A Day Off Well Spent

After a crazy week at work I was elated to get a text from my friend Chantelle (the one who got me to go to China with her) saying she was finally back in Washington! She has spent the last two years living a crazy life teaching middle school on an Indian Reservation in Chinle, AZ. She recently got accepted to Michigan State Law School on a full-ride and just found out she got into the very exclusive King Scholars Program (only 20 students are chosen in each class). She starts in August and I have been anticipating her arrival back home for her month-long summer break for a very long time. All of my friends seemed to have ended up in different states after I came home after college and I very much miss my female compadres. Don't get me wrong I love hanging out with Cody but sometimes all I need is some good girl time.
So Monday I got the text that she was back in town and that we were to hang out lots and lots and I spent no time waiting. Today was my first day off and I've been itching to go on a hike and we've had gorgeous weather that I hadn't been able to enjoy so we took to the outdoors. Since the Wadleighs and Connor and Katie have been frequenting the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge I've been really wanting to make my own journey out there.

*Pictures have been altered; It was a clear blue gorgeous day with the brightest of greens everywhere. I just thought I'd have a bit of fun with the look of the pictures.

I meant to talk to Megan or Connor about where to go or what trail was best but forgot so after minimal internet research we kind of just winged it. I found an online brochure for a trail head that seemed like a perfect easy loop trail. Well we went to the "trailhead" that I found directions to on the internet and it took us to the place that I'd gone with Megan before. We started out on the trail but found part of it closed off because they were spraying weed killer so we took the other path. After many decisions at forks in the trail and back tracking and re-choosing a path because we hit a dead end and after lots and lots of mesquitos (we had been warned about the bugs and were luckily prepared with spray) I was getting curious if this was really the loop trail I had found on the internet. We even passed a lady going opposite ways on the trail but then somewhere down our path came face to face with her somehow and figured we were failing at this so-called "loop trail" and decided to go back to the car.

**At the first trail head you have to cross a arched bridge to get from the parking lot to the trail that goes over these train tracks. When we were headed back to the car we were lucky enough to catch one that went right under us!

Back by the car we found a brochure (which we could've gotten at the beginning) and looked at the map and found out that the place that I thought was the only entrance to trails at the refuge was actually an entirely different section.

 So after some good navigating on Chantelle's part we found our way to the probably more visitor friendly entrance and trail (including an auto-route loop) and found the Kiwa Loop Trail that was our intention all along.

The refuge is gorgeous and so serene (and this part of the refuge didn't have any mesquitos!). All you have is wildlife and happy songs of birds surrounding you. We saw lots of birds but obviously aren't Connor and Katie and couldn't identify any including two beautiful bald eagles about 20 feet above us in the air.

A really neat bridge that was part of the trail that let you walk over the water

It was definitely a most needed nature refresher and a bonus that I got to share it with my closest friend that is one of my biggest blessings in my life.

I loved all the pretty yellow flowers that lined the trail

This is from a little outlook shack that gives you a great view of the area

and now for some fireworks ♥