Hurricane Ridge

It was rainy on my last day in Washington last week and I found myself in Olympic National Park, Hurricane Ridge to be specific.

I didn't mind at all that our view was obstructed. When you are at your final destination on a trip, one that you've dreamed of seeing for ages, you're just happy to be there. I'm sure these guys felt the same.

We did see a glacier up close and personal. That counts, right? Because it's October and the ice is still there? Anyone?

This was our view, which didn't showcase the Olympic Mountains at their peak, but I still found it to be pretty spectacular.

It started to clear up as we headed down the mountain.

And just beyond that ridge ... Canada!

We drove around Lake Crescent towards the other side of the park and the other natural treasures in store.

Mount Saint Helens or Bust

After cruising along the Columbia River Gorge and heading into Washington state on our way to my aunt and uncle's house, a mysterious mountain loomed ahead.

Actually, we had to exit and drive a ways first, but then we saw it ... Mount Saint Helens, the stuff from geology class made of legends from the 80s.

It's been over 30 years, and the treeline is still barely starting to recover from the famous volcanic blast.

Here you can see the once snow-capped mountain that blew its top in a nine hour stew of gases and ash. Well, the build up to it lasted much longer, as you can imagine.

Eight foot diameter trees were snapped off their roots and the sound barrier was smothered for 30 miles around. My uncle remembers his apple farm getting covered in ash over 100 miles away, and a visitor from Ohio told me that ash snowed into her pool from that fateful day.

That's one mountain I think I'll skip climbing.

Yosemite- Day 3

For the last day camping and hiking in Yosemite, my dad and I had our biggest hike yet up to the top of upper Yosemite Falls. It's a good 7.6 miles, nothing we can't handle. And lucky timing, too, since in a couple weeks this seasonal waterfall will most likely be dried up till next year. Did you know this is the highest waterfall in North America? Here are some views on the way up.

I wasn't a fan of the ravenous, immune to human, zombie-like squirrels, but I liked to see this little guy laying on his stomach. Or maybe he was on a stakeout for his next meal from an unsuspecting hiker?

This could be a repeat photo, but I seriously couldn't get enough of this view.

Scared of heights? Me, too.

Yosemite hosts many youth programs throughout the summer to help kids (like here below) develop their connection with the environment.

For more info on protecting Yosemite, check out the Yosemite Conservancy page.

Furniture Tour

Hey, art lovers. There's still one more tour we haven't seen from my wonderful day at the Met during my week in New York. And get ready, it's a nerdy one.

Royal furniture and stately rooms! I seriously can't get enough of this stuff.

The first stop was the Studiolo from the Ducal Palace in Gubbio, designed by Francesco di Giorgio Martini, though I think the craftsmen should get some credit. The entire room is wooden inlay, or intarsia, and uses the grains of wood to make the pictures look three dimensional. 

Notice the detail to use a different grain to cast a shadow.

Our curator shone light on one edge to show a better example of the 3D effect. This would be extraordinary if created now in the age of power tools.

Next came embroidery from Louis XIV. These are not tapestries, mind you. This was all done by hand, not loom.

Can you see the silver thread?

Another example of elaborate inlay using ivory, tortoiseshell and ebony.

Rococo chandelier.

Scallop shell armchairs with original tapestry from the mid-18th century. Take the oldest buildings in our country, and this chair is even older.

Lacquered desk of Louis XV, all part of a fascinating process of tapping trees in Southeast Asia for the effect.

Marie Antoinette's chair.

Can you see her insignia? It's in the center under the cabinet top.

A raised desk with compartments and a book slant for more comfortable reading. Kind of robotic for the neoclassic period.

By 1710 porcelain was made in France during the reign of Louis XV by the famed company Sevres. Porcelain was of particular interest with royal furniture because it retains its color over age. This furniture was intended for the women of the court.

The carvings on the side panels are Wedgwood.

I snapped these as I walked through Medieval art to catch up with the next tour.

Now I'm appreciating my Aunt Ettorina's wedding china she passed on to me. It has patiently waited in my father's garage for at least five years, and now it will be used everyday in my new little kitchen.

Stay tuned for the excitement! I don't think it's Sevres, but it's antique as far as I'm concerned.