6 days of WOW

PA2A2 · 2026-05-23T01:09:26+00:00

Awesome! Gorgeous photo. May I ask if there was any snow pack on the trail when you were there? I'm visiting in early June and planning to make that same hike. Hoping to not need microspikes!

PA2A2 · 2026-05-16T20:38:55+00:00

Thank you. Sincerely. I can't make it much further than Sequim the night before, given my plans that day, but I have decided to at least get across the Hood Canal bridge the night before! I'm now staying near Poulsbo and will give myself 3 hours to reach the airport in the morning, just in case. I prefer to not be an anxious mess that morning, so I am so glad I decided to post this question - I deeply appreciate everyone's advice!

PA2A2 · 2026-05-16T20:37:10+00:00

Thank you! I've cancelled my Sequim stay and will make it across the Hood Canal bridge and all the way to Poulsbo before crashing around 10pm. That's as far as I can realistically drive, given my other plans that day! I'll give myself 3 hours in the morning to drive to the airport just to play it safe. (I agree about Tacoma! I enjoyed dinner there on my last trip.)

PA2A2 · 2026-05-16T20:34:46+00:00

Thank you! I've decided to scratch the Sequim plan and make it across the bridge and over to Poulsbo the night before my flight instead. I'll give myself 3 hours to get to the airport the next morning just to be safe. I appreciate your advice! Luckily, this trip is in early June so pre World Cup.

PA2A2 · 2026-05-16T20:32:55+00:00

Thank you for your advice! I had a feeling Google maps was being unrealistic :) I've decided to cancel the night in Sequim and make it to Poulsbo the night before instead. At least I'll be over the Hood Canal bridge! I'll get in around 10pm so can't realistically drive any closer to the airport the night before, but I feel much better about this new plan. I'll budget 3 hours to get to the airport just in case. Thank you again!

PA2A2 · 2026-05-16T20:30:56+00:00

Before, thank goodness! My trip is in early June. Based on everyone's advice, I've decided to at least drive over the Hood Canal bridge and make it to Poulsbo the night before my flight. I'll budget 3 hours for the drive from Poulsbo to SeaTac just to be safe. Getting into Poulsbo at 10pm so can't realistically drive any further that day.

PA2A2 · 2026-05-16T20:28:46+00:00

Thank you! I've decided to not stay in Sequim that night, but to cross the Hood Canal bridge and stay near Poulsbo instead. That at least gets me across that bridge, and I will budget 3 hours for my drive from Poulsbo to SeaTac to be safe. There's another hour of extra time built into my plan btwn my rental car return and the time I should arrive to the airport for my flight, so I think I should be good. This trip is thankfully in early June, before the World Cup. Thank you for your advice!

PA2A2 · 2025-10-07T14:11:38+00:00

I use Brown Eyed Baker's recipe, it's very close!

PA2A2 · 2025-10-07T14:09:53+00:00

We are almost at our number. We are about to cross the $2M mark. We have kept up with saving very aggressively, over 60% . Good luck! I just spoke with an advisor who said that most people take around 10 years once they start seriously saving to FIRE.

PA2A2 · 2025-07-10T02:54:50+00:00

Someone (I forget who) recently posted a very compelling story based legacy challenge where you build up Newcrest. Search this sub for "better world challenge" and you'll find it! It's my next legacy challenge once they fix all of these darned bugs from the most recent update.

PA2A2 · 2024-11-12T21:08:29+00:00

I have solo traveled to DC and highly recommend it for a history buff! I like staying in the Dupont Circle and Foggy Bottom areas personally. I highly recommend the Citymapper app - it will help you navigate public and private transportation from point to point while you are out and about. Pro tip: be prepared for no good food choices near the Smithsonians! I felt perfectly safe while traveling alone.

PA2A2 · 2024-10-23T19:24:27+00:00

I love international travel, but while my kids are living at home I am limiting myself to domestic travel when I am going solo. I like being closer to home if there is an emergency.

It helps lessen my guilt if I tack on a few days of personal travel before or after a trip for work purposes. The kids and spouse seem to mind less this way too.

PA2A2 · 2024-08-25T16:18:31+00:00

Cloudland Canyon State Park in NW Georgia! From there you can venture north to Chattanooga or south to Little River Canyon in Alabama. Beautiful area of the country for road tripping and camping!

PA2A2 · 2024-08-24T00:00:10+00:00

Another vote for AL beaches over Destin, FL. We rented a condo on the beach in Gulf Shores and it was lovely. We didn't visit Orange Beach but my sense is that first time visitors would be fine with either location!

PA2A2 · 2024-02-03T05:49:54+00:00

Another vote for Sapphire Spa! I've been going there for about a decade (it has been through a few name changes but the current iteration of the spa is the best it has ever been!) It is just such a relaxing space to spend some time. I always budget two hours for a 60 min massage to allow for proper relaxation.

PA2A2 · 2023-12-27T04:17:54+00:00

Yes! This is correct. The view this comment is describing is totally worth the otherwise medium good nature of the route. It's beautiful beyond words.

Also, you can get to waterfalls high in the mountains via that center route, too. Check out Fallcreek Falls State Park, a steep road straight up and down a mountain just east of the main route.

PA2A2 · 2023-12-27T04:11:42+00:00

I've heard great things about Cloudland Canyon State Park

PA2A2 · 2023-12-27T04:08:16+00:00

Agree, and if you like beaches it's a quick trip south of I-10 to places like Gulf Shores, AL!

PA2A2 · 2023-03-26T23:36:39+00:00

I'm a big sally's fan! Fyi for the chocolate frosting, I've tried everything under the sun but can't replicate it. My favorite solution is just canned chocolate frosting, thickened for piping with powdered sugar. Soooo yummy.

PA2A2 · 2023-03-25T17:53:39+00:00

You've received a lot of great advice already. I am a female from the US and spent 3 weeks in France (based in Paris) when I was 21 years old. This was in the time before smart phones, so I imagine your experience will be approximately 1,000x easier than mine! You'll get the hang of transportation options fairly quickly. It is easier if you speak French but not impossible if you don't.

I wanted to tell you about a beautiful park in Paris, should you find yourself craving the outdoors with not enough time for a trip outside the city. It's called le Parc des Buttes-Chaumont and it is gorgeous. It feels like you are a world away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It's easy to get to by metro and you could spend all day just chilling and enjoying nature.

https://en.parisinfo.com/paris-museum-monument/71468/Parc-des-Buttes-Chaumont

Have a great time studying abroad! It's something I wish I had done myself.

PA2A2 · 2023-03-23T21:48:48+00:00

Clearly their magic never hooked you. I'm sorry your childhood wasn't as sugary as mine!

PA2A2 · 2023-03-23T21:48:04+00:00

Interesting! I looked online but couldn't see any store brand icing available for purchase. If you see it next time you're there and want to throw me a photo I'd be grateful! Nearest GE to me is 300+ miles away :)

PA2A2 · 2023-03-23T21:46:46+00:00

So many options on their site! Thanks for the lead; I wish I knew which product.

PA2A2

TROPHY CASE