Gobsmacked is a real word, look it up. It means “overwhelmed by wonder” or “utterly astonished” and it perfectly describes how we felt getting our first glimpse of the North Cascades near Glacier Washington. Eric and I have been to some beautiful places, but only a few have rendered us speechless. Lake Superior, Faroe Islands and the west coast of Ireland make our list of gobsmackable places — and now Glacier Washington.
Continuing on our journey through Washington State, Eric and I found ourselves in the old lumber town of Darrington. Tucked in a foggy valley in the middle of the Snoqualmie Forest and North Cascades, this sleepy little town is perfect when you want to escape the world. Which is exactly what we did.
How a trip evolves is almost as interesting to me as the destination. I find it utterly fascinating how people plan what they want to do and how those plans change once the trip begins. Eric and I are a fun example. Our trips always begin with a solid itinerary of healthy activities and lofty goals. “We’re going to hike 8 miles today and eat tuna and crackers” becomes “let’s stop in this town that has an amazing bakery and we’ll squeeze in a quick beach walk.” Such was the case after a week into our Hiking Washington trip.
