We are Traveling While Black (formally Traveling While Black in Seattle). 

We travel to different places and rate our experiences on the drive, how much fun we have, and how comfortable we feel as black people visiting for the first time! 


Traveling While  Black™

This historic park preserves the site of a 19th century mission & tragic massacre. Learn more about the Whitman Massacre: https://youtu.be/CActPjaKUcM

Whitman Mission National Historic Site is located just west of Walla Walla, Washington, at the site of the former Whitman Mission at Waiilatpu. On November 29, 1847, Dr. Marcus Whitman, his wife Narcissa Whitman, and 11 others were slain by Native Americans of the Cayuse. The Whitmans were among a small group of Methodist missionaries who had traveled with the annual fur trapper's caravan into Oregon Country. Narcissa Whitman and Eliza Hart Spalding were part of the missionary group and became the first white women to travel across the continent. They established the Whitman Mission near the Walla Walla River as a way to promote Christianity among the Cayuse people. The mission quickly grew into a successful agricultural enterprise, and the Whitmans eventually were accepted among the Cayuse. However, relations between the two groups began to sour when members of the Whitman Mission started to get sick with measles. The Cayuse believed that the Whitmans were poisoning them, and in 1847 they killed the Whitmans and their companions. The site commemorates the Whitmans, their role in establishing the Oregon Trail, and their tragic deaths.

Whitman Mission

Whitman Mission National Historic Site

We went hiking at the Franklin Falls Trail. This trail is beginner friendly and less than an hour drive from Seattle, WA. 

Home to more glaciers than any national forest outside of Alaska, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest covers more than 1.7 million acres on the western slopes of the Cascade Range.

Mount Baker-Snoqualmie

Hiking at Franklin Falls | North Bend, WA

TWB goes hiking at Wallace Falls in Gold Bar, WA.

Sprawling park with campsites and trails encompasses lakes, rivers, forest and a 256-ft. waterfall.

Wallace Falls

Traveling While Black: Hiking at Wallace Falls

We went camping & hiking at Mount St. Helens, through the Mount St. Helens Institute. What a fun and enlightening experience. 

Established in 1982 to designate 110,000 acres around the infamous volcano for research, recreation and education, the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument is an unforgettable adventure. Seasonal activities include hiking, fishing, camping and snow sports. If you want to make the trek to the summit of the volcano, though, make sure to get a permit in advance. 

Mount St. Helens

Hiking at Mount St. Helens | Skamania County, WA

On this week’s episode, we headed to Heather Lake trail near Granite Falls, WA. The hike leads to a beautiful lake! 

Hiking at Heather Lake | Granite Falls, WA

Check out our experience at Riverside State Park in Spokane, WA. This is the largest park in Washington State!

Just 9 miles from Spokane, Washington, Riverside State Park is a delightful escape with a wide range of activities. Once a gathering place for Native Americans, it now spans over 9,000 acres along the Spokane and Little Spokane Rivers. In the warmer months, hikers and mountain bikers take advantage of 55 miles of trails, and the Little Spokane River is great for paddle sports. Note that pets are not allowed. In the winter the park draws snowshoers, snowmobilers and cross-country skiers. 

Riverside State Park

Riverside State Park | Spokane, WA

Discovery Park is a beautiful park in the city of Seattle. It's an oasis in the city and a place all should visit! 

Discovery Park is a beloved Seattle institution, offering residents and visitors alike a chance to experience the city's natural beauty. Situated on Magnolia Bluff overlooking Puget Sound, the park provides stunning views of the Cascade and Olympic Mountain ranges. Discovery Park is also home to two miles of protected tidal beaches, meadow lands, sea cliffs, forest groves, active sand dunes, thickets and streams. In addition to its picturesque setting, the park also offers a variety of recreational opportunities, including hiking, biking, picnicking and bird watching. Inside the city boundaries there is no better place to get away and experience where the sea meets the shore. 

Discovery Park

Discovery Park | Seattle, WA

Lake Sammamish Park is about 30 minutes outside of Seattle, WA. It has a beautiful lake with trails and other fun activities. 

An amazing beach escape just outside of Seattle, Lake Sammamish State Park offers two lakefront beaches and forest trails where you might get a glimpse of a bald eagle or a great blue heron.

Lake Sammamish

Lake Sammamish State Park | Issaquah, WA

We checked out the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in Seattle, WA to learn more about the history of the gold rush. 

A companion to the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in Skagway, Alaska, this park reveals a fascinating chapter in the history of Seattle, when it became the "Gateway to the Gold Fields." In July 1897, a ship carrying "a ton of gold" arrived in Seattle, sparking a rush of prospectors to the Yukon Territory of Canada. Over the next year, 70,000 prospectors flooded into Seattle en route to the Yukon. The park's Kerr gallery, named for a beloved Klondike ranger named Ruth Kerr, offers rotating exhibits throughout the year.

Klondike Gold Rush (Seattle)

Klondike Gold Rush | Seattle, WA

We went hiking on the Bluff Trail at Ebey's Landing Park on Whidbey Island. It's a beautiful trail right on the beach. 

A stunning day trip from Seattle, this historical reserve on Whidbey Island was home to the Skagit Indians, who had permanent villages on the shores of Penn Cove from as early as 1300. By 1790 there were more than 1,500 Native Americans living there. Most would be displaced by the Donation Land Law of 1850, which would bring a flood of homesteaders looking for free land in Oregon Territory. Today the reserve offers an intriguing mix of history and nature – great for biking, hiking and birdwatching. Pets are welcome.

Ebey's Landing

Hiking on the Bluff Trail | Whidbey Island, WA

On this week’s episode we headed to Squak Mountain State Park in Issaquah, WA. Great for hikes and equestrians! 

An easy 15-minute drive from Seattle, Squak Mountain State Park is a lovely getaway for hiking, birdwatching and horseback riding. The summit, at 2,024 feet, offers a gorgeous view of Seattle. And one trail boasts an unusual landmark: the remains of a stone fireplace, all that's left of Bullitt House.

Squak Mountain

Squak Mountain State Park | Washington State

Check out our review of Squak Mountain State Park in Washington state in 60 seconds. 

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