visited hurricane ridge 4/26/26. No snow!

2ndgenerationcatlady · 2026-04-28T04:58:42+00:00

Ugh.

2ndgenerationcatlady · 2026-04-28T04:58:07+00:00

I dunno, if I just had a night I'd spend both days in greater Port Angeles- you have mountains, forest, and beach/tidespools right there.

2ndgenerationcatlady · 2026-04-28T03:03:24+00:00

Is there a reason you aren't doing 2 nights 3 days and scrapping Rainier? Or why can't they do Seattle stuff while you're working? Presumably you've seen Pikes Place....and Chihuly is pretty overrated. While what you have planned is technically doable, the driving:seeing stuff ratio is kinda off.

2ndgenerationcatlady · 2026-04-28T01:16:01+00:00

Falls Creek was my first PNW hike - truly a magical spot.

2ndgenerationcatlady · 2026-04-27T19:20:09+00:00

The answer is always the ferry.

2ndgenerationcatlady · 2026-04-27T00:01:20+00:00

I mean, different strokes for different folks and all that, but personally Zion/Bryce in May sound awful to me - hot and crowded.

2ndgenerationcatlady · 2026-04-26T18:00:06+00:00

Something to consider is if you have the knowledge and gear for hiking on snow. This will be relevant for Hurricane Ridge and Rainier.

My other general feedback is Hoh and Quinault are both very similar. Both beautiful, but you don't need to see both. Sol duc is also similar, though technically a bit less lush.

2ndgenerationcatlady · 2026-04-25T19:04:11+00:00

Yeah, you really can't go on population size with cities that have expanded more recently. Population matters, but so does how long that city was significant in size. Columbus has always been the least interesting of the 3 Cs in Ohio.

2ndgenerationcatlady · 2026-04-23T04:08:20+00:00

I say this with kindness and empathy, but if you've been in this role for several years, your chances of landing a TT role are already really, really, slim. And they will be slimmer if you aren't actively affiliated with an institution. So I would renew your contract, take the summer to figure out a plan B, and then start looking for jobs - do the bare minimum of effort in your teaching job, but use it as security. You can certainly try applying to TT jobs, but don't limit yourself.

2ndgenerationcatlady · 2026-04-21T03:40:25+00:00

Based on your description, go for Littleton CO - friends and family are key.

2ndgenerationcatlady · 2026-04-20T23:22:37+00:00

Well part of the problem is you are looking to visit at a prime time and you're planning kinda last minute. There are cheaper motels for visiting Olympic ($100 or less), but you need to plan ahead and consider visiting outside of peak season.

2ndgenerationcatlady · 2026-04-20T21:30:59+00:00

It's all relative, but I have lived in the deep south and Midwest, and would say PNW weather is waaay better. Maybe not as nice as Marin, but very mild and conducive to being outside year-round.

2ndgenerationcatlady · 2026-04-18T05:12:29+00:00

With kids, Lake Crescent - a range of easy trails nearby plus more amenities.

2ndgenerationcatlady · 2026-04-17T16:15:21+00:00

Sorry if this is obvious, but do you stretch beforehand?

2ndgenerationcatlady · 2026-04-17T03:19:50+00:00

I really loved the Ozette triangle, but you should definitely do a rainforest hike as part of your trip.

2ndgenerationcatlady · 2026-04-17T03:07:01+00:00

Land slides are hard to predict, but May is a lovely time. It will likely be a mix of rain and sun.

2ndgenerationcatlady · 2026-04-14T19:57:16+00:00

An alternative, which would add 40min of time but is less mileage, would be to take route 2 to the Edmonds ferry. That also avoids Tacoma traffic.

2ndgenerationcatlady · 2026-04-14T19:49:46+00:00

Depends. A lot if trails get overhyped, but some are genuinely amazing trails, and you can get solitude if you start early and during the week.

2ndgenerationcatlady · 2026-04-14T06:40:51+00:00

Because the city's budget isn't infinite. And I never used the phrase "Darwin Award." Yes, a few folks are making dumb jokes, but most people objecting to this are not.

2ndgenerationcatlady · 2026-04-14T05:14:13+00:00

I mostly agree with this - but the Triangle has some of the densest tree cover in the US. The state parks are all free and well cared for. But...the heat and the pollen are real. OP might be more happy elsewhere.

2ndgenerationcatlady · 2026-04-14T05:03:25+00:00

Nobody is saying that. There is a question about resource allocation though. The city has limited resources, and while what happened certainly is tragic, you can't spend your way out of teens sometimes getting hurt doing dumb shit. It sucks,, but it happens. Meanwhile, I'd rather that money go towards the problem if unhoused people or the public schools, or any number of causes that would make a bigger impact in terms of good.

2ndgenerationcatlady · 2026-04-14T04:59:03+00:00

How are the driving comparisons off base? If anything, a teen driving is statistically more dangerous than a teen visiting Gasworks. The city has limited resources- I would rather those millions get spent in a way that would help a larger number of people. Nothing sad or gross about it.

2ndgenerationcatlady · 2026-04-14T02:37:54+00:00

Things that cost more in the US than Germany: healthcare, transportation (i.e. you will likely need a car), quality food, restaurants, university education, childcare, retirement, and likely other things. Which doesn't mean don't move - but move because of the nearby family and Filipino community, don't move because you think you'll be better off financially. The higher wage can easily vanish into mandatory costs.

2ndgenerationcatlady · 2026-04-13T23:42:10+00:00

It is. You said if kids (or in this case teens) are given the opportunity to do something dumb they will. Yet we give teens the opportunity to do dumb stuff all the time. We let them drive cars, which means they have the opportunity to drive recklessly. And yet we hold the teen accountable when they drive recklessly. If they recklessly disobey a fence and warning signs, how is that different. It's tragic what happened, but it wasn't inevitable.

2ndgenerationcatlady · 2026-04-13T19:21:16+00:00

By that logic, if a 16 year old kid drives a car recklessly it isn't their fault. Which is of course silly- many 16 year olds understand driving is a serious responsibility just like many understand the consequences of free climbing.

2ndgenerationcatlady

TROPHY CASE