Tag Archives: nature

The Butterfly Garden at Acton Nature Center

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The Acton Nature Center of Hood County is a very special place and today I visited their butterfly garden. I did come here last year, but the summer was extra dry and the butterflies were limited. But this year there were a ton of butterflies in the garden. They looked like Monarch’s to me at first, but now I’m pretty sure they were queen butterflies and maybe a couple of monarchs and some smaller yellow ones. While I was there I also caught sight of some brilliant cardinals and a little grey hummingbird. Also some huge grasshoppers and dragonflies. And while it was cooler than last year (just in the mid-90s) it was still too hot for me to take the longer walk. Someday I’ll do that.  Admission is free.

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Garfield Nature Trail

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Garfield Nature Trail at 620 Rogers Street NW, Olympia is like a little haven of wilderness right in the middle of a residential neighborhood. It isn’t a typical park with picnic areas and playground equipment. Instead it is a trail through a ravine between Rogers Street NW and West Bay Drive NW. I hiked from Rogers to West Bay and back again. The path has several sets of stairs and boardwalks and I wish I had worn my sneakers because is places it was damp and a tad slippery. The trail was busy with young people, families and folks walking dogs.

Great Barrier Reef

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Our first full day in Australia we set off to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, which is a World Heritage Site as of 1981. We went on a catamaran to a large pontoon and the boat ride was very choppy! I’m guessing that about 70% of my fellow adventurers were sea sick and it was not a pretty sight! I has on my wrist bands and had taken ginger tables and a Dramamine and came out without an problems — surprising myself. Our adventure included:

  • Return air-conditioned fast catamaran transfers to Outer Barrier Reef Pontoon
  • Morning and afternoon tea and coffee*
  • Snorkelling equipment
  • Use of buoyancy vests
  • Reef education presentation
  • Hot and cold buffet lunch
  • Semi-submersible coral reef viewing tour
  • Underwater Observatory
  • Guided Eco Reef Talk

It was my first time snorkeling and, again, it was pretty choppy. But despite that it was very wonderful! I don’t have photos because my camera is not waterproof.

Tacoma Nature Center

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The Tacoma Nature Center at 1919 South Tyler was a hopping place this lovely summer day. There was a guy taking photos, a jogger, a couple taking a stroll, an entire group at summer camp and me. The weather was perfect as I walked the mile loop around the 17 mile Snake Lake and its associated wetland. It’s been a while since my last visit and I noticed some updates to the 71 acre nature preserve. The bridges looked better then I remembered and there is now a Discovery Pond play area for the kids (oh, and there were some moms with kids there, almost forgot them!)

http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/tacomanaturecenter/