Winter "Break"

Eli and I have been so busy since we got back to Omaha--it hardly seems like a break. We got to go through Wilton on our way home to spend some time with the Smiths, I especially love since there's lots of Christmas cookies :) We headed to Omaha with a to-do list in hand that just keeps growing. My favorite thing since being home was my first bridal shower hosted by the girls (and their mom) of a family that I baby-sat! It was very very special to me, and I had a lot of fun!!! I also passed my advanced cardiac lifesaving class--huge relief! I was so nervous, and I studied all weekend for it. Eli and I have both dropped off our wedding clothes for alterations and we're getting lots of cute decorations done. We are getting very excited to find out where we go next, and I'm in for a few jobs in the Southwest. Both of us are hopeful to have a job before the holidays really kick in gear!!!

DONE!

I am officially done out here!!! Eli and I are packing up the apartment today, loading up the car tomorrow, and heading home! Of course it wouldn't be a drive across the country if we weren't trying to avoid a major winter storm, but the whole way home is on maintained toll roads, so we'll be fine. Looking back at our bucket list we did everything except for the canoeing trip. We were fully planning on doing this, but the park where we were going to go was federal and it was closed. Oh well! We did lots of other things. We've far exceeded the five thousand miles we originally named this blog (which is cool) and now we've officially been from one side of the country to the other (which I'm pretty proud of!) I can't believe I'm through my third assignment, sometimes when I think about it I can't believe I decided to do travel nursing in the first place. I will look back on this adventure years from now and feel very satisfied and proud of myself (and Eli) that we did this...now off to packing!!! (Ricketts Glen, Niagara Falls, Delaware)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!! Eli and I are celebrating by staying inside (it's cold out and there's snow on the ground) watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade and for dinner tonight we got a chinese food feast :) Our kitchen is tiny and we have a casserole dish, a crockpot, and a few misc. pots and pans. I said if we were ever going to have chinese food on a holiday this would be the one time to do it--plus I worked yesterday and again tomorrow so it's easy. Today I am thankful for my family and friends, I'm thankful for having my fiance with me, and I'm thankful that I lived at home this summer and got to spend so much time around my family. We are getting really excited to be home (we leave next Friday!)

Mixing it Up

Eli and I are busy getting things wrapped up out here! We haven't found out where we're going next, but we're hoping for the Southwest. I'm getting really excited for December--we're taking the month off to be at home and spend time with family and friends! This weekend we're going to be watching the Penn State/Nebraska game and going to Catching Fire--should be a relaxing weekend. Hope everyone's is the same!

Happy Birthday Eli!

Today is Eli's birthday! We are celebrating by making Indian food and watching a movie--Eli picked Alien. It's been pretty busy out here in PA--we're both working so we get up at 530 every morning. We've also been trying to get things for the wedding nailed down. It's getting chilly out here--there were actually flurries on Tuesday. My patients that live in the country were telling me they had some snow on the ground. This time last year it was a big weekend--it was the weekend we got engaged! Hard to believe that was a year ago :) (A few engagement pics)

Niagara Falls

What a great weekend! Eli and I spent the past few days up in Niagara Falls celebrating our birthdays and our almost One-Year-Engagement Anniversary--it's hard to believe a year ago I was getting all nervous about when he would propose :) So, Saturday we drove up to Letchworth State Park in New York State. It was cold, cloudy, and rainy, so we didn't hike, but we hit the highlights of the park. We saw a few waterfalls and had a fun lunch at a restaurant right next to them. Since it was kind of crappy outside we drove up to Niagara and hung out in our hotel room for the afternoon. We had dinner at The Niagara Culinary Institute and we felt like we were judges on Top Chef! It was SO fun! Eli had braised pork belly and I had sea bass. OMG, it was a blast. The next morning we got up early (heyo falling behind an hour!) and headed out to see the falls. It was freeeeeezing! Supposedly the Canada side of the falls is better, but I thought the United States side was really cool--you could walk right down by the rapids. Then we headed to Corning NY for lunch--super cute little downtown. It reminded me of Stillwater MN. It was a great weekend of celebrating! We are officially in our last month out here, it's hard to believe! (Overlooking Niagara, Eli on a different overlook, Letchworth State Park)

Happy Halloween!!!

Ok, Halloween is not my most favorite holiday, I've been known to hang out in my apartment with my roommate, I think we said 'hiding from everything scary' or something like that. However, Eli and I have noticed that people here love Halloween--they really get into it with their yard decorations. Our apartment is on the same block as an old cemetery as well. Early in the morning the fog hangs out around the gravestones--super creepy. We're going to be watching a comedy tonight and I'm making turkey chili and cinnamon rolls! (Huge candy bar--in the spirit of Halloween!)

Vacation This Weekend!

My five days off were glorious! We didn't end up doing anything over the weekend as Eli started working during the week, so we just wanted to hang out. I worked all weekend and then tomorrow and Wednesday then....Niagra Falls! We're going to hit up a state park on the way up there too--I'm psyched. Eli works from 6:30 to 3 so we don't get to see each other much during the week. It's getting cold out here--we had to scrape the car on Wednesday. It won't be too long and we'll have to turn on the heat! It's hard to believe it's almost November--some of the grocery stores have Christmas candy out already. I don't work Halloween (yay!) and since I hate being scared we're going to make gumbo and watch a comedy!  (Throwback to Seattle)

5 Days of R and R

Whew! I worked 3 days in a row this week and now I have 5 days off! The first two have been fabulous, lots of Bravo and tea! I'm sure we'll figure out something to do this weekend, but it's been nice just having the time to relax!

A Week of Travel- Delaware, Philadelphia, and Wellsboro

It has been a very busy week for Eli and I! We started off last weekend driving to Rehoboth Beach Delaware (check getting to the coast off our list!). The drive there was about five hours, but it felt like it took so.long. Rehoboth reminded me of Daytona Beach--condos, seafood restaurants, and surf shops everywhere. We lucked out big time with the weather--it was sunny and in the 80s. We spent the whole day relaxing on the beach and exploring the boardwalk. Eli and I went out to a great seafood dinner that night too. Super fun!

Then we came back to Williamsport since I had to work a day and it was off on another adventure. Eli's parents came into town to visit and we headed off to Philadelphia. We took a bus tour where you get to sit on top of the bus, which was a great way to see the city. Of course we had to get an authentic cheesesteak, which was delish. My favorite part was going to the Penn Museum which as our tour guide said "If you like anything having to do with people you should go there." Artifacts from all over the world--Indiana Jones things is how Eli described it to me. There was a huge exhibit on Ancient Egypt complete with a sphinx and mummies--I find that whole time period and place so interesting.

After a few days in Philly we drove to Wellsboro PA which is north of Williamsport for a scenic train tour of the fall foliage. The colors were really great and again we lucked out with the weather. It's been really busy out here in PA--it's hard to believe we've been here over a month already--time is flying by!
(Us on the beach in Delaware, Liberty Bell, Mummies, Pine Creek Gorge)

Pine Creek State Park

The weather has been warm and sunny the past few days so Eli and I took advantage and headed to Pine Creek State Park for a little hiking. I know I keep saying it, but the colors out here are getting to be so so pretty. We had a lot of fun exploring and hiking on a trail that went right down by little Pine Creek. It was warm and windy--very nice. We are leaving today for Delaware--we're staying right on the beach--and the weather is 80 and sunny!! (Eli at the start of trail, Pretty colors x2)

Ricketts Glen State Park

It's starting to look very fall-ish out here in PA! Eli and I spent all day yesterday at Ricketts Glen State Park. The park is about an hour drive east of us. It was such a nice drive, we drove through a few farm towns that were cute and the fall colors were really coming out. We joked that on the drive home it got even more fall-ish. Lots of reds and oranges, very pretty. The day started off a little cool and cloudy, perfect for hiking. Ricketts Glen is known for having 20 or so natural waterfalls. We took part of a trail that went by several of them--the tallest one was 94 feet! The hiking was pretty intense, you are literally climbing down rock stairs right next to the falls. There was a family of like six in front of us that had to take a picture at every.single.one. We finally skirted around them so it was just us on the trail--it was so fun and relaxing. I love the sound of running water. We're going to go back again after the leaves start changing because the experience will be totally different. Honestly, the waterfalls were so big and beautiful you forgot you were in PA--it felt more like Hawaii (minus the coconut trees) 

My first night shift went well--although I remember why I switched to days. I work another one tomorrow, but then I don't work nights for the entire next schedule. Eli and I are starting to get excited because next week we head on our first overnight trip to Delaware. (Eli on top of the falls, Us by the 94 foot-er, Liz giving the waterfall sass, Us on the beach)

PA Grand Canyon and a Late Night

I'm feeling SO much better--two days of sleeping and drinking tea did the trick! Wednesday Eli and I decided to take a trip out of Williamsport and explore the Grand Canyon of PA. It's a huge gorge surrounded by mountains--it's about 45 minutes away. The drive was beautiful, when the leaves start changing it'll be amazing. Eli picked a trail that had a few waterfalls on it. We kept saying it was a mystical looking forest because as we got farther down in the gorge it got quieter and the colors became more extreme. Looking up the gorge it was almost blue (kind of creepy) and down by the stream was this awesome shade of green. It was very fun, we're excited to go back later in the fall. I headed back to work today, and honestly it's been pretty good. Everyone has been nice. Then I work tomorrow night, so Eli and I are sitting here drinking french press coffee and keeping each other awake. Tomorrow is my first night shift in almost three years and I'm a little excited although I'm missing my night crew from back home (shout out to my St Es peeps!). Then I have a nice four day break--not too shabby! (Us in 'The PA Grand Canyon', waterfall, creepy color change)

Rough Weekend

I worked this past weekend, it was my first full shifts on my own. It would have been great except for the fact that I've been sick the past few days. Being sick and away from home makes it rough. We're making crock pot chicken noodle soup today--hopefully that makes everything feel better. I got a ton of suggestions from another traveler at work about things to do while we're here so I'm looking forward to feeling better so Eli and I can start exploring.

The Sweetest Place on Earth and Indian Echo Cavern

Today we took our first day trip! We headed to Hershey (wahooo!!!) where the Hershey Chocolate Factory is/ was started as well as Indian Echo Cavern. Hershey is a little over two hours away so we got up early(ish) and hit the road. We rolled into Chocolate World, and it's like a little kids dream--chocolate and candy EVERYWHERE! We took a free 'tour' of how chocolate is made--there were singing cows. The ride kind of reminded me of a Pirates of the Carribean-esque ride. It was pretty cheesy, but I'm glad we took it. While we were leaving one of the staff approached Eli asking his age etc and guess what?! He got to test out some new chocolate! I didn't fit the demographic, but he gave me half his samples. At the end we got a hershey bar. We also did a little chocolate tasting where we learned some history about chocolate--and of course tasted more. By the time we left we were on overload and in need of protein. We hit up Hershey Pantry for lunch and had yummy sandwiches.

After lunch we went to Indian Echo Cavern. It was a very small tour--there were only four of us. It was neat seeing the different rooms in the cavern, but I think we both prefer cave systems. It was an easy tour--our tour guide was wearing flip flops. None the less, it was fun! There's a cold front moving through tonight so tomorrow is supposed to be nice and cool. We're planning on doing some hiking tomorrow. (Us at Chocolate World, Entrance to Chocolate World, Entrance to Indian Echo Caverns)

Who Needs an Orientation?

I completed my first two days! Let me say, this hospital just wants you to jump right on in. I got eight hours of floor orientation and then I was on my own. I'll be totally fine, but had I had no experience with their computer system I'd be in trouble. The nurses seem very nice and it's fun to meet the other travelers on the floor. The hospital is set up very confusingly though so hopefully the more time I'm there the more I can figure out the layout of the building. I'm definitely getting a range in the hospitals I work, which I wanted. I was talking with Eli this morning saying it's pretty cool that after two days of work I have three days off and get to sleep in until 8 on a Wednesday! Kind of funny, everyone here is remarking how 'hot it is'--people, it's like 90 degrees!!! I told them I came from 100s and weeks of heat!  Today Eli and I are going to get my fingerprinting done and we're going to go by Verizon to look at smart phones for me--I feel a little left out when my sisters/friends are face timing--I want to be in on the action! I think we'll try and take a trip (I'm pulling for going to Hershey) in the next few days! (Our functional washing machine!)

The Drive and The Apartment

We arrived!!! The drive out here to PA was so much easier than the drive to Washington. Eli and I did not get as many pictures because the scenery didn't really change that much. Of course we took pictures of all the state signs. So there are tons of toll roads on the way out here--we paid over 20 dollars in tolls!   We rolled into our hotel pretty late Friday night and got a late start Saturday morning. We had a short drive into PA--we kicked my b-day morning off right with sausage egg biscuits from McDonalds (my not-so-secret indulgence) and Starbucks! First impression of PA--LOTS of trees, it's going to be absolutely gorgeous this fall.

The apartment is nice albeit a little dated. We're on the top floor--which I love. And it's so quiet. The whole town is pretty quiet, we've seen people in the grocery store, but it seems like not really anywhere else! The doors in the apartment are solid wood so when I close them I can't hear anything going on in the living room, it should be nice for the night shifts I work. The kitchen is pretty small, but hey Eli and I have used smaller. Oh, and our washer is leaking, but if that's the only problem I'm not complaining. Tomorrow is my first day at the hospital, I'm not feeling any anxiety, just ready to see what it'll be like the next 13 weeks! (PA state sign, living room, kitchen, bedroom)

PA Bucket List

The Bucket List in Washington helped make sure Eli and I got out and experienced the area. There's quite a bit to do in Pennsylvania so we've narrowed it down to the top 5--

1. Do at least two leaf tours, one driving and one hiking.

2. Visit Hershey Pennsylvania

3. Visit Philly and get a philly cheese steak

4. Take a weekend to visit the coast

5. Canoe trip to see the fall colors

 

We have a bunch of other things we want to do, but we need to get my schedule to see if we have time first. My first day is on Monday. We found out where we're living today, which is exciting! The first official day of the road trip is tomorrow, so we're getting the camera  charged up today and planning our route. 



Next Stop Is.....

Pennsylvania!!!!!! Today was my last day out at Lakeside and it has been a great eight weeks. I've gotten to know some really great nurses and meet a few more travelers. However Eli and I are SO excited to head off to Pennsylvania for a 13 week assignment. We're already coming up with weekend trips we want to go on. We got tons of wedding stuff done while we were home and tomorrow we're taking our engagement pictures!! Then we have the weekend plus a few days to reign in all of our stuff (I think it expanded in the basement), pack up, and hit the road!!!

It's That Time Again

Holy cow! It's hard to believe I'm done in Omaha 3 weeks from today. Eli and I have been super busy these past month and a half with both of us working and getting wedding things done. Here's a breakdown: Went to Kansas City and got a registry done, picked our florist (yay!), my dress came in (double triple yay!), spent lots of time with family and friends, and found time to lay out and get a tan. So now it's time to start looking for another job. I got my Massachusetts license today!!! So that's the plan--to head out to the Northeast for our next adventure. I think this is the fun part--finding out where we go next!!!! (CWS)

Week One

What a first week it's been! Orientation was pretty standard--learn the policies/procedures and then go through the computer charting. Kind of a long few days. I had my first day of orientation on the floor and right off the bat I noticed how nice everyone was. The first day I kind of shadowed and watched where different things were charted etc. Then my SECOND day of orientation I get to work and they had an ill call so I ended up taking a full patient load (6 patients) and I only got out of there an hour late.  Hey, for it only being my second day, and for having 6 patients I was pretty darn proud of myself. Then I did get one more day with a preceptor and yesterday was my official day on my own. I think it went really well and from the feed back I got my surprise day alone on the floor went well too. Overall, a great first week!

First Day

Today is my first day of orientation for Lakeside! I get to learn all the fun policies and procedures of the hospital. Tomorrow I get to start learning their computer system, which is of course different than the other ones I'm familiar with. How many systems are there?! Eli and I drove out to Lakeside the other day and it's a beautiful building. I have felt very welcomed so far and everyone I have spoken with their has been super nice. I told Eli I was little nervous and he reminded me that 'this is not your first rodeo'--I was like 'yeah it's my second!!' It's been hotter than heck in Omaha so I'm hoping for a cool down sometime in the near future!

Happy Fourth of July!

Eli and I had a great Fourth of July. I decided that I wanted pulled BBQ chicken sandwiches so I got up early and put the crock pot on. We went on a nice long run in the morning--we're running our first 5K in August so we're trying to get in shape. I was on a mission to get tan so we spent the whole afternoon in the sun playing bolos--I'm still working on perfecting my throwing technique. When we weren't playing yard games I was sitting out in the sun reading! I have some color now!!! Then we headed out to our good friend from camp and her hubby's house for some fireworks. It was such a blast (no pun intended) I have never been a huge fan of the noise fireworks make so I kind of stayed under the garage while they were being lit. Then we walked a little ways down the street and could see the skyline and omg it was awesome. A picture wouldn't have done it justice, but seeing fireworks like that was a really cool experience. It was a fun day! (Playing Bolos)

Omaha is our Homaha

We got our second assignment last week! Eli and I will be staying here in Omaha for the next eight weeks (it's a short one). I think it's a blessing in disguise because on top of being able to spend more time with family and friends we have an opportunity to get a lot of wedding items done that we've been putting off (heyo addresses!). During the CWS we got to go to two games! It was very fun, but super hot. We've also been spending a lot of time outside in the sun trying to tan up. We got pretty pale in Washington :) This is the week before we start working so we have a whole list of things to get done. It's nice because I have to wear navy scrubs at the hospital I'm working at and I already have a ton of those! All in all--life is good and I'm excited for what this new experience will bring me!

There's No Place Like Home

Eli and I got back to Nebraska last Tuesday and it's been quite busy ever since. We headed to Lincoln Wednesday for haircuts (yay!!!!), errands down town, lunch with one of my besties, and a BBQ. A good friend of mine from work hosted the BBQ at her house and I got to see all my friends from St. Es and their kids! It was so so fun. Since then we've been busy doing businessy/weddingy stuff. Today I'm so psyched because we are trying wedding cake--probs the best part of planning a wedding. We're also heading to a CWS game this afternoon and I'm excited because neither of us have been to the new stadium. Then we have my little sister's birthday dinner (wahooooo!!!). Eli and I are definitely keeping busy, but looking forward to going to our next location!

Fun.

Eli and I have had a busy/long/awesome past few days! Let me break it down-- Saturday we drove the rest of the way down California to San Francisco! Oh my gosh visiting Courtney, Melissa, and their fabulous husbands was such a blast! It was good for my soul. We started off at a delish Italian restaurant and enjoyed a few bottles of wine, great food, and amazing company. After dinner we headed to a wine bar and the fun continued! Eli and I got up the next morning (definitely slept in a little bit) and drove the looooonnng drive to Salt Lake City. It was about 11 hours, but we lost an hour going to mountain time. The Sierra Nevadas were really pretty, but after Reno there really wasn't anything. After we switched drivers I counted three or four little dust devils. This morning we got up early and drove south to Denver. Southern Utah = so awesome! We're planning on going back to hit up the Arches and Canyon National Parks. The rock formations were really impressive. We rolled into Colorado and were so thankful we did not try to drive through the mountains in February! Poor Pearl (my car) was tired after today! Tomorrow is our last leg and we'll be rolling back into The Good Life :)
( Mirror in Nevada; Sunset in Utah; Southern Utah; Colorado State Sign)

Among the Giants

Eli and I had a great day today! We got up early this morning and headed to the Redwoods Information Center. The lady who helped us was amazing, she basically suggested all of our activities for the day. So, from the top. We started on an easy discovery trail. The trail was easily marked and there was informative signage about the ancient forest. Pictures do not do these amazing trees justice. My mom texted me and asked if we were among the giants--and YES we absolutely were. Eli and I both felt so small and it's really cool to touch something so old. Then we drove to a couple more groves--the experience in each one was unique, but the pictures kind of started to blend together. As we headed down the coast via a scenic byway (suggested to us that morning) we pulled over a couple times on the beach! The water was so cold!! Very different from the waters of Sanibel Island that we went to last year. There was an overlook where apparently whale watching is good, so naturally we stopped there. Didn't see any. We rounded out the day with one last trip through another forest and then drove into Arcata California. I feel somewhat connected to this area, I think it's because I'm returning to the area where I was born. So far it has been a great start to our road trip home! (Beach; Eli and the Trees; Us in Redwood Forest)

3 States 1 Day--Washington to California

Eli and I got up early this morning and started our journey back home! I'm so excited for this trip. It's much different doing a road trip in June vs. February. Eli and I are both enjoying it a lot more. After we got past Portland we were in new territory. It was funny because the closer to we got to California, the hotter it got, but then we got here and it was actually a little chilly outside! I was so proud of myself because I drove around the winding narrow interstate right after we crossed the Oregon/California border. What we've seen of the northern part of the state is so beautiful (we saw some of the redwood trees on the way into Crescent City) and we are both really looking forward to tomorrow. (California State Sign, Northern California Scenery)

See Ya Later Puyallup

Eli and I have been pretty busy finishing up my assignment here in Washington and figuring out where we're going next. Not sure yet where that's going to be, but I'm staying positive and just enjoying the adventure we're on. So---packing up the apartment! OMG so much easier when most of the stuff isn't yours! Eli said today that we're like snails--we carry our home with us. Pearl (my car) is a trooper. We got her loaded up this afternoon and celebrated our last night here with thai food! I'm beyond excited for the trip home. We're stopping by Redwood National Park (which should be amazing) as well as seeing two of my dearest friends and their husbands in San Francisco! We're mixing it up and going through Colorado instead of Wyoming (yay mountain driving!) . Then it's time for family and friends! I'm so proud of us that we took this leap to go on our traveling adventure. I look back on the past four months and can't believe that I did it! Can't wait to see where our next assignment takes us!

Woodland Park Zoo

Eli and I went up to the University District in Seattle to go to J.Crew and the zoo! J.Crew was a success and the outdoor shopping center it was in had some great shops! Unfortunately we weren't in the shopping mood, so we went to Elemental Wood Fire Pizza for lunch. It was really good--we split a sandwich and a pizza. Then we headed to Woodland Park Zoo! As I've said I love zoos and I've enjoyed getting to experience more than just the HDZ in Omaha. Woodland had some fabulous exhibits. Eli's favorite was the Northern Exhibit area where there were huge Elk, Grey Wolves, and Brown Bears. OMG--when we drove up to Port Angeles there were Elk Xing signs and after seeing these in person a herd of them would be really scary! And the Brown Bears---HUGE! It really made me appreciate some the animals up here--I'll be getting a bear bell the next time we go hiking. My favorite were the hippos. The animal encounters felt a lot closer than what I've experienced back home. For example, the hippo swam out and was literally 10 feet away from me. Again, those are huge animals. I really enjoyed the landscaping and tree covered paths in the zoo. We got to see tons of critters even cute little lion cubs and my other favorite--elephants. (Zoo Entrance; Bears; Elephants)

Where to Next?!

I'm down to nine shifts left in Washington! Holy moly it's gone by fast. Eli and I have done a lot out here and I'm looking forward to printing out all our pictures and organizing them into an album. So since I am so close to being done I'm talking to my recruiter daily to get into my next assignment. I truthfully don't know where our next one will be. We've been wanting to go to the Northeast, but it really depends on where the jobs are. My recruiter is working really hard for me and I'm sure we will end up someplace great for the summer! In other news we are heading up to Seattle tomorrow to look at bridal party outfits! I'm so excited (I think Eli is too)! We also looked in Target today (one of the places we are planning to register) and I think it could be a challenge. Eli and I have very different tastes so it will be lots of compromising. I mean, I straight up almost lost it in Nebraska Furniture Mart when we had already looked at what felt like a million couches and found one we both liked...then he says 'I don't like that seam'. However, he was right and the couch we got is perfect. We are also going to the Seattle Zoo tomorrow! Hopefully the weather cooperates!! ( Us after the Storm King Hike; Skipping Rocks; Eli the Explorer)

A Touch of Nature--Olympic National Park

Eli and I just got done soaking our feet in an epson salt bath--the reason--a grand total of 15ish miles of hiking!!! Enter: Olympic National Park Adventure--specifically Crescent Lake!! Thursday we got up at 5 a.m. and headed up to the main Olympic Visitor Center which is in Port Angeles. It was a little iffy because the morning was pretty cloudy/foggy. We pulled over at a diner for some breakfast and I channeled my inner southern belle and got biscuits and gravy--so good. However, the weather did not disappoint and it was sunny and clear by the time we started our first hike. We headed up to Marymere Falls which was a fairly short non-elevation gaining jaunt. In fact, there were tons of groups of kids there on a field trip--lucky! The falls were awesome!! Eli and I had also decided climb Mount Storm King (neat story about creating Crescent Lake) before lunch. O.M.G. We called the hike our boundary breakers because I wanted to quit a few times and Eli really encouraged me through it. 2.2 miles with 2000 feet elevation gain and super steep switch backs. The views of Lake Crescent were worth it though! Needless, to say our delish dinner in Port Angeles and going to bed early were beyond awesome.

Friday, we picked a leisurely 8 mile hike that followed the edge of Lake Crescent. At the trail head there was a warning about cougars and what to do if you see one, so I felt (irrationally) anxious for the first part of it. Eli got me a walking stick and kept reminding me that nature didn't want anything to do with us. The views were great, we saw some old tunnels because the trail followed an old WWI rail line. We ended the trek at the Devil's Punch Bowl. The way back our feet were screaming out so once we got to the car we headed home. Overall, great experience. Pictures do not do it justice! The park is huge, we only did a tiny piece of it and there was a lot more to do at Lake Crescent. We hope we get to come back someday! (Marymere Falls; Lunch by Lake Crescent)