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Around the World 2023Around the World 2023
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Around the World 2023

April 2023 - January 2024
A 262-day adventure by Hen Tours Read more
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  • 246footprints
  • 13countries
  • 262days
  • 1.9kphotos
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  • TravelerAround the World 2023
    Day 11

    North Cascades

    May 8, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Last night’s sleep was good, comfortable and warm. Maybe this camping idea isn’t so silly after all.

    Then again, 2 hours after getting up we managed to head out into the national park. We drove up to mile 134 where the road is closed and parked up. We headed along the Ross Dam Trail looking at the wildlife and waterfalls. We saw some deer 🦌 and a squirrel 🐿️. Just as we were finishing the walk it started raining 🌧️. By the time we were back in the car, it was really raining. We headed to a look out to eat our cheese and pickle sandwiches and wait for the rain to stop. It didn’t. We gave up and headed down through the park.

    By the time we got back to the campground, the sun was shining. After a cuppa, we drove across the town bridge to look for wildlife but only saw a vulture.

    Back at the campground we did some tidying before it started to rain again. We ended up cooking dinner under the porch of the games room and, surprise, just as we finished eating, it finished raining.    Read more

  • TravelerAround the World 2023
    Day 12

    North Cascades to Mount Rainier

    May 9, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 6 °C

    Another wet morning. After coffee and breakfast waiting for the tent to dry we gave up and shoved it in a plastic bag!

    Once everything was packed and in the car, we headed south. Apart from a minor accident, traffic wasn’t too bad and we made it to Walmart in the expected time. We stocked up in fresh food and had salad and sandwiches in the car 🙄.

    Another hour’s drive and we reached Gateway Inn cabins. We found our log cabin, had a cuppa and emptied the car. After drying out the tent and doing a heap of laundry, we had dinner with our log fire and got ready for whatever tomorrow will bring.    Read more

  • TravelerAround the World 2023
    Day 13

    Mount Rainier

    May 10, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 6 °C

    After a rough migraine night (thank goodness we weren’t in a tent!), we had a slow start. By 10 am we were ready to go and head the 10m from the cabin to the park entrance.

    The road climbed through the forest 🌳 and we reached Longmire but kept going. Along the way we pulled in at various stops, taking photos and chatting with other travellers.

    It’s strange that all the US travellers can tell we’re from NZ but the British people don’t even ask 😂 I think we’ve become multilingual 😂😂😂

    The snow began to appear and then high banks were along the road side, but the road was dry and clear. Eventually, we reached Paradise where the road finished, I.e., hadn’t been ploughed past. We went in the visitor centre, looked in the shop and splashed out on a cuppa. It was clear that we won’t be walking any trails up here, too much snow ❄️.

    After a while, we headed downhill, stopping an Nerada Falls (still too much snow ❄️ to walk) and again at Longmire. We sat on the porch of the Inn and had our sandwiches, looking at the view. There’s some walks here we can do but mountain lion 🦁 was seen this morning 🫣.

    We continued our slow descent to the cabin. On return, Simon got the tent out and sprayed it with Permethrin to keep bugs away. This meant a 2 hour wait for it to dry 😴.

    Once it was packed away we headed to Ashford and looked in the shop before returning to the cabin for a relaxing evening.    Read more

  • TravelerAround the World 2023
    Day 14

    Two weeks down

    May 11, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    Well, 2 weeks since departure. 3 national parks, a few planes ✈️, 2 rental cars 🚗, a boat 🛥️, monorail 🚝, train 🚆, a taxi 🚕, some buses 🚌 and some feet . Mustn’t forget Friday night traffic out of LA 🤯😱😤.

    An early start today and into the park. The first stop was Longmires for a walk around the meadow. Very cold 🥶. We then headed up the mountain.

    For lunch, we came back to the cabin and then headed out again to walk through the woods for a while. There were some squirrels but not a lot else. Back to Longmires and back around the meadow. The skunk cabbages were very‘fragrant’, an apt name I think.

    The biggest triumph today - the first day without spending any money 💰😂.    Read more

  • TravelerAround the World 2023
    Day 15

    Mount Rainier

    May 12, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Things were a bit warmer this morning, so after a leisurely breakfast we headed back up the mountain.

    Our first stop was at the entrance to the closed loop road. We parked up and set off walking along the tarmac with snow along the road edges. The sun was shining and the sky was blue.

    Once we returned to the car, we drove up to Paradise and splerged on coffee and a treat (pretzels and hummus for me 😉).

    On the way down we stopped at the twin firs 🌲 walk way. Well, when they warned about ice axes we should have listened 🤣. The walk started well, along a normal type of track. Then we crossed the bridge over the top of the waterfall and things changed. Snow ❄️, more snow ❄️, deep, soft snow ❄️. We persevered for a while but once we hit a large snow field in full sun, there was no choice but to sink or turn back. So turn back we did. After a few slips, sinks and slides we made it back to the bridge and, soggy footed, back to the car.

    We stopped At Longmires for lunch, which was average. After lunch, we did the meadow loop again and saw a deer.

    We headed out of the park and to Ashford, filling up with petrol. By now it was hot, the car was showing 80°!

    It was time to return to the cabin and start to prepare for moving on tomorrow.    Read more

  • TravelerAround the World 2023
    Day 16

    A long drive

    May 13, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    An early start, 4.30am. Glad to see I’m getting back to normal. After a few coffees, breakfast and a bit of packing, we headed away from Mount Rainier in the direction of Tacoma. Somewhere between Tacoma and Olympia, we stopped at Walmart (fast becoming a favourite) before continuing north around the Olympic peninsula.

    Everything reminded me of the coromandel, little seaside towns, single lane roads, traffic…

    Getting fairly desperate, we stopped for lunch at a nice little picnic area along lake pleasant. Cheese and coleslaw wraps with coffee for lunch.

    Just another half an hour drive and we reach our campground. 3 rivers resort is a wooded area with RVs and is in our tent.

    Rialto beach is a few miles away, it’s a pebble beach and the sun is hot so we don’t stay too long. Plus, it’s Saturday and busy, maybe we’ll come back on Monday?

    We return to the campground for dinner and a warm evening.    Read more

  • TravelerAround the World 2023
    2
    Day 17

    Olympic National Park

    May 14, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    An early morning start with showers and coffee before anyone else was awake. We headed towards Hoh Rainforest, about an hour’s drive from the campground, at 7am.

    Once there, we made our porridge and then set out on 2 trails, The Hall of Mosses and The Spruce Trail. These wound their way through the rainforest with lots of interesting plants and a few animals.

    After another hour’s drive we reached Sol Duc and stopped at the Salmon leap. We saw 1 trout trying to leap up the falls.

    Continuing along the road, we stopped at the Sol Duc falls and walked along the trail, with everyone else!

    On our way back we stopped in Forks and saw some ‘interesting’ Twilight’ collections. By now it was really hot, over 90°, so reading that this is the wettest place in the US doesn’t really fit with what we are experiencing 🥵. No complaints though.

    When we got back to the campground we had a late lunch from the cafe and then mooched around camp.    Read more

  • TravelerAround the World 2023
    Day 18

    A Beach Day 😂🤣

    May 15, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Today was all about the beaches. No, not the 🏖️. More the pebble, mist, wind and ocean swell beaches.

    We drove south along 101 until we reached South beach and then spent time at each beach, observing wildlife and relaxing. We stopped at Beach 4, 3, Kalaloch, 1 and Ruby. We saw a bald eagle 🦅 and a few seabirds.

    We continued to Rialto beach and cooked up lunch before sitting on the beach for beach for a while watching the seals and birds. We walked through the car park to the river and we saw otters 🦦. River otters. We watched them, and the bald eagles, for a while before calling in a day (cold and foggy).    Read more

  • TravelerAround the World 2023
    Day 19

    Another driving day

    May 16, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    A leisurely start, packing up the campsite before moving on. We made it at least 8 miles back stopping for breakfast at a diner. Crispy bacon and unlimited coffee ☕️, yummy 😋.

    Then a 3 hour drive to Olympia. We arrived at our treat hotel 🏨 and the receptionist seemed to think we were too early (12.30pm). No words needed, just a slight teacher look 👀 and she handed over the keys 🤣🤣🤣.

    We’d booked a room with direct pool access, so we could cook outside and relax by the pool in the unseasonably hot weather. Pool closed! They weren’t expecting sun either 🧐. Never mind. We still have an outdoor area.

    After an attempt at repacking ready for the ferry, we drove to the shops. We got a few essentials, and none essentials ( cheese 🧀 and crackers).

    We the retuned to the hotel for an evening of relative comfort.    Read more

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