Coast

Floris van Breugel on August 14th, 2021

After weeks of suffocating heat and smoke from the Tamarack, Beckworth, and Dixie fires, Aubrey and I decided it was time to make a trip the California coast, one of the only places within a 7 hour drive that could promise cool and clean air. We followed the long and windy roads to Salt Point …Read the Rest…

Continue reading about Petrified Sea — Salt Point State Park, CA

Floris van Breugel on December 31st, 2015

After not having seen the ocean in over a year (Los Angeles beaches don’t count), Aubrey and I managed to make two visits in less than two weeks. It was nice to see the rolling waves and smell the fresh, crisp, and salty air again. New blog feature – click images for larger pop-up view! …Read the Rest…

Continue reading about Scenes from the Pacific Coast

Floris van Breugel on August 9th, 2015

A few weeks ago as Aubrey and I boarded a plane headed for Juneau the flight attendants looked at our hiking boots and backpacks and asked joyfully, “going backpacking?” “Nope,” we replied, “we’re going to a wedding!” Truth be told, we were a little out of place with our hiking boots – we should have …Read the Rest…

Continue reading about Southeast Alaskan Summers

Floris van Breugel on February 5th, 2014

While the rest of Seattle gathered in front of their TV’s last weekend to cheer on the Seahawks, Aubrey and I escaped to the Olympic coast to watch the hawks by the sea. To be fair, there weren’t any hawks, but we did see bald eagles, sea otters, surfing sea lions, and – to our …Read the Rest…

Continue reading about A Sandy Fantasy – Olympic Coast

Floris van Breugel on October 31st, 2013

Have you ever wondered why it seems like there are more spider webs around this time of year? I’m not talking about the fake cobwebs people string up around their houses for Halloween, but real spider webs. On a recent trip to the coast, it struck me how many webs were out. Perhaps the eerie …Read the Rest…

Continue reading about Spider Season – Olympic National Park

Floris van Breugel on March 27th, 2012

With backpacks loaded with goodies including freshly smoked Halibut and Black Cod from a friendly man we met in Neah Bay, fresh veggies, a bottle of wine, french cheese, whiskey, four logs of treated firewood, and other necessities, I headed down the muddy path to Shi Shi beach in Olympic National Park last weekend with …Read the Rest…

Continue reading about Sea of Dreams – Olympic National Park

Floris van Breugel on December 20th, 2011

I had hoped to be out skiing this past weekend, however, this has been the driest December in the Northwest on record! So, rather than spend two days skiing on alternating slush and ice, I headed out to the coast with Aubrey and our friend Jared. At just a few days before the winter solstice, …Read the Rest…

Continue reading about Silent Seas on the Olympic Coastline

Floris van Breugel on September 14th, 2011

Since moving to Seattle earlier this year I’ve been looking forward to spending a clear and dark summer night in the San Juan Islands (in Washington’s Puget Sound) – the optimal time to see the incredible phenomenon of marine bioluminescence. A few weeks ago that time finally came, and I went out to Shaw Island …Read the Rest…

Continue reading about Bioluminescence : Noctiluca scintillans in the San Juan Islands

Floris van Breugel on September 1st, 2011

In several places along the California coast (among many other areas) the sandstone rocks and cliffs are riddled with small holes, like little rounded pockets often evenly spaced. These strange formations, called tafoni (singular: tafone), are thought to be formed when structurally variable rock is subject to erosive forces such as salt weathering and long …Read the Rest…

Continue reading about Simple Treasures : California Tafoni

Floris van Breugel on August 12th, 2011

According to legend, Pele – the Hawaiian goddess of fire, lightning, dance, and volcanoes – lives in the Halemaʻumaʻu crater of Kīlauea, located in Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park. Kilauea means “spewing” or “much spreading” in Hawaiian, an apt name given that it is one of the most active volcanoes on the planet. Unfortunately there were …Read the Rest…

Continue reading about Pele’s Playground : Hawaii Volcanoes Nat. Park