Mt Stewart hiding behind a veil of cloud

Last fall, inspired by all the stunning photos being shared by other hikers, I dragged my husband up to Lake Ingalls. This turned out to be my absolute favorite hike of 2014. Not only because of the sapphire blue lake, or the constant, breathtaking views of mountains freshly dusted with snow, but mostly because of the magical golden larches.

We got an early start and it was just below freezing most of the day, but we quickly warmed up and started enjoying the rocky views from the trail below Ingalls Pass.

Wanderlust: Iceland

June 16, 2015 Laura Norsen

Of all the places I want to go, Iceland is top of the list. When I dream of visiting Iceland, I dream of the drama; of the mossy green cliffs and stark black rock; of rugged, snow-capped mountains and dramatic volcanic landscapes; of thundering waterfalls and massive geysers; of epic hiking.

Summer fun

June 11, 2015 Laura Norsen

While it's not technically summer yet, most of this amazing spring in Seattle has felt like summer. Every year it seems like summer flies by before I've had a chance to do many of the things I want to! This year, I'm making a list for myself, mostly because I love lists! I hope you love lists too!