We had the pleasure of hosting my brother-in-law, Aaron, for a week while he visited us from Minnesota! It was his first time visiting Washington State. We think we showed him a pretty good time and that was later confirmed when he stated “It has been an absolute blast being here!”

 

It was overwhelming when Sam and I were trying to plan what we wanted to do while he was here. There are so many awesome things that we wanted to show him. Aaron’s main request was to do lots of hiking.  Sam was able to take Aaron on some really awesome trails! We did find beach time and some easier hikes to do with the kids as well. Here are some of the highlights of our time with Aaron…

 

The trip started with Odin and I picking Aaron up at the ferry terminal. Odin was so excited to pick Uncle Aaron up from the Ferry and kept telling me “That’s Uncle Aaron coming from Seattle!!” as the ferry approached.

 

We spent an afternoon at Point no Point. One of our favorite spots in Kitsap County. Great sandy beach with awesome views. Found some crabs and shrimp in a tide pool. We walked along the beach collecting shells and sea glass.

 

We ended up going back to Point no Point on a warmer day so the kids could play in the sand and build sand castles. Aaron is clearly related to Sam- it’s a challenge to get them in pictures! Guess I’ll settle for any part of Aaron being in the picture…as shown below haha.

 

Sam and Aaron went hiking at Green Mountain in Bremerton. They took Gold Creek trail up to the Vista- where on a clear day you can see Seattle, Mount Rainier, and Mount Baker. It is an easier hike with just 1,043 foot elevation gain over 4.3 miles but it sure gives some awesome views!

 

A few days later they went back up Gold Creek trail again to catch the sunset over the Olympics.

 

We took the kids with us on our hike to Guillemot Cove and the stump house. It was low tide so we got to explore the beach! Found tons of crabs. Uncle Aaron was helping catch them for Odin!

 

The Boat Shed has some of the best seafood in Kitsap! It’s so relaxing sitting on the deck on a beautiful, sunny day. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch on the deck with views of the Olypmics and watching the Ferry come and go. We saw several starfish on the beach from the deck so we decided to head down  to check it out while waiting for our food!

 

At 347 feet, Vance Creek Bridge is the second tallest railway trestle bridge in the country! For nearly a year Sam has wanted to visit Vance Creek Bridge, an abandoned railroad bridge and finally got the opportunity with Aaron!

 

Thankfully, Aaron decided to invest in a decent pair of hiking boots before making the trip! This allowed Sam to take him on one of the more serious hikes in the area – to Mount Storm King!! 3.6 miles out and back with a 2,080 foot elevation gain, sweating is non-negotiable.

 

 

 

 

After a swift descent, Sam and Aaron decided to stop by the Marymere Falls at the bottom before calling it a day.

 

So thankful to have been able to show family this amazing place! I’m glad Aaron got to take an awesome vacation and do some hiking like he hoped. Sam was thankful the weather allowed for him to get his brother out on some awesome trails and enjoy some time together!

 

On to the next adventure…