Mountain Loop Highway Is Open

The Mountain Loop Hwy is a scenic road between Granite Falls and Darrington, Washington. It's about 55 miles, and about half of that is dirt road. Due to the storms a couple years ago, the highway was closed for repairs.

Be sure to take your camera! We took the drive this past weekend. It was just a lazy afternoon, Sunday drive. We weren't prepared to go on any hikes. But it was well worth the time in the car. It's a gorgeous drive along the Stillaguamish River, through the Mt. Baker - Snoqualmie National Forest. The snow pack is melting, so there are water falls in several places along the road.

It took us a couple hours to drive the gravel road portion of the trip. It's a very good road, considering it is gravel. But there are so many view places to stop and check things out.

If you are into camping, there are several camp grounds, and most of them had vacancies. I did notice that a lot of them had been reserved for Labor Day Weekend. The camp grounds are basic. There are out house type of bathrooms, but no running water to wash your hands, so take your own water, baby wipes, and hand sanitizer.

Next time we go, we will take our hiking boots and back packs, and spend more than a few hours on a Sunday drive.

Cruising In Style - What Not To Wear - Shoes

Oh my goodness, I'm absolutely shocked at how some people dress to impress when they disembarking the cruise ships. We have a ways to go before the cruise ships head back to Seattle for the Alaska cruise season, but if you are like me, and you are cruising to Alaska this spring, you are already planning what to pack.

When you are disembarking the ships in Seattle, keep in mind you may have a good 1/4 to 1/2 mile walk from the ship to the customs check out. Customs can go fast, but it can be a very long slow wait. So wear something comfy to walk in. I didn't say you have to dress like a droll. Comfy doesn't have to be frumpy.

The last time I was cruising in Seattle, I actually saw a couple of women wearing shoes with spike heels when we were disembarking. Could they not look out from their breakfast table and see how long and steep the walk was going to be?

Did they think we were all going to look at their Christian Dior's and think "That girl's got it going on. She's got great shoes." Well, that's not what we were thinking dearie...

We were thinking... "Stupid idiot."

Hiking

This is a beautiful time of the year to go hiking. I recently joined a group of local hikers. I'm fairly new to hiking, so I chose my group by my physical abilities... I chose a beginners group.

If you do a google search for meetups hiking, you can find a group in your area. Be sure you don't join an advanced group, if you are a beginner. There is a big difference in the hikes and what the group expects from you.

My hubby and I signed up for a class so we could learn how to hike safely. The instructor gave us a list of essential equipment and hiking gear. It was well worth the money spent.

One of the biggest things I learned from the instructor is about my clothing choices. I always thought 100% cotton was the best thing to wear. It's not. I was surprised to learn I should not be wearing 100% cotton or wool when I'm heading out on a hike. It's all about the wicking of moisture away from the skin. Cotton doesn't do that.

As I said, I highly recommend you take a class, before you start out on any hikes. Even a day hike can go wrong. At least you'll be prepared for your off road experience if you take a class and follow the basic instructions for a safe hike.

Rock Bottom Prices on Cruise to Alaska

Sometimes it doesn't make any sense to wait until the last minute to book a cruise. If you have your heart set on going some place on a specific date you might miss out if you wait until the bargain prices kick in. However, if you can make the plans at the last minute and pack your bags and go the savings can be fantastic.

I just did a search for Alaska cruise and came up with some really great deals. For instance Vacations To GO has this type of last minute travel packages. Carnival cruise line has a June 27th '07 cruise departing from Vancouver, Canada. It is marked down to $579 from 1,929 at a savings of 70%. This is a 7 day cruise and you would be sailing on the Carnival Spirit.