Mindfullness
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Naches Peak Trail Loop, again!
It’s July and my family spent a weekend up near Chinook Pass, and after everyone left and I finished my cleanup chores, I drove up to the pass for another dose of my favorite hike: Naches Peak Loop! It’s my go-to hike for July because of a number of factors. First the snow pack is…
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Hiking in the wilderness
What activities do you lose yourself in? I always thought Groundhog Day was a pretty funny movie, until I actually considered the reality of it. Every day is another repeat… wash, rinse, spin over and over and over and over. For the characters in the original movie, obsession with getting a relationship right was not…
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It’s a beautiful morning…
I thought my morning walk was something I just had to get through today. Turns out, nature revealed moment after moment of scenery that literally shocked me out of my stupor. Sometimes quiet reflection is the right response…. I wish my words could do what nature does unexpectedly. I’m stunned silent by the beauty that…
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Cool art, #2
Lunch at the Restaurant Fournaise, by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, located at the Art Institute of Chicago. There’s a storm outside with wind and pouring down rain, and I find this piece particularly pleasant. Do you have a favorite piece in Chicago?
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Cool art, #1
This is an oil on canvas at the National Gallery of Art at the Smithsonian. It is called, “Joshua Commanding the sun to Stand Still upon Gibeon.” The artist is John Martin. I find art an amazing medium to help with stress reduction. The reasons seem obvious to me: you have to sit still and…
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Most underrated national park…
There are a lot of national parks, and the top 5 get the lion’s share of attention. Everyone knows about Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon. These are iconic parks, that are matchless in their unique natural settings and huge yearly attendance. The Great Smoky Mountains have more visitors by far than any other national…
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A Weekend in the Mountains
Going off the grid and spending some time with nature, working hard for simple things, and just breathing mountain air is a recipe for better health. Going off the grid means no cell service, no power lines, no sewer, no water service, and only a dirt road going in… Spending time in nature: mountains, trees,…
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My old leather hiking boots…
Tell us about your favorite pair of shoes, and where they’ve taken you. Early in my 30’s, the idea of adventure and hiking crept back into my life after an absence. For years, I was awash in school, a new career, marriage, babies and moving too many times. When the dust settled, I yearned for…
Myhealthadventure 