Leaving Seattle

Three weeks in Seattle in August. Could life get much better? The weather has been absolutely beautiful and it has been so great to catch up with friends and family. I had so many great moments and will miss the people and familiar places.

Northeast Ohio has some hiking trails, but I was itching to go on a hike in the Cascade mountains and gain a little altitude. The Naches loop trail in Mount Rainier National Park was fantastic with lots of great views and a number of alpine lakes along the route, including Dewey Lake (pictured). I miss being a part of the wilderness ministry at Bethany Community Church in Seattle but I was grateful to get out on a hike and have great conversations along the trail.





I have found that when I lived in Seattle, I would often choose not to participate in tourist activities. It is much different, however, when I know I only have a specific amount of time in the city to explore and did the "Ride the Ducks" tour for the first time. What an entertaining tour and a great way to see the city! Obviously, most people that take the tour are from out of town, but I would recommend the tour even to locals. I got to play "uncle Ryan" to Kaiah and Petra, my very good friends' daughters and we quacked and made way too much noise the whole time.




I was also lucky enough to see the Seattle Sounders vs Portland Timbers game with over 67,000 spectators! That is incredible for two American soccer teams playing a regular season game. The atmosphere was absolutely electric. Great job by my photographer friend, Brandon Bleek, in capturing some great pics of the night. So thankful for all the great people I know and experiences I get to enjoy.