NY, NY: Our Toddlers take on the Big Apple

This is Part I of the New York City Travel Series

 

OUR AMTRAK pulled into New York Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station right on time. I don’t know how they did it. We were about 40 minutes late leaving Boston, where we’d spent a delightful visit with family, but somehow the engineer had put the pedal to the metal and shot us through some fine country sites of New England countryside to reach the Big Apple in roughly four hours.

We rattled about gathering our stroller and luggage, much to the strained patience of other passengers (“if the train’s stopped, you get off!”—maybe we weren’t quite as back on schedule as I thought) and then tumbled off into the sea of people milling the platform.

Okay, we told ourselves. This is the big leagues. Boston’s subways were nada compared to this.

I had a lot of mixed emotions coming back to NYC. You know that feeling you get when you visit a place you haven’t been to in a really long time, and there’s that odd pull of constantly looking for things you remember and then being overcome by all that’s changed. The last time I’d been a child visiting grandparents over in Long Island, and I distinctly remembered the vintage colonial that stretched up and up to three stories, the way the home would get overwhelmingly hot in the muggy grips of summer, and an outrageous green staircase. I remembered the classic train stations, the Empire State Building, and a beach where I’d been bowled over by a giant wave and had to spend the next week feverish in Grandma’s bed with a splitting ear infection.

This time we were doing the ultimate tourist extravaganza in Manhattan with the next generation, and we were going to see it all. The Statue of Liberty. Central Park. Museum of Natural History. Did I mention the “next generation” were toddlers?

So there we were, standing on the sidewalk and trying to keep walking like we knew where we were going while surreptitiously checking our Google Maps. The hotel was only a 16 minute walk away but my God, the traffic. My God, the people. So we joined the throng waiting for a taxi (31st Street midblock between 8th and 9th Aves). There was plenty to be entertained by while we waited, like our first taxi driver brawl (no cutting in line, folks, you will be called out). The poor guy helping passengers load into their taxis was like a conductor, turning the warmth of his smile on us sweaty and tired tourists while at the same time dancing around catching one taxi that tried to zoom away with the trunk wide open, breaking up fights, and reminding the drivers there would be no sass or they could take a hike. He saw the size of our group and got us a taxi van lickety-split. We were off. At a snail’s crawl. Tons of construction up and down streets; another one closed off for an event. Out comes the phone to show a marathon of Bluey to the displeased toddlers. So in double the time it would have taken walking, we arrived at our esteemed hotel. Step One, done!

There was a playground nearby, and we stocked up on food at Whole Foods—I recommend the smoothies. The hotel had graciously given us a fridge stocked completely with alcohol. We politely informed them that our ask of a minifridge was because we had little kids, and they shuttled a much smaller, but empty one up to us.

But who wants to eat in when there’s so much to see, so much to try! I will say the Australian-flair Bourke Street Bakery on 28^th Street completely stole our hearts. A perfect mix of savory breakfast rolls, decadent croissants, and this truly excellent Culture Coffee plus great customer service had us coming back more than once.

And where else to go first but the American Museum of Natural History!

Let me tell you: we severely underestimated the size of this place. We thought all the time would be spent at the dinosaurs. So there we were, lazing our way past these awesome fossils (gawking at how much we’d forgotten since elementary school). Did you know about the Titansaur? This Cretaceous period giant is so long its neck stretched clear out of the room! It was great. Then we stumbled into the life-like mammal exhibits. Then we come face to face with a blue whale suspended from the ceiling in a marine exhibit that seemed the size of a football field. (You see where this is going, don’t you—yes, nap time was definitely in jeopardy).

So our youngest passed out in the gemstone exhibit, which was filled with brilliant jewels of every kind and size, including a sixteen foot amethyst. We’ve maybe seen a quarter of the place. It’s giant, truly impressive. Really plan for a whole day.

However, with six days to spare, we were off to Central Park, which is right across the street. It was time to run for miles! (yes, the youngest was up now). Again, this is another place that we truly enjoyed and could have easily spent the whole day there. In the space of a couple hours, we stumbled upon Belvedere Castle, a beautiful overlook first built in 1872 that overlooks the Turtle Pond and the Great Lawn. Everyone was out enjoying the beautiful day on Great Lawn with plenty of games, plus we checked out Cleopatra’s Obelisk which carries Egyptian hieroglyphics. Coming back, we found what we thought was the famous tunnel bridge from Home Alone 2 but later discovered it is more toward the far south of the park.

Catching the subway back downtown was... interesting. Rush hour was in full swing, but luckily we had two very tuckered out kids, and one hardened New Yorker appointed himself our guardian and made sure everyone gave us room to exit. The hardest part was trying to find an elevator for the stroller. At one point, we got out of the subway, waited until the crowd died down, and then manhandled that stroller up two flights of stairs as stealthily as we could (can’t wake the toddler!) No, elevators are not standard at every stop.

As such, an early night! Just as I was falling asleep, I caught the forecast for our upcoming day at Statue of Liberty: rain… (To be continued)

Disclaimer: The above is depicted as fiction, not fact.

 

 

Suncadia in the Off Season (Cle Elum, Washington)

THERE IS NOTHING LIKE A GRAND WINTER ESCAPE to the mountains. The scent of pine and Douglas fir, the scrape of skis over crisp powder, and only the sound of your lungs pumping in fresh, crystalline air for miles around. Except this time, we took the drive over Snoqualmie Pass and there was no snow. A few downhill skiers had staked out what little snow was left on the ski runs, but cutting down into Cle Elum, it was high and dry.

This is visiting in late February.

Suncadia Resort is affiliated with Hyatt. For those looking for a closer cross country ski haven than the legendary Methow Valley in Central Washington, it’s only about 1.5 hours from Seattle area. As we came down the drive, it felt like we were entering a gated community. Houses flanked the main drive left and right, much of it recent construction. We passed the Swim and Fitness Center which offers outdoor pools and hot tubs of all temperatures, an indoor option, and two massively fun waterslides. A short distance away was the main lodge where we were staying.

I’m telling you, the view is quite jaw-dropping. Walking into the hotel, you’re met with a dizzyingly beautiful panorama of the Cascades plunging into a deep valley, of which a river and old bridge run through. The second outdoor pool is fastened to this cliff overlooking it all and is open until 10 PM, so you can add dazzling stars to the list as well. There are tons of trails in back of the hotel but be prepared for cliffs. It’s quite a drop off. There are also a couple of firepits. The hotel puts out everything you need for making s’mores around 7 PM.

The rooms are comfortable, some offering kitchenettes, in addition to three restaurants around the Suncadia Resort, and a quick grab-and-go eatery inside the main lodge. Safeway at Cle Elum is a quick stop from here, and Roslyn also isn’t far away for some additional restaurant options.

I imagine if there was snow, it would be a great family cross country trek to Nelson Farms. We still visited by car, because there is a wonderful playground, and the nearby farm owners were nice enough to let us explore their property. It looks to be mainly for special events, but there’s fun little tractors and hay bales for littles to climb.

However, we were on a mission to find snow, damnit, and find it we did—we drove to Salmon le Sac Sno-Park (pass required). Most cars were lined up off the main road, but there was also a sign on the right pointing into a parking lot. There was still snow, albeit, a bit wet and dirty, leading off into the woods. Luckily for us, we had little kids who were more interested in sledding. The small slopes next to the parking lot were the perfect size for them.

Then it was back to the lodge to get in our swimsuits—it was a brisk trek to get over to the Swim and Fitness Center, but we had the entire pool to ourselves. Us grown ups got the chance to try out those fun water slides, zero line. Perks of going in the off season! Plus with the s’mores under the heavens at night—you really feel like you have the entire Cascades to yourself. However, maybe next time, would recommend a bit earlier in the year.

Disclaimer: the above is depicted as fiction and not fact.

February 2026 Book Review - Fourth Wing

 

Fourth Wing
By Rebecca Yarros
The Empyrean Series #1

 

Warning! Spoilers!

 

IMAGINE Harry Potter without the professors. Eragon without the complex relationship with Sapphira. Any of the enemies-t0-lovers paranormal novels out there without the actual enemy part. That’s Fourth Wing.

I’ll admit, the first third of the book had me hooked. There’s nothing cooler than a badass dragon school. Violet is the daughter of a high-ranking military leader forced to undergo the dragon rider trials at her mother’s whim, rather than become a scribe like her father. She’s weak, unprepared, and hurting because her brother died while serving as a dragon rider. Xaden is introduced as the son of the enemy, forcibly conscripted into the army to make amends for his family’s betrayal. There’s also the hostile Jack Barlowe, who hates Violet’s guts for some reason. There’s peppy friends and some differentiation between dragon species, and no shortage of tribulations.

However, the strong start quickly nosedives into erotica fanfiction land. The world-building is flimsy and unmemorable. Why these age-old super powerful dragons submit to humans at all is a mystery. Violet’s determination to get into Xaden’s pants becomes the sole driving relationship, and every other character blurs into the same person—a Team Violet cheerleader, or a Violet Hater for paper thin reasons. Xaden is supposed to despise Violet. Her mother killed his family. However, despite this initial chapter stating this, there’s never any showdown between them, no real hatred. That’s saved for Jack, who despises Violet without any development or deeper understanding of why. It makes the tension between Violet and Xaden spaghetti-noodle-limp, and Jack’s vendetta a big yawn. You just don’t care.

Plus, the professors who are responsible for running this school (with its high student mortality rate) aren’t present at all. Not one of them is memorable the way Professor Snape or McGonagall was in Harry Potter. If you’re going to have a dragon rider school, at least give the professors some real personality and a stronger mentor relationship agenda with Violet. Instead, it’s the older students teaching the younger cadets everything.

The dragons were the best part by far. I did like the twist that Violet became bonded to two dragons. What if they were at odds with each other? Had different philosophies? However, we barely get any time exploring dragon society. For some reason, bonding with a dragon isn’t enough—they also give our intrepid heroes superpowers. Violet gets lightning and another super-special power, so now the stakes of her dying are at an all-time low. At least give her the taboo mind-reading power which is a death sentence in this society. Instead, there just aren’t any stakes, and by the end, I was bored. The casual modern-day dialog in a medieval setting also continued to remind that this was just soft serve with dragons thrown in.

The baddies show up the last few chapters. They are mean.

Overall, I don’t see how this plot could survive four more novels. Considering the price of books these days, there’s probably better fanfiction out there. Read for an airplane novel, but otherwise, recommend skip. 

Recommended for fans: Sarah J Maas, Stephanie Meyer, Colleen Houck 

Merry Christmas 2025!

 MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOURS

2025 has come and gone. It has been the year of unprecedented rain, begging our house not to sink, our one-year-old's first plane ride (of which she slept a whole 20 minutes!), creating new memories in California, reminiscing through old stomping grounds in Oahu, and listening to beautiful holiday music (Handel's Messiah, Celtic Christmas). It's the second Christmas without my father--the little redwood we planted for him hangs stubbornly on despite an unexpected haircut from well-intentioned community park groundskeepers. It's been watching my four-year-old wake up to a larger and more complex grasp of the world, and I'm always amazed how much she picks up on.

Writing with the littles is unbelievably hard. I cherish those fleeting moments when it's me and the page. If anything, it does force you to focus and not get distracted, because naptime is on its way out for my older one!

So I'm about midway through Part II of III in the last book of the Afterlife Chronicles - The Stars of Eden. Having kids really makes you ponder what you pen to page, knowing they will stumble across it later (for this series, much later). It's good. Makes the writing cleaner, focused. Really makes you think about what you're trying to say. It's thrilling to nearly be complete with a trilogy. Wincing at how long it takes, but that's life. 

Speaking of which, I hear stirring right now.

Happy Holidays from us and Tinsel Cat, and wishing you a wonderful 2026. Keep writing and traveling!

Gen V Season 2 Review

Gen V

Season 2 Review

Amazon Prime

 

Warning! Spoilers!

 

THEY’RE BACK. The superhero college gang who sometimes attend class but mainly are on the run from whatever evil mastermind has been appointed to run Godolkin University (aka God-U) this time.

This spin-off of the superhero sensation The Boys is a whole lotta fun, and you can tell the creators and cast are having the time of their lives making it. We’ve got the Head of Student Life who appears to be a perfectly normal girl albeit with a giant bee stinger that would bring instant death to anyone who touches it (including herself), we’ve got Modesty Monarch lecturing budding superheroes on the importance of personal brand on social media, and of course no one will forget Black Hole whose superpower is…yah, can’t go there.

The end of last season even saw the appearance of Homelander (the sublime Anthony Starr), who in no way mirrors current political events 😉, manipulating two of the gang Kate and Sam into enforcing a new terrifying status quo at God-U where Super-enabled are supreme and humans are inferior. Season 2 immediately dives headfirst into the aftermath of the uprising while navigating the extremely tragic passing of lead actor Chase Perdomo, who died in a motorcycle accident during shooting. The void left by Chase’s Andre, with his casual humor and light-heartedness hiding the pain of losing his dearest friend, not to mention a heck of a power with his ability to manipulate magnetic objects, is addressed head-on with the gang floundering without him and accusing each other for his death. It is revealed that after Homelander squashed the uprising at God-U, Marie and her friends were thrown into a horrible lab and experimented on. Marie is able to use her ability to manipulate blood to escape without her friends, but Chase endeavors to rescue them all, trying to bring down a prison wall that ultimately leads to his heart giving out.

Without Andre, Jordan steps up to center stage with Marie, the two attempting to build a relationship that keeps getting knocked down as Marie, however well-intentioned, continues to shut Jordan out, fixated on a cat-and-mouse game with the sinister new leader of God-U, Dean Cipher, who fills Marie’s head with delusions of grandeur over the god-like level of her powers. You really can’t blame Marie – Cipher is played by the brooding Hamish Linklater (Netflix’s Midnight Mass), and every line is delivered pitch-perfect with devilish gusto. The mystery builds around who is this stranger intent on staging cage matches with the students and what he wants with Marie. Kate can’t mind control him and Marie can’t detect V in his blood. The big reveal is great with all the little hints dropped along the way, but man, does it feel like we should have had two episodes at the finale to really let all the characters have their time to shine.

It's a lot. Don’t forget we’ve got Sam trying to process who he is and how much of his schizophrenia is him and how much is the V, Emma trying to learn how to control her powers without self-harm and leading a mini-revolution against the human hate group taking over God-U, and Polarity trying to find meaning with his son lost and his own heart going the same way. Kate as well undergoes a mini-redemption arc which is highly welcome, but again, it’s all an incredibly fast pace—the biggest bomb dropped is finally the appearance of Marie’s long-lost sister, estranged from Marie ever since the horrific night she accidentally killed their parents, and damn if that doesn’t need some time to unpackage.

Overall, Gen V Season 2 is a solid instant watch with all the grotesque over-the-top bodily fluids and twisted deaths shenanigans you’ve come to expect from The Boys universe, but it’s a huge cast now, especially with the official crossover. A big part of how successful the final 2026 season of The Boys will be is who it chooses to focus on to allow a satisfying emotional payoff.

As for bets on who will it finally be to take down Homelander? Can’t deny Ryan and Butcher are first in line, but it would be very poetic for Marie to purge Homelander’s blood of V and leave him a little ol’ human at the mercy of the global savagery he's amplified. Or Stinger could make the heroic sacrifice. Either way, with creator Eric Kripke fulfilling the reunion dreams of Supernatural fans everywhere with an appearance by Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins in Season 5, you can be sure this will be one helluva way to end a series.

Disclaimer: the above is depicted as fiction, not fact.

Wednesday Season 2 Review

 WEDNESDAY
Season 2 Review
Netflix

*Warning! Moderate Spoilers!*

 

SEASON 2 of the hit Netflix series Wednesday has dropped to get us in the Halloween spirit. While eager to see where the story goes next, the verdict is it all feels a bit—much?

So many villains. So many plots. The biggest and strongest arc is the evolving Addams family dynamics, in which Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) has lost her premonition gift, and she is at odds with mother Morticia (Catherine Zeta Jones) about how to get it back. Wednesday’s stubbornness and refusal to listen gets a bit frustrating, but hey, teenagers. Steve Buscemi’s smarmy and superbly odious Headmaster Dort plays a driving force in keeping Wednesday’s parents at Nevermore Academy for the deadly duel between daughter and mother to play out.

And honestly, that would have been enough right there. Focus on the classes and what the Nightshades are actually learning to advance their skills, bring in the highly talented Gwendoline Christie as Wednesday’s ghostly new spirit guide much sooner, and it would have allowed much more character development and atmospheric tension to mount. Instead we get Tyler (Hunter Doohan), the monstrous Hyde from last season galivanting about, murderous crows pecking people’s eyes out and left and right, Wednesday’s dense younger brother raising a zombie, the Sirens worrying about an offscreen cult leader, a brief stunt with a cartoonish depiction of the militarized boy scouts, and Enid's love life, to name a few.  

By the way, does Hunter Doohan not look like uncannily Millie Bobby Brown?? The entire time, I’m thinking Eleven’s having a really bad day.

credit: positivenegativity8 - Reddit

All the scattered plot lines do come together in the end, but the emotional payoff is lacking. Thing starts bonding with other “parts” of a “whole,” and trying to reconcile with its identity moving forward, but then one of the key leaders driving this group gets casually killed off in the next episode. By the time Enid calls the Nightshades together to face the Big Bad, it’s utterly underwhelming because they’ve spent the entire season apart, and their teamwork hardly amounts to much. I did like the zombie/Frankenstein monster villain but it felt like that could have been an entire season unto itself.

As much, I hope for Season 3 that things slow down. We’ve got a great set up with hopefully just ONE family insider nemesis who potentially uses ravens to do her bidding? Is the spying bird with the bloody eyes a crow or a raven? (My theory is Judi Spannegel is a red herring.) Because as Hitchcock demonstrated, you can do enough with killer birds for a whole season. Less is more.

***Oh, and the part where the Addams family blows up a stop sign and then laughs it off, even as this action promptly leads to a car accident? Yeah, couldn’t respect these characters after that.

*The above is depicted as fiction, not fact

 

Doing San Francisco, CA with Toddlers

 

A VICIOUS CATCH-22 FOR PARENTS, to go on “vacation” with little ones. Our youngest is still cruising and not impressed with trolleys, Victorian and Edwardian architecture, and island prisons. She did, however, find the sand at multiple beaches quite eatable. Our oldest is close to four and did thoroughly enjoy San Francisco. We stayed at Fisherman’s Wharf, an ultra-touristy district with ultra touristy prices. We were fortunate to have comp nights to spend at a hotel within a ten-minute easy walk to sea lions, but if you don’t have a pool of those lying around, I’d recommend searching further out and then take advantage of the excellent public transit. The BART’s public electric train system had such a good reputation that we mulled taking it all the way from the airport, but ended up reserving a pay-up-front taxi ride through http://airporttaxicabservices.com/ on account of our mountain of luggage (easy to book, driver communicated with us via text within minutes of landing). 

Yes, there were the notorious driverless Taxis every few blocks as well, predominantly Waymo, an empty one of which eerily turned its wipers on in the rain. However, not something we'd take a chance on with kids.

Ghiradelli Square Fountain

Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf

You could wander the waterfront at Fisherman’s Wharf for hours. Savor views of Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and Bay Bridge among harbors bobbing with eccentric vessels. Ripley’s Believe It or Not, a Ferris Wheel with wonderful views, Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory, and fresh hot sourdough in the shape of animals at Boudin Bakery make it a family-friendly delight, although be prepared to spend an arm and a leg for those Dungeness crab melts ($92 for 3 Lobster Rolls).

Aquatic Park by Ghirardelli Square

Chocolate Sundaes at Ghirardelli's

Boudin Factory for fresh sourdough in the shape of animals at Fisherman's Wharf

Fisherman's Wharf

Hopping aboard the easy-to-use bus system with a Clipper card gets you even more access to excitement like the Exploratorium and the Palace of the Fine Arts (the buses come frequently and prepare to be immersed in a melting pot of languages). Our one disappointment was we ran out of time to take a bus down to Chinatown for some noodles and dumplings, but Palette Tea House next to Ghirardelli’s was a mouth-watering delight.

You can see what people fall in love with San Francisco. It has a youthful, artsy energy swirling through the bones of these charming vintage houses, their detailed furnishings down to the doorknobs a treat, like you’re walking through a living museum on architecture.

Palace of the Fine Arts was a delight to walk through

A homage to Europe - even the ceilings were ornate

I highly recommend NO RENTAL CAR until you’re about to head out of the city metropolis to avoid being taken to the cleaners for parking (public transit quite easy with kids and no dealing with car seats!). We did a big circle over Bay Bridge to visit the Hayward/Pleasanton area, went up to Mendocino, and came back by way of Golden Gate Bridge.

Golden Gate Bridge in the background of Crissy Field East Beach, within walking distance from the Palace of the Fine Arts

View of Coit Tower in downtown San Francisco

Every bit worth the hype, there is tons to do surrounding Golden Gate Bridge, from the Bay Area Discovery Museum for children, to old forts and lighthouses. The Baker Beach  and Ocean Beach area on the west coast of San Francisco had astounding views and jaw-dropping mansions (and the unique historical Sutro Baths remnant). We even were able to catch a glimpse of the urban bison in Golden Gate Park near Spreckels Lake. That gorgeously verdant park alone you could explore for days. Sight we ran out of time for but looked extremely intriguing: California Academy of the Sciences (had me at living roof).  

Ferris Wheel on Fisherman's Wharf

Pit stop where you can pose with a trolley car

We stayed at the Grand Hyatt our last night adjacent to San Francisco International Airport. Heavily recommended – soundproof building, the freshly squeezed orange juice is heavenly, and there is an air train that connects directly from the hotel to the airport, making it a stress-free morning to catch our return flight with plenty of memories to savor (when the kids give us time). It felt like catching a glimpse of just one mini-nation out of a multitude of diverse neighborhoods, embraced by the crowning glory of sunset dancing across the mighty Pacific.

 

Fisherman's Wharf at Sunset

The above is depicted as fiction, not fact

2024 Seasons Greetings

 HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Just breached Part II of The Stars of Eden (Afterlife Chronicles III). Enjoy this teaser. May your 2025 be bright and the candles of memory there when you need them. I look forward to releasing more details on the last book of the Afterlife Chronicles in the new year! 

THE STARS OF EDEN

Genre: Dark Fantasy 

A story of the righting of wrongs, the wrongs of righting 

THE DOOM BELL tolls its last and Armageddon begins, leaving no place left to hide. Heaven is all that stands in the way of the dark, cannibalistic realm of Hell from devouring Earth and all planes of existence. Michael leads his battle angels against Satan, who unleashes unimaginable horror from the Well. Meanwhile, condemned everywhere brace themselves for the age-old prophecy that will cast them into a lake of fire forevermore.

As cosmic forces wreak chaos and ruin, the tribe of Ishmael Abajian attempts a final heist to capture the remaining Unholy Artifacts, a daring power play that could crown or end them.  However, Ishmael knows a secret about the relics that will be the greatest test his soul has faced.

Once a boy got on a train. Instead of Paradise, it took him to Hell. Now at the end of all things, Ishmael must decide which is home.

Eternity is waiting.

Fallout - TV Show Review

Fallout

Season 1

Streaming Service: Amazon Prime

*Warning! Spoiler Alert!*



YET ANOTHER VIDEO GAME Series adaptation. That alone should have inspired me to start Fallout early, yes, early! If we’ve learned anything from Silent Hill, Castlevania, and The Last of Us, it’s that the video game foundation brings the layered world-building, plot twists, and crazy-cool monsters to screen in all their bingeworthy glory (did I hear Netflix is working on Far Cry? Because YES).

I have zero familiarity with Fallout. I’m not much for the heavily-armored dude running around punching through walls and saving the day. Luckily in Fallout, that is just one faction of this masterful depiction of nuclear apocalyptic aftermath. We’ve got the mysterious 200-year-old Ghoul who pokes fun at said “Knights of the Brotherhood,” we’ve got a Knight who’s not really supposed to be a Knight, and we’ve Lucy whose cavalier “Okie-Dokey!” and resourcefulness in the face of so much gone wrong is instantly endearing.

The world you know is a lie. Lucy (Ella Purnell) grew up in an underground Vault, believing the surface world to be an uninhabitable wasteland destroyed by nuclear warfare. She and the other Vault residents train in the belief that one day they will return to bring order and civilization to the earth. After raiders masquerading as Vault neighbors leave their home in ruins and abscond with Lucy’s father, she balks her elders’ orders and sets off to rescue him.

Pretty standard plot of dystopian narratives, but Fallout sets itself apart with its use of perfect 50s soundtracks and replication of Cold War-era propaganda to create epic climate payoffs. It even opens with the Ghoul as a normal man back before society blew itself to smithereens, enjoying a normal birthday party with his daughter, the eerie tv broadcasts in the background and casual comments that the Ghoul has been involved with some sort of nuclear apocalyptic shelter preparation the only signs that things are about to go horribly wrong. Flash-forward to when Lucy meets the Ghoul as a skinless, mutated skeleton of a man without an eyelash to bat as he callously mows down his enemies, and you’re guessing it’s been a rough 200 years.

Walton Goggins has made an instant fan-favorite in the Ghoul. It takes a lot for an audience to root for someone willing to kill a dog. I was extremely excited to see him in this, given Goggins’ insanely good ability to create a core, driving chemistry with his costars (Remember that simmering rivalry in Justified with Timothy Olyphant!), and Fallout is no exception as he goes from mocking Lucy’s naivety (in between trying to sell her organs) to becoming a sort of dark mentor, recognizing in her the resilient, survival instinct it takes to persevere, even when your entire world is shattered.

Rounding out the trio is dutiful Maximus (Aaron Moten). He brings his own kind of naivety from being indoctrinated in the so-called chivalry of the Brotherhood, who scour the wasteland for enemies of the new world order. While the least engaging of the story arcs, Maximus brings the grounding of being just a kid who wants a bit of respect. No super-powered fighting skills without his Knight armor, no brilliant math skills or the like, but we see that despite his longing to follow a moral compass, he, too, ultimately is willing to cross lines to survive. Lucy and Maximus bring out the best in one another, a reminder of the good times when it was possible to trust strangers, while the grim vendettas of the shadowy organizations that rule their world make them wonder if such a reality is ever possible again.

This is just the core three—there’s a plethora of rich, complex side characters who enrich the world-building, and the question of who is responsible for the apocalypse actually has an immensely satisfying twist that makes me positively salivate for Season 2. This show got Emmy-nominated for a reason—it says a lot when there’s all these streaming shows at your fingertips, and you’d rather watch Fallout all over again. Amazon Prime knocked it out of the park.

*Disclaimer: The above is depicted as fiction not fact. 

Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort - Washington, USA

This is Part III of the Washington Travel Series - Olympic Peninsula. Read Part 1 here. 

SOL DUC HOT SPRINGS
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK

Lodging Reservations: https://www.olympicnationalparks.com/lodging/sol-duc-hot-springs-resort/

Permit Needed for Olympic National Park: National Park Wilderness Permit. Hint: bring that senior in your life who could use a bit of pampering. They’ll get the best price on a lifetime pass that will cover everyone in your vehicle: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/olympic/passes-permits/recreation

 

IN QUILEUTE LEGEND, once long ago there were two great dragons, Sol Duc and Elwha, embroiled in an endless conflict, each suspecting the other of trying to take their territory. The tears they shed created two glorious and enduring hot springs that travelers from around the world enjoy. It’ll take guts to brave the WiFi dead zone, and a quick thumb to pull the trigger early on securing a reservation, but once you’re at Sol Duc Resort (Olympic National Park) just thirty minutes south of Lake Cresent on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, it will all be worth it.

We booked our trip ridiculously early, about eight months out, and were able to snag the Riverside Suite for a large party. Coming from the Seattle area, there are plenty of great stops to explore lovely coastal towns along the way: Poulsbo, Fort Flaggler, Port Gamble, which has an incredible seashell museum, Sequim, for lavender farms and groceries, and finally, Port Angeles, which will be the last major town at which to pick up supplies. You’ll next circumnavigate the dreamily beautiful Lake Crescent, a deep crystalline lake with dramatic peaks including Storm King rearing up along its shores. There’s a last stop you could make at Fairholme General Store at the Fairholme Campground on the far west side of Crescent Lake along Highway 101 West before you’ll turn south down Sol Duc Hot Springs Road and enter Olympic National Park. About thirty minutes down, you will see the sign for Sol Duc Resort on your right.

Everything is very well marked to get there, but once you enter the Resort, it can be a bit confusing. We arrived on a Saturday for a 4 PM check in late summer, and the parking lot in front of the main lodge was completely full. There are plenty of campgrounds around, and so campers will also flock to the Lodge to enjoy the hot springs after a long day of hiking. Visitors who aren't resort guests will have to reserve time slots to use the hot springs, usually in 1.5 hour increments. However, if you are a guest, you’ll get all day access to the hot springs, including special guests-only from 7:30 Am – 8 AM. Simply flash your wrist band and you’ll get a towel for each member of your party each time you head over to the springs through the main lodge. There’s a gift shop and a simple convenience store, as well as drip coffee for around $4. As mentioned before, there’s no WiFi—a phone is available at the front desk for emergencies.

Spreading out before the lodge are quite a few rows of cabins, which could probably hold up to four people at the most. If you have a larger party, you’ll definitely want to try and book the Riverside Suite, which is the large building farthest back by the creek above a workshop. It has a master bedroom, a bedroom with two twin-size beds, and a third bedroom with a queen. There is also plenty of space for additional party members to sleep on couches or sleeping bags in the three separate living rooms, and there is one full bath and one half-bath in the master. We had a fully equipped kitchen including fridge, oven, stove, and dishwasher, but be aware that this is all federally funded so it won’t be the Bellagio-- many of the appliances and the building shows its age, but for “glamping,” you’ve hit the lottery. Park in front of the Riverside Suite where the signs indicate (easy parking for two vehicles; additional cars would need to park behind them), follow a steep staircase up, and you’ll get the entire second floor to yourselves, along with a wrap-around deck and stairs down to a path to the creek. Breathe in that sulfurous air! You’ll also enjoy watching dozens of swallows dive and soar overhead.

·       Pros: walk to the hot springs, walk to a trailhead for the Lover’s Lane Loop, and within easy ten minute drive to the Sol Duc Falls trailhead if you keep going south down Sol Duc Hot Springs Road (this trailhead had completely filled up by around eleven, so get there before then!) Riverside Suite was clean, good temperature, and had plenty of hot water.

·       Cons: there were some safety concerns for little children (nails left out on the back deck), the handrail in the stairway is loose and poor lighting, the coffee maker is for k-cups only unless you fill a pod with ground coffee & cover it with foil, and we couldn’t find oven mitts. Our guests said the queen bed was saggy in the middle.

 

Sol Duc Hot Springs

Enter through the main lodge and branch off to the right to access the showers and the springs. There are locker rooms in the showers and plenty of places around the pool to hang your stuff. There are a total of four pools: the large cold pool (which floaties are allowed in; appropriate for all ages), a small wading pool (good for all ages; we had two toddlers and they loved it, even at eight at night), and two hotter pools—my favorite, the one with the fountain, and lastly, a mid-sized pool that gets up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. It was clean and ambient. You’ll get a pool schedule that shows half-hour increments the springs are closed for cleaning.

Expect crowds during the day, but go early or the last session for seclusion. We ended up doing the 8 – 9 Pm session twice, and two of the toddlers with us, code names Eagle One and Flying Squirrel, got to enjoy the shallow kids’ spring all to themselves while us adults took turns dipping in the hotter pools. The warm water leaves your skin feeling silky and smooth, and we got to watch the stars at night and spotted a deer on our way back to the Riverside Suite.

Note: We did not try the restaurant at the Lodge due to seeing some reviews that it was not worth the money, but it looked very rustic and lovely for a drink outside under the lights overlooking the springs.

Sol Duc Falls

There are plenty of hiking options during the day. The full Lover’s Lane loop is about 5.8 miles and make sure to start off at the trailhead off of the resort so you can soak in the springs after!

We were looking for a kid-friendly option for Eagle One, Flying Squirrel, and for my own sake due to carrying the baby, code name Pink Pika. Sol Duc Falls was a perfect hike for all ages. There and back is about 1.6 miles round trip (we were considering a 2.2 mile round trip by adding on Lover’s Lane Falls but alas, the kiddos did not concur).

To get there by car, turn right out of the resort and follow the road past a campground nestled in old growth to the parking lot at the end of the road. Go early—the parking lot was filled by eleven. There is a bathroom there. Next you’re in for a treat as you descend into an atmospheric forest of giants straight out of another world. Dinosaur-shaped firs, dangling tree beards, and little bridges over bubbling creeks—Pink Pika was wide-eyed the entire time. When you pass an old shelter on your left, you’re nearly to the falls.

Eagle One leading the way.

After you cross the bridge over Sol Duc Falls, you’re greeted with a trail left or right. We took the left and found a nice secluded little sandbank by the river. This was during summer—likely this spot would be flooded in colder months. We enjoyed lunch and skipping rocks in the cool streams under the shadowy boughs before heading back. If you keep going left, you’ll find a neat tucked away little campground. We made it back with plenty of time to get in a nap and then it was back to the unspoiled beauty of the springs. Soak up and have fun!

 

 

Disclaimer: The above is depicted as fiction, not fact.