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Health and Fitness

Mud is Good! Ten Easy Ways to Connect Your Family to the Joy of Nature

By Richard Louv on June 24th, 2014 Here is a list of great outdoor activities by Richard Louv, author of “No Child Left Outdoors.” I hope you will consider allowing or instigating your kids or grandkids to enjoy some of these fabulous and freeing outdoor experiences: Short on Vitamin N? Here’s a brief list of […]

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Outdoor Activities

Go to the Willamette River Guide for Boating Info

The Willamette is a vital, multi-purpose waterway that touches the lives of millions of people. It provides ports for commercial barges and oceangoing ships, irrigation for crops sold worldwide, an abundant fishery, and recreational opportunities.Nearly 70 percent of Oregonians live within 20 miles of the Willamette River, and some may not even realize it. Although […]

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Travel

Visit Washington’s First State Park – Larrabee State Park

By Leslee Jaquette This summer my gang of camping and hiking buddies has its collective eye on Larrabee State Park. We think it would be perfect for a mid-week destination getaway. This 2,683-acre camping park with 8,100-feet of saltwater shoreline on Samish Bay near Bellingham in northwest Washington offers something for everyone. The park features […]

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Gardening Uncategorized

Crater Lake Moss Grows for Thousands of Years

Gardeners and non-garden-types may be interested to learn that Crater Lake National Park in Central Oregon is a giant moss garden! Yes, aquatic moss not only lives, but flourishes, in the incredibly cold and deep lake at depths from about 100 to 400 feet. Scientists are studying it and often use a deep-sea rover to […]

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Travel

Steens Mountain Wilderness Offers Wild, High Desert Exploration

By Leslee Jaquette Armed with a new REI backpacking pack that actually fits, I’m ready to venture out on more Northwest overnight explorations. One hiking destination that totally intrigues me is so new it’s not even on my Atlas (circa 2002). I’m talking about Steens Mountain Wilderness area in Southeast Oregon not too far from […]

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Travel

Joshua Tree National Park Offers Bloomin’ Beautiful Dessert Experience

By Leslee Jaquette On our most recent trip to Joshua Tree National Park 140 miles south of Los Angeles, my son, Adam, and I had the unbelievable good fortune to arrive the day after a big rain. The desert was in extravagant, full bloom! Although I had to visit the park’s website to put names […]

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Travel

Alta Lake State Park Offers Great Camping, Fishing Destination

By Leslee Jaquette If you are looking for a cozy camping and fishing destination for this summer’s “stay-cation,” consider Alta Lake State Park. I suggest making reservations for mid-week or Sunday nights because this popular and accessible park is probably booked on weekends throughout the season. But check out Alta Lake soon because this little […]

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Outdoor Activities

Take classes, get experience, shop carefully before buying a kayak

After answering some questions about what kind of activities and commitment we wanted to make to watersports, such as did we want to paddle on a lake or go camping, we arrived at some initial conclusions. We pretty quickly decided that canoeing was probably not for us, neither of us was keen on kneeling in […]

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Travel

RV Quick Facts

What is a recreation vehicle (RV)? An RV is a vehicle that combines transportation and temporary living quarters for travel, recreation and camping. Two main categories of RVs are motorhomes (motorized) and towables (towed behind the family car, van or pickup). Type A motorhomes are generally the largest; Type B motorhomes or van campers are […]

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Travel

BLAKE ISLAND STATE PARK PROVIDES WILDERNESS ESCAPE

By Leslee Jaquette As we motor into the marina at Blake Island State Park, a bald eagle flies “thwumpa, thwumpa” across the bow of our hosts’ 39-foot powerboat. Oblivious to our arrival, a raccoon combs the nearby tide line as John and Candy Temple of Seattle secure the lines on Bigger Juan II. The Temples’ […]