Travelogue - Olympia, WA
View of Mt. Rainier from the plane.
A very good friend of mine recently moved from Boise to Olympia, WA. I stayed with her for a few days and we explored a few nature refuges, as well as nearby garden centers. It was really interesting to see the similarities and differences between our two cities!
I’ll miss my friend so much, but look forward to visiting her again.
McLane Creek Nature Trail
This is the place where I first started using the Merlin ID app to identify and log bird calls! It seemed fitting, as we heard and saw many different birds as soon as we came into view of the lake. Some of the birds we identified that day were: redwing blackbird, cedar waxwing, Stellar’s Jay, common yellowthroat, and wood duck. We even heard an owl hoot once, but didn’t get a chance to ID it since it didn’t make anymore sounds after that.
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
The day we visited the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge, it was very warm, and we didn’t get to see very many birds. We could hear some, including Swainson’s thrush, yellow warbler, and blue heron. It was a lovely place to walk around!
Wandering Around Town
Every morning we walked to a coffee shop nearby and I noticed a rock on the way that maybe has been a popular place to take a break.
Whenever I go to a new town, I feel compelled to visit the local yarn store! This one was a lot of fun.
There are a few pieces of public art we noticed. This circle of hands with apples is an interesting piece!
The last night I was there, we went to a nearby park to see if we could hear owls. We did end up hearing some great horned owls.
Book Recommendation
At the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge, we spent some time looking through the gift shop. I saw the Cascadia Field Guide and immediately fell in love with the art style and thought the concept was very cool.