WHO IS EVERGREEN EXPEDITION?

Hi everyone! I am Jennifer, and I am excited to welcome you to my Washington state travel blog! I spent most of my life in Cincinnati, Ohio, before moving to the Seattle area in early 2020. Since moving to Washington, I have traveled to so many amazing places that I am really excited to share with you. And I have so many more places that I would love to explore. This state is absolutely beautiful with such a wide range of natural beauty from rugged coastlines to snow-covered mountain peaks. There is a lifetime of adventures to be had in Washington.

Growing up in Ohio, I hadn’t traveled out West very much. My favorite vacation destination was Siesta Key, Florida, where my family spent most of our vacations and I eventually ended up marrying my husband on the beach. And I still love to visit Siesta Key! But in 2018, I had some of my first experiences traveling out West as an adult. My husband and I visited Yellowstone and Grand Teton with our kids, and I was in awe… I had never seen such amazing scenery and wildlife, and I couldn’t get enough of the jagged mountain peaks of the Tetons. We also traveled to Spokane, Washington, that year to visit family and we loved the beautiful Riverfront Park with its roaring waterfall right in the middle of town. We were hooked. That was the year that we started to really feel the urge to move out West.

Since we had family in Washington and loved the area, we started searching for new jobs in the region and ended up moving outside of Seattle in January 2020. We live in a beautiful town that is in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. I have a hard time choosing which is my favorite – the beach or the mountains – so Seattle is a great place for us to land. (Although the beaches in Washington are quite a bit different than the Florida beaches that I was used to my whole life!) We are surrounded by beautiful scenery and tons of outdoor opportunities, and we feel so fortunate to live here.

Since moving here, I have really wanted to take advantage of having all of these amazing places within driving distance. Honestly, I feel like so many people that grew up in this area take for granted the opportunities that exist here. I have had so many people tell me that I have visited more places in the short time that I have lived here than they have in their whole lives living here.

I have spent countless hours online researching travel destinations, lodging options, restaurants, and hikes. I consider myself to be a planner in all aspects of my life including travel – I love to research and plan trips and then see them come to life before my eyes when I see them in person. I rarely set out on a trip without having researched the heck out of it! And I hope that by sharing my stories and experiences here, I can impart some of this research on you and allow you to have some of the same amazing experiences that my family and I have had in Washington. Besides being a planner, my travel style is somewhere in the middle of budget and luxury. I am willing to pay a bit more for a room with a view, but you won’t find me at a luxury hotel. I don’t really camp, or even glamp – I like a comfy bed and a bathroom. I love to find good food wherever I travel. I am not much of a solo traveler, but I will do it on occasion, although I prefer company. Since I have kids and a full-time job, my trips are often weekend trips or one-week vacations while school is out. And while I try to avoid crowds when possible, I do like to research all of the touristy must-do’s in a location and make sure that I hit most of them. I love National Parks and I have already hit all three of the parks in Washington since moving here, and I hope to someday visit all of the parks in the United States.

Some other fun facts about me… I have a husband and two kids in elementary school who (usually) put up with all of the adventures I plan for us and are my loyal photo subjects! I majored in Math and Statistics in college, and I work in a financial job in the insurance industry that allows me to use that math background. In my free time I also like to cook and bake, and I have a sourdough starter that I call my “pet” that I started in early 2021. I have a love-hate relationship with running – I hate to run, and I love the feeling when I have finished! I like to read psychological thrillers, which is my genre of choice when I bring a book while traveling. And a large part of my free time is spent thinking about, researching, and actually embarking on travels.

I hope you enjoy reading about our expeditions in the Evergreen State!